Ok, we all know that people here think the three best ever episodes are The One With The Nap Partners, The One Where No One's Ready, and The One Where Everybody Finds Out, but what are your least favorite episodes, and why? PLEASE RESPOND!
Worst Episode?
Dec 27, 2000, 9:28 AM ET45 posts by 16 posters
45 posts
DANNY D'ADDARIO wrote:
TOW Ross' Thing was pretty tasteless. And, for complicated reasons, I was disgusted with TOW the Cat. It taught an immoral moral lesson.
what immoral moral lesson? We always knew Phoebe believes in strange things
Roni Raab wrote:
This episode caused a conflict even among the writing staff. While Ross was uncomfortable with Phoebe's decision to believe her mother to be in the cat, he did not confront Phoebe about her strange beliefs until it became apparent that she was actually hurting somebody else by clinging to them. He told Phoebe that a child was looking for the cat and Phoebe replied that it this child's search didn't matter; her mother had found her and the cat gets to decide where it wants to be. Ross blew up because Phoebe was refusing to right the damage, and Phoebe humiliated him for confronting her; in her book, if he wanted to be her friend he had to let her indulge herself in whatever nonsense she liked no matter who it hurt. Ross, in one of the most appallingly embarrassing and offensive scenes in the show, was rewarded for his courage and integrity by having to debase himself to an animal. Only then did Phoebe allow her "mother" - whom *she OPENLY ADMITTED* may not really be her mother! - to go back to its owner!
Last time I checked, a real friend was somebody who let you know when you've done something foolish or wrong, but loves you anyway. The message sent here was really unfortunate; if you want to be loyal, let your friends do anything they like no matter how destructive. If you don't, you aren't a good friend and deserve less personal dignity than a stray animal.
MNL told us that about half the writers of the show, (including him, apparently) had the same reaction to this mind-blowing sequence of events that I did. Marta Kauffman had just recently lost her mother and she forced this very controversial story to go through.
There are a number of people here who had the same reaction to it that I did. What Phoebe did wasn't just wrong, it was deeply wrong, and the show portrayed her as being in the right. A very low point for Friends. No, I am not overreacting. This stank.
Oh dear, we're going to have the same discussions again. I wasn't involved in the initial discssions - I only came in at the end - but I still firmly believe that Phoebe only needed "grieving space" and would eventually have given up the cat anyway. It was her friends who tred to push her too far and too soon before she was emotionally ready.
Anyway, my vote for the worst episode is TOW Phoebe's Ex-Partner. Not a single good moment in that one!
Oh come on! that one was good! <singing> Jingle bitch screwed me over! go to hell jingle whore! go to hell go to hell go to hell-ell-ell! </stops singing>
What's my worst..? TOW the fake party
In article , [email] (CleV) wrote:
Hey - I liked that! Here's 10 good moments...
- Phoebe's desperate attempts to ignore Leslie.
- The ice cold woman who asks Monica for a tissue.
- Monica pretending that Joey isn't in the coat rack.
- Phoebe solemnly saying that you never run on a barge.
- Turning the guitar upside down for 'Magician Box Mix Up'.
- Joey's hilarious story of why he broke up with Ginger.
- Phoebe's watched pot that never beeps.
- Ross & Rachel arguing over Jurassic Parka.
- Phoebe's latest song 'Jingle Bitch Screwed Me Over'.
- Monica joking about Rachel's nipples.
Tennant
On Thu, 28 Dec 2000 01:36:21 GMT, Tennant Stuart wrote:
Okay, so there were three good moments out of 22 minutes ...
Ugh.
Okay, one moment.
Was that even meant to be funny?
Double ugh!
A second funny *moment*.
Very laboured if you ask me. And not very funny (not MLB's fault).
You're really stretching here. That was a very unfunny line.
And so was this. (Plus, it raises my suspicions of Friends' anti-intellectual position.)
Funny, but very crude.
But, they just don't talk like that! Why would Monica insult Rachel (it's funny to us, but an insult to Rachel) for no reason??
In article , [email] (CleV) wrote:
It was wonderful!
That's one more than zero. :)
It wasn't very funny, but it was a good moment.
In Seinfeld, the guy hiding would have been exposed by his 'friends'.
That was such a cute thing for her to say, a whole story in a sentence!
That's two more than zero. :)
This is one of the best scenes in Friends, as Joey slowly admits the awfulness of what he's done, with Monica & Phoebe hanging onto every word, repeatedly assuming what he'd done, only for him to say "I wish".
It was so funny! :)
This wasn't so much funny, as an excellent dramatic scene, with some beautifully researched writing about a little bone that proved a dinosaur had wings, but didn't fly.
That's three more than zero. :)
Monica did apologise, and it was funny. I'm not trying to claim that this is a particularly brilliant episode, just that it is not the worst.
Tennant
On Thu, 28 Dec 2000, CleV stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -
For me, that was one of the funniest scenes in *any* Friends episode - I was ROFLMAO!
In article , Paul Hyett wrote:
Yep. It was beautifully written by Wil Calhoun, responsible for...
303 "TOW the Jam" 314 "TOW Phoebe's Ex-Partner" 320 "TOW the Dollhouse" 401 "TOW the Jellyfish" 414 "TOW Joey's Dirty Day" 415 "TOW All the Rugby" 419 "TOW All the Haste" 502 "TOW All the Kissing" 522 "TOW Joey's Big Break" 701 "TOW ******** *******"
Tennant
I thought TOW The Nap Partners wasn't that good. How can you say it was one of the best EVER? It's not even on my top 20! (not that I actually have a list)
In article , Rick Freakman wrote:
It's all according to taste. Which S7 episodes did you like then?
Tennant
you've
A point that seems destined to be experienced before learned.
apparently)
Marta
Which kind of adds an all too tragic part to this bad episode's shadow.
did.
portrayed
Sometimes a view like this would be left unsupported while everybody argued to the contrary but Claire is 100% on the money. The only part that Claire left out was that Rachel was even more of a bitch in this episode than ever before. TOW The Cat <spits> did well and truly stink.
Always CC
In article , "Coca-Cola" wrote:
Yep.
Tennant
In article , Claire Abraham wrote:
As shown by the dedication at the end.
Tennant
I think the worst episode was The One With Chandler in a Box.
I hated the fact that Chandler got his way by taking one of Joey's girlfiend. I thought that was morally wrong.
I mean if that was ok for Chandler to take Joey's girlfiend away from him, then I would have like to seen Joey steal Monica away from Chandler before the two of them got engaged(or maybe even after). Makes sense right?
Matt
[email] (XGeNsPiCeBoYx) writes:
It's a sitcom; if you need a role model, go to church instead.
It does in a world where "an eye for an eye" makes sense, but it does not in a world where "turning the other cheek" is considered the morally right thing to do. Some people prefer to forgive and forget.
Imthorn, JA, 0894303 wrote:
Well, no, I think it's valid for people to hope that their own values will be reflected in their entertainment. The characters may do bad things, but we'd like to think the show will admit those things were wrong.
Not really. One of the subtle things that the writers used to make the audience root for Chandler was that Joey didn't really love or appreciate Kathy. Chandler was the one who knew what to get her for her birthday. Chandler kissed Kathy while Joey was on a date with somebody else. That's the big kicker; Joey was *out with somebody else*. when Chandler made a play for "his" girl. If Joey were a dedicated boyfriend he'd have won.
Chandler has been in a monogamous, committed relationship with Monica for two years, and they were friends for years before that. Joey stealing Monica away would not have been the same thing.
Didn't Ross ask for Steven Spielberg to appear at the end of the next sequel to "Jurassic Parc", in order to tell the gullible audience that "what you have just seen, can not really happen"?
"We interrupt this show for some important messages. You just saw Monica light a candle. Please, kids, do not try this at home. Then you saw Phoebe yell at an age-wise challenged woman because she was about to accidentally donate some Canadian money to a Christmas charity. This was clearly wrong; she should have shown respect for the elderly. But don't worry; we, the writers of "Friends" will, in due time, make her suffer terribly for her mistake. We would not like those viewers of our show who do not have a life of their own, to think that in reality, bad deeds do sometimes go unpunnished. We thank you for your patience, and will resume the show after the following messages."
Imthorn, JA, 0894303 wrote:
There are episodes right and left where wrong actions result in bad consequences. Your example above was actually one of them; Phoebe lost her Salvation Army gig because people complained about her. Joey tells his acting student to act gay at an audition for a part both want. Joey's student gets the job based on his unusual interpretation and Joey does not. Ross slept with the copy girl; Ross lost Rachel. The maxim "what goes around comes around" actually works very well as a platform for mining humor. The show often does indicate that certain actions were wrong; our ire arises when they send the message that something wrong was actually right, as in TOW the Cat.
Claire Abraham writes:
May I ask what was so wrong about that episode? I didn't particularly like that episode, but I can't see what's "wrong" or "immoral" about it. Are you referring to the fact that Phoebe believes in reincarnation? I don't believe in it either, but it's a harmless belief, and it's never wrong to be confronted with people who think differently than you do.
"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."
(Nietzsche)
Imthorn, JA, 0894303 wrote:
I *just* posted my opinion on that subject at great length. Check Deja News. I don't feel like doing the same post twice in three days.
They were on a break!!!
In article , Claire Abraham wrote:
Claire, you put that so well, I've scrapped my own reply. :)
To add to your point about the writers making the audience root for Chandler, it's revealing to compare Kathy's birthday with Rachel's.
In 124 "TOW Rachel Finds Out", Chandler foolishly gives her a boy's type present which she obviously disdains, whilst it is Joey who thoughtfully gives her a book by Dr.Seuss.
Tennant
Tennant Stuart wrote: Claire, you put that so well, I've scrapped my own reply. :)
Which, unfortunately, she also disdained, though it was a good idea.
In article , Claire Abraham wrote:
She didn't disdain the book, she put it down in front of her and reached for the next present. She handed the Travel Scrabble back to Chandler, the ultimate rejection from one who exchanges gifts for store credit.
Tennant
Oh she did and what was worse she couldn't get store credit with it.
Always CC
In article , "Coca-Cola" wrote:
What are you saying that she did, Jonathan?
Tennant
reached
Well since we know Rachel's track record with presents she receives she probably either a) left the book where it was and Monica eventually tidied it away into some cupboard until they all swapped places and Joey found it and took it back. b) waited a while and gave it back to him on his birthday hoping he wouldn't remember or convinced him that he needed it more than him. c) binned it, if Joey ever asked where it was she would blame it on Monica. It was made *very* clear the only gift she liked was Ross' and it's doubtful she even kept that.
Always CC
In article , "Coca-Cola" wrote:
Disagree. Of course she liked Ross's gift more than Joey's, I'm denying your claim that she disliked Joey's gift as much as Chandler's. She may have exchanged the pin for store credit, she almost certainly exchanged the book for store credit, but she probably did *not* exchange the game for store credit since she pointedly handed it back to Chandler in front their friends, an act of utter disdainment that no-one else suffered.
Tennant
I'm never gonna get rid of the image in Dogma of 'The Buddy Christ!'
Always CC (Who gives it the thumbs up.)
In article , [email] (XGeNsPiCeBoYx) wrote:
Sky TV ran a phone-in vote for the best episode of Seasons 3 & 4 last year, and that episode came second.
Tennant
On Wed, 27 Dec 2000 15:26:50 GMT, Claire Abraham wrote:
Definitely 402 The One With The Cat (ugh!) with 608 The One With Ross's Teeth as a close second. :( While the characters in 608 were not as bad they were in 402, they were boring, and almost all of Rachel's work-related stories are boring IMO.
Yeah, I really hated Mark..couldn't they have had a more interesting guy come between them?
Although the work scenes with Rachel's current boss Kim are pretty good.
====== es*o*ter*ic b : of or relating to knowledge that is restricted to a small group
2 a : limited to a small circle
In article , [email] (Marita) wrote:
You say "almost all", a reference to the wonderful 403 "TOW the 'Cuffs"?
Tennant
On Sat, 30 Dec 2000 12:40:59 GMT, Tennant Stuart wrote:
Absolutely. 403 was funny, but that was because it involved Chandler too, not just Rachel. (320 TOW The Doll House also involved the two of them, but it wasn't nearly as good.) I also thought her interview skills in 517 TOW Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss were funny. But her problems involving Mark, Kim, Joanna and certain other people (*coughs*) have been dull IMO.
In article , [email] (Marita) wrote:
How about the Kenny incident?
Tennant
On Sat, 30 Dec 2000 19:15:41 GMT, Tennant Stuart wrote:
That was sort of a given since Kenny was Phoebe's make-out buddy in 608 TOW Ross's Teeth (the episode I dislike) ... :)
In article , [email] (Marita) wrote:
Sorry, I kinda went round in a circle there! :)
Tennant
I've got to say that two of my favourite episodes are TOW Ross Finds Out because it has three excellent plotlines for whatever mood I'm in (R&R being sweet together, C&M are absolutely hilarious and Phoebe gets screwed :) and TOW Ross & Rachel . . . . You Know if just for the guys, the chairs and the dream that I could get that set-up.
Always CC (Who's discovering a certain ill will he has towards the female characters.)
In article , DANNY D'ADDARIO wrote:
That's very good, but not necessarily in the top three.
TOW Joey's Fridge. Read my review to find out why.
Tennant
I think the two worst epiodes has been TOW with the proposal, and TOW Phoebe's cookies, not as a whole (the cookie story was funny) but beause of the boat story. Joey dis something that in most counutries is illegal or seen upon as very unethical; drinking and sailing at the same time. He could have killed poeple. 7 beers are alot to drink when you can't even sail, and the writer's angled it so that Joey would be the one who was right and Rachel (who think you should know your stuff about sailing and not drink whil edoing it) was wrong. All my friends were appaled by this because they all thought the writers were crazy angling it like that.
The proposal scene in TOW theproposal was articicial and contrived and not moving, and the back up stories with Ross, Rachel, Phoevbe and Joey were plain stupid. .
DANNY D'ADDARIO skrev i diskussionsgruppsmeddelandet:[email]...
In article , "Annica Svensson" wrote:
I loved both of these episodes, especially the wonderful proposal plot.
As for the boat story, Rachel was severely critical of Joey's drinking, yelling "Put down the beer pinhead" at him, and attempting to knock the cans out of his hand. The resolution was that it was okay to drink on a boat as long as it was tied up in a marina.
Tennant
In article ,
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One
TOW Joey's Porsche. It's the one where R&R got divorced, which really sucks.