TOW: Ross and Rachel take a Break

Ross and Rachel: Ross comes into Monica and Rachel's, looking for Rachel. Monica tells Ross that Rachel's still at work and wants Ross to call her. Ross's upset because it's their anniversary. He calls and Rachel says they're having a huge shipping crisis at work and she won't be able to leave any time soon. Ross wants to come by and see her, but Rachel says he can't because she doesn't have time. Ross shows up at Rachel's office with a picnic. He's setting everything up, but Rachel's telling him she doesn't have time to stop. She's on the phone with a vendor trying to figure out where a shipment went wrong. Ross accidentally sets some flowers on fire. Rachel tells Ross to go home and runs off to do her job. Ross leaves. Rachel comes home with a ton of work. Ross tells her it's okay she got angry because she was stressed. Rachel was hoping for an apology. They get in a huge argument. Rachel's upset that Ross didn't listen when she said she didn't have time. Ross is upset that he hardly ever sees her anymore and feels like he has a relationship with her answering machine. Ross says she spends too much time worrying about her job, and then makes the mistake of bringing up Mark. Rachel freaks out and suggests they take a break. Ross thinks she means from the argument, but she meant a break from their relationship. Ross leaves and meets up with Chandler and Joey at the club with the hot copy place girl, Chloe (Angela Featherstone). Rachel is at home, waiting for Ross to call. The phone rings, but it's Mark. He can tell Rachel's upset, so he decides to come over. Chandler and Joey convince Ross to call Rachel. Rachel tells Mark about the fight. She says she doesn't really want to take a break from her relationship with Ross. Ross calls and things are going okay, until Ross hears Mark talking in the background. He hangs up on Rachel. Chloe won't leave Ross alone, asking if he wants to dance and having a drink with him. Chloe makes Ross dance with her. Rachel calls Ross, but obviously there's no answer. Chloe kisses Ross and Ross ends up kissing her back.

Joey and Chandler: go to the copy place to stare at Chloe. Chloe's co-worker points out that Chandler and Joey have a thing for her. While they're talking to Chloe, she invites them to a club where her co-worker is DJ-ing. They sorta think she's asking them for a threesome at first and they don't know how to feel about that. They're really excited to hang out with Chloe, but they end up discussing the threesome thing. They lay ground rules in case it actually happens. At the club, they listen to Chloe talk about advances in copying technology; they're really bored. Ross comes in and Chloe's really excited to see him. They tell Ross to call Rachel and patch things up with her. They end up dancing together trying to get Chloe's attention.

Monica and Phoebe: Phoebe barges into Monica and Rachel's looking for an atlas. She has a date with a diplomat she met while giving free massages at the U.N. She doesn't know where the diplomat's country is. Monica says she doesn't have an atlas, but she does have a globe. A teeny, tiny pencil-sharpener globe. Phoebe has her first date with Sergei (Jim Pirri), the diplomat. It goes pretty well, even though Sergei doesn't speak any English, until the end of the evening. Sergei's interpreter, Mischa (Stephen Kearney), keeps getting in the way when Phoebe and Sergei want to kiss. Phoebe tells Monica about the date and the issue with the interpreter. Phoebe wants Monica to double-date and distract the interpreter. Monica ends up really hitting it off with Mischa. Mischa doesn't do his duties as translator, being too busy talking to Monica. Phoebe and Sergei can't talk at all. Phoebe tells Monica to back off, but Monica's having a good time and doesn't want to. Sergei scolds Mischa and Mischa quits. He and Monica leave to go to the Rainbow Room. Phoebe and Sergei sing "American Pie" in Central Perk.

• So many things to say about this episode!
  

• We've heard and heard about the hot copy place girl with the belly button ring. This, my friends, is the hot girl.
  

I'm gonna say right off the bat, I don't think she's that hot. She's not highly unfortunate looking or anything, but still. She's sorta got a waif, elf-y thing going. She's very thin and pointy. It's not a bad thing, but I don't think it makes her look particularly appealing. Also, I've looked a couple times, maybe I'm just missing it, but I'm not seeing a belly button ring.

• The Wedding Singer is one of my favorite movies. I've seen it more times than I can count. I was probably destined to never like Chloe because the same actress plays Linda. You know, the woman who ditches Adam Sandler on the day of their wedding. Every time I see this woman I think, "Aunt Linda, you a bitch."
  

• I get why Ross is upset this time. Really, I do. But y'know that if Rachel ever tried to bring him a picnic when he was having a dinosaur emergency, he'd flip the eff out.
  

And if Rachel accidentally set fire to a Neanderthal mannequin, y'know Ross's head would explode. So what's with the double standard? It really bothers me that Ross doesn't take Rachel's job seriously.

• Chandler and Joey are really bored by Chloe, yet they spend most of the episode trying to sleep with her. I honestly don't get how men can be with someone who's boring or a bitch, just because she's hot. I'd think it'd get old really fast. It boggles my mind.
  

• Phoebe, Sergei, and Mischa

It's like the casting director got confused about which was the diplomat and which the interpreter. Mischa is very distinguished and mature, but Sergei's like a male model. As such, he's not very believable as a diplomat.

• There are several things I'd like to say about Ross and Chloe, but I think I'm gonna wait until the next episode.
  

• Chandler and Joey try to lay down threesome ground rules. The only one they come up with is to keep their eyes open at all times. Uh, at least they plan ahead.
  

• Phoebe and Sergei sing "American Pie."

Oh. My. God.
" Wow! You might just get the first Nobel Prize in rubbing." -Monica, to Phoebe when Phoebe explains the free massages at the U.N.

"It's a globe and a pencil sharpener!" -Monica, handing Phoebe the tiny globe.

"Oh, that's my doodle of a ladybug with a top hat. She's fancy." Monica, to Ross and Phoebe.

"Hold it! HOLD IT! What if my eyes are closed, and--and my hand is out there..." -Chandler, while he and Joey lay down ground rules.

"Yeah, I guess, but what's, like, heads and what's tails?"
"Well, if you don't know that, then I don't want to do this with you." -Joey and Chandler, discussing threesome placement.

"Yeah, but I got Couscous!!" -Ross, to Rachel about his picnic.

"You do not bring a picnic basket to somebody's work! Unless maybe they were a park ranger!" -Rachel, to Ross.

"No. A break from us." -Rachel, to Ross.

"Hey, it's the dinosaur guy!" -Chloe, to Joey and Chandler about Ross.

"And now, anytime anybody wants 400, we just say 'let's Ross it!'" -Chloe, on how Ross is her hero.

"Hey, this isn't like swimming after you eat, pick up the phone!" -Chandler, to Ross, about calling Rachel.

"I just hope you--hope you don't accidentally suck it up through your nose and choke on it." -Phoebe, after giving Monica a tissue.

"My guy has diplomatic coupons. Your guy can't even say coupons." -Monica, to Phoebe.