The One That Could Have Been, Part 1

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"The One That Could Have Been, Part 1"
Friends episode

Season	6x15

Episode no.	136

Written by	David Crane Marta Kauffman

Directed by	Michael Lembeck

Guest stars	Kristian Alfonso as Hope Pat Finn as Dr. Roger Paul Gleason as Jack Jane Sibbett as Carol Willick Kevin Spirtas as Dr. Wesley Cole Sprouse as Ben Geller James Michael Tyler as Gunther Mitchell Whitfield as Barry Farber

Original airdate	February 17, 2000

Episode List
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"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry"	"The One That Could Have Been, Part 2"

"The One That Could Have Been" is a two part episode of the sixth season of Friends. Both parts aired on February 17, 2000.

[edit] Plot

Rachel comes into Central Perk to announce to her friends that Barry (her ex-fiancé) and Mindy (her ex-best friend) are getting divorced, because apparently, Mindy caught him cheating on her. She begins to wonder what life might be if she didn't run out on her wedding and actually married Barry. Ross begins to imagine what life would be if he was still married to Carol. Monica asks what would happen if she was still overweight. Joey wonders what if he never got fired from Days of our Lives, Chandler imagines what if he had quit his job & wrote stories for The New Yorker, and Phoebe wonders what if she had taken a job offer at 'Meryl Lynch' (A massage client said that she had a knack for stocks, but at the time she thought that everything that rhymed was true and so thought she would need to live in a box and have a pet fox). The six friends imagine if these alternate realities were at the same time, they would still hang out together occasionally.

The alternate reality begins with Ross reading a home decor magazine from a newspaper stand and taking a porn magazine (that a boy paid Ross to buy for him). As he waits in line, he notices Rachel standing in front of him. Rachel barely recognises Ross until she remembers that he is Monica's brother. Ross and Rachel go off to see Monica at Central Perk (before this, Ross returns the porn magazine and gives the boy back his money).

At Central Perk, Monica has coffee with her new boyfriend, Roger (a doctor who Joey and Chandler think is boring). Chandler comes in with a rejection letter (because the company thought he wasn't "Archie Comics" funny). After Roger leaves for work, Joey appoints Chandler as his assistant. After Joey leaves to go to the bathroom, Phoebe (who smokes whenever work calls) comes in and fires someone she started to like via phone for selling at 49 instead of 50. Ross and Rachel enter and Monica and Rachel are happy to see each other for the first time in 13 years after Sean McMahan's party (in which Ross played a song). When Joey comes back, Rachel, a big fan of him and his show is excited to meet him for the very first time.

Later, at Monica's apartment, an applicant calls and Phoebe hires her and changes the applicant's name from "Brindy" to "Joan." Joey comes over and gives Chandler a list of things to do before heading off to work (some of which include dropping of his dry cleaning, picking up his vitamins, teaching him how to spell "vitamins" and wearing his new jeans). Phoebe learns that there was a drop of sales in the market and loses $13 million, resulting in a heart attack.

Ross, Monica and Chandler come to visit Phoebe (who is given two weeks off work due to her heart attack) in hospital. She, a workaholic, is feeling crazy despite not working for three hours straight. After Monica and Chandler leave the room, it is quickly learned that Ross' sex life with Carol isn't what it used to be 2 months ago before he stopped trying. Phoebe encourages him to spice things up a little and gives him weird examples on how to do this.

Chandler tells Monica that most of the tasks Joey gives him are food-related. Joey comes by and, before he goes in her room to visit her, asks Chandler to take his jeans off (as they weren't ready).

Later, after Joey shows Rachel around the set that he works in, he invites her to his apartment and says 2 lines of dialogue from the show to get her to say yes. Rachel doesn't think it is a good idea, although she wants to go. Chandler brings a glass of orange juice with a pulp to Joey. As Joey doesn't like pulp, he becomes angry. Rachel decides she would like ice tea from Chandler, who is told by Joey to "listen" in order to keep his job.

The next morning, Ross asks Carol if he can spice things up a little to improve their sex life. He summarises Phoebe's examples and eventually convinves her to have a threesome, to which Carol agrees.

Chandler comes to Monica's to announce that he finally sold a story (involving Archie needing money and being hired as Reggie's assistant and Reggie making him do chores such as bringing him pulpless milkshakes) to Archie comics. Joey visits and apologises for being a jerk and for a make-up present, gives Chandler orange juice (including pulp). Monica tells Joey about Chandler selling his story and Chandler summarises his story. Joey realises that it sounds familiar, but shrugs it off as he read an Archie comic similar to Chandler's story.

Rachel comes into Central Perk to tell Monica of her invitation to Joey's apartment despite being married and learns from her that he does this with a lot of women, her being one of them. Rachel wishes she was on a break with Barry for just some time and discovers that Monica is a virgin at 30. Monica is just waiting for the perfect guy to have sex with. Her boyfriend Roger is not perfect, but maybe, she should just "get it over with." Rachel tells her she should do it, as sex shouldn't be a big deal.

While visiting Phoebe in hospital, Ross and Monica discover smoke coming from her in the bathroom (a possible side effect). Ross answers a phone call that is for Phoebe. After he finishes, he says that Jack called to make sure Phoebe was getting better, but he drops a hint to Monica that it may be otherwise.

Meanwhile, Rachel, at home, is watching Days Of Our Lives and decides to see Joey the next night and calls to tell him that she will be coming to his apartment, along with a few sandwiches she will bring from home.

[edit] Cast and Crew

[edit] Main Cast

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

[edit] Supporting Cast

Kristian Alfonso - Hope
Pat Finn - Dr. Roger
Paul Gleason - Jack
Jane Sibbett - Carol Willick
Kevin Spirtas - Dr. Wesley
Cole Sprouse - Ben Geller
James Michael Tyler - Gunther
Mitchell Whitfield - Barry Farber

[edit] Crew

Directed By:
Michael Lembeck

Written By:
David Crane & Marta Kauffman

[edit] Trivia

On Days of our Lives, Dr. Ramoray is conversing with Hope and Dr. Wesley. These two characters are from the real Days of our Lives.
This episode is one of the few titles that doesn't begin with "The One Where..." or "The One With..."
Phoebe's hair in this episode is actually Lisa Kudrow's real hair. For most of season six she had to wear a wig because they thought her hair was too short for Phoebe's character.
In this episode, the opening credits have been changed: you see the cast members in their "alternate reality." For example, Monica is still fat, Joey as famous actor, etc. This is the only episode in the entire series to feature changed fountain shots in the credits
In this episode rachel say that she wishes that her and barry "were on a break" which is what she and ross were on once

[edit] Goofs

Ross and Carol decided to name their son Ben in The One With The Birth because Susan and Ross were locked in a closet with Phoebe wearing janitor Ben's uniform. However, in this episode their son is still named Ben. However, it's still possible they would decide to name their son Ben, as they could have thought of the name without Susan's influence.
When Joey brings Chandler orange juice to apologize, the logo on the cup changes positions between shots.
In the beginning of the alternate reality when Joey, Chandler, and Monica are talking about money in the coffeehouse, Chandler feet constantly change positions between shots.
In the opening credits when fat Monica sits on the couch, you can see Chandler and Joey helping lift the couch with their feet.