The One Where They're Going To Party

The One Where They're Going To Party
Chandler and Ross talking to Gandalf on the phone.
Episode Information
Air date	December 11, 1997
Written by	Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen
Directed by	Peter Bonerz
Episode Guide
Previous	The One With Chandler In A Box
Next	The One With The Girl From Poughkeepsie

"The One Where They're Going To Party" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of Friends, which aired on December 11, 1997.

Plot

Phoebe and Monica get a van for their catering business. Monica writes her first newspaper review of a restaurant and Allesandro, its owner, comes to her home to complain about it. In response, she shows him how to make a better sauce. Impressed, he hires her as head chef of his restaurant. Phoebe is upset that Monica has abandoned the catering business, leaving her with the new van and no job. Monica compiles a list of all the things Phoebe could do with the vehicle. Realizing that head chef is Monica's dream job, Phoebe lets go of the idea of a catering job. Unfortunately for Monica, the restaurant's kitchen staff hate her because Emilio, the former head chef, was fired to give her the position.

Rachel applies for a job as assistant buyer. Joanna doesn't want to lose a good assistant like Rachel, and makes Rachel look bad at the interview. Rachel is moved to quit but Joanna offers to create the position of assistant buyer for her within the department, which will include a raise, her own office and an expense account. However, that night Joanna is hit by a speeding cab and dies before she can put through any paperwork regarding Rachel's promotion. Rachel is devastated the next day for not getting the promotion. Joanna's other assistant Sophie is happy with Joanna's death because of the abuse she had to endure.

Gandalf, an old friend and party wizard, wants to visit Ross and Chandler. They are as excited as two small children and can hardly sit still, but then unexpectedly Gandalf cancels their reunion. Ross and Chandler become depressed, so Joey offers to take them to a few nightclubs. After a while, however, they realize that they are in their late twenties and cannot party as hearty as when they were younger.

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

Alison La Placa - Joanna
Taylor Negron - Allesandro
Richard Fancy - Mr. Posner
Jennifer Rhodes - Mrs. Lynch
Laura Dean - Sophie
James Michael Tyler - Gunther

Crew

Directed By:
Peter Bonerz

Written By:
Ted Cohen & Andrew Reich

Quotes

Phoebe: Ooh! I gotta go. I found a guy who can fix up the van for catering.
Monica: Oh, do you want me to go with you?
Phoebe: No, no, it's okay, but are you SURE we don't want the waterbed?

Trivia

General

• This is the final time Monica is unemployed in the series.
• These are the last appearances of Joanna and Sophie.
• Joanna's death is the third of a portrayed character on the series, after Althea in "The One Where Nana Dies Twice", and Heckles in "The One Where Heckles Dies".
• Joanna says Rachel can have her own office and assistant. Three years after this episode Rachel gets her own office and assistant while working at Ralph Lauren, Tag Jones, with whom she starts a relationship. Tag either resigns or is fired after their affair ends. Rachel gets her own expense account and a pay rise when Ross bribes Mr. Zelner into giving Rachel her job back at Ralph Lauren.
• This is the last time Rachel's assistant buyer office at Bloomingdale's is seen.
• Rachel has a terrible interview in which she's unfairly picked on by one of her interviewers, in this case Joanna, her current boss. In "The One With Ross' Grant", Ross is similarly picked on unfairly in an interview when he's applying for tenure. In his case, it's Benjamin Hobart, his then-girlfriend Charlie's ex-boyfriend who decides who gets the research grant. Ross gets the grant but like Rachel, at a cost. In his case, it's his relationship with Charlie which he loses while Rachel subsequently gets demoted to personal buyer.
• This is the first episode that was aired after the Thanksgiving one but was not set during Christmas holidays, which would be seen in the next episode after this one.
• Monica remains working at Alessandro's until getting offered the job at Javu in "The One With The Pediatrician" (S9E3).
• When Chandler learned that their friend was not going to make it to NYC to party with them, he was frustrated and complained about "stupid, useless Canadian money", while Matthew Perry, the actor himself, is actually a Canadian.
• This episode was used as "G is for Gandalf" in the Nick at Nite Friends A-Z Event (January 2023).

Goofs

• Continuity: Ross' year of birth is inconsistent. In "The Pilot", Ross says he is 26, implying he was born in 1967. Also, in "The One Where Monica And Richard Are Just Friends" he says he is 29. However, in this episode Ross says he is 29, implying he was born in 1968. Furthermore, in the next season in "The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS" Ross says he is about to get divorced again before he's thirty, implying he is still 29 and born in 1969. Also, in "The One With The Video Tape", Ross claims that he backpacked across Europe in 1983 then whispers to himself "I was thirteen?", implying he was born in 1969 or 1970.
• When Phoebe is looking at the Chelsea Reporter, Monica says her review is on the back page. When Phoebe goes to read the review, she simply turns the paper over and reads the bottom of the front page.
• When Chandler answers the phone and it's Gandalf calling to cancel, Ross is about to open the fridge. When the camera angle changes, Ross is already putting two beers down on the counter.
• While Rachel, Monica and Phoebe are discussing the good news they have, the coat hanger is facing to the left but in one shot it faces right.
• When Monica enters the coffeehouse and sits on the couch, she removes her purse twice.

Photos

External links

• Transcript of the episode including the deleted scenes
• "The One Where They're Going to Party!" at the Internet Movie Database

Episode Navigation

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Preceded by "The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line"

Series Four Episodes

Followed by "The One With The Girl From Poughkeepsie"

<< Season 3		Season 4					Season 5 >>
#01	"The One With The Jellyfish"		#09	"The One Where They're Going To Party"		#17	"The One With The Free Porn"
#02	"The One With The Cat"		#10	"The One With The Girl From Poughkeepsie"		#18	"The One With Rachel's New Dress"
#03	"The One With The Cuffs"		#11	"The One With Phoebe's Uterus"		#19	"The One With All The Haste"
#04	"The One With The Ballroom Dancing"		#12	"The One With The Embryos"		#20	"The One With All The Wedding Dresses"
#05	"The One With Joey's New Girlfriend"		#13	"The One With Rachel's Crush"		#21	"The One With The Invitation"
#06	"The One With The Dirty Girl"		#14	"The One With Joey's Dirty Day"		#22	"The One With The Worst Best Man Ever"
#07	"The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line"		#15	"The One With All The Rugby"		#23	"The One With Ross' Wedding, Part 1"
#08	"The One With Chandler In A Box"		#16	"The One With The Fake Party"		#24	"The One With Ross' Wedding, Part 2"