Friends

Friends (1994)

37 answered questions since 13 Oct '18, 00:00

(113 votes)

The One With The Video Tape - S8-E4

Question: In episode 'The One With The Videotape' we get to know the story 'how Ross and Rachel got bonus night'. What I wonder is does anyone know the whole 'Western Europe' story or is it (unfortunately) one of those stories that doesn't have ending at all, because there's no need of one?

Answer: There is no ending. The DVD commentary includes the writers saying they never wrote the whole story, only the set up.

Answer: Joey tells as much of the story needs before its cliffhanger, so that when the other person responds they'll have been seduced, and the first person can make up the end whilst making a move.

Show generally

Question: Why is there a lot of talking and off screen watching of porn in this show? It's treated like it is very common to do so.

Answer: Eh, it is common but nobody likes to admit it. Porn is a huge industry in the US and worldwide so somebody must be watching.

tw_stuart

Answer: There is an apartment with 2 men who are mostly single, until Chandler and Monica get together in S5. When one of them spends most of their time at home as an out of work actor, it's bound to have a few jabs at the subject.

Show generally

Question: Is it true the cast hated Marcel the monkey that much? Would he have had more of a storyline if they didn't? Same goes for the character of Julie?

Answer: It was mostly David Schwimmer (Ross) who had issues with Marcel the monkey. He became frustrated working with an animal that often missed its mark, didn't behave properly in scenes, etc. resulting in constant retakes. As Ross was Marcel's owner, Schwimmer had the most interactions with the animal. Regarding Julie, there's no indication that any cast member had issues with Lauren Tom, the actress who played her. She was an extended guest star only intended to appear for a few episodes. Her character was simply a "complication" to Ross and Rachel finally getting together. There was no reason for Julie to remain on the show any longer.

raywest

Show generally

Question: Is it just me or is it a little out of character for Monica to not ask people to take off their shoes before coming into her apartment?

Answer: Sure. However, with the script calling for people to be constantly entering and leaving the apartment, that would slow down the pacing way too much.

Brian Katcher

Answer: I agree with Brian Katcher's answer. Also, despite Monica, maybe she is not in the practice of asking guests to remove their shoes. I am in my mid-thirties, and I've only been to one home where I was asked to remove mine.

Show generally

Question: I recently read in a magazine that Lisa Kudrow had to wear a wig for an entire season because of a dramatic haircut that would not suit her character. Is this true and if so which season?

Answer: In Season 6 Lisa Kudrow had a short bob, and as this would not suit her character (couldn't possibly have a short-haired hippy) so they added hair extensions to the end of her hair. Her real haircut at the time was shown in The One That Could Have Been, part 1 (and 2). In Season 9 episodes she wore a wig, as she dyed her hair brown for her part in the movie 'Wonderland'.

Answer: If you look at the clip when Lisa Kudrow won her best supporting actress in 1998 she has a mousey blonde short bob.

Answer: Earlier Chandler asked to borrow Joey's shoes, as his were too slippery to dance in, and he discovered that Joey's feet were much smaller than his. Ross then noticed the same thing at the end of the episode. Like a lot of TV show contrivances, it's a reveal which multiple characters conveniently discover around the same time for the sake of a gag.

The One Where Rosita Dies - S7-E13

Question: When Phoebe meets Earl she says that her mothers name was "Pearl", but every other time Phoebe's mothers name is mentioned her name is "Lilly". Is Phoebe trying to relate her life more to Earl's? Or is this just a mistake?

Answer: Phoebe rushed to Earl's office to talk him out of killing himself. She told him about her own mother's suicide and deliberately lied that Lily's name was "Pearl" (rhyming with Earl) hoping to establish a personal connection with him. She stumbles a bit on the name, saying P-earl, as she makes it up "on the fly."

raywest

Show generally

Question: One episode has a very short scene with Rachel + Phoebe in Central Perk, just them, sitting near the door (not sofa). Rachel has a problem, Phoebe is solving, while Rachel eats cake. While chatting, but not mentioned at all, Phoebe tries to get Rachel's cake. End of scene, Phoebe succeeds and Rachel has gained advice but lost cake. Cake is not referred to at all in the dialogue or plot, making it pretty tricky to search for. Anyone know the episode?

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: It sounds like you're describing a scene in S6 E3 "The One With Ross's Denial", with Phoebe and Ross when they're sitting at a table. Ross has a cookie and a coffee. Phoebe is telling Ross he's still in love with Rachel and Ross is denying it. While they talk, Phoebe grabs Ross' coffee at one point and Ross takes it right back. Then she does the same with his cookie and Ross again takes it back. At the very end of the conversation and scene, she grabs a magazine that Ross is also reading, and when he grabs the magazine back from her, she then grabs both the coffee and the muffin and starts eating the muffin.

Show generally

Question: I read that Ross was originally supposed to stay married to Emily, but the actress did not want to live in the USA at that time. Why not re-cast the role, since she isn't one of the main six?

Answer: Emily was slated to appear in more episodes, but it wasn't intended that she and Ross would remain married. Emily was written out sooner than originally planned because actress Helen Baxendale (Emily) was pregnant. In her last appearances, to hide her pregnancy, she is shown in a close-up from the shoulders up or is sitting in bed and covered by a blanket while talking to Ross on the phone. As she was not supposed to have a long run on the show, it would have been impractical to cast a new actress for such a short period.

raywest

Chosen answer: Because the only time Joey Tribbiani goes to Treager's apartment is when he has clogged the toilet.

MovieFan612

Answer: It implies that Joey has to call Treeger often for clogged toilets etc. so Treeger automatically assumed it was for that.

Answer: The woman was just a random family friend or Geller relative invited to the rehearsal dinner. Because the woman was in a black outfit, Rachel mistook her for Chandler's dad (played by Kathleen Turner), who Monica had described as wearing a black dress. The character, named Amanda, is merely a plot device to set up a humorous bit where Rachel messes up and embarrasses herself.

raywest

Answer: It's from s06e23, "The One With The Ring." Chandler and Phoebe are at a jewelry store and Phoebe tried to run after a guy while still holding store property, which caused the door to lock and the metal gate to come down.

Bishop73

Answer: I agree with the other answers. Another possibility is, Rachel was close friends with both Monica and Mindy in high school. Mindy was likely friends with Monica, and therefore invited her to the wedding along with Rachel, knowing they were roommates. Richard has known the Geller and Green families for years and may also know Mindy's parents and was invited separately. He could be Monica's +1, or she his, but even if both were invited separately, they are still attending as a couple. Monica wasn't invited to Rachel and Barry's wedding because the girls had lost touch after high school and Monica moved to NYC.

raywest

Answer: Excellent question, and it's never occurred to me. My best guess would be that Barry/Mindy are aware they're asking a big favour of Rachel and realise it would be an awkward situation for her, so let her invite a friend (Monica) for moral support so there'd be a friendly face there for her.

Jon Sandys

Answer: It's never explained, and the writers probably didn't gave it serious thought, just using their presence at the wedding as a plot device. But since, as you say, Monica was not invited to Rachel's wedding, the most logical explanation is that Richard is the invitee, and Monica is his +1. Richard and Barry are both doctors and so could know one another, or perhaps Richard is friends with Barry's, or Mindy's, parents. If the latter, this would not be unbelievable, as Mindy's parents would likely be in the same circle as the Gellers, with whom Richard is close.

The One With Rachel's Crush - S4-E13

Question: Rachel meets Joshua at work. She goes back home after work and as she enters home announces: "I have the best job in the entire world" and keeps on repeating Joshua's name and enjoys it when suddenly Ross gets upset about it and says "hello?" which implies that "I am sitting right here, and you shouldn't be making me jealous." She answers "hi" apologetically. My question is: what right does Ross have to get upset? they're not in a relationship.

Answer: True, but they've not been broken up all that long and are still friends - it would be kind of Rachel to at least not flaunt her latest love interest in his face.

Jon Sandys

Answer: Rachel was always the toxic one between Ross and Rachel whenever Ross became happy with someone, Rachel always put her foot in it.

Answer: Plus, Ross acting like an entitled arsehole is a constant in the show, his behaviour regarding Rachel and her love life outside of him is wildly inappropriate on many occasions.

Purple_Girl

As a man who had complete security in his life until his wife announces lesbianism and ends in divorce, I think his paranoia regarding relationships and behaviour in the show are justified. It's all well and good to say he should be over it, but Rachel's actions inside and out of the relationship don't help him.

Answer: Rachel was being insensitive when gushing about Joshua, and it hurt Ross. Though they became friends again, Ross never stopped loving Rachel and felt she also caused their split and then played the victim. Rachel seemed more oblivious than apologetic when saying, "Hi," back to Ross, and was in denial about still loving him and her part in the breakup. She was equally jealous when Ross started dating Emily and never expected him to move on so quickly. She told Monica that she always believed they'd someday get back together.

raywest

Answer: Rachel is referring to one of the The Three Stooges, which consisted of Moe, Larry, Curly, and also Shemp. Curly Howard, the third Stooge, was later replaced by his real-life brother, who played Shemp. Curly and Shemp played the most unintelligent and bungling member of the trio.

raywest

I think she meant "chef" but made a mistake.

Answer: She meant Shemp. He was being a clumsy doofus like one of the Three Stooges and that was the one that came to mind.

The One With Ross's Tan - S10-E3

Question: I occasionally perform spray tans as a side gig, and the solution usually takes around 8 hours to set. Is there any reason aside from creating a comedy situation that the spray tan salon wouldn't just tell Ross to immediately go home and shower so that his tan won't look so ridiculous?

Phaneron

Answer: None at all. It's played for laughs and that's all. If we really wanted to give it a real-world explanation, we can speculate that maybe Ross stormed out of the tanning salon without giving the staff a chance to recommend a shower.

Show generally

Question: There are a few episodes where Phoebe is talking with her twin sister Ursula, and one of them will hand something to the other person, and you can tell a stand-in is not being used for one of them because Lisa Kudrow's face is visible for both characters. How do they achieve this effect?

Phaneron

Chosen answer: The effect can be achieved in various ways. Split screen and image overlapping is one method. CGI can simulate body movements making it appear the characters are physically interacting, or a face can be superimposed over a body double. Lisa Kudrow's older sister, Helena, who looks almost exactly like her, was often used as her twin body double, mostly filmed from the back or the side and in scenes where one stood or walked in front of the other.

raywest

The One With Ross's Teeth - S6-E8

Question: Maybe I'm just stupid or this is an American joke, but in the scene where Chandler tells Monica he needs to be in a guy place, she says something like: "Girls don't have pillowfights in their underwear." and he gets all shocked. Why? Does he want them to? Or not?

Answer: It's just a typical bloke fantasy - when women are together and in a playful mood they have pillow fights in their underwear. We all like to think it's true, so Monica telling him it's not gives him a scare.

Jon Sandys

Answer: Men generally fantasise that women who have sleep overs have pillow fights in their underwear, and she nearly ruined that myth when she told him women don't actually do that. Just a weird lad fetish basically :).

The One With The Ride-Along - S5-E20

Question: What is the joke supposed to be when Ross says "Want me to grab the berry for you?" to Gary in the car, and he says that it's called the cherry, and Ross goes, "Chandler!". I never understood that joke, can someone please explain?

Answer: Chandler deliberately told Ross the wrong name for the red light, knowing that Ross would try and look "cool" to Gary by using the correct slang, but instead end up making himself look stupid.

The One with the Boobies - S1-E13

Question: After Joey says to his father "Now go to my room," it transitions to a new scene, and the music that plays sounds very similar to the song "Found Out About You" by Gin Blossoms, which was a popular song around the same time this show began airing. Is this meant to be an homage to that song, or is it just coincidental?

Phaneron

Chosen answer: The music definitely sounds like it's from that song, though very little is played. Its use would not be coincidental. 'Friends' frequently incorporated popular songs into episodes to reflect the storyline. In one episode, when Joey got brushed off by an attractive woman after she saw his "VD" poster in the subway, the song, "Don't Stand So Close to Me," by the Police, started playing. In another, after Joey moved into his own apartment and was feeling lonely, the episode ended with Eric Carmen's "All By Myself." The Gin Blossoms' song certainly fits with Joey discovering his father's affair.

raywest

More mistakes in Friends

The One With Ross's Teeth - S6-E8

Monica: What happened to your teeth?
Ross: I whitened them.
Chandler: Really?
Ross: Yeah, what... What do you think?
Monica: Well, uh, I think I shouldn't look directly at them.
Ross: Come on, seriously.
Monica: Ross, they're really, really, really white!
Chandler: Yeah, what was wrong with your old... Human teeth?
Ross: Well, I did leave the gel on a little longer than it said to.
Monica: How much longer?
Ross: Uh, uh... A day.
Monica: Ross, you know that tonight is your date with Hillary?
Ross: I know! That's why I did it! Come on, are they really that bad?
Chandler: No. No, no, no, you'll be fine. Hilary's blind, right?
Monica: She will be after tonight.

More quotes from Friends
More trivia for Friends

The One With The Dirty Girl - S4-E6

Question: When Joey asks why he can't give Kathy the pen, Chandler says, "Because she's not eleven. And it's not the seventh night of Chanukah." What is Chandler talking about when he says, "It's not the seventh night of Chanukah?"

Answer: Usually by the seventh night of Hanukkah you don't know what to get the other person, and you will probably resort to getting the other person something insignificant. Chandler is basically saying that the pen is a stupid gift.

Answer: Chanukah is a Jewish celebration that occurs around the same time as the Christian Christmas. The celebration lasts for eight days and it is customary to give a small gift on each of the eight days. There is no special gift required and the line about it being "the seventh night" of Chanukah is just Chandler's sarcasm.

Guy

More questions & answers from Friends

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.