SEASON 2
The One With Ross' New Girlfriend: Season 1 ended with Rachel coming to pick up Ross at the airport to confess her feelings for him. The episode right away spoils that moment by introducing Julie, his new girlfriend. Julie is a great character, and honestly, it kind of sucks that she's just used as a plot device to keep Ross and Rachel away from each other for a little longer. In the end, the show wants you to see Ross and Rachel, so it makes sense that she's not in here for very long. The other stories involve haircuts and suits. Phoebe gives Joey and Chandler haircuts, and Monica gets mad because she doesn't want to give her one, too. Phoebe eventually does, but of course, gives her the completely wrong cut, and Monica's life is ruined. The other, not-so-good story has Chandler being violated by Joey's tailor, and it's... weird. Chandler getting his haircut so soon into the season sucks. I really like his season 1 hair. RIP Chandler's hair.
"Isn't that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck, fantastic?" - Rachel
GRADE: B-
The One With the Breast Milk: The Rachel vs Julie story continues here, as Monica becomes friends with Julie, and this makes Rachel jealous. Rachel eventually tries to make peace with Julie, but Rachel won't stop being jealous of her, despite not completely hating her anymore. The other story has Ross being weirded out by everyone trying the breast milk that's for Ben. It's not that funny, but Ross' acting somehow makes it work better than it should. Joey starts working at a department store, handing out cologne samples, but is being outshone by a guy in a cowboy outfit. BIJAN FOR MEN! It's a silly one, but it works as a small side story for Joey. He looks good dressed as a cowboy.
"If you blow into one side, does the other get bigger?" - Joey to Carol while she breastfeeds
GRADE: C+
The One Where Heckle Dies: I actually really like this episode. Mr. Heckles had a few appearances in the first season that were great, but he died pretty early in season 2, just three episodes in. This episode is great for Chandler, as he really sees himself in Heckles when looking through his old photos and yearbook. I like how Chandler becomes afraid of becoming Heckles in the future and decides to give Janice a shot, someone who actually wants to be with him. It's a great twist when Janice shows up pregnant and married. None of the other stories come close to this, but we get to see Monica and Rachel argue about a lamp, so that's... fun?
"GO INTO THE LIGHT, MR. HECKLES!!!" - Phoebe
GRADE: B+
The One With Phoebe's Husband: We get a nice Phoebe story here, when her husband comes back wanting a divorce. Turns out they got married for a green card, but he was gay, so the feelings Phoebe had for him were never returned in the same way. Well, it turns out he's not gay and is marrying another woman. This is the second time we really see Phoebe having strong romantic feelings for someone, the first one being David in season 1. Poor Phoebe can't catch a break. There's also a fun bit where we see Joey in a porno as a background extra. Really, the most interesting moment in this is Rachel trying to stop Ross from finally having sex with Julie, especially the last scene where she has this very sensual moment with Ross, and he just leaves to be with Julie. Rough. Don't worry, Rachel, you'll be making love to Ross in the cavemen exhibit in just a few more episodes.
"Hang on, the guy's butt is blocking me. There I am. There I am. There I am." - Joey on his cameo in the porno film
GRADE: B+
The One With the Five Steak and an Eggplant: This episode is actually really interesting in the way it splits the group apart. The friends struggle to find a balance between going out to expensive places and including the other friends who can't afford those luxuries. There's an interesting argument in the second half of the episode when Chandler, Ross, and Monica buy dinner and concert tickets to the "poorer" friends, Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey. The "poorer" friends are insulted by this gift and reject it, and it's interesting to see a nice gesture be completely wasted. I like the fact that both sides make good points anyway, and you can see where everyone is coming from. On the other story, we get Chandler pretending to be a guy named "Bob" to manipulate a beautiful woman to get with him. A bit weird, but it backfires when she admits that Chandler is not a very good lover. Chandler's love life keeps getting worse and worse... but not for long?
"What are these, like famous chickens?" - Joey, complaining about the expensive food at a restaurant
GRADE: B-
The One With the Baby on the Bus: Right away, we get a great gag where Ben cries anytime he's near Monica. There are also a lot of funny scenes with Ross having to speak with a swollen tongue. Chandler and Joey agree to watch Ben after Ross has an allergic reaction to KIWI! They, of course, decide to use Ben to pick up girls in the city. After meeting some hot girls on a bus, they accidentally leave Ben on said bus, and chaos ensues. I love how they only realize it's the right baby they found when he starts crying when Monica gets near him. We also get a nice story with Phoebe and Rachel, where the coffee shop hires a professional musician over Phoebe. We see guest star Chrissie Hynde as the musician, who is a punk icon famous for founding The Pretenders, so that's cool. We also see a quick cameo from the actor who would eventually play Phoebe's brother in the next season.
"What kind of scary-ass clowns came to your birthday party?" -Chandler
GRADE: B+
The One Where Ross Finds Out: This is the episode where everything finally happens between Rachel and Ross. Rachel accidentally leaves Ross a drunken message admitting her feelings for him, and he listens to it right in front of her. Obviously, being with Julie means Ross can't be with Rachel... or you would think anyway. He ends up cheating on her later in the episode when he finally kisses Rachel. Monica decided to help Chandler lose some weight, only to make him more miserable by never leaving him alone. Chandler is forced to make Monica feel terrible about herself and her own life so she can leave him alone. Maybe there was a less mean way to handle that?
"You're over me? When were you... under me?" - Ross
GRADE: B-
The One With the List: I really love the whole "Mockolate" story in this episode. Monica finds a job where she has to create recipes with a terrible chocolate substitute, and they all taste awful because "Mockolate" is a terrible product. It all goes nowhere when she finds out the product has already been cancelled. Really though, the main story here is a continuation of the last episode, where Ross has to choose between Rachel and Julie. The boys all make a list for Ross with pros and cons for each girl, but ultimately Ross wants to be with Rachel. Everything falls apart when Rachel finds the list they made and decides she no longer wants to be with Ross. I will say I was always kind of bothered by this, mostly because Ross was in a tough position and was trying to find a way to figure out what to do. He also had a sweet thing at the end where he says the con about Julie is that she's not Rachel, but this is ruined by a typo, and it's completely missed. Guess they just wanted to stretch out the story a bit longer, but I think they do a good job later at making up for this.
"Oh no! Two women love me. They're both gorgeous and sexy. My wallet is too small for my fifties, and my diamond shoes are TOO TIGHT!" - Chandler on Ross having to choose between two women
GRADE: B-
The One With Phoebe's Dad: The episode starts with a great gag as Phoebe thinks her dad is the guy who comes in all the stock pictures in frames. She finds out that not only is he not him, but he's actually living in the area, so she wants to meet him. This is the first episode where Phoebe's cab is introduced; it becomes a staple of the show as a silly car with as many quirks as Phoebe herself. There's also a Christmas Party happening at Monica's place, but her heater is broken, so everyone is overheating at the party. Ross and Rachel continue to deal with the fallout of "the list", but Rachel wants nothing to do with Ross. There's a great joke at the end where Chandler and Joey give all the friends gifts from a gas station since they couldn't make it to the mall with Phoebe.
"How have you not been on Oprah?" - Rachel to Phoebe
GRADE: C+
The One With Russ: Rachel starts dating a Ross doppelganger named Russ. Maybe the joke is too obvious, and honestly, this idea probably shouldn't work, but the performance by David Schwimmer playing the bizarro version of himself is too good. The makeup department did a good job at making him actually look like a different actor playing the part, as well as David adding enough differences to make it believable. It's also a nice way show the audience that Rachel still does want to be with Ross by being with someone exactly like him. This is also the episode where Joey gets his start on Days of Our Lives, which becomes an important part of the rest of the season. Monica also gets "Fun" Bobby to stop drinking, and he becomes the most boring man alive. Really fun scenes where Bobby is just talking about hardware stores not open at night, and everyone looks miserable.
"They're as different as night and... later that night" - Monica on Ross and Russ
GRADE: A-
The One With the Lesbian Wedding: I suppose in the mid 90's, when this aired, it would have been seen as pretty progressive to have a whole lesbian wedding on a popular show. Now this isn't even a thing, but I still think it's cool that the show did this back then. Apparently, this episode was banned in Texas because of the wedding and Texas being what it was back then. We also get Phoebe getting possessed by an older woman who died on her massage table, which has its moments. The scene where the widower husband shows up and tries to sleep with Phoebe is funny, and of course, the line "Now I've seen everything" after attending the lesbian wedding. Monica's mother makes her first appearance on the show and tells Rachel she wants to leave her father. Rachel's parents are great on the show when they appear, and it's really funny when she asks for "marijuana".
"Tell me if this is too cute: lesbian wedding - chicken breasts" -Monica deciding what to cook for the wedding.
GRADE: C+
The One After the Super Bowl Pts 1 & 2: The second two-parter of the series features a bunch of great guest stars, including Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julia Roberts, and Brooke Shields. The two episodes revolve around Marcel the Monkey returning as Ross sees him in a commercial and decides to check in on the zoo where he left him last season. There, he meets a very funny custodian who tells him Marcel was sent to Hollywood to make movies. It's honestly one of the funniest scenes of the season, watching Ross interact with the zoo janitor who is monologing about the animals instead of talking to him. Chandler meets his old classmate, played by Julia Roberts, who tricks him into wearing women's underwear and steals his clothes. Another really funny gag, where Joey and Ross make fun of him as he hides in a bathroom stall. Joey dates Brooke Shields' character, who thinks his character on Days of Our Lives is actually a real person. Brooke Shields' performance is great, and she plays the crazy stalker really well. The scene where she starts to lick Joey's hands aggressively should be creepy, but somehow still makes me laugh. The weakest story here, though, is Monica and Rachel competing over who gets to date Jean-Claude. Feels like a retread of last season's two-parter where they fought each other, except this time it feels more forced. Maybe it's because Jean-Claude just doesn't really do much here, especially compared to all the other guest stars. Phoebe gets a fun story where she sings to kids at a library, but her songs are too honest and make the adults mad, even though the kids love it.
"And you left the toilet seat up, you bastard!" -Chandler to "Dr. Drake Ramoray."
GRADE: A
The One With the Prom Video: One of, if not the most memorable episode of the season for many reasons. The main thing is Ross and Rachel finally get together after a season and a half of buildup and the whole Julie saga from earlier in the season. The other big thing from this one is the first flashback we see of the friends. Well, only like half the friends appear in the flashback, but it's still a fun one as we see Monica wearing the fat suit for the first time and Ross with his terrible 80s hair and mustache. We also get the iconic Phoebe line, "She's your lobster". The entire episode is building to the moment we've been waiting for since the start of the show, Ross and Rachel kiss, and finally start their romance officially. Maybe it's weird that Rachel forgives Ross because of something he did a decade ago, but it's a sweet moment, and you really feel for Ross when he gets left behind by Rachel and her prom date. We also get Joey giving Chandler a gold bracelet that repels women. I always love Chandler's reaction to first getting it.
"Shut up, the camera adds ten pounds" - Monica
"So how many cameras are actually on you?" - Chandler
GRADE: A
The One Where Ross and Rachel... You Know: Yes, Ross and Rachel finally get it on. Ross gives Rachel the bone, and I'm not talking about dinosaurs. Roar. So Ross is trying to take Rachel on their first date, but things keep getting in the way. They end up meeting at the Museum Ross works at and doing it in one of the exhibits. The other important event of this episode is Monica reconnecting with Richard, one of her dad's friends growing up, and that romance begins. I always loved Tom Selleck as Richard in this show; he's super charming and fits in perfectly with the rest of the cast. Even though the romance is a bit weird, considering he was an adult when she was a child, it's still one of the most memorable relationships on the show. There's also a funny gag where Joey and Chandler sit on their new recliners the entire episode.
"No! No! Homo habilis was erect! Australopithecus was never fully erect!" Ross
"Well, maybe he was nervous" - Chandler
GRADE: A-
The One Where Joey Moves Out: With Joey's new role on Days of Our Lives, he's finally making good money. When a friend tells him he's selling his fancy apartment, Joey is interested in moving out. It's cute how Chandler is immediately jealous and doesn't want Joey to leave, but can't admit it to him. Instead, they get into a fight, and Joey leaves. Monica and Richard are starting to date, but they have to go to Monica's dad's birthday together and don't want him to find out about their romance. Of course, he does find out and wants to kill Richard, but it works out. There's a funny scene where Monica is stuck hiding in the shower while her parents get it on. Awkward. We also get an okay story where Rachel and Pheebs get tattoos, but Pheebs is too afraid, even though it was her idea. I'd say I like the Monica and Richard story, but everything else in this episode is just okay.
GRADE: B-
The One Where Eddie Moves In: Here, we see the introduction of Eddie, played by Adam Goldberg. One of the funnier side characters on the show, as he slowly gets crazier in each episode he appears in. Joey is jealous of Eddie taking his place as the roommate, increasing the tension between Joey and Chandler. There's a great scene where Joey and Chandler want to call each other but decide not too. Heartbreaking stuff. With Ross dating Rachel, it also means he's spending way more time in Monica's apartment. They end up fighting and arguing like they are kids again, which annoys Rachel. Some of the best Friends episodes are ones that revolve around the Gellar siblings, and this one is good. Ross tricking Monica into thinking it's Richard on the phone when it's really their mom is great. Another fun story is Phoebe making a music video for her song "Smelly Cat". I always like the scene where she watches the video for the first time and thinks she's the one actually singing.
"Oh, I am sorry, but I am incredibly talented." - Phoebe, when she hears the dubbed voice for her song
GRADE: A-
The One Where Dr. Drake Ramoray Dies: Joey pisses off the writers of his show in an interview, and they end up killing his character off, which leads to him not having money to afford his new lifestyle. Chandler's new roommate, Eddie, starts to scare Chandler with his obsession with his ex-girlfriend. Eddie thinks Chandler is sleeping with her and later accuses him of stealing his fish, which is pretty hilarious. The scene where Eddie gets a new fish, and it's just a goldfish cracker, is great. Monica and Rachel also argue about who is going to get the last condom as they both want to sleep with their significant others. Not the best one, but I do love Ross doing his weird animal sounds.
"You're saying nothing between us is 'animal' at all? Not even a little 'animal', not even like chipmunk sex?" - Ross to Rachel, when comparing him to Paulo in bed
GRADE: C+
The One Where Eddie Won't Go: Chandler can't find a way to get rid of Eddie, as Eddie keeps getting weirder and more intense. Joey has to move out of his new apartment after all his new stuff gets repossessed. We get the introduction to the weird dog statue as Ross buys it for Joey as a way to cheer him up. Eventually, Joey moves back in with Chandler, and they trick Eddie into thinking he never lived there, which somehow works. Maybe Eddie should have gotten his own spinoff, but oh well. The ladies read a new female empowerment book that's trending, and they end up fighting with each other more than being empowered. There's a great scene where Rachel tells Ross, "How do you expect me to grow if you won't let me blow!" and Ross responds, "You know I have no problem with that."
"This is why I don't date women who read" - Joey to Ross, after Rachel reads the empowerment book
GRADE: B
The One Where Old Yeller Dies: Phoebe finds out her mom would turn off movies that had a sad ending early to protect her. So she watches all the movies to see the real endings and becomes depressed. I love the scene at the end of the episode where she's watching Sesame Street with Ben. The best part of the episode is Joey and Chandler trying to be like Richard after they hang out with him at a Knicks game. Chandler with the stache is too good for this world. The reveal at the end of the episode, where they end up calling Richard a father figure, is really funny too. There's also a nice relationship moment with Ross and Rachel, where she freaks out at him when he tells her he has their whole future planned out already.
"What kind of sick, doggy snuff film is this?" Phoebe, while watching the end of Old Yeller
GRADE: B
The One With the Bullies: This one is a bit meh. Ross and Chandler have to deal with some bullies who take Chandler's hat. It eventually leads to a fight that never happens, and the bullies end up teaming up with Ross and Chandler after someone steals their things. It's not bad, but I do like the scene where they are about to fight and keep adding new rules. Monica gets into stocks, and it's not that interesting, but we do get to see her at the Moondance job for the first time in the show, with her iconic costume. The best part of this one is the introduction of Frank Jr. Phoebe wants to meet her dad, but ends up meeting her half-brother Frank Jr instead. I love Giovanni Ribisi's portrayal of Frank Jr, as he is one of the funnier side characters in the show, and this is just his first appearance, and he already steals the show.
"Have you been beaten up before?" - Joey
"Yeah, sure" - Ross
"By someone besides Monica" - Joey
"No" - Ross
GRADE: C+
The One With the Two Parties: One of the best episodes of the season. The friends are throwing a birthday party for Rachel, but things go sideways when Rachel's dad, Mr. Greene, shows up. Rachels' dad and mom can't be in the same room because they are going through a tough divorce, so the friends throw two separate parties to keep the parents away from each other. Ron Leibman plays Mr. Greene, and he's always one of the highlights of the show when he appears. His relationship with Ross is always hilarious, as he always seems unimpressed by Ross, no matter how hard Ross tries. The other funny part of this episode is everyone trying to escape Monica's party to go to Joey's and Chandler's more fun party next door. Phoebe sneaking people over behind Monica's back is a great touch.
"Ah! You're having a PAR-TEEEE" - Mr. Greene, don't know why this one always gets me. But there's a funnier quote, so I have to put two for this episode.
"And because you're both, you know, white women" - Phoebe on why they confused Rachel's mom for Rachel.
GRADE: A+
The One With the Chicken Pox: Phoebe's special friend Ryan comes into town while he's on break from the NAVY. Played by the lovely and not controversial Charlie Sheen, who does a good job in this episode. Their plans are foiled when they both get chicken pox and have to spend the entire week without touching each other or scratching. This leads to a fun scene where Monica tapes oven mitts to their hands, and they sensually scratch each other. I also realized that up to this point, Phoebe and Joey are the only characters who haven't had a relationship that lasted more than one episode on screen. Poor Joey doesn't get much in that department. Monica and Richard have some development in their romance, as Richard finds out about some of Monica's quirks, but Monica is annoyed that Richard doesn't have any of his own. We also get Joey working with Chandler and inventing a work persona to fit in with all the other office workers. This leads to a funny scene where Chandler has an affair with Joey's fake wife, who doesn't actually exist.
"I can't believe my boyfriend doesn't have a thing!" Monica on Richard not having a quirk
"See, if anyone overheard that, I didn't come off well there." Richard
GRADE: C
The One With Barry and Mindy's Wedding: Oh boy, an episode with Barry. If you read my season one review, you know I hate the Barry character and don't want to see him on screen. As far as season finales go, this one is a bit weird. Usually, season finales are a big event in Friends; even last season had Rachel finding out about Ross' feelings for her. This season ending on a big wedding for two characters that don't really matter to the show is a choice. I guess it serves to put a bow on the Rachel and Barry relationship, once and for all. Also, it's meant to give Rachel a nice moment of growth as she overcomes all the harassment she faces at the wedding from Barry's friends. Eh, I still don't really like it, and it probably would have been better to just never see Barry again. The biggest moment from this episode is Richard telling Monica he doesn't want kids again, and it leads to their eventual breakup. It was pretty shocking the first time watching it and still pretty surprising now, but it makes sense that their age difference finally caught up to them. Chandler falls in love with a woman on the internet and wants to finally meet her in person. I remember how shocking it was to see Janice revealed as the woman, and they have a sweet moment together, as Chandler finally wants to be with Janice for good. They set up some good storylines for next season here. It's good, but Barry sucks.
"Are you the cutest?" - Phoebe
"I'm afraid I might just be" - Chandler
GRADE: B-
A very strong season that took all the good from the first season and made it better. All the actors are fully into their characters, and the writing is just really good. We got some great relationship moments with Ross and Rachel, and Monica and Richard. Chandler is even funnier than last season, and his friendship with Joey is even better now. Honestly, I'm curious to see when Joey starts to transform from his charming street-smart guy to the guy who struggles with anything that's more than just basic knowledge. The guest stars were also a lot better in this season, with the clear standout being Tom Selleck's Richard. We get to see a lot more of Ribisi's Frank Jr. in the next few seasons, so that's exciting too.
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