TOW: Two Parties

It starts with the gang at Monica's diner planning Rachel's birthday party. Monica wants something sophisticated, but everyone else wants a laid back party. They go over the guest list at Central Perk, but stop when Rachel comes in. Rachel was at her sister's college graduation and had a horrible time; her parents can't be in the same room together without fighting. The gang decides not to invite Dr. Green, but Monica already invited Mrs. Green.

The night of the party, Dr. Green (Ron Leibman) shows up wanting to spend time with Rachel on her birthday. Mrs. Green shows up around the same time and the gang has to work to keep the two of them from knowing the other one is there. The gang decides to throw two parties, one at Monica and Rachel's and one at Joey and Chandler's.

Rachel: has a horrible time because of her parents. She goes back and forth between the parties to talk to them and all they do is complain about each other. Her mom thinks Rachel should see a therapist because she's dating a man just like her father. She's upset and ends up sitting outside in the hall. She talks to Chandler about divorce and how she's having trouble dealing with her family being split up. She reminisces about how her family's always celebrated The 4th of July. Chandler and Ross both hug her. At the end, she blows out the candles on her birthday flan and is glad when it's squished by a volleyball.

Monica: wanted to have a really elegant party and still tries to. She makes birthday flan, instead of cake, and expects her guests to play low key party games. She lectures everyone on the proper way to recap a marker. She yells at Gunther when he tries to go to Chandler and Joey's party. She goes to Chandler and Joey's to ask them to keep it down and sees several of her party guests there. Phoebe leads in a group of party refugees and Monica's upset that people don't like her party. Mrs. Green tells Monica she had a great time and Monica takes it as proof that her party was good.

Ross: spends most of the episode herding Dr. Green. He makes awkward small talk with him and really irritates Dr. Green. Ross makes Dr. Green a drink and Mrs. Green notices. Ross says he drinks his scotch neat, too. Dr. Green wants to go over to Monica's apartment to get his glasses and cigarettes, but Ross offers to go. Mrs. Green notices Ross has glasses just like her husband and that he smokes the same brand of cigarette. Ross ends up with the glasses on and a cigarette in his mouth when he runs into Dr. Green. Dr. Green isn't happy that Ross has appropriated his things. Dr. Green tries to leave just as Mrs. Green is leaving and Ross holds the apartment door closed. Ross, Chandler and Joey jump and make a lot of noise to shield Dr. Green from Mrs. Green. By the end of it all, Dr. Green thinks Ross is an idiot.

Chandler and Joey: throw a better party than Monica. When they split the parties in two, Chandler sends all the girls to his apartment. Joey helps set up a volleyball court in Chandler's room and Chandler makes out with a random chick who thinks his name is Dennis. Their party is so awesome that people leave Monica's. They host Dr. Green. Chandler comforts Rachel because his parents divorce was really hard for him. When Dr. Green wants to leave Chandler, Joey, and Ross have to hide him from Mrs. Green and they act like huge idiots. Joey kisses Mrs. Green as Dr. Green walks past.

Phoebe: ends up ferrying people from Monica's boring party to Chandler and Joey's fun party. Gunther is the first she helps, after Monica yells at him. She pretends to see a water ring on a table and Monica is so upset about someone not using a coaster that Gunther can escape. Other party guests come to Phoebe hoping she'll get them out. She leads them over to Chandler and Joey's, only to run smack into Monica asking Chandler and Joey to be quieter.

• Rachel's outfit for the graduation is so adorable.

I'm a big fan of that shirt.

• Let's take a look at the two parties:
  

Monica's party. There's a lot of balloons and pastels at this party. Also, bored faces.

Dancing! Pizza! Fun! Aw, Monica with her trash bag. Sad.

• Ross with bifocals and cigarette

Funnily enough, this is how I always imagined a paleontologist would look.

• The lengths they go to to keep Dr. and Mrs. Green separated.

The face Chandler's making? Now, that's a good friend. The person in the pink coat, btw, is Mrs. Green.

• BIRTHDAY FLAN!!!
  

I've never had flan, but it sorta looks like cheese cake. How bad can it be?

• I know there are divorced parents out there who still get along great, despite the dissolution of their marriage. My parents are not that type. For that reason, I totally get how Rachel feels and understand wanting to keep her parents as far apart as possible.
  

• Not because of this episode, just generally, I think Dr. Green's a jerk. Mrs. Green is flighty and silly, but Dr. Green's kind of a douche.

• I've seen this episode too many times.

Oh. My. God.

"Question. Why do we always have to have parties where you poach things?" -Ross, not wanting poached salmon at Rachel's party.

"Wow, it's--it's like porno for clowns." -Chandler, after Monica honks one of her fake boobs.

"Agh, it was the graduation from hell."
"Y'know, my cousin went to hell on a football scholarship." -Rachel and Chandler, after Rachel goes to her sister's graduation.

" But nooo, they got into a huge fight in the middle of the commencement address. Bishop Tutu actually had to stop and shush them." -Rachel, about her parents fighting.

"Oh, that's nice. Happy Birthday, Rachel, here's some goo." -Joey, on the birthday flan.

"Chinese menu guy. Forgot the menus."
"So, basically just a Chinese guy." -Monica and Chandler, hiding Mrs. Green's arrival.

"Hey, some girls just walked up to me and said, 'I want you, Dennis,' and stuck her tongue down my throat. I love this party!" -Chandler, after a random make out.

"Uhh, let's just stay clear of 'I'm the guy that's doing your daughter' and you should be okay." -Rachel, giving Ross advice on how to talk to her dad.

"All righty-roo! What a great moment to say that for the first time." -Ross, making a fool of himself in front of Dr. Green.

"Great, I'm seeing water rings again." -Phoebe, after using someone not using a coaster as a diversion.

"I have a condition, apparently, that I require two different sets of focals." -Ross, getting caught by Mrs. Green with Dr. Green's glasses.

"I was just warming up the earpieces for you." -Ross, getting caught by Dr. Green.

"She gets the house, he's in some condo my sister's gonna decorate with wicker." -Rachel, talking about the divorce.

"Well, I relied on a carefully regimented program of denial and--and wetting the bed." -Chandler, explaining to Rachel how he got through his parents divorce.

"Because it reminded you of the way our forefathers used to bitch at each other?" -Chandler responding to Rachel saying her parents fighting reminds her of The 4th of July.

"I'm getting ready for water skiing." -Ross, holding Chandler and Joey's apartment door closed so Dr. Green can't leave.

"Sorry, we're on a major flan high." -Chandler, explaining his, Joey, and Ross's erratic behavior to Mrs. Green.

"Yup, get ready for the gelatinous fun."
"Kinda looks like that stuff you get when you get a bad infection." -Chandler and Joey, before Rachel blows out the candles on her birthday flan.



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