Summary: Joey realizes that Rachel is into him and struggles with wanting to be with her. Ross and Charlie continue to spend time together and hook up. Monica challenges Mike to playing table tennis.
The Good: The relationship twist went exactly as expected. There are the odd funny lines throughout as the plot heads to its predictable conclusion. Ross and Charlie are fun together, and it's nice to see the show highlight the positive attributes of Ross that allowed him to be so likeable in the early seasons. Joey and Rachel do a decent job and I bought into them getting together. The table tennis story doesn't have much substance but it provides most of the laughs. It's nice to see Mike finally have some personality as he unleashes his competitive side. The Bad: The biggest issue with this is how predictable it is. We knew exactly what was going to happen, and there were no surprises. This removes any sense of drama or investment, which is a major issue because this story is not well written and not funny. It feels very flat as a result. I wasn't happy with Joey's excuse about not wanting to make Ross feel weird, it felt like a forced excuse to keep stalling. Phoebe moved on far too quickly from David which completely removes any sense of reality from the Mike vs David story, further disconnecting me from Phoebe as a character. The gay professor side character was a step too far and lacked the subtlety needed to be funny. Best Moment: Rachel opening the door that Joey was leaning on and he falls into the room. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: Much like part 1, this was flat and predictable television that was merely serviceable as a season finale. I'm honestly surprised that this season finale wasn't a complete mess because that's what this entire season has been. I can count the episodes I've enjoyed on a single hand, and when there are 24 episodes in the season, that's a massive problem. There were so many terrible episodes this season and my opinion on the show fell drastically as I continued on through the season. I don't have the same love for these characters as I did before, and I have little faith in this show following what has to be one of the worst seasons of comedy I have seen from a good TV show. Thankfully, season 10 will be the final season and I hope that "Friends" can end on a high. But my optimism has taken a serious hit after this season, and I suspect that the final season will be a flat, dire end to one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Score: 54
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Summary: David plans to propose to Phoebe in Barbados after getting advice from Chandler. Monica learns that Phoebe might say yes even though she still loves Mike. Chandler accidentally deletes Ross's speech, so Charlie has to help him rewrite it.
The Good: The switch to Ross/Charlie and Joey/Rachel relationships is very telegraphed but it is built up in a sensible way with some good lines and ideas. Chandler is funny as he goes around ruining everything he involves himself with. David's as charming and funny as ever and he carries the Phoebe story on his back. I wish that he could have been the one to stay with her because he is so much more fun to watch. The Bad: The proposal storyline is incredibly dumb and unrealistic. David deciding to propose to Phoebe is such a dumb idea, and even worse is Chandler thinking that he gave decent advice. He should know full well that it's a terrible idea! I was more frustrated than amused by Chandler and Monica meddling so much in Phoebe's life, and I was very confused that Phoebe took no issue with this. Mike arriving in Barbados doesn't feel earned, and I'm incredibly disappointed that the writers have decided to set up Phoebe with bland, boring Mike instead of the charismatic and endearing David. Monica's hair being so messy is one of those unrealistic and stupid late season "Friends" jokes that never makes me laugh. While the relationship switch is being set up well, it's hard for me to care much about it with how much the reputation of "Friends" has tanked over this last season. I don't have much faith that this story will be funny or written well. Best Moment: David's commentary while Phoebe talks with Mike is really funny, culminating in the perfect moment when Phoebe says no to Mike's proposal and David chimes in with "um, haha". Character of the Episode: David. He deserved better. Conclusion: This was a fine part 1 of the season finale carried by David's performance. Unfortunately my investment in these characters and the show as a whole has fallen drastically over the course of this season. Even though this episode doesn't do a whole lot wrong compared to other episodes, I still found watching it to be a mediocre experience. Score: 55 Summary: Chandler invites Zack to his house and he grills him along with Monica to see if he would be a good sperm donor. Rachel still can't bring herself to like Charlie. Phoebe contemplates going to a party where Mike is going to be. Ross does an interview to get a big speaking position, but his interviewer falls asleep.
The Good: Ross' situation is mildly funny and David Schwimmer does his best to get whatever laughs he can. David's return is a good twist at the end of the episode, and his antics are as funny as ever. I hope that he does end up with Phoebe because he is a far better character than Mike. The Bad: But this was another bad episode. Joey continues on from the previous episode and is unfeasibly stupid. Rachel's jealousy isn't funny to watch and it feels like the show is treading on familiar ground. I wasn't pleased with Charlie mistaking Rachel for Phoebe and not putting together what is really going on. She has to be unfeasibly stupid to not catch on to Rachel's obvious, poorly disguised jealousy. Leave it to "Friends" to ruin the most promising guest star the show has had in a long while. Lastly we get to Chandler and Monica's story which is just awful. Watching Chandler and Monica awkwardly ask these probing questions is more painful than funny and it feels completely unrealistic. Furthermore, it's impossible to buy into Chandler being so into the idea of using Zack specifically as a sperm donor. Why did he suddenly think that Zack was a perfect candidate? This entire storyline was a mess, one of the worst of the season. Best Moment: Chandler's dumb jokes to the doctor were pretty funny. I especially liked the line "talk about an inhospitable environment" when the doctor didn't laugh at anything he said. Character of the Episode: Chandler. Conclusion: This was another poor effort with bad storytelling, and an overall lack of memorable comedy. This was not a good episode to hype up the two-part season finale. Score: 36 Summary: Chandler and Monica go to test their fertility and run into Janice. Ross helps Joey attempt to impress Charlie. Phoebe doesn't approve of Rachel getting a free massage from a corporation, but Phoebe is secretly working there and ends up having to massage Rachel.
The Good: This show continues to be carried by the character interactions. As stupid as the show gets, the cast does a good job and they have charm interacting with each other. Joey is funny at times with his excessive stupidity. Chandler and Monica do okay with the sad realization that they are unlikely to conceive. The Bad: All three storylines are awful. The Rachel/Phoebe story is by far the worst, and of course it's because of Phoebe. To suggest that Phoebe has principles and is to be admired for this is laughable because this is a character who has historically abandoned her principles and is generally a terrible person, lying, being rude, and making things all about herself. In this episode Phoebe even plays the friendship card to get what she wants by guilt-tripping Rachel out of getting a free massage, offering her nothing in return. That's pretty rich from someone who regularly trashes her friends. Plus, what kind of friend would be so unbelievably selfish as to screw Rachel out of a massage over basically nothing? And that too when she is working for the same damn company anyways! Phoebe continues to sink lower and lower with her selfish behaviour, and she hit a new low here. Monica and Chandler's story is also bad. Most of the jokes are immature jokes about masturbating to a cup which are childish and not at all funny. Janice also makes an appearance, but by this point she is a caricature and not funny anymore. Monica and Chandler's serious moment at the end is hurt by the lack of meaningful build-up, and the silly jokes that Chandler makes. Joey is unbelievably stupid in almost every scene in this episode. Joey is narrow-minded and oblivious, he is not a complete moron like the show seems to suggest in this episode. Having him mistake left and right is a step too far. Best Moment: As stupid as it was, Joey mistaking left and right was the funniest moment due to how unexpected it was. But that's less about how good this joke was and more about how unfunny the rest of the episode was. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: After a couple good episodes, we are back to insufferable television. All three storylines here did not work and there was very little humour. Phoebe continues to be atrocious. Another awful episode this season. Score: 35 Summary: Joey holds a secret soap opera party and tries to get the others to go to a play. Rachel discovers this and ends up leaking the information tot he others who end up going. Chandler doesn't get the message and gets stuck at the play. Ross meets Charlie, a fellow professor, and has insecurities asking her out when he learns she has only dated Nobel Prize winners.
The Good: This was a fun episode. The soap opera plot is really creative and lots of great jokes are thrown out as the plot unfolds. Joey's excuse for waking up early is immediately suspicious, and there's a really funny moment when Rachel exposes his secret plan by playing the answering machine. Joey's interactions with Rachel are a lot of fun in this episode. I enjoyed him revealing all of his other plans and then telling Rachel that she's the worst of the bunch when it comes to behaving around stars. Rachel faking sick is also really funny, and that joke has a hilarious pay-off with Joey flashing everyone. The party itself is decent fun. Rachel continues to grapple with her feelings, and Ross has an iffy conflict (see: The Bad), but it makes good use of Phoebe who gets to be a good friend for once. The ending twist with Joey connecting with Charlie is a genuine surprise and a good moment. Chandler getting left alone at the play was really funny, and it hearkened back to the Chandler of old getting caught up in awkward, hilarious situations. The episode ends with a terrific pay-off as Chandler abandons Monica and Phoebe to extract vengeance. The Bad: Ross acts like a clown with Charlie on a number of occasions. His attempt to leave without the other professor completely lacked subtlety and made him look like an idiot, and his insecurity after hearing Charlie dates only smart people made sense but was far too ridiculous. Surely he understands that her dating smart guys in the past doesn't mean that she will only date smart guys now. Monica is way out of character throughout the episode as she fawns over the soap opera stars. Rachel was always the one fawning, not Monica. It's hard to believe that her actions do not create serious issues in her marriage with Chandler. Best Moment: Joey flashing everyone after Monica tells him to take off his robe, expecting him to be dressed for a party like Rachel. Naturally, he wasn't. And the funniest part in retrospect is Joey briefly hitting on Charlie as he walks out, made better by the fact that they actually hook up at the end of the episode. Character of the Episode: Rachel. Conclusion: This felt more like an early "Friends" episode. A fun plot that incorporates everyone, some good humour, and a decent new guest star. There are still some problems, but I enjoyed this. Score: 67 Summary: Rachel has a dream about kissing Joey after helping him with his soap opera scenes and realizes that she may have a crush on Drake. Chandler and Ross spend a weekend at a hotel in Vermont and start stealing things. Phoebe sets up outside Monica's restaurant to play guitar, but Monica wants her to stop.
The Good: The opening scene has amusing moments, like Joey with the pineapple and Rachel's incident in the men's room. Rachel's story in this episode is decent and it's a funny bit of writing to have Rachel develop a crush on Joey's character rather than Joey himself. Chandler and Ross do well in their plot. There are some weak moments, but the hotel story has enough clever ideas and laughs to work well enough. The Bad: This episode doesn't do great at getting laughs. Rachel's story has hardly any laughs. Ross feels much more stupid than he should be in this episode with the maple candy and the salt. Monica and Phoebe's story is absolutely terrible. Phoebe remains really awful in most episodes. Monica politely and reasonably asks her to play somewhere else, but rather than explain her side to Monica, Phoebe attacks her cooking abilities and restaurant ruthlessly, and Monica responds by viciously attacking Phoebe's musical abilities. These are serious attacks that can damage a friendship and should not be used in a sitcom story. Both characters look awful after this episode. Best Moment: Ross giving Chandler an exaggerated clap after he figures out the stealing rule. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This was decent stuff outside of the bad Monica/Phoebe story. This certainly isn't one of the weakest episodes of the season, but it's still a long way from being good. Score: 50 Summary: Everyone decides to pitch in and buy tons of lottery tickets, intending to split the winnings between themselves. Chandler waits to hear back on if he has a new job.
The Good: This was a lot of fun. I always love episodes that see the six friends all together because it always makes for really funny and entertaining viewing. With everyone together, the interactions are a blast and it's easier for the characters to bounce off of each other. I wish that more episodes had all of the characters together like this instead of only reuniting everyone for just one or two scenes. Using this format made a marked improvement over other episodes in this season. The interactions were written well, and there were times where the show really got me to laugh hard, reminiscent of the excellent comedy of season 1-5 "Friends". Lots of ideas here were well executed like Joey not telling Monica his wish, Ross being so firmly against the idea of wasting money on a lottery, and Phoebe taking to calling Ross "daddy" (see: Best Moment). I thought the episode ended nicely with Chandler getting the job and Joey revealing that he had secretly wished for him to get the job. The Bad: This episode was so good for so long, but it loses a lot of its quality by needlessly shoving in a conflict in an utterly ridiculous way. This episode seemingly tried a similar format to "The One where Underdog Gets Away" from season 1 by having the friends all argue before making up afterwards. But where that episode created a credible situation for an argument, this episode sacrifices the credibility of the characters to make this conflict happen. Monica is annoying and an awful friend for sneakily getting lottery tickets for herself, and Chandler siding with her is even worse. Just as bad is Phoebe who is self-centered and annoying in how she handles the problem, and the lack of a genuine apology for dropping the lottery tickets does not suit her character at all. This needless conflict does not add much and makes many characters look worse, hurting this episode's quality. Best Moment: Ross explains that he wants Rachel to call him "daddy" to help with Emma's first words, but Phoebe decides to call Ross "daddy" instead. Lisa Kudrow handles the scene superbly, and it only gets funnier as Ross tries to match Phoebe by committing to the role, only to give up. This is a fantastic moment that utilizes Phoebe correctly as a caring friend who likes doing some harmless teasing. It's been a long time since we have seen this side of Phoebe. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This episode has a great premise and some fantastic interactions, but it does get brought down by the needless, tedious conflict that emerges. Still, it's a funny, enjoyable, and at times terrific episode that is the strongest of season 9 so far. Score: 68 Summary: Ross and Chandler prank each other online by spreading lies, which escalates into Ross holding a fake memorial service for himself. Joey doesn't want to share Hugsy with Emma. Phoebe enlists Monica in keeping her away from Mike.
The Good: Some interactions here are decent. Phoebe and Monica have an okay story and there is some humour in Mike getting someone to keep him away from Phoebe too. Chandler and Ross pranking each other has some funny aspects. The Bad: It is hard to say much good about this episode. Where to begin? Ross and Chandler's pranks cross a line and are really absurd. Chandler should know better than to endanger Ross' career with these statements on his profile, and Ross is really immature every step of the way which makes him look awful. Stuff like this can permanently damage relationships, and it was hard to buy into their sappy moment of friendship at the end of the episode when they are saying such dangerous things about each other which clearly are not in good spirits. The fake memorial service is an awful idea and it's a complete sell-out of the character of Ross. Ross used to be one of the most likeable and relatable characters in the show, but now he is a total self-absorbed, geeky, annoying asshole in most episodes. Without David Schwimmer's performance, I would not be able to stand him at all. Episodes like this prove that Ross is not a good character anymore. It has been evident all season long, but this really is the icing on the cake. Ross being so upset about people not caring he's dead getting to the point that he holds a fake memorial is terrible. Even worse is that he didn't even seem to call his parents to spare them of the heartbreak! And the ultimate moment of awfulness comes when he reveals himself to be alive to Kori, expecting that she might actually give him a shot. And instead of being reprimanded from how obviously sick this fake memorial service is, all he cares about is that Kori did have a crush on him. That is such unrealistic garbage that makes Ross feel like an unlikeable caricature that deserves nothing from anyone. What terrible character writing. Then we get to Joey's plot which is useless, unfunny filler. Joey is funny when he is shown to be narrow-minded, he is not funny when he is shown to be unrealistically childish. The episode doesn't come to any real conclusion and the entire joke is just Joey taking a stuffed animal away from a baby and not being the bigger person. I fail to see any comedy in this. Phoebe's story doesn't work either. Again, Mike being so flat makes it impossible to care, and Monica is more irritating than anything else in her role before she unfathomably has a change in heart and tells Phoebe to get back with Mike. What a trainwreck. Best Moment: Chandler hitting on Kori only he be reminded by Monica that he's married. Chandler replies "don't mind him, he's in a really bad mood". Character of the Episode: Chandler. Conclusion: What a bad episode. Right when I think season 9 might be improving towards the end of the season we get such an awful stinker of an episode. This is one of the worst episodes of the entire show, and further fuel to the fire that is my feeling that season 9 is going to end up as one of the worst seasons of a good TV show I have ever seen. Score: 30 Summary: Chandler and Monica both borrow money from Joey without telling each other and Joey tells Chandler that Monica borrowed it for a boob job. Mike moves in with Phoebe but they realize that they have contrasting opinions on marriage. Rachel baby-proofs Joey's apartment.
The Good: Phoebe has a good conflict to deal with here when she learns that Mike doesn't want to get married. She has to discover more about herself and how she feels about it before finally calling things off at the end of the episode. Ross is utilized well here when Phoebe goes to him for advice. The odd joke throughout the episode works, like Rachel not really carrying the couch, Joey struggling with the baby-proofing, and Ross trying to tell Phoebe how bad marriage is. The Bad: The Chandler/Monica story is atrocious. Their relationship has always been written so poorly that it's sometimes hard to understand how they are still together. The fact that they ask Joey in secret to borrow money is an awful development that should shake their trust in each other. The worst part is Chandler talking Monica out of borrowing money only to ask Joey for money anyways, a totally perplexing decision. Even stupider is Joey telling Chandler that Monica is getting a boob job. What did he think would happen? The scenes between Chandler and Monica after that are painful, and the miscommunication is unrealistic. Why didn't Chandler tell Monica forthright what he heard from Joey? And why didn't Monica try talking to Chandler first before jumping to conclusions that he is getting nervous about her being pregnant? And why on Earth did they have these discussions in front of Rachel? Everything about this story is awful. Phoebe's story could potentially have been emotional and tragic, but unfortunately it actually falls flat. Phoebe was written well, but the problem is Mike who is still a cardboard cut-out of a character. All of the stories involving Mike have failed because I hardly know him so I am entirely unable to connect with him. The break-up scene fails to have any impact because of my complete disconnect with anything involving Mike. Ross and his divorce names is a really cheap joke and it isn't funny. Best Moment: Joey struggling to deal with the baby-proofing. Character of the Episode: Phoebe. She wasn't particularly funny but at least she was written well. Conclusion: This episode gave Phoebe a good conflict, but Mike, the awful Chandler/Monica story, and some poor jokes really drag this down. After a pretty good episode, it's back to the standard fare of mediocrity. Score: 42 Summary: Phoebe and Ross almost get mugged and Ross learns that Phoebe used to mug people when she was younger, and Phoebe realizes that she actually mugged Ross. Chandler works as an intern and notices an age gap between him and the other interns. Joey gets an audition with the famous Leonard Hayes.
The Good: All 3 storylines delivered this time. Phoebe's history gets explored in an interesting way in this episode, and the reveal that she mugged Ross in the past is pretty funny. It's sensible that Ross would be upset and that Phoebe would be a little bit happy that she now has a deep-rooted connection to one of her friends since she has always been the outsider. Joey's story is also quite good. I've always liked stories that involve Joey acting because the writers can sometimes get creative with them. That happens here as we get to see Joey's hilarious acting ability while holding in his piss, aided by a lovely cameo from Jeff Goldblum who gives a memorable performance as the snobby famous actor. Chandler's story is decent too as we finally see him get a new job and do a good job now that he's finally doing something he's passionate for. The Bad: The biggest issue is that there isn't a whole lot of laughs in these stories. They are written about as well as early "Friends" episodes, but they don't capture the same level of comedy. Best Moment: Joey relaxing and accidentally peeing all over Leonard was great. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This was a surprisingly good episode. In a season full of stinkers, I'm impressed that the writers managed to create an episode with 3 good stories that were not painful to watch. The laughs were lacking a little bit, but overall I definitely enjoyed this. Score: 66 Summary: Joey and Phoebe set Rachel and Ross up on terrible first dates to hopefully get them back together. Chandler and Monica watch over Emma but a problem arises when they need to have sex the same night due to Monica's ovulation cycle.
The Good: Joey and Chandler do their best to salvage the humour in this episode. A lot of their jokes are cheap, but here and there we get some funny jokes and one-liners. The blind dates have their moments too, like Ross' interactions with the waiter. The highlight is definitely the Joey/Phoebe story. Their interactions are still loads of fun because this is a pairing that the writers still understand pretty well, and it is funny to see their ill-conceived plan fall apart by the episode's end. The Bad: The characters still aren't written great. Joey is unbelievably stupid a lot of the time (like thinking Joey is his family name), Chandler is becoming increasingly dorkier and less funny with every passing episode, and Phoebe's joking schemes rub me the wrong way considering how awful the character has been to her friends in the past. This biggest writing disaster in this episode was Monica, who was terrible. Monica's motherly instincts and total organization are essential to her character, so it is a shocker to think that she would agree to have sex in another room instead of watching over Emma. That's completely not in character. And funnily enough, Monica losing track of what day it is also doesn't fit her character at all, so the very premise of this story doesn't quite work. Rachel's blind date with Steve had huge potential for comedy and the performance is pretty good, but he is written as a completely unbelievable loser and the joke goes way too far to be funny at all. Best Moment: Rachel and Ross piecing together Phoebe and Joey's plan while they watch from the outside thinking how smart they are. Great comedic timing in that moment. Character of the Episode: Joey. He's been carrying this show for a while now. Conclusion: Another day, another poor season 9 outing, though this one was at least watchable and made me laugh more than previous episodes. Still, it's a subpar effort and I expect more from a show with the reputation of "Friends". Score: 55 Summary: Ross tries to find a girl to go out with to get back at Rachel. This eventually leads to a fight between them. Monica goes to a piano event with Phoebe and sings but doesn't realize that the audience can see through her shirt. Joey goes to get his eyebrows done.
The Good: Once again, the cast and their interactions do their best to make this watchable. Everyone has some good lines and good jokes to salvage some poorly written storylines. I was amused by Joey's antics as he got his eyebrows done, Chandler gets so many one-liners so some of them are bound to land, and Rachel is at her awkward best while trying to fake being sick with Gavin before the whole charade falls apart. The Bad: But much of this episode is bad. The Ross and Rachel storyline has become unbelievably frustrating. Ross trying to find other girls to get back at Rachel makes him look awful, and the way he angrily goes after Rachel is awful character development. Their argument at the end of the episode tries to evoke the same emotions from their big argument in season 3 but it fails miserably, failing to capture any of that same tragic feeling. Where both characters are sympathetic and understandable in season 3, they are anything but right now. Ross behaves like a crazed lunatic who has learned nothing from his past, while Rachel proves to be not much better. Their argument is so forced and it's hard to believe that they both wouldn't just tell each other about their feelings at this point. It's so poorly written. The other two storylines are inconsequential filler. Joey getting his eyebrows done is the kind of nonsense gimmick storyline that proves that "Friends" is running out of ideas. As is Monica having a see-through shirt, a story that is light on laughs and continues to make Phoebe look like the worst friend ever. Best Moment: Joey identifying himself as "Chandler Bing" to save the Tribbiani name some embarrassment. Perfectly in-character and funny. Character of the Episode: Rachel. Conclusion: The interactions are still good, but they struggle to mask the poor writing and aimless storytelling. Again, this is a poor effort from a show that has been a real chore to watch this season. Score: 47 Summary: Phoebe takes care of baby rats when a rat dies in her home. Rachel continues to banter with Gavin and contemplates if he likes her. Ross and Rachel hire a hot nanny and Joey tries to connect with her against Ross' will.
The Good: Rachel and Gavin's banter is fun and nicely written. Rachel gets lots of good lines throughout the episode and she behaves normally compared to the previous episode. The nanny storyline is okay, and the best part of it is definitely the lesbian twist at the end and everyone's reactions to it. I've noticed that this season is entirely dependent on the quality of the character interactions. The plots are never much good so everything depends on how funny the interactions are. Luckily they are fairly solid in this episode. The Bad: The rats storyline is pretty weak and Phoebe is as hard to like as ever. It's hard to understand why Mike goes along with her lunacy as she tries to raise baby rats. Joey refusing to back off from the nanny is out of character for him, and he is uncharacteristically childlike and unsympathetic throughout the episode. Joey's comedy doesn't come from him being a child, it comes from him being narrow-minded and missing the bigger picture. Treating him like a self-absorbed child is poor writing. Rachel's story with Gavin is fine, but of course they have to use it to milk more will they/won't they drama, and by this point I am tired of it. Best Moment: The twist that the nanny was a lesbian. Character of the Episode: Rachel. Conclusion: This was better than the last few awful episodes at least, but it is not good television. Score: 50 Summary: Chandler gets cold feet about having a baby without being employed. Rachel returns to work early when she is intimidated by Gavin who has replaced her while she was away. Joey tries to help Phoebe by getting her to be an extra on his show.
The Good: Joey is as sweet as ever by offering to help Phoebe make some money. Chandler and Monica have a decent story as they finally delve into the realities of having a baby. Ross doesn't have much to do in the plot, but he comes and goes between storylines to provide almost all of the episode's laughs. The Bad: Unfortunately, this is another episode with 3 weak stories. Chandler and Monica have an okay story, but it is built on Chandler's ridiculous decision to fake an orgasm instead of talking with Monica about how he feels. I hate that "Friends" continues to portray this supposed happy marriage with such toxic moments like this. Neither character is funny in the episode. Rachel feels like she has regressed with how petty and annoying she is in this episode, and she isn't funny either. It's hard to care about her story at all. But the worst by far is Joey and Phoebe's storyline, and the blame lies entirely on Phoebe who is at her worst. She starts off the episode by stealing Joey's food and drink before claiming that she doesn't like to borrow from friends (but stealing is okay apparently!). Then she works as an extra and makes everything about herself, makes Joey look bad at his job, and refuses to cooperate with anyone, or be grateful for the chance to make some money when she is broke. The awfulness she displays in this episode is disgusting, and storylines like these make me wonder why everyone is still friends with her. Poor Joey was punished for showing her some kindness. Best Moment: The joke of Monica walking into the apartment and saying intimate things to Chandler with Ross in the background was funny. A fed up Ross telling her "here's an idea: you walk into the room, take a quick scan" was definitely the comedic highlight of the episode. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: Another bad episode. Season 9 has been hard to watch so far. It's nowhere near as funny as previous seasons, the storylines are beyond ridiculous, and the characters aren't acting like themselves anymore. It's sad to watch a once incredible show struggle to manage even a single good episode. Score: 37 Summary: Chandler spends Christmas in Tulsa and reflects on the good times he has had with all of his friends during the holidays.
The Good: Chandler's story leading to him quitting his job is decent enough television. Sadly, the clips from the clip show are funnier than most jokes we have seen this season. The Bad: This clip show serves absolutely no purpose. The Christmas theme doesn't tell any story, and it doesn't mesh well with Chandler's story in this episode. This clip show feels even lazier than previous ones. Furthermore, it is excessively painful to watch a clip show of better times while season 9 offers up poor episode after poor episode. This episode confirmed that the Tulsa storyline was a complete waste of time with no consequences, and the status quo was restored in no time at all. There were no good jokes in the new storyline at all. Best Moment: Nothing new made me laugh in this episode so I'll actually have to go with the clips from the holiday armadillo episode. Those are still amusing, far more than anything else in this episode. Character of the Episode: Chandler. Conclusion: Even the clip shows are hitting new lows in season 9. The clips were nothing special, they felt lazier than ever, and the new content never came close to making me laugh. This was a boring waste of my time. Score: 30 Summary: Rachel and Phoebe go out together and Rachel contemplates her feelings for Ross. Ross has Mike hang out in his apartment but they struggle to find something to talk about. Chandler lies to Joey to spend the night with Monica, but Joey thinks Monica is cheating on Chandler.
The Good: The occasional jokes is funny. Joey has some good moments like hitting himself with a bat, piecing together that Monica might be cheating, and messing up the date of the game. Rachel's story has some heart to it and Phoebe is okay with her gentle teasing. The Bad: These were three very weak storylines. Rachel's is probably the best, but it is badly hurt by the constant stalling going on with the Ross/Rachel relationship. It was tedious before and is actively starting to annoy me now because it feels like the show is spinning its wheels by revisiting these two over and over again with no progress made. Ross and Mike's scenes are pretty bad. They aren't funny and I am baffled that somebody thought that this storyline was a good idea. Mike has no character right now and a relationship with Ross could have been a good way for us to learn more about him. Instead the writers put the bare minimum into writing Mike and come up with an awful story that continues to treat him like a cardboard cut-out of a human being. Ross and Mike being unable to talk to each other is absurd and unrealistic; it feels forced. Chandler's story is also poor. Him lying to Joey is a stupid idea that I never bought into (Joey has always been understanding so I don't know why Chandler thinks he won't understand), and the story only escalated into further stupidity. Chandler is unbelievably dumb when trying to make this cover up story, and Joey comes across as a moron for not figuring out the truth sooner with how badly Chandler and Monica failed to keep their secret. I've also long since been frustrated by the way doors work in this show. Joey can clearly be heard outside, yet Chandler can speak with his regular voice right next to the door and not be heard? It's been a problem throughout the show but it is especially bad here because the story specifically draws attention to characters' voices being heard through doors, only for the show to be totally inconsistent with this idea. Best Moment: Chandler telling Joey that the game is tomorrow. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: Another bad episode. This was three poor storylines with very few laughs throughout. At this point "Friends" desperately needs to wrap up because it's painful sitting through so many uninspired episodes like this one. Score: 38 Summary: Rachel's sister Amy meets with Rachel and she gets invited to their Thanksgiving dinner. Monica is nervous when her wedding china is used for the dinner. Joey tries to come up with an excuse for missing the Thanksgiving parade for Days of our Lives.
The Good: It's always nice to see all of the friends together in a story. The characters are usually grasped quite well and the character interactions are nicely written and funny. Amy is pretty good at times. It's funny to hear her bringing up Ross and Monica's past selves in an insulting way, and her argument with Rachel is pretty funny before it devolves into a ridiculous fight. Joey forgetting to go to the parade is funny and consistent with the character, and Joey has always been bad at lying and keeping secrets, so his struggle to come up with lies is both plausible and funny, especially when it involves raccoons. The ending gag with Chandler destroying all of the plates is predictable, but it is funny, especially when contrasted with the story of Chandler proving how responsible he is. The Bad: Despite being a big Thanksgiving episode, this one feels inconsequential. The storylines here are all unspectacular and feel like filler, especially Monica with the plates and Joey with the parade. Amy is a good addition, but a lot of her jokes don't land and the fight with Rachel is more ridiculous than funny. Chandler's story is solid but it is hurt by how unnecessarily shallow Ross and Rachel are by neglecting him and his feelings. Best Moment: Rachel and Amy trading funny insults before their fight. Character of the Episode: Chandler. Conclusion: "Friends" feels a lot more hollow this season, even to the point that the Thanksgiving episode isn't anything special. But still, the format of seeing the six friends all together works well and their interactions with each other salvage this episode. Score: 63 Summary: Phoebe meets Mike's parents. Chandler finds a tape named "Monica" in Richard's place and his jealousy overcomes him. Ross and Rachel make Emma laugh by singing Baby Got Back.
The Good: Joey carries this episode on his back and he has almost all of the episodes good jokes. Some of them include Joey making fun of the idea of eating bird meat before having a realization (a classic Joey moment utilizing that he is narrow-minded instead of making him unrealistically stupid), Joey being offended at Chandler's disgust at being his partner, and Joey attempting to visualize his own marriage. These moments practically save the episode. Ross and Rachel are mildly funny in their story, and the final joke at the episode's end is pretty good. There are a few good lines in Phoebe's story, particularly the ones that point out just how terrible of a job Phoebe is doing. The Bad: Phoebe's story is once again really bad. Her lack of chemistry with Mike brings down every story that they are in, and their relationship feels hollow. It doesn't help that Phoebe is unrealistically awkward in her scenes with Mike's parents, and these scenes are more cringeworthy than funny. Mike's claim that he loves Phoebe at the end of the episode feels forced, and it wasn't built up to very well. I am so tired of seeing Monica and Chandler bicker over stupid little things. You would think that they would understand each other better by now. The entire sex tape storyline is poorly executed, not very funny, and has an unsatisfying conclusion. I wish Monica and Chandler would act like a proper couple more often. Best Moment: This is the case of picking the best Joey moment of the episode. I'll go with Joey slowly connecting the dots towards Richard having a tape of Monica and Chandler angrily yelling at him to "get there faster". Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: Some good lines from Joey save this episode from being an unfunny trainwreck. Season 9 continues to be a huge disappointment. Score: 52 Summary: Ross and Rachel hire a male nanny and Ross can't stand him. Phoebe is conflicted when David returns but she is in a committed relationship with Mike. Chandler tries to prove to Monica that he is funnier than a new guy she met at work.
The Good: The David story is a really good idea and is executed well. David has been Phoebe's best and most memorable love interest in the past, so it is natural that to progress with Mike, she needs to get past David. This story is written competently and has some lovely moments, mainly because David is such a fun and likeable character. The male nanny story is pretty funny, and is made funnier with how the world has changed in the 20 years since this episode came out at first. Ross being so uncomfortable with hiring a male nanny makes sense and his arguments to Rachel and obvious discomfort is hilarious. The episode goes to a predictable conclusion with Ross finally connecting with Sandy, but it works. The Bad: The problem with the Mike storyline is that he's a totally flat character and he has absolutely no chemistry with Phoebe. It's hard to root for them when we hardly know them or why they like each other. Joey has a poor episode as he regresses to childhood with Sandy, which is out of character and a classic case of selling out a character for cheap laughs. Chandler being so offended that Monica found someone funnier than him is a terrible storyline. There are some okay laughs like everyone fake laughing at Chandler, but the story's premise is terrible, a fundamental misunderstanding of who Chandler is. Chandler never tries to be the funniest guy in the room, he uses humour as a defense mechanism. By thinking that Chandler would be offended if he's not viewed as the funniest, the writers completely misunderstand the character. Furthermore, having Chandler make stand-up comedy jokes is terrible and woefully out of character for him. It's not funny, it's just poor writing. Best Moment: Joey's "penis model" line for being wholly expected and perfectly paying off a joke from earlier in the episode. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This was one of the season's stronger episodes, but it is still a mix of good and bad. Score: 59 Summary: Phoebe invites everyone for a birthday dinner but gets upset when only Joey arrives on time. Rachel is panicked about leaving Emma and Ross tries to help her leave, but he accidentally locks them out of the apartment. Chandler and Monica fight after Chandler smokes in Tulsa, but Monica still wants to try to get pregnant.
The Good: This is a nice concept episode that reminds me of some of the best of "Friends". Everyone finding ways to be late for Phoebe's dinner is a good story and there are some fun laughs throughout. As has been the case in season 9, Joey is a consistent source of easy laughs as his desperation to eat creates most of the jokes, and there is a nice joke when he returns to his table and finds a bunch of random strangers there instead. Ross has some good moments too as he tries to convince Rachel to leave, and in his reactions to his mother's story about him as a baby. The Bad: This didn't work nearly as well as the best episodes of "Friends". A big reason for that is the drop in quality of the character writing. Most of the characters here behave poorly and are hard to sympathize with. Phoebe tries to host this birthday dinner and everyone runs late, and yet none of them think to even call her? That is absurd and it justifies Phoebe's rant at the end of the episode. But in a complete trainwreck of a moment, Phoebe turns the cold shoulder to her friends to spend more time with Mike, who we don't even know yet. What the hell? Why would Phoebe be so hypocritical and awful like that? Phoebe's slow character assassination since season 1 has been painful to watch. Monica and Chandler's story is a mess. Chandler falling back into smoking has been overused at this point, and Monica comes off poorly when she turns on him so brutally. How am I supposed to like and support this relationship when both Monica and Chandler are so thoroughly unlikeable? And the worst part is that Monica actually manipulates Chandler into having sex with her. That is awful writing and should be a bigger problem than it is presented as. This episode has a consistent problem of poorly written characters, and having characters be needlessly run and hard to like. Best Moment: Ross mocks Rachel's paranoia by telling a hilarious story about how an eagle flew into the apartment and attacked Emma. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: In its earlier seasons, "Friends" was always able to make us laugh while presenting us with a likeable cast of characters. But that has changed and this episode exemplifies that. There are decent laughs here and the episode is an easy watch, but it is dragged through the mud by the fact that all the characters have to resort to being awful people in an attempt to make us laugh. This is insulting to the show and the characters, and it is a big reason for season 9 being so uninspired so far. Score: 54 Summary: Ross upsets Phoebe after saying she has never had a serious relationship and keeps making the situation worse. Monica is unsettled when she thinks that Chandler has a shark attack fetish. Joey dates a woman but thinks that he has slept with her before.
The Good: Again, Joey does his best to save this episode. The idea of him being upset that a woman doesn't remember him is a hilarious, hypocritical idea. His investigation is a lot of fun and it leads to a predictable, but still funny, conclusion. The Bad: The other storylines are poor. Ross is a total idiot in this episode and his decision-making is baffling. The way he upsets Phoebe at the start of the episode doesn't ring true at all, and it suggests that Ross hardly even knows her if he thinks that she doesn't want anything serious and doesn't want to get married. Of course Phoebe is rude again, suggesting that wanting to be Ross is such a bad thing, even while crying. Ross choosing to visit Mike and tell him everything is totally absurd, and the invention of Vikram is equally stupid, even though it does lead to a couple fun jokes at the end of the episode. Chandler and Monica's story doesn't feel right either. Monica thinking that Chandler is into sharks is ridiculous, suggesting that she doesn't know him at all. Obviously he had changed the channel to the sharks! Best Moment: Joey saying ridiculous lies to Hayley like "I don't normally ask out women I meet in coffeehouses" and Gunther openly laughing at them in the background. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: More poor stuff from season 9. This season is off to a very bad start. Score: 47 Summary: Rachel looks for a new pediatrician for Emma. Joey and Phoebe set each other up for a double date but Joey forgets to find someone for Phoebe. Chandler prepares to leave for Tulsa.
The Good: Joey laughing at names is silly fun. Joey has a good episode overall and does his best trying to go along with Mike, and Phoebe does well to see through it. The story ends sweetly with Joey happy that Phoebe found someone. The Bad: The trend of awful writing continues this season. Phoebe completely fails to find someone serious for Joey, instead opting for somebody who is "loose" and willing to do threesomes. The Joey/Phoebe storyline overall is light on laughs. Chandler moving to Tulsa is such a flat storyline that doesn't feel consequential at all. We all know that he will still be around for the season. Monica comes off as awful for sticking by Chandler and then making a sharp 180, trying to stay in New York for a job. The storyline is bare-bones, and Monica's lack of indecision makes her look like a selfish liar to Chandler. Phoebe remains awful with how she treats Chandler in this episode, calling dibs on his apartment and forcing him out the door at the episode's end. Of course Ross gets humiliated again, and this time it's just embarrassing. The idea of Ross seeing a pediatrician is utterly ridiculous, one of those stupid ideas that never should have left the writer's room. Rachel again comes off as an unprepared mother as she is unrealistically paranoid. Best Moment: Joey smiling about his "two best friends" getting together. Character of the Episode: Joey again. Conclusion: This season is off to an atrocious start. There were some good laughs in the previous episode, but otherwise these first three episodes feel like they were written by 3rd graders, packed with unfunny jokes and poorly written storylines. Another bad episode. Score: 43 Summary: Joey tries to work things out with Ross. Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe try their best to get Emma to stop crying. Chandler sleeps through a meeting and discovers he is being sent to Tulsa and tries to get out of it.
The Good: Once again the funny character interactions save this episode. Ross and Joey are the stars here. Their storyline, even if it doesn't quite work (see: The Bad), is a lot of fun. Joey is super charismatic and likeable here. His inability to understand quotations is great, and the punching joke is tremendously funny. I think he works things out reasonably with Ross, and they have fun interactions throughout the episode. Chandler continuously offending his boss is pretty funny. The Bad: But unfortunately a lot of this is stupid. While I enjoyed seeing Chandler offend his boss, he comes off as a total fool throughout the storyline, falling asleep so easily, looking weak next to Monica, and utterly failing to make a case to not go to Tulsa. Furthermore, the move to Tulsa would never be forced onto Chandler like this in reality. The Emma storyline is terrible. We have seen many episodes of Rachel preparing to be a mother, so having her be so lazy and make such careless mistakes like waking Emma is pure character regression. Rachel recruiting Monica to care for Emma is really selfish, and Monica looks dumb for going along with it. Worse is Phoebe who is positively unhelpful and rude in every single scenario. This is Phoebe at her worst. Ross being so angry with Joey doesn't quite make sense. The problem for him was that Rachel said yes, so why is he so furious with Joey? This story was written very poorly all the way through. Best Moment: Joey is his bets self as he begs Ross to hit him, but then manages to make things worse by getting Ross to punch the pole and then Joey himself punches Ross on accident. It's really comical stuff, and the cherry on top is Gunther's overjoyed expression after Ross injures himself. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: Ross and Joey are fantastic here, but their comedy is undercut by the rest of the episode being borderline unwatchable. The main story is terrific, but the awful supporting storylines bring down this episode badly. Score: 52 Summary: Joey tries to talk to Rachel and Ross about the accidental proposal. Rachel tells Phoebe she is engaged but Phoebe thinks it is with Joey. Monica and Chandler keep having sex to try to get pregnant.
The Good: There are some funny lines throughout the episode and good jokes. Once again, the main cats do their absolute best to salvage the episode by having some nice interactions. Joey's awkwardness around Rachel, Ross asserting he is a doctor, and Jack going too far in the sex discussion were good, if unspectacular jokes. The Bad: This episode is entirely ridiculous. Rachel going along with the proposal makes no sense, and it is impossible to buy into her actions for the entire episode. That makes it all the more frustrating when the Rachel/Ross relationship is stalled further at the episode's end. The situation this time is not even remotely funny and it serves only to annoy me. Joey's actions are just as awful. It should not be hard for him to talk to either Ross or Rachel and explain his mistake. Yet every time he tries, the show forces somebody to interrupt to delay the inevitable and allow the situation to predictably spiral out of control. Ross is pretty bad here as well, thinking that maybe he did propose, which is absurd. The scene when the trio finally work out the problem wasn't particularly funny or effective, and it felt like a chore to finally get to that point. Chandler and Phoebe also get involved at various points and are entirely unhelpful and unsympathetic. Ross taking so long to realize that Rachel must have said yes to Joey is tough to buy, and of course it will likely lead to yet another roadblock in the Ross/Rachel relationship, what a surprise. Monica and Chandler's story is fine with some good jokes, but Jack is completely out of character here. Jack completely loses the subtlety in his actions, and also loses what makes him funny. The line trying to explain that he is much more vulgar without his wife doesn't excuse this, and it feels like another case of sacrificing character for cheap comedy. Best Moment: Ross shifts away from the pressing proposal topic to assert to Phoebe that he IS a doctor. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: After the concerning cliffhanger in the season 8 finale, I was afraid that this first episode would fall into absolute absurdity. My concerns were proven correct because this episode was brainlessly written and difficult to watch. This is definitely one of the weakest episodes of "Friends", and a very poor start to season 9. Score: 40 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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