Second Look: Friends ‘The One Where Ross and Rachel… You Know’/’The One Where Joey Moves Out’ – Who Needs Glasses

‘The One Where Ross and Rachel… You Know’ (aired 2/8/1996)

Love and mustaches are in the air in ‘The One Where Ross and Rachel… You Know’, which brings Tom Selleck into the fold for a memorable episode. It nudges up against the border of sappy and sentimental in certain moments (especially with Ross and Rachel), but like any show kicking off a big emotional arc, Friends wants to have the cake and eat it, too – and at least for this episode, it works, mostly because it’s one of the funnier episodes of the season.

In last season’s ‘The One with all  the Poker’, Monica warned Rachel that a first date with Ross would be like an eighteenth date with someone else. This sentiment holds true in ‘You Know’, just with a shitload of sexual tension thrown on top, as Ross and Rachel try to stop looking and thinking of each other with the tints of platonic friendship. It fails miserably at first; while making out in Rachel’s apartment, she starts laughing at Ross’s sexual advances (“all I could think was: Ross is touching my butt!”). As most people would know, trying to date someone you’ve been friends with – even if there’s a natural attraction to each other, however subtle it may be – trying to ‘cross the line’ can be a really, really uncomfortable thing.

That being said, if there’s one flaw to pick out in the episode, it’s some of the chemistry between Aniston and Schwimmer. The scene where they go to talk in the hallway is particularly awkward – in part because of the current dynamic between the characters, but I can’t help but feeling that Schwimmer reaches his limits in the more romantic moments, with his droopy, I’m-in-puppy-love face that brings back memories of some of his showier tendencies early in the first season. But this is a minor complaint, and with the ‘awkward couple’ material largely out of the way in this episode, it’s not something that becomes a problem again (at least in my memory – don’t quote me on that).

Their last scene together holds up better than I remember: even though the “juice box” joke doesn’t quite have the punch the audience reaction suggests it does, there are some really great moments between them that actually establish a foundation the previous 38 episodes struggled to find. It’s one of the first times the audience can really feel the attraction between them – and not just because they’re expressing it physically, but because they’re simultaneously embracing this bold new direction in their lives; ‘crossing the line’ might be a great situation for some comedy, but that comes with ramifications. As Rachel points out, “it’s not that funny anymore” now that it’s real – even best friends that fall in love have to take it seriously.

Of course, ‘You Know’ also marks the arrival of Richard Burke and his mustache, which wobbles the knees of every woman he comes in contact with. Straight, gay or both, there isn’t a man or woman on earth who can’t be charmed by Tom Selleck, so it’s completely believable he could step right in, and swoop Monica off her feet with his sophisticated masculinity. Them coming together does lean a little heavy on ‘love at first sight’ cliches (tinged with the irony of him being her father’s best friend), but it comes together well, mainly because it’s good to finally see Monica catch a break with guys: she’s been dealt a shit hand all season, and finally finding someone she can connect with is both a nice moment for her, and a way to instantly make Richard appealing to the audience.

And then there’s Joey and Chandler, who manage to sit in the same Lazy Boys for the whole episode, and still be the funniest part of it. Now that Joey’s got some Days of our Lives money (for now, at least), he decks out the living room, and the two pledge to sit in the chairs for as long as humanly possible. They order food to Monica’s apartment, they throw shoes at doors to get people’s attention, and they try and gravitate all conversation and activity around them (but not in front of them, mind you) – and it’s utterly hilarious, thanks to Chandler (Joey doesn’t even have to say anything, and their subplot still shines).

Like I said last week, Rachel and Ross (plus the arrival of Richard) really give a spark to a largely uneven second season – a focus and energy that’s immediately apparent in ‘You Know’, and would mostly carry through the rest of the back half.

Other thoughts/observations:

– Chandler: “sweet mother of all that is good and pure.”

– Richard’s monologue about post-divorce head tilts and bobs is such a great way to introduce a character. It establishes that he’s getting over his ex-wife, that he’s a little unsure of how to start a conversation (basically deflecting pain into easy humor), and that he’s charming as a motherfucker.

– Chandler and Joey embodying Beavis and Butthead is one of my favorite closing tags of any show. So ’90s.

– do Ross and Rachel have sex from the planetarium to the exhibit? That always bugs me about that final shot.

– Rachel has glasses?

– Phoebe is…. still breathing.

– in case you forgot, Rachel’s dumb: “I couldn’t follow that movie.” Ross: “I told you there were subtitles,” as if he was talking to a four-year-old.

‘The One Where Joey Moves Out’ (aired 2/15/1996)

When watching this episode (especially paired with the episode preceding it), I can’t help but feeling some of the story beats are a little rushed. In ‘You Know’, Monica and Richard are meeting each other for the first time in a decade; this episode, they’re already falling in love with each other. The same goes for Joey: I love the character arc they give him here, but it almost comes out of nowhere (especially when he just bought fancy stuff for their apartment an episode ago). But the material of these two plots is executed so well, it doesn’t even matter – especially with Joey and Chandler, culminating in one of the strongest emotional moments Friends ever had.

Ross and Rachel’s little tiff over tattoos is mostly forgettable (with Phoebe being involved, how could it not?), but after being a vacuum of dramatic tension for the entire season, giving them something light and forgettable is a much-needed move to bring attention to other characters, primarily Joey, who hasn’t had a whole lot of meaningful material to occupy his time. But in ‘Joey Moves Out’, he’s taking a long, hard look at his adult life, and realizing it might be time for him to grow as a person (“or whatever”). He thinks he needs his own apartment to do so, being that he’s 28 and has never lived alone in his life.

Even Chandler’s arguments can’t convince Joey not to take the apartment, which shows us a little something about Chandler, too. We all know he’s not the most socially well-adjusted person, and having the hunky, womanizing Joey around gave him a mental and emotional buffer to help integrate himself into situations and conversations he’d normally be too awkward to deal with. Without Chandler, he’s just a lonely 20-something who lives in his apartment alone; and as much as he’s afraid to admit that to anyone, we see it after Joey beats him at a game of foosball for the table. Did he really think Joey and him would live together forever? Of course not, but neither of them were prepared for the day it actually could happen.

It gives the end of the episode a very somber note, as Joey and Chandler figure out the next time they’ll see each other, followed by Joey leaving, then returning to the apartment give Chandler a big hug. This show always goes for the big emotional moments (no matter what character might be on screen at the time), and this is one of their best, a short, silent moment that showed us all how strong their bromance really is.

They really provide the emotional anchor for the episode – at first glance, it appears Monica and Richard’s moment is the crux of the episode, but there’s no denying the power of the final Joey/Chandler spot. Like I said, it feels a little quick from Monica and Richard being hesitant to being in love, but there was no better time for them to struggle with that idea than at Jack’s party. How do you break it to your father that you’re dating one of his best friends? Just the idea of that adds a dash of humor to everything that proceeds, from Monica watching her parents have sex (again: “this time I caught this live show,” she tells Ross), both of Monica’s parents making asides about Richard’s mystery woman (Judy calls her his ‘twinkie in the city’, and Jack makes jokes about trading his Porsche to Richard for a day with the twinkie, which understandably grosses Ross out).

The material before the two of them express their feelings is nice and light, which keeps the tone of their resolution (expressing their love for each other in front of Monica’s parents) from becoming too lovey-dovey with the rest of the episode. With Ross and Rachel making puppy eyes and Joey and Chandler sharing tender moments, there’s only so much sappy love I can take in one episode. ‘Joey Moves Out’ finds that line and balances it quite well, a rare episode where the character jokes didn’t undermine the emotional arcs – along with ‘You Know’, these are two of the most emotionally organic and honest episodes Friends would ever have.

Other thoughts/observations:

– thoughts on the unedited version: I see why the cut the closing scene (to give the ending a nice, quiet tone), but damn that was a funny Jack scene, discussing how he went over to beat up Richard, and ended up watching the game and drinking beer with him. Don’t get the hat joke, but that scene works like a charm.

– Chandler insists that him and Joey are not gay puppets (aka Bert and Ernie).

– Richard, warning Monica: “Judy. Going to THE BATHROOM – GOOD FOR YOU!!!”

– Chandler: “stop talking!” Chandler: “ok!”

– Rachel can’t figure out who her boss is supposed to be. Daddy issues, anyone?

– Ross: “you could come in straddling him [Richard] and nobody would believe you.”

‘The One Where Ross and Rachel… You Know’: A

‘The One Where Joey Moves Out’: A-