TOW: Old Yeller Dies

Phoebe: walks into Monica and Rachel's just as they finish watching Old Yeller. Phoebe doesn't understand why everyone, Richard and Ross included, are sad because Old Yeller is a happy movie. Phoebe has no clue about the dog getting rabies and is horrified when the boy kills the dog. Phoebe's mom used to turn sad movies off before the sad parts. Phoebe talks to her grandma and learns of the other movies her mom would turn off before they got sad. Phoebe rents and watches all those sad movies. She's angry and bitter about what a horrible place the world is and to make her feel better Monica loans her It's a Wonderful Life. Phoebe hates it because of all the bad things that happen in the beginning and won't finish it. She's mad at Monica for suggesting she watch it. Phoebe watches Sesame Street with Ben and is worried that the content might upset him. She screens ahead to make sure it'll be okay.

Rachel and Ross: Carol and Susan come by Ross's to pick up Ben. Ross tells them that Ben stood up by himself for the first time, but they'd already seen Ben stand. Ross feels like he misses lots of stuff with Ben and wants to start keeping him for the weekend. Carol and Susan agree and go on a trip to Colonial Williamsburg. Ross brings Ben to see Rachel at Central Perk and Rachel's really awkward with Ben. She's never been around children and doesn't know how to act with him. Ross tries to help her get comfortable and mentions that he's thought about their kids. He tells Rachel all his plans for their future and Rachel freaks out. They go back to the apartment and argue. Rachel says she doesn't like having everything planned for her because her life has always been like that. Ross says he can't help planning for their future because he knows they're going to be together. They yell that they love each other. At Ross's apartment, he shows Rachel how to put a diaper on Ben. She's able to do it and is proud. Carol and Susan buzz up and Ross goes to gather up Ben's stuff. While he's gone Ben says 'hi.' Rachel tells everyone about Ben's first word and Ross is sad he missed it. As Carol and Susan leave Ben says 'Bye.' Ross is joyous.

Chandler and Joey: have an extra ticket to a Knicks game and can't decide who to invite. Monica suggests that they ask Richard, a big Knicks fan. Chandler and Joey are wary at first because Richard is so much older, but Monica convinces them when she suggests they could go in Richard's Jaguar. Chandler and Joey have a great time with Richard. Joey starts carrying a cigar and Chandler grows a mustache. Richard, Chandler, and Joey start spending a lot of time together, going to a Ranger game and watching basketball. Richard likes feeling as though he's one of the guys, but it's ruined when Joey lets slip that he and Chandler think of Richard as a father figure.

Monica: makes everyone watch Old Yeller. She gives Phoebe It's a Wonderful Life to make her feel better after watching all the sad movies, but it doesn't work. She arranges for Richard to spend time with Chandler and Joey, but when he enjoys spending time with them she gets jealous. She tries to tell Phoebe and Rachel her problems, but they're both having issues and don't listen. Monica goes to Chandler and Joey's to get Richard for dinner. Richard starts to sense that something is wrong and Chandler apologizes for hogging Richard, they just really like hanging out with him. This is when Joey chimes in that they see Richard as a father. Richard's disappointed because he thought he was just one of the guys and Monica comforts him.

• I have never seen Old Yeller. I will never see Old Yeller. I can't say that I understand the draw of that movie. I love that Phoebe thinks it has a happy ending, though. It's sorta like thinking that Rose and Jack dock safely in New York in Titanic.
  

• Trying to be more like Richard:

Joey really can't pull that off.

Not in this particular picture, but throughout the episode Chandler sorta looks like Sean Penn.

• Rachel has no idea what to do with a baby.
  

That's probably exactly what I'd do.

• Some other movies that Phoebe watches: Love Story, Brian's Song, Terms of Endearment, Rocky, E.T., The Pride of the Yankees, and Charlotte's Web. Yeah, I always thought it was a bum rap that Charlotte had her babies then keeled over. Boo, E.B. White.
  

• Aw, I feel bad for Richard. He just wanted to have guy time and Chandler and Joey had to make it all weird. In their defense, neither of them really have great dad's and Richard's such a good guy. Plus, I love, love, love that Richard starts doing the Chandler inflection thing. It's amazing.
  

• Something I just realized is that Ross has calmed down with the Susan hating. Maybe it's because he's with Rachel and happy or he's finally moved on from his divorce, but Ross and Susan are much nicer to each other.

• Ross and Rachel say "I love you," during their fight. It's nicely done with them yelling it at each other.
  

• This episode's kinda blah. The Old Yeller stuff is kinda funny and so are Chandler and Joey, but coming off the Eddie arc, it's not very good.
  

• This is something of a milestone for me. I have the boxed set of Friends DVDs. Inside there are six cases, each with a cast member on it, and each of these cases holds six or seven DVDs. I JUST FINISHED MY FIRST CASE!!! All 43 episodes in the Monica Case have been watched and reviewed! Yay for me!!
  

Oh. My. God.

"Alright, I've got a leg, three breasts, and a wing."
"Well, how do you find clothes that fit?" -Monica and Chandler, when the guys come over for leftovers.

" Uh, it's just that we don't know him really well, y'know, and plus he's, y'know, old--er than some people, but, uh, younger than some buildings." -Chandler, on why he doesn't want to take Richard to the Knicks game.

"Ok, Love Story, Brian's Song, and Terms of Endearment."
"Wow, all you need now is The Killing Fields and some guacamole and you've got yourself a par-tay." -Phoebe and Monica, on the movies Phoebe rented.

"She told me that my mom used to not show us the ends of sad movies to shield us from the pain and sadness. Y'know, before she killed herself." -Phoebe, about how her mom used to turn off sad movies.

"Where is he, where's Richard? Did you ditch him?"
"Yeah, right after we stole his lunch money and gave him a wedgie." -Monica and Joey, after the guys go to the game with Richard.

"Well for starters, you may want to light it and lose the spatula." -Ross, teasing Joey who's trying to be like Richard.

"Look, it's the artist formerly known as Chandler!" -Ross, seeing Chandler with his mustache.

"I got the cigar, he got the mustache. Figured if we both grew it, we'd look like dorks."
"Yeah, you really sidestepped that land mine." -Joey and Ross, about Joey and Chandler trying to be more like Richard.

"With that mustache doesn't Chandler remind you of Aunt Sylvia?" -Monica, teasing Chandler.

"Yeah, well, he's a baby not a bomb." -Ross, seeing how Rachel's holding Ben.

"Hey Pheebs, what's happening?"
"Oh, ok, murder, cancer, soccer teams eating each other in the Andes." -Richard and Phoebe, after Phoebe watches all the sad movies.

"She has babies and dies. It's like, y'know, 'hey welcome home form the hospital!' Thud." -Phoebe, talking about Charlotte's Web.

"Uh, they guy was Lou Gehrig. Didn't you kinda see it coming?" -Richard, when Phoebe's surprised that Pride of the Yankees is sad.

"I just got my pick-up sticks back from the shop. Bring your nerves of steel." -Chandler, getting ready to hang out with Richard.

"Y'know, I mean, you're at work, you're assembling bones, your mind wanders." -Ross, on why he's planned so much of his future with Rachel.

"Could that shot be any prettier?" Richard, playing Foosball and talking like Chandler.

"Oh really, I didn't know they had Foosball in the 1800's."
"Nice mustache by the way. When puberty hits that thing's really gonna kick in." -Chandler and Richard, teasing each other.

"What, the word hi?"
"No, my Uncle Hi." -Ross and Rachel, when Ben says 'hi.'