TOW: all the Kissing

Chandler: takes a romantic, candle lit bubble-bath with Monica. They're interrupted by Joey coming home early from a date. Joey comes into the bathroom, because apparently he and Chandler are okay with that kind of intimacy, and Monica's forced to duck under the water. Joey's getting some chicken, and wants to know if Chandler wants any. Chandler shoos Joey away, because Monica is drowning. When she resurfaces, she decides she'd like to have some chicken, so Chandler calls Joey back and places an order. The bath shenanigans set the tone for the rest of Chandler's story line. Chandler, Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe are all having breakfast together. Chandler gets up to go to work, giving Monica a lingering kiss good-bye. In panic, he kisses Rachel and Phoebe. Chandler gets home from work one evening, heading straight over to Monica's. They're kissing heatedly when Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey walk in. Chandler pretends that he was just leaving, proceeding to kiss Rachel and Phoebe in turn. Joey ducks out of the way. Chandler suggests that the group all spend a day in Central Park, to make Phoebe feel better about missing London. After Chandler's idea is abandoned, he attempts to leave the coffee house, but Rachel stops him. She informs him that his new European style good-bye makes she, Monica, and Phoebe uncomfortable. Phoebe backs Rachel up, and Monica goes along with them. Before they go to the hospital, Chandler and Monica start making out in the hall. Because that's a safe, private place.

Monica, Rachel, and Ross: Ross comes over, the first morning of the episode, asking whether or not Rachel's made it back yet. Monica lets him know that Rachel's flight was delayed in Athens, but that she should be home anytime. Ross's worried that Rachel's really upset about being abandoned in Greece. Rachel arrives, absolutely not mad at Ross, and telling everyone what a great time she had. Ross leaves for work (and to send 72 long-stemmed roses to Emily), and Monica tells Rachel she's glad Rachel handled the whole, being-abandoned-by-Ross-in-Greece thing, well. However, Rachel didn't really deal all that well with it. She was miserable in Greece, couldn't get a flight home, had to use Ross and Emily's honeymoon suite, and explain to everyone at the hotel why "Mrs. Geller" cried all the time. She was humiliated and unhappy the whole trip. She's not mad at Ross because she blames herself for making bad decisions. Rachel thinks someone else should be in charge of making her decisions from then on. Phoebe doesn't want to do it, but Monica eagerly accepts the challenge. Monica, Rachel, Chandler, and Joey are in Central Perk, looking at pictures from London. Rachel won't pay any attention to the pictures, and Monica decides that it's because Rachel needs to get over Ross. Monica wants Rachel to talk to a cute guy in the coffee house; Rachel's not so into it, but Monica picks a guy and sends Rachel over. Rachel gets her date, set for the next evening. Dave (Zen Gesner) walks Rachel to her door, they had a great time. Rachel invites him in, but backtracks, realizing she needs Monica's permission. Rachel runs inside, and finds Ross sitting on the couch. Monica's out doing laundry, so can't make Rachel's decision. In front of Ross is a big box of the cut pieces of the 72 long-stemmed roses. He's absolutely miserable. Rachel decides to stay with Ross, comforting him. She sends Dave on his way, coming back into the apartment to make Ross tea. Monica comes in from doing laundry,and asks for Rachel to talk to her in the hall. Monica talked to Dave, and knows what Rachel's doing. As the person who makes Rachel's decisions, Monica orders her to finish her date with Dave. Rachel refuses, and explains that she wants to tell Ross she still loves him. Monica tells her it's a horrible idea, Rachel fires her, and they fight. Rachel throws some of Monica's clean clothes on the floor, and runs in the apartment, locking Monica out. Rachel tries to talk to Ross alone, but Monica's beating on the door, so Ross lets her in. Rachel refuses to talk to Monica out in the hall, so Monica refers to the Ross issue as 'swing dancing,' listing all the reasons Rachel can't 'swing dance.' It's very awkward. When Ross leaves, Monica tells Rachel she can make her own relationship choices, but before she tells Ross, Monica wants Rachel to find one person who thinks it's a good idea. In Central Perk, Rachel still hasn't found anyone to agree with her, but she thinks she just needs a guy's perspective. Joey tells her it's a bad idea to tell Ross. Rachel and Ross stay behind while the others go pack for the trip. Before leaving, Monica warns Rachel that telling Ross is a horrible idea, but Rachel's going to go through with it. Rachel tells him how she feels, then cracks up hysterically. She realized, right when she was saying she loved him, how ridiculous and idiotic it was. Ross was married, going through all kinds of trouble with his wife, and Rachel's confessing her feelings. Ross gets tickled about how messed up his marriage is; he hasn't talked to his wife since the wedding, and has no idea where she is. They both laugh for awhile, then agree that they won't talk about Rachel's confession. Ross is glad she told him, but it doesn't change anything between them. Upstairs, Monica wants to know if she was right about telling Ross, but before Rachel can say, the whole gang comes over.

Joey: keeps talking about what a great time he, Chandler, and Monica had in London. When he sees Chandler kissing all the girls, he decides he'd like to do it, too. Monica pushes him away. When Rachel locks Monica out, Joey promises to break down the door for a kiss. I don't know if she kisses him, I'm guessing not, but he tries to break down the door once Monica's already inside. Joey tells Phoebe about their exciting trip to Central Perk; he also decides they need a new plan when Phoebe hates the park idea. He and Ross fight over who came up with the Atlantic City idea.

Phoebe: is really bitter about not being able to go to London. She comes over one morning, preparing to tell a story about a cab driver. Chandler, Monica, and Joey interrupt with their reminisces of a cab driver from London. Then, they start talking about an awesome pub the cab driver took them to. After that, Phoebe's story's pretty lame. Phoebe comes into Central Perk while the others are looking at the pictures from London. Rachel's already smudged them, been scolded my Monica, then licked them. Monica shows the pictures to Phoebe, who smudges them, too. Worse than that, Phoebe's really upset that everyone was there, but not her. She gets out a Sharpie, and draws a Phoebe in the picture. Chandler apologizes for them talking about London too much. Phoebe accepts, saying that she's just disappointed she wasn't able to go. All she gets to do is pregnancy stuff. Monica tells Phoebe to shut her eyes, and think of all the good things about her life. Phoebe does, and when her eyes are closed, Monica takes the pictures back. Phoebe joins the group in Central Perk, everyone is incredibly excited to see her. They all felt bad because Phoebe didn't get to go to London, so they decided the entire group should go on a fun trip. To Central Park. Phoebe is less than enthused. Later, Ross brings Phoebe back into Central Perk, the came up with another plan; they're all going to spend the weekend in Atlantic City. Phoebe's much more excited about this. They have an hour to go pack, so they all split up. They meet back at Monica and Rachel's; Phoebe's totally happy about the trip, high-fiving Joey, and talking about all the fun they'll have. They're all celebrating when Phoebe's water breaks. The group tells her she has to go to the hospital, but she doesn't want to. Everyone starts celebrating the babies coming, hugging and high-fiving. Phoebe gets excited, too, and they head for the hospital.

• Ah, the bubble-bath scene. It took me an inordinately long time to realize that Chandler's hurrying Joey along because Monica's holding her breath.

So sweet.

• I've always wondered how long Rachel was in Greece. Obviously, she spent some time there, but how much?

I guess long enough to get that bitchin' hair braid.

• Ross leaves Rachel at the airport and doesn't call. I don't know if it's because he's afraid of her, or what, but he totally should've called her. That's ridiculous.

• Ross gets inordinately angry with Chandler and Monica for teasing him about Emily being faster. I believe this is the beginning of Ross's anger issues.
  

• You should never ever tell your friends they can make decisions for you. This is a BAD IDEA.

• All the kissing. Ha, A-freaking-mazing.

• I've always wondered why Rachel and Phoebe never notice that Chandler's always kissing Monica first. They don't really believe the 'he picked it up in Europe' thing, yet Rachel and Phoebe go along with it.
  

• Oh, the days before everyone uploaded their pictures on Facebook. How quaint.

• Monica lists Gunther as someone Rachel could date. Gunther kicks Dave out after Rachel gets a date with him.

• It'd be totally awful to be the only person in a group of friends who doesn't get to go on an awesome trip to Europe. You know she feels horribly left out, and it's completely understandable.

• More kissing!!!

Phoebe just looks plain bored. "Oh, Chandler's, kissing us again. Ha, that guy."

• Part of me is totally into this outfit. The other part is kinda upset by it.

It's a whole lot of yellow. Plus, funky embroidery.

• The swing dancing thing is pretty epic.

• CENTRAL PARK??? Their idea is to take Phoebe on a picnic in CENTRAL PARK??? Idea fail.

• You have know idea how confusing it is, typing Central Park and Central Perk multiple times in the same paragraph. Brain=overtaxed.

• So, should Rachel have told Ross? Was Monica right that it was a bad idea?

• Phoebe's water breaks!!!

• Great, great, great, great episode. Grrrrrreat!
  

Oh. My. God.

"Eh, you're just liquored up." -Chandler, to Monica, during their bath.

"I've had a very long, hard day." -Chandler, when Joey sees he's taking a bubble-bath.

"No, but she likes me. You abandoned her on a plane to Greece." -Monica, to Ross, about whether Rachel is mad at Ross or not.

"Rachel is my wife! Y'know--Emily! Emily is my wife! Man, what is that?" -Ross, saying the wrong name. Again.

"Oh, Ross, when you make out the card, be sure to make it out to Em-il-y." -Chandler, to Ross.

"London is stupid! Stupid!" -Phoebe, being upset about London.

"Always a pleasure." -Chandler, after kissing all the girls for the first time.

"Alright, you're the boss. I guess I gotta do what you tell me."

"Say that to him and you're golden." -Rachel and Joey, when Monica makes Rachel talk to the guy.

"I got caught up at work, but I'm quitting tomorrow." -Chandler, to Monica, after he's late meeting her.

"That's not European."

"Well, it felt French." -Rachel and Phoebe, after Chandler's second kiss.

"It's uh, 72 long-stemmed red roses, one for each day that I've known and loved Emily, cut up into mulch!" -Ross, getting the roses he sent Emily returned.

"Oh, it's not so bad. Monica's going to make potpourri." -Ross, to Rachel, about the cut up roses.

"I'll kick that door in, if you give me a little sugar." -Joey, to Monica, after Rachel locks her out.

"Monica's right, swing dancing can be tricky." -Ross, to Rachel, about, uh, swing dancing.

"My God, think of the massacre." -Ross, before he calls to cancel an order of stuffed animals he's having sent to Emily.

"Central Park?!" -Phoebe, learning about the proposed trip.

"I was just trying to bring a little culture to the group."

"That's fine, just don't bring it in my mouth." -Chandler and Phoebe, about the kissing.

"Makes me wanna puke!" -Monica, about Chandler kissing them.

"I'm gonna go pack my ass off!" -Phoebe, packing for Atlantic City.

"My ass is already packed." -Ross, when everyone else leaves to pack.

"Was that a joke? Cause it's mean." -Ross, to Rachel, after she says she loves him, then bursts out laughing.

"Uh, Pheebs, you're leaking." -Joey, to Phoebe, after her water breaks.