More questions from a newbie

Thank you all for being so patient with me. I just wondered a few things about the show. Any help is appreciated. Possible spoilers, so I'll skip a little bit . . .

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Okay, I know that Monica, Chandler, Rachel, and Ross knew each other in school. Chandler was Ross' best friend and Rachel was Monica's. Do we ever find out how those four met Joey and Phoebe?

I can't remember clearly, but it seemed like I got the impression from an ep that Monica and Ross were twins - some comment like "when we were six" - but is this true? (I think the "when we were six" comment was in the thanksgiving episode with the football game.) It sure seemed like he was older in the flashbacks.

How many seasons did this "ugly naked guy" thing go on? When did it start? And did Ross move into his apartment or not after he moved out?

I saw an episode where the men and the women had a bet, and in the end, the girls lost and had to trade apartments with the men. How long were they switched and how did it get switched back?

This rooming thing confuses me. This is what I think I know. First, Ross had a place of his own, Rachel and Monica roomed together, Phoebe lived with her grandmother, and Chandler and Joey roomed together.

Then Chandler moved in with Monica. (This is where I get confused.) Rachel somehow ended up with Joey, and Phoebe was in Rachel's old room for awhile, but how did that happen? I know that Rachel and Phoebe were supposed to move in together (Rachel was in Joey's apt at the time), but then cancelled it when the apt ended up having only one bedroom. So Phoebe moved in there, and Rachel remained with Joey. Is Rachel still there, or is she in with Ross now?

I've seen postings on the newsgroup about Ross and some kind of breakdown. What's up with that? And how did he end up away from the museum, where his boss made the statement in the one ep that it was time for him to return? (Are these two things related?)

Umm . . . I think that's it for now. I hope I'm not being too much of a pain. :-)

- Mary  : )

Phoebe was Monica's first roomate (then she moved out to her grandmothers and Rachel eventually moved in). There is a flashback for Joey and Chandler becoming roomates, 306 TOW the Flashback.

Ross is older than Monica and Rachel in TOW the Prom Video, Mrs. Geller calls Ross a "college man" when it was Monica and Rachel's prom.

That was 412 TOW the Embryos that they switched 'cause the girls didn't know Chandler's job. The girls tricked the guys in 419 TOW All the Haste by giving the guys Knicks tickets and moving while the guys were at the game.

She lives with Ross now. She moved out of Joey's apartment in 814 TOW the Secret Closet.

On Tue, 30 Apr 2002, BUC252 stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

B i t

m o r e

s p o i l e r

s p a c e

Not quite - Monica & Ross met Rachel in grade school, Chandler not until college.

It's never been clarified how Phoebe met them, other than she became Monica's roommate about 10 years ago.

Joey became Chandler's roommate 1 year before the show started - see S3-6 : TOW the Flashback.

No, though obviously it would be possible for them to have been born just within a year of each other.

Seven episodes : S4:12-19. M&R switched back when C&J were out, and bribed them to accept it by kissing each other for a full minute. :)

R&R are sharing Ross's apartment ATM.

On Tue, 30 Apr 2002 08:57:37 +0100, Paul Hyett spawned this monster :

that sounds plausible, as in the episode where Paul (? - the character played by Bruce Willis) is at dinner with Ross, the student Ross was dating and Rachel, iirc, Ross explains that when he offered to take Rachel to her prom, he was a freshman in college, and she was a senior in high school. i'm assuming that Monica and Rachel were in the same year at school, so she and Ross would likely have anything from 9 to 23 months between them.

anj

Rachel and Phoebe were living together in Phoebe's place, then the house got burnt and they had to share with the other guys for a while. Phoebes was with Monica and then she was also with Joey for a while - there was a whole big thing about who was a better roommate and who was annoying. They both wanted to live with Joey cause of all Monica's annoying traits. Rachel then moved in with Joey when the fixed Phoebes place and she only then had one bedroom.

Ross had a breakdown at work in TOW Ross' Sandwich - VERY funny ep!! He was put on sabatical (sp?) and returned at a later date after his "anger management" classes LOL.

Ugly naked guy was in the show for quite a few seasons, then he decided to move out and Ross decided that he wanted the appartment so he send him a very tiny muffin basket. Which wasn't enough, so he went over there and striped and then became "naked Ross" and got the appartment where he still is now.

I notice that the rest of your questions have been answered, i hope that helps you out. later wendy

"wendy" wrote in message news:3xvz8.267$[email]...

got

whole

then

The renovations to the apartment took out a temporary wall that created the two bedrooms. They couldn't put up a new wall because of the skylight that had been installed.

was

I agree that the ep was very funny, but it always bothered me that Ross' boss acted like it was perfectly okay to steal Ross' sandwich from the refrigerator. I've worked several places where stealing lunches from the refrigerator was common. It burns me up too. Does this mean *I* need anger management. ;-o

In flashbacks we find that "Ugly Naked Guy" started out as "Cute Naked Guy." Unfortunately, as Phoebe noticed, "Cute naked guy is really starting to put on weight."

wendy wrote in message news:3xvz8.267$[email]...

got

whole

then

was

Not quite, Ross was on sabatical. When he showed his boss his new apartment (ugly naked guy's) and tried to prove that he had gotten control, he saw Monica and Chandler going at it in Monica's apartment. He started screaming "Get off my sister". He never went back to the museum. We assume he was fired. He then got a job teaching at NYU.

In article , [email] (BUC252) wrote:

No worries. I've cut out the questions that Domenico & Wendy answered.

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No, not Chandler - he was Ross's roomie at college.

Joey answered an advertisement after Chandler's roomie Kip left. He used to date Monica, but when they broke up they couldn't even be in the same room together, and though the others promised they would stay his friend, poor Kip got phased out instead.

We don't know how Phoebe became Monica's roomie. There's been speculation that she also answered an advertisement, but nothing has ever been said on the show. If they ever do a flashback episode, it's more likely that the writers will invent something more interesting, such as Monica taking pity on a homeless girl angrily stealing food from the restaurant.

Ross is definitely a few years older than Monica. I don't know when he said "when we were six", although he has said "when we were kids" a few times, but even if he did say that, it would just be an expression.

Although the girls moved back while the guys were at a Knicks game, that didn't quite work since Chandler was so angry he accused them of stealing the apartment - so the girls paid for it with a little lesbian sex show.

Not at all, Mary :)

Tennant Stuart

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

That's true (although I figured school included college--maybe/maybe not, depend on your POV). I have the feeling Monica and Rachel might have been neighbors, and Dr. Richard Burke might have been one as well. Rachel, at age seven, crashed her bike in front of Dr. Burke's house and he kissed her on the nose.

Yeah, that poor bastard.

That connection with the restaurant is intriguing--very logical.

Well, technically I think they just kissed for one minute. I'm not sure that qualifies as a "lesbian sex show" but it does lean that way. I can just hear Joey in "TOW All The Haste," giggling to Ross, "Monica and Rachel made out."

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Fair enough, the term "school" does include college, but Chandler didn't attend the same (high) school as Monica & Rachel though.

That's right, and Monica once peed in his pool. We can assume that Ross, Monica & Rachel would have been friends with Timothy & Michelle Burke.

Exactly.

Thanks. We know that Phoebe & Ross did not get on at first, so we can just imagine Ross protesting about Monica bringing a homeless girl to live with them, assuming this was before Ross married Carol, and that he & Monica lived with their grandmother until she went to Florida.

I did say a *little* lesbian sex show. To be worth a large apartment, we can assume it was quite something, especially since Chandler & Joey immediately retired to their individual bedrooms, and shut the doors...

Tennant

Oh yes. I remember Monica's phone call to Michelle. They spoke as if they knew each other very well. The "Best of" DVD has some extra dialogue between Monica and Tim on the balcony.

I assume that is Althea to whom you refer? I didn't realize Ross lived there too. Where did you pick that up?

I never thought it was necessarily all that much. It is true that it affected Chandler and Joey quite significantly, Joey more than Chandler IMO. The girls didn't seem too phased by it though. I'm also reminded about the incident with Monica wrestling Rachel with the eye dropper in her mouth. It wasn't a particularly sexy scene, although it piqued my interest, but Monica said something like, "If Joey and Chandler were here we could make a lot of money." I think the guys tend to make more out of that sort of thing than the girls do, but we are talking about minute differences here between you and me.

David

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Absolutely. I always wondered if Michelle married Avery. ;)

Yes, it seems that Monica was a younger version of Barbara Burke.

Nope, Althea was Judy's mother, this is Jack's (unnamed) mother.

Two key words in that paragraph were "imagine" and "assuming". :)

Indeed, I was quite taken with the eye-dropper scene, though that was outdone by the climactic moment when they all held Rachel down... ;)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Ross,

I found those few extra lines to reveal an unexpected motivational dynamic in a number of episodes involving Monica and Richard.

Wow, that just blew me away. I had never considered that it would be Jack's mother. It would make sense since her last name would also be Geller. Is that what you are basing it on, or is there something more specific?

Althea's last name would match Judy's maiden name. Do we know it? (I re-read the funeral ep, but didn't find it there.)

LOL I really enjoyed that whole episode. I am reminded of these moments regularly these days as I just had lasic eye surgery last week. So, I'm putting drops in my eyes at least every hour, usually more. I'm just like Rachel with stuff around my eyes. So, for the first couple of days, half the eye drop fluid went down my cheeks.

I'm happy to report that I'm doing better. Most of it gets in on the first try now.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Ah yes, good point.

Also Judy's mother died in S1, while Jack's mother was at Monica's wedding.

It's just me letting my imagination run free. :)

Nope, especially since one of the main faults of "Friends" is not giving characters full names - such as the last names of Aurora, Bonnie, Chloe, Doug, Duncan, Gary, Gunther, Janice, Jasmine, Joanna, Julie, Kathy, Mona, Paolo, Sophie, and Kristen #3; the first names of Mrs.Buffay, Mr.Heckles, Mr.Treeger, and Mr.Zelner; Monica's middle name; and the whole names of Phoebe's first husband, the stripper at Ross's second bachelor party, the Russian dry cleaner's wife, and the woman who looked like Cameron Diaz.

Good for you. But it's just not the same without a glamorous brunette sitting on top of you with the dropper, is it?

Tennant

I know Monica's middle name. I'm quite certain of it. (well, okay it's really just a guess.) The truth of the matter is that we only know that it starts with E. So, I guess Emma.

And I have another guess as well, Gunther Hagen. I'm just pulling that out of my . . . oh, that reminds me, I need to buy talcum powder.

I'm also taking a shot that Janice's married name was King. There's nothing definite about it, but her husband was the "mattress king." I'm guessing it was a play on his last name.

Jim Treeger. (Why not.)

Marty and Paul Heckles. (One name belongs to his brother who died before him, but I'm not sure which is which. I should know since it's my own fantasy, but I guess that's just me.)

Okay, I'm getting a bit ridiculous here. I'll quit. But the first three I'm sticking to until I hear otherwise.

Since I apply drops at least every hour, the addition of the brunette might leave me dead by the end of the week, but I'm willing to give it a try. Do you think David would mind if I borrowed her for a little while?

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Ha-hah. Well, for my money, knowing the initial letter is worse than not knowing the whole name - you won't catch me worrying about Ross's middle name, for there's been a nary a hint about it.

On that same tack, we know that Mr.Zelner's first initial is 'R'.

Talcum powder? I don't get it. The only Hagen I know is ice cream.

Yes that's a good guess, but even better would be Janice & Gary M�tr�sking, from the Norwegian term for an indentured harvester... :)

Lol, why not Hoyt Treeger - that would explain how Monica has managed to evade the Rent Stabilisation Act of 1968... ;)

Oh, come on David, you're gonna have to explain now...

Let's hope that one day the writers think of a good story along these lines, to exploit the story possibilities.

I reckon that he *would* mind given the goss that he had to be removed from the set to enable some Monica/Chandler chemistry.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

For some reason Robert comes to mind, but it just pure imagination.

Oops, I can't explain the joke. It might be a spoiler. We can talk after 8-20. I am making an assumption about Gunther's national origin based on his knowledge of the language. Plus Gunther Hagen sounds like a name that a soap opera actor might have.

M�tr�sking,

LOL He's Norwegian? I was leaning Jewish. Or could he be both? Oh yes, surely there must be at least one Jewish Norwegian in New York.

You've stumped me there.

before

There is no explanation, which is precisely why I felt the need to stop. The first three had a logical reason, but this does not.

three

Somehow, with only 27 episodes to air, I think we will run out of show before this comes to fruition.

Well, now that I think of it, any glamorous brunette would do the trick. We don't need to start at the very top of the list. Is Sandra Bullock still single?

DB

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Hehe, but we haven't seen a Robert since the guy who showed brain.

Ah well, my review of S8-20 is up, so tell me when you reply to it.

BOC, and poor Marita is suffering from the complete lack of Norwegiana on the show, especially since they're always going on about Sweden.

Hoyt is her imaginary husband from S3, so maybe Monica pays in kind...

Okay.

That's plenty of time, especially if there's no RnR stories...

The last I heard.

She once said "I've always been very sceptical about marriage, because I only want to do it once; I want to do it the right way. The only reason I haven't married yet, is because I take it too seriously."

She was once engaged to Tate Donovan, JA's ex.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Well, if the "brain" goes with the name, then I definitely don't want to see Mr. Zelner's!

after

Just think about Monica's problem, and then imagine that it might remind *me* to buy some powder.

that

See above (vague, but it should cover it.)

yes,

Grandpa Olson might have been inclined to agree, God rest his soul.

to

I thought she paid with cookies. (I'll take her cookies any day, as I'm sure you'd agree.)

As for Hoyt, the non-sperm bank guy that Joey dreamed up, I recall him. Somehow I had a completely different build in mind than Treeger's, but then again, ugly naked guy put on weight over time, so who knows?

Marty Heckles kind of sounds like a comedians name to me. So, Heckles, the class-clown might have fit the role.

What are the chances of that? <evil grin>

To this I give my standard line, "To heck with her! She never returns my calls."

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Lol!

Do you sweat in the same place, then?

Hmmm...

Who?

Cookies had no effect.

He liked them, but he still wouldn't fix her radiatotr.

Exactly.

Lol!

You never know...

You wish...

Tennant

powder.

If we ever have any warm weather here, I might get a chance to test the theory. It's been an unusually chilly spring.

Oops, missed one important word . . . MY Grandpa Olson (born in Oslo, 1903).

Well, he would have, but the part wasn't available. I would have thought HE would have known about turning it off underneath though.

Well, tonight's episode had another one.

my

LOL My mother used to say, "Wish in one hand and s--- in the other. Which hand has the most in it?"

Despite her comment I still hold to a few wishes, and if the truth be known, I actually wish Sandy *would* call. I'm listed in the book!

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

You don't get nervous?

Your grandfather is almost a hundred years old?

Well, not everybody is as clever as Joey.

Save it for my S8-23 review, please.

Eep.

Grin.

Tennant

Perhaps, if Courteney were about to sit on me with an eye dropper in her mouth. But we've already done that conversation haven't we.

He would have been if he weren't "resting. "

thought

Not necessarily that clever for Joey in this case though. His dad was a plumber, right?

Although Helen Hunt is my top contender now that she is no longer with Hank Azaria, whose character's name on "Friends" is David. Coincidence? I think not.

David

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Yes, but I'm thinking about it all over again!

Oh. Sorry.

Indeed, but what Joey did was so simple that anyone could have done it, no plumbing knowledge required. What happened was Joey thought to look.

I can hear wedding bells already... :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Aaaaaah yes.

No worries.

Well, if anyone could do it was it really that clever? OTOH no one did do it. I guess I've answered my own question.

o/ They're writing songs of love, but not for me. o/

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Lol, that's what dear Priya does. :)

What's that from?

Tennant

It's an old Sinatra hit, but it was recently redone by Harry Connick Jr. for "When Harry Met Sally."

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Ah.

Tennant

On Sun, 12 May 2002, David Buehrle stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

That's jo-incidence with a 'c'.

Since Dedee is married, may I join the Helen Hunt queue?

"Paul Hyett" wrote in message news:[email]...

Hank

think

Fell free to step right up. Be aware however, that you are directly behind me, and I'm afraid I'm likely behind a few thousand others. I'll bet she doesn't return *their* calls either.

On Tue, 14 May 2002, David Buehrle stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

Oh well, at least we're getting MAY reruns, so I can see her there. :)

On 30 Apr 2002 01:26:04 GMT, [email] (BUC252) wrote:

This is fun! A test of how much Friends trivia I have in my brain ...

It's a hotly debated point how much Chandler knew or remembered Rachel - they met at least twice before coming to New York (TOW The Thanksgiving Flashbacks) but Monica, Rachel and Ross did know each other from an early age.

Chandler and Ross became friends in college. Btw isn't rather sad that while Chandler is Ross' best friend, Chandler's best friend isn't Ross? Rather an unequal relationship?

Joey moved into Chandler's after Kip left (we've never seen Kip - might an interesting stunt to bring him back) as seen in TOW The Flashback.

Ross is (at least?) one year older, although I can't remember if that's ever made explicit.

IIRC right from the first or second episodes.

Carol moved out, leaving Ross alone. He then moved into a new apartment with Emily and when he was thrown out of that, moved briefly in with Joey and Chandler before finding his current apartment across the way.

Can't remember exactly, but I think the apartment switch lasted 1 year. They switched back when the girls just unilaterally moved themselves back into their old apartment. To assuage J&C they kissed for 1 minute.

A fire at Phoebe and Rachel's. At first Rachel was at Monica's but Phoebe finagled her way into Monica's hospitality, before realising (too late) that it was more fun at Joey's.

"CleV" wrote in message news:[email]...

about

little

school.

Aparently the Gellers and the Greens lived on Long Island, close enough that Monica and Rachel went Lincoln High School together. I don't think it has ever been mentioned exactly where, but I'm guessing it's either in or near Massepequa, since this is where the Gellers' anniversary party was held.

If anyone knows if there is a Lincoln High in Massepequa that would seal the deal for me.

In the pilot it's quite obvious that Joey is the new guy. So, it just goes to show you how things change. Good point though. I had never thought about it. It makes me wonder, if Ross ever gets married again, maybe Joey could perform the ceremony (assuming he's still internet-ordained) and Chandler could be the best man.

ep

but is

thanksgiving

start?

Actually, Ross got a new apartment right after his split with Carol. He gave up that apartment and all of his furniture when Emily was planning to move to the US. He was living with a relative of hers when they broke up which left him without any apartment. So, he lived with Chandler and Joey for a few weeks until he was able to get naked and snag Ugly Naked Guy's place across the alley.

the

Phoebe

Rachel

awhile, but

It was somehow determined that the one who caused the fire would *have to* stay at Joey's. Of course, this backfired when Monica's obsessive behaviors started to iritate Phoebe. In fact, her obsessiveness was the reason Phoebe moved out of that apartment in the first place (flashback).

when the

Rachel

breakdown.

his

(Are

pain.

On Tue, 30 Apr 2002 13:51:49 GMT, "David Buehrle" wrote:

Didn't the Gellers move out of their home last year? (When Ross and Monica had to go rescure their childhood possessions.)

"CleV" wrote in message news:[email]...

about

little

school.

Interesting observation. Well, one good explanation could be that after college, Ross got married and Chandler was most probably spending more time with his roommate, Joey. It seems logical that the two got attached and became best buddies while Ross was still married and after he got a divorce, was living on his own.

Dennis

Dennis wrote in message news:[email]...

things

time

divorce,

Except Joey had been living with Chandler for a very short time when Ross got divorced. In fact, Joey moved in the same day Ross found out that Carol is a lesbian. So, Joey didn't have a part in it. Now, I do agree with most of what you said. Ross was married, so he and Chandler most likely drifted apart. As a married man, Ross would have been less likely to go out and make new friends, so Chandler was the one to move on (He was really good friends with Kip right?)

Tana

"Tana" wrote in message news:aamrll$iue$[email]...

in

Carol

most

drifted

I don't think it was discussed, but I wonder if Kip was Chandler's "best friend" during the time they shared the apartment #6. (or was it 5?) Chandler's "best friend" might be more a subject of proximity than anything else, at least in the early years.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Chandler's apartment would have been #4 at that time, Monica's #5.

Maybe, but he sided with Monica after she dumped Kip.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Are you saying that based on the fact the Kip was phased out, or is there a specific line or dialogue that tipped you off?

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Based on the fact that Kip was phased out.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

I was thinking it might be possible that Kip himself was the one pulling away. As I think more about it though I think this is not likely. The term "phased out" implies that the friends had a more active roll in letting him go.

Maybe he did something wrong that caused the breakup. Or maybe he slept with the copy girl while he and Monica were on a break.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Exactly.

Lol!

Well, it wasn't because Monica's second husband was coming from Germany.

Tennant

[email] (BUC252) wrote in message news:...

Not at all. Look at the number of replies you've got. Don't you just love this newgroups? :)

Priya

In article , [email] (p r i y a) wrote:

Good innit?

Tennant