The One In Vegas, Part 1

"The One In Vegas" is the single episode season finale of the fifth season of Friends. Both parts aired as a one episode on May 20, 1999.

Plot[]

TOInVegasPt1 — The friends discover Joey's movie has been shut down.

Joey calls Phoebe; refusing to take Chandler's apologies for not believing in his film, and he barks for him to not come over- he's working as a gladiator in armor at Caesar's Palace. Monica tells Phoebe, who may not tell Chandler, that she met and lunched with Richard, but felt nothing about him. Monica decides to give Chandler his anniversary present a day early: tickets to Las Vegas; Phoebe insists everyone goes, to make up for her missing London (she was pregnant with triplets at the time). Ross and Rachel have previous engagements but decide to follow the next day.

On the plane, as Phoebe goes to the restroom, Chandler realizes he forgot the anniversary present, but Monica immediately forgives him. Chandler replies, "This is the worst anniversary ever" the minute Phoebe returns, making Phoebe believe that Monica told him about Richard, saying, "So you told him about the Richard thing." In Vegas, Chandler and Monica fight whether she may see Richard again.

TOIVegas-CanIComeIn — Ross, thinking that Rachel wants to have sex with him.

As Phoebe put the idea in her head, Rachel tests out walking around alone and naked; Ross sees her and comes over, thinking it was a sexual invitation; this misunderstanding escalates on the plane to embarrassing each-other in outrageous ways, including Rachel spilling a drink on Ross' crotch and Ross drawing a mustache and beard on Rachel while she slept.

In Vegas, Joey must admit he's just earning cash while the movie is delayed lacking funds. Joey loses his only tip in one hand, but thinks he'll make a fortune because he found the dealer to be his "identical hand twin", and demands Chandler is supportive this time. The dealer eventually asks Joey to leave him alone, angrily.

Cast and Crew[]

Main Cast[]

Jennifer Aniston - Rachel Greene
Courteney Cox - Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow - Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc - Joey Tribbiani
Matthew Perry - Chandler Bing
David Schwimmer - Ross Geller

Supporting Cast[]

Thomas Lennon - Randall
Rick Pasqualone - The Croupier
Todd Glass - The Airplane Guy
Baillie Gerstein - The Tourist
Lisa Cash - The Flight Attendant
Paul Gebeau - Man kissed on the plane
Joel Heyman - Guy on Plane
James Paradise - Casino Boss

Jeanette Miller - The Elderly Woman (uncredited )

Crew[]

Directed By:
Kevin S. Bright

Written By:
Ted Cohen & Andrew Reich

Quotes[]

Rachel: (takes off her robe) Oh! Look what happened! (In her head.) Huh, check me out! I'm in my kitchen... naked! I'm picking up an orange. (Does so) I'm naked! (Goes into the living room) Lighting the candles, naked, and carefully.
[Cut to Ross' apartment, he's sitting by his window looking at an art book. As he's turning the page, he glances up and notices Rachel.]
Ross: (in his head) Oh my God! That's Rachel naked! I can't look at that! I am looking at this. (Looks back at his book.) Okay, vivid colors, expressive brush strokes—Unless she wants me to be looking at that. She knows I'm home. She knows I can see her. What kind of game is she playing? I think maybe someone's lonely tonight. Oh-ho, Dr. Geller! Stop it! You're being silly! Or, am I?

Rachel: You've seen me naked 100s of times.
Ross: True but it's a first for the rest of my building.

Trivia[]

General[]

This episode is one of the few titles that doesn't begin with "The One Where..." or "The One With..."
Prior to The Pilot, the main cast were taken to Las Vegas as they were told that it would be their last chance at anonymity.
When Joey calls Phoebe to find out his ATM PIN, she reminds him it is 5-6-3-9. On an alphanumeric keypad, this spells J-O-E-Y.
This is one of the few times throughout all ten seasons the Central Perk set was taken down. It was turned into Caesars Palace for this episode.
The music playing in the opening scene in the casino is The Love of Money by The O'Jays.
The music which plays when Chandler comes into the casino looking for Monica is It's Not Unusual sung by Welsh singer Sir Tom Jones. Tom Jones was mentioned by Chandler in the tag scene of "The One With All The Resolutions".
When Ross is talking to Phoebe after arriving in Vegas with Rachel, he mentions that his Nana was a lurker. He goes on to almost let it slip about his dance lessons but quickly changes it to karate. In The Last One (S10E18) Monica tells the gang that he lived with their grandmother while trying to make it as a dancer.
Jennifer Aniston did the entire naked sequence herself.
The song Rachel sings to is "Love To Love You Baby" by Donna Summer.
Matthew Perry later co-starred with Thomas Lennon in 17 Again and the 2015-2017 version of The Odd Couple.
Although she appears in both parts, Jeanette Miller is only credited in "The One In Vegas, Part 2".
When Phoebe and the lurker are "lurking", the music which plays is The Pink Panther Theme.
This episode aired on TV on the 35th anniversary of the 1964 Elvis Presley musical film, Viva Las Vegas, the title song of which plays just after Chandler and Monica look stunned at seeing Ross and Rachel stumble out of the chapel married.
- This musical also inspired the name of Charles Bing's burlesque show: Viva Las Gay-gas.
Actress Lisa Cash, who played the attendant in Ross and Rachel's flight, revealed she would originally play a hotel worker who would have an affair with Chandler as he got jealous at Monica having lunch with Richard, a subplot rehearsed but cut the same day of filming at the request of Matthew Perry, who felt the fans would never forgive Chandler for cheating on Monica.
This episode features on the Friends - The One with All the Weddings DVD.
This episode was used as "G is for Gladiator" in the Nick at Nite Friends A-Z Event (January 2023).
This episode was used as "V is for Vegas" in the Nick at Nite Friends A-Z Event (January 2023).

Goofs[]

When Ross and Rachel are discussing why they can't go tomorrow, Rachel moves to stand in front of the blue cupboard. The shot switches to Phoebe then straight back to a wider view of the kitchen and Rachel is standing behind the chair but with no time to move there.
When Phoebe says "It's only Chandler." Monica turns to her and her hand is on the straw. In the next shot, her hand is next to her hair.
Also in the section, the straws in Monica's cup double between shots (there was 1 when it was delivered then it became 2 when Phoebe said "I am so sorry"
When Rachel is in her kitchen and says, "I'm in my kitchen...naked," hers hand is on her cheek, but in the next shot her hands are in front of her joined.
Chandler claims that if he won $5,000 he would join a gym, however in an earlier episode it is shown that he was unable to "quit the gym", meaning he already is a member of a gym.
- He could have succeeded in 'quitting' the gym after the episode.
When Chandler goes down to the Casino to make up with Monica, we first see Monica roll the dice, and then celebrate. In the next shot, she celebrates again before there is any time to re-roll the dice, and then turns to hug the stranger to her right. In the next scene, she is not hugging the stranger, but instead celebrating again. And in the following scene she is again hugging the stranger to her right. This is all presented as Chandler is supposedly walking toward her in real time.
When Ross kicks off his shoes, one lands by Rachel's feet but he picks it up from several inches from her feet when he leaves.

Photos[]

Episode Navigation[]

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Preceded by "The One With Joey's Big Break"	"The One In Vegas, Part 1"	Followed by "The One In Vegas, Part 2"


<< Season 4		Season 5				Season 6 >>
#01	"The One After Ross Says Rachel"		#09	"The One With Ross' Sandwich"	#17	"The One With Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss"
#02	"The One With All The Kissing"		#10	"The One With The Inappropriate Sister"	#18	"The One Where Rachel Smokes"
#03	"The One Hundredth"		#11	"The One With All The Resolutions"	#19	"The One Where Ross Can't Flirt"
#04	"The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS"		#12	"The One With Chandler's Work Laugh"	#20	"The One With The Ride-Along"
#05	"The One With The Kips"		#13	"The One With Joey's Bag"	#21	"The One With The Ball"
#06	"The One With The Yeti"		#14	"The One Where Everybody Finds Out"	#22	"The One With Joey's Big Break"
#07	"The One Where Ross Moves In"		#15	"The One With The Girl Who Hits Joey"	#23	"The One In Vegas, Part 1"
#08	"The One With All The Thanksgivings"		#16	"The One With The Cop"	#24	"The One In Vegas, Part 2"