SPOILERS AHEAD!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
Okay, here, straight out of the blue, a review (or perhaps more a description of the episode with a few comments) from a long-time lurker.
904 - TOW The Sharks
Storylines
Chandler & Monica
Chandler is in Tulsa for the weekend, because of work. Monica doesn't have a clue what exactly he does for work, nor does she seem to care very much. Joey suggests that she goes to pay him a surprise visit. It's shortly after 7 pm when Chandler returns to his appartment. At first he considers going to the gym, while the camera slowly moves to the couch. It's not too difficult to grasp that the exercise plans are postponed for a late night couch potato session. At this point, Monica, having her own key, unlocks the door and enters the appartment, just when Chandler is 'entertaining' himself while watching porn! Chandler manages to change the channel to something else, but he can't hide the fact that he's playing with himself. Monica notices it, but quickly excuses herself and goes to the bathroom. From there, she calls Rachel saying that she caught Chandler getting off while watching angry sharks! Later (the next day?) Monica returns to her own appartment, without Chandler though. Rachel tells her that guys sometimes like things women can't understand, and that it's not such a big deal. So when Chandler comes home, Monica has a little surprise for him! She makes him sit on the couch, plays a videotape and starts kissing him! Chandler is obviously surprised to get a show about sharks swimming about. That's when Monica finds out that chandler was just watching "some good ol' American girl-on-girl porn", and she is very relieved to hear this!
Rachel
Huh? Who? When? Where? .. Oh, right, she had a minor, minor role talking to Monica. She seems to be taking care of the baby by herself!
Ross & Phoebe
Phoebe has a date with Mike. Ross tells her how he admires the fact that she has an easy dating attitude, never worrying about long-term commitment. This is where Phoebe realises she never had a long-term relationship while she's in her thirties, causing her to get very emotional. At this point, Mike enters the coffeeshop and sees a crying Phoebe.
The next day, Phoebe tells Ross how awful her date was. Ross thinks he can help Phoebe by going over to Mike. The fifth Mike Hannigan (which he apparantly looked up in a phone book) is the one he is looking for. He tells her how he upset Phoebe the day before, and that that is the reason why she acted strange on their date. He asks Mike not to blow her off, but Mike just got off the phone with Phoebe to set a second date!
Of course, it wouldn't be Ross if he wouldn't also foolishly tell Mike that Phoebe never had a serious relationship. When Mike inquires about this, Ross tells him Phoebe actually *did* have one serious relationship with some guy name 'Vicrum'.
Later at Phoebe's, Ross explains to Phoebe what he did, which triggers Phoebe to tell him how she'd swear on Lucifer ;-) to have rabid dogs dangling from his balls if he hadn't just had a baby with Rachel. On her second date with Mike, she tries to stick with the Vicrum story, but later on caves and confesses to Mike that she really didn't have any serious relationship so far. Mike takes it the good way, and they end up kissing.
Joey & Haley
Joey meets a hot woman at Central Perk. Even though Gunther is mocking Joey's cheap tricks, he scores a date with her. After the date they to go her appartment, where Joey suddenly realises that he's already been on a date with her! Back at Monica's, Joey is very upset that she didn't remember sleeping with him (and totally ignores the rants about him not remembering sleeping with her). So at their next date, Joey confronts her with this, and even tells her in detail exactly where they've had sex in her own appartment! At this point, Haley's twin sister enters.. well, you can guess the rest :)
Comments
I didn't like the Chandler/Monica storyline. It was a 'quick laughs' storyline, but the jokes weren't that funny. Funnily enough Monica is not at all interested at Chandler's job, but she cares about him so much that she's even willing to turn him on by showing shark shows!
Rachel didn't do much in this episode, but at least we didn't hear a crying baby.
The good thing about the Ross & Phoebe plot is how we find out that Phoebe never gave her dating rituals a lot of thought. This might be a warm-up for future episodes where she will realise she's better off with a steady date. Although everyone should know by now that in the end she'll hook up with Joey after having smart kids with Ross and Joey ditching Rachel for the money :) The 'Vicrum' bit I didn't like much. What's with the name anyway? Is it a reference to something, or just a silly name? There were some funny moments with Phoebe and Mike after she told him the Vicrum story was fake, but for the rest it's just one of those silly 'this could never happen in real life' stories with an even sillier Ross. Surely, someone must like this style of humour or else the writers wouldn't come with it, eh?
The Joey & Haley (did I get that name right?) story was the funniest of all three, IMHO. Especially the bit where Gunther coughed really loud when Joey was telling smooth lies to Haley cracked me up!
Is it just me or did season 8 seem WAY more funnier and interesting than season 9 so far? It seems like the writers are just dragging the last season out, while for season 8 everyone had to work really hard to try to squeeze in an extra season.
Bram