TOW: the Recap of Season 2

Well, folks, it's season recaping time again!! Season Two has come and gone--there were smiles, there were tears, and a freaking awesome crazy roommate. I can't believe I've already made my way through another twenty-four episodes. My brain refuses to comprehend. But anyhoo, let's go over the fantastic and the, uh, not so fantastic of season two.

The Best:
TOW:Ross's New Girlfriend
The season premier begins the Ross-Rachel-Julie love triangle. However, this is not the only awesomeness this episode has to offer. In fact, it is in this episode that we are introduced to Joey's tailor.

TOW:Ross Finds Out
This is, by far, the best Ross and Rachel episode of the season. Rachel drunkenly calls Ross talking about closure. Ross is supposed to get a cat with Julie...it's like the epitome of the Ross and Rachel thing. I kinda wanna make-out with this episode, it's that great.

TO: After the Superbowl
This epic two part episode makes my heart happy. It's overrun with guest stars from Brooke Shields to Julia Roberts and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Plus, Joey's got a stalker, Marcel's back, Monica and Rachel fight, and Chandler wears panties. Golden. Okay, one thing does bother me, though, and that's that the title is not TOW, but TO. Stupid, I know, but it feels wrong just typing it.

TOW: the Prom Video
The title says it all. PROM VIDEO. We get Fat Monica, ubber dork Ross, and pre-nose job Rachel. Ugh, it's perfect. Oh, and Ross and Rachel kiss. Plus, Joey gets Chandler the bracelet and Phoebe talks about lobsters.

TOW: Eddie Won't Go
By far my favorite Eddie episode, he really lets the crazy fly. From watching Chandler sleep to the mannequin head, he's all the right amounts of psycho and entertaining. Also, Joey moves back in


The Worst:
Here's the thing about season two--it's a pretty sound entry in the Friends oeuvre. Not all of the episodes are what I would categorize as great, but most of them are good. It was actually kinda difficult to come up with sub-par episodes. There are elements of most of these episodes that I liked, but they just didn't live up to the other entries in the season.

TOW: Five Steaks and an Eggplant
This is the exception to, like, everything I said above. I might go as far as to say I hate this episode. It's a combination of having seen it too much and it not being very entertaining. I like that they address the income discrepancies between the friends, but it's just not very funny. The best part is probably the Chandler and Jade thing, but barely half the episode is devoted to that storyline.

TOW: Joey Moves Out
This is on here only because Joey moves out and it makes me sad. There are several good moments in this episode, like with Joey licking the silverware, but I'm mostly eh about the tattoos and the stuff at the Geller's.

TOW: Old Yeller Dies
This episode is okay. I just don't like it because Richard's so disappointed when he learns that Chandler and Joey see him as a father figure. I like the stuff with Phoebe and the movies, but eh.

TOW: The Bullies
I've definitely seen this one too often. Plus, I'm not too interested in Monica or Phoebe's stuff. The Bullies are entertaining, but not enough to sustain multiple viewing of this episode.

TOW: Two Parties
Another one suffering from 'I've seen it too often' syndrome.

The Best Moments:
Joey's Tailor

Ross finds out and Ross and Rachel's first kiss

The prom video and Monica's creepy interview

Best Quotes

"I mean isn't that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?" -Rachel, episode 2.01

"When I saw him get off that plane with her, I really thought I hit rock bottom. But today, it's like there's rock bottom, then 50 feet of crap, then me." -Rachel, episode 2.01

"Did they go to the zoo? Supposably." -Joey, episode 2.03

"Why, yes, Ross, pushing my third nipple opens the delivery entrance to the magical land of Narnia." -Chandler, episode 2.04

"Ok, ok, uh, ducks is heads because ducks have heads."
"What kind of scary ass clowns came to your birthday?" -Joey and Chandler, episode 2.06

"He can press her up against the window as much as he wants. For all I care, he can throw her through the damn thing." -Rachel, episode 2.07

"And, you know, ya see there, I'm thinking of names, so obviously, I am over you. I am over you. And that, my friend, is what they call closure." -Rachel, episode 2.07

"Both? BOTH!? I can't have two cats! Joey's the kind of guy who could have two cats." -Ross, episode 2.07

"You know, this is actually good, because if we ever lose Ross, we have a spare." -Chandler, episode 2.10

"Well, now you understand how I feel every single day, ok? The world is my lesbian wedding." -Chandler, episode 2.11

"Because she's your lobster." -Phoebe, episode 2.14

"We're not Bert and Ernie."
"Yeah, I know we're not gay puppets." -Joey and Chandler, episode 2.16

"Was that the oven timer?"
"That's right my friend. It's time for..."
"BAYWATCH!!!" -Joey and Chandler, episode 2.17

"Well, that's not even a real fish. No, that's a goldfish cracker." -Chandler, episode 2.18

"This is not out of the blue, this is smack dab in the middle of the blue!" -Chandler, episode 2.19

"Because it reminded you of the way our forefathers used to bitch at each other?" -Chandler, episode 2.22

"Sorry, we're on a major flan high." -Chandler, episode 2.22

"That'll teach you to lick my muffin." -Monica, episode 2.23



First episode of season 3 on Monday!!

TOW: Ross's New Girlfriend

Rachel: is still waiting for Ross to get off the plane at the airport. She sees Ross with his arms around Julie and runs away before Ross sees her. She can't get by all the people and when she tries to go over the seats, she trips and hits her head. Ross witnesses the fall. Rachel is freaking out and weird with Julie, talking as though Julie can't understand English. Rachel comes running into the apartment, telling Chandler, Joey, Monica, and Phoebe about Julie and Ross. Rachel makes Chandler talk to Ross about Julie and finds out that Ross really likes Julie. Julie calls Ross at the apartment one night and Rachel freaks, leaving. She spends the night with Paolo because she's so upset. Joey tells her that she should just tell Ross how she feels. She calls Ross out to the balcony. She starts by saying she isn't getting back with Paolo. Ross tells her she deserves a guy who really loves being with her, like he feels with Julie. Rachel can't tell him how she feels.

Ross: is baffled by Rachel's appearance at the airport, but he goes along with it, even when Rachel is being really strange. He has no idea that Rachel knows he was in love with her. He and Julie knew each other in grad. school and she was in charge of the dig in China. He's pleased with his new relationship, introducing Julie to his friends and talking about her all the time. He tells Chandler that he took his advice and was moving on from Rachel, and that Julie made him happy. He and Julie are all mushy together. He's oblivious to the fact that Rachel is insanely jealous. When Rachel calls him to the balcony, he finally says that he hates Paolo. He tells Rachel she could do so much better and deserves a guy who really loves and appreciates her.

Monica: deals with the disappointment about Ross and Rachel getting together. She tries to be there for Rachel, who is horribly upset, and Ross, who is on cloud nine about his new relationship. She notices that Chandler and Joey got haircuts and she learns that Phoebe did it for them. After mentioning it several times, she talks Phoebe into cutting her hair. Monica winces every time Phoebe takes a snip. Monica wanted her hair cut like Demi Moore's, but Phoebe cuts it like Dudley Moore's. Monica spends the rest of the episode upset about her hair. Chandler and Ross tease her about having a Dudley Moore haircut.

Phoebe: gives the Season 1, Ross and Rachel recap to start the show off. She gets roped into cutting Monica's hair, despite the fact she really doesn't want to because she knows how anal and controlling Monica is. Of course, then she gets Demi and Dudley Moore confused and it's a whole big mess. After the haircut disaster, Phoebe talks to Rachel, Ross, and Joey as though Monica is a patient in the hospital and Phoebe is a doctor giving updates on her condition. She also manages to insult Ross's haircut. At the end of the episode, Julie asks Phoebe to cut her hair. Julie wants her hair cut like Andie MacDowell's. To make sure Phoebe has the actor correct, she asks Rachel if Andie MacDowell was the girl in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral.' Rachel tells her that Andie MacDowell is the guy from 'Planet of the Apes.'

Chandler: is in trouble with Rachel after Ross gets off the plane with Julie. He talks to Ross for Rachel, finding out that Ross is happy with Julie. He also needs a tailor because he has to get some pants altered. Joey recommends Frankie, the guy who does tailoring work for him and his dad. Chandler goes to Frankie and is, well, molested. Chandler tells Joey about Frankie's inappropriate behavior.

Joey: encourages Rachel to tell Ross how she feels. He's horrified to learn that that, is in fact, not how you measure pants He worries that he's been touched inappropriately by other people, such as doctors. He calls his dad and tells him about Frankie.

• I've always felt bad for Rachel. She does act like a spaz, but I can't really blame her for freaking. That's not to say that I don't like Julie, because I do. The writers made Julie admirably difficult to dislike. It would've been so cliche for Julie to be a bitch, but generally she's very nice, which makes it more difficult for the Ross-Rachel-Julie triangle to be easily unraveled.
  

• I love this picture.
  

• I don't know how I feel about the introduction of the haircuts. It's obvious when Chandler and Joey first appear that their hair is different. It's disconcerting because the action of this episode takes place, like, an hour and a half after the season one finale. I'm not sure if I like that they draw attention to it so blatantly. I really wouldn't have liked it if they hadn't mentioned it all, but it's...too...I don't know...deliberate, maybe. I'm befuddled. I need to stop thinking about this.
  

• This is one of my favorite episodes! There are several moments throughout the series that I love, but there are only a handful of episodes that I enjoy with an irritating abundance and this is one of them! It's the Ross-Rachel-Julie love triangle and Joey's tailor--I just adore it.
  

• Haircut confusion breakdown:

Demi Moore

Dudley Moore

I don't know anything about cutting hair and I definitely wouldn't want to be trusted with a pair of scissors so close to someone's head, but...I'd think it'd be an easy fix for Phoebe to cut Monica's hair shorter, like Demi Moore's. Maybe not. Also, Monica specifically mentions Demi Moore's hair in 'Ghost,' which was short, like in the picture, but Monica says that the Dudley Moore hair is too short...Confused.

Andie MacDowell

Roddy McDowall, the guy from 'Planet of the Apes.'

• Joey's tailor. Another best moment ever.
  

The way this moment makes me feel is indescribable. Oh, Joey. Poor, naive, Joey. You wouldn't believe the myriad uses of the phrases, "Joey's tailor...took advantage of me!" and, "Yes. Yes it is. In PRISON!"

Oh. My. God.

" Ok, I think she's trying to tell us something. Quick, get the verbs." -Chandler, after Rachel rushes in from the airport, explaining about Ross and Julie.

"--And the chicken poops in her lap!." -Rachel, finishing Julie's story.

"I mean, isn't that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-you-neck-fantastic?" -Rachel, about Ross and Julie running into each other again in China.

"Anybody know a good tailor?"
"Need some clothes altered?"
"No, no. I'm just looking for a man to draw on me with chalk." -Chandler and Joey.

"You have to stop the Q-tip when there's resistance!" -Chandler, to Joey as he tries to remember when he first went to Frankie (the tailor).

"What are you doing here?"
"I do Raquel." -Ross and Paolo.

"Your hair looks too good. I think it would just upset her. Ross, you come on in." -Phoebe, discussing who can come in and see Monica after the haircut disaster.

"When I saw him get off that plane with her, I really thought I hit rock bottom. But today, it's like there's rock bottom, then 50 feet of crap, then me." -Rachel, explaining to Joey how she feels.

"I've been with my share of women. In fact, I've been with, like, a lot of people's share of women." -Joey, comforting Rachel.

"I swear to God, Dad. That's not how they measure pants." -Joey.