TOW: the Monkey gets Away

Ross: listens as Rachel vents about Barry and Mindy being engaged. He thinks he's exactly the sort of guy that Rachel describes as being perfect. He tries to tell her that maybe she should look at someone who's already her friend, but he's interrupted as everyone else walks in. Ross mentions that tomorrow Rachel is going to watch Marcel for him. The next day over pizza, Ross tells Chandler and Joey that he's going to ask Rachel out that night. He has plans that involve wine, and etc...He gets to Monica and Rachel's only to have Rachel tell him she lost his monkey. He's angry and yells at Rachel for being irresponsible and never owning up to making mistakes. He's even more upset when he learns that Rachel called Animal Control, because Marcel is an illegal exotic animal. He and Rachel go around the neighborhood, searching for Marcel. They don't find him, but they see a delivery guy with a crate of banana's. The banana's lead them to Mr. Heckles, who's taken Marcel and dressed him in a tutu. After Marcel is returned, Ross and Rachel finally have their drink. Just as Ross is about to ask Rachel out, they're interrupted.

Rachel: opens the country club newsletter her mom sent her to see Barry and Mindy's engagement announcement. She's pretty upset by it, but she tells Ross it's not because they're getting married, it's because they're getting married and she's alone. She goes on to say that she's no longer completely off men, but is looking for the right one. The next day, she's watching Marcel and they're watching a soap opera together. Rachel realizes that Marcel pooped in Monica's shoe. She empties the poop on Barry and Mindy's wedding announcement, then takes it to the trash shoot. While doing this, she leaves the apartment door open and Marcel runs out. She tells Monica, Phoebe, Joey, and Chandler who go around the building looking for him. Rachel calls Animal Control and waits at the apartment to tell Ross what happens. Ross is furious and Rachel feels bad. It gets worse when the Animal Control person, Luisa (Megan Cavanagh), is a girl that went to high school with Rachel and Monica. Luisa hated Rachel. Rachel goes around the neighborhood with Ross and is the first to spot the man with the banana crate. She's able to blackmail Luisa into not taking Marcel. As Ross is about to ask her out, Barry storms into the apartment, saying he still loves her.

Phoebe and Monica: go the movies with Chandler and Joey. It's a chick flick, which they love. They are the first to go to Heckles's apartment and tell him they lost the monkey. They go down to the basement where they spot Marcel. Luisa comes down after them and tries to shoot Marcel with a tranquilizer. Phoebe jumps in front of the dart and gets shot in the ass. She spends the rest of the episode with half of her butt asleep (this is also how Rachel blackmails Luisa). Luisa didn't hate Monica because Monica was fat. Monica shows the gang pictures of her in high school.

Joey and Chandler: hate the movie they see with Phoebe and Monica. They also try to help Ross work up the nerve to ask Rachel out. While searching for Marcel they find two hot girls (literally, as their radiator broke). Chandler wants to help them fix their heating problem instead of search for Marcel, but Joey keeps him on track. Joey had a lot of fun in high school, having lots of sex and partying. Chandler went to an all boy's boarding school.

• Out of all the 'Friends' episodes, this is the one that I've seen the most. I am sooo sick of it.

• I am mildly in love with the skirt Rachel wears through most of this episode.

• Part of me thinks that Ross is a little unreasonable, but another part totally gets how he feels. If someone lost my monkey*, I'd take my frustration out on them, even though I know that's completely illogical. It's not like Rachel intentionally lost the stupid monkey.
  

• I just realized that the actor that plays Mr. Heckles is the same guy from 'Billy Madison' who does the weasel laugh.
  

• Luisa is in 'A League of Their Own.' All I can think of, as soon as I see her, is ,"There's no crying in baseball!!"

• Monica wasn't friends with Luisa in high school and doesn't even remember her. I thought Monica was friends with all the outcasts...Rachel was her only popular friend. I'm actually kinda unclear on why Monica and Rachel were friends in the first place.
  

• Chandler is the one who wants to abandon the monkey search to help the hot girls. That just doesn't compute. It should be Joey who has to be pulled away.
  

• Ugh, Barry.

• There's a really great moment at the beginning where Rachel memorizes Central Perk's tea selection and recites the whole thing to the wrong customer. It totally fits in with the fact that, no matter how hard Rachel tries, she still sorta screws up.
  

*I would never own a monkey. They're disgusting. There's a reason they're illegal, Ross. One word: Ebola.

Oh.My.God.

"Oh, cool! Free sample of coffee!"
"Oh good! 'Cause where else would we get any?" -Rachel and Monica, as Rachel examines her mail.

"Barry who you almost-?"
"Barry who I almost."
"And Mindy, your maid of-?"
"And Mindy, my maid of." -Monica and Rachel, talking about the engagement announcement.

"Whoa, uh, what happened to, uh, 'Forget relationships! I'm done with men!' The whole, uh, penis embargo?" -Ross, discussing relationships with Rachel.

"I meant female nudity, alright? I don't need to see Lou Grant frolicking."
"Hugh! Hugh Grant!" -Joey, Monica and Phoebe, about the movie they saw.
For inquiring minds, this is Ed Asner, who played Lou Grant:

Just a slight, slight difference between him and Hugh Grant.

"Well, I think it's perfect. Y'know, it's just gonna be the two of us, she spent all day taking care of my monkey..."
"I can't remember the last time I got a girl to take care of my monkey." -Ross and Chandler, about Ross making his move on Rachel.

"Anyway, I figured after work I'd go pick up a bottle of wine, go over there, and uh, try to woo her."
"Hey, y'know what you should do? You should take her back to the 1890's, when that phrase was last used." -Ross and Chandler.

"Marcel, did you poo in the shoe?" -Rachel, finding the monkey poo in Monica's shoe.

"Okay, it's his first time out, so he's probably gonna wanna do some of the touristy things. I'll go to Cats, you go to the Russian Tea Room." -Chandler, on where to search for Marcel.

"No, y'know what, I guess it's partially my fault. Y'know, I shouldn't've, uh, asked you to start off with a monkey. I should've started you off with, like, a pen or a pencil." -Ross, scolding Rachel about losing Marcel.

"Ah, it's not you so much. You, you were fat, you had your own problems. But you? What a bitch." -Luisa, on Monica and Rachel in high school.

"A monkey."
"Yes, have you seen any?" -Joey and Chandler, asking the hot girls about Marcel.

"Okay, from now on, you don't get to talk to other people." -Chandler to Joey, after Joey irritated the hot girls.

"I have no monkey, and a broken foot!" -Ross, after searching the Village for Marcel and kicking a street sign.

"Oh, this is so intense. One side of my butt is totally asleep, and the other side has no idea." -Phoebe, having taken an tranquilizer dart to the ass.

"You had to be a bitch in high school, you couldn't've been fat." -Ross, to Rachel after Luisa won't give them Marcel.

"We have got to start locking that door." -Ross, commenting after Barry busts into Monica and Rachel's.

"Eh. I thought that was an alp." -Chandler, looking at Monica's yearbook photos of being in the 'Sound of Music.'