The One Where Underdog Gets Away

The One Where Underdog Gets Away
Season	1x09
Episode no.	9
Written by	Jeff Greenstein Jeff Strauss
Directed by	James Burrows
Guest stars	Jane Sibbett - Carol Willick Max Wright - Terry Jessica Hecht - Susan Bunch Lara Harris - Obsession Girl James Michael Tyler - Gunther (uncredited)
Original airdate	November 17, 1994
Episode List
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"The One Where Underdog Gets Away" was the ninth episode of the first season of Friends which aired on NBC on November 17, 1994.

Plot

Joey's VD poster

With their parents away, Monica and Ross decide to have Thanksgiving dinner at Monica's. Rachel is wanting to go to Vail to spend Thanksgiving with her family but can't raise the money for the plane tickets, however her friends all chip in and buy her one. Joey wants to spend Thanksgiving with his family, but a poster featuring him as a man with VD makes everyone think that Joey is actually infected with the sexual disease and they refuse to let him come, forcing him to also stay home. Chandler is boycotting "all the pilgrim holidays" because they remind him of the time his parents got divorced, whilst Phoebe is celebrating two Thanksgivings, one in December with her lunar-calendar grandmother and one with Monica on actual Thanksgiving. Because of this, everyone decides to spend Thanksgiving at Monica's.

Ross decides to spend some "talking time" with his baby but finds it difficult to talk to Carol's uterus. When Carol reminds him not to do this to be in competition with Susan, he gets over it and starts recounting the story of his life to the fetus. Meanwhile, dinner preparations are going great, with Monica preparing everyone personalized versions of their favorite dishes. Chandler interrupts with news that Underdog has escaped the parade. This puts on hold the preparations, and everyone rushes to the roof to watch. As they leave Monica shouts to Rachel "Got the keys?" however while Monica meant it as a question, Rachel thought it was a statement and, assuming Monica has the keys herself, leaves them behind.

After the excitement on the roof, the girls return to their apartment and find that they're locked out of the apartment which has Monica's Thanksgiving dinner and Rachel's plane tickets inside. Monica and Rachel fight on who should have had the keys. Chandler and Joey happen to have a drawer full of extra keys, one of which works. By the time they get in, however, everything's burned and Rachel has missed her flight. Ross comes in to smell the burning ruins, just in time to set off a fight between the whole group, enough for some typical Thanksgiving emotional scarring.

By now, Thanksgiving is pretty much ruined for everyone, but Phoebe spots Ugly Naked Guy with his Thanksgiving turkey, and a surprise - Ugly Naked Gal. Seeing the ugly naked couple makes everyone realize how their friendship is more important that missed flights, STDs, and ruined dinners. Chandler notes that through everyone else's misfortune, he actually had a great time as he got to spend it with all his friends, and everyone ends up making a toast - literally - to a "sucky", but nonetheless nice, Thanksgiving.

Cast and Crew

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

Supporting Cast

Jane Sibbett - Carol Willick
Max Wright - Terry
Jessica Hecht - Susan Bunch
Lara Harris - Obsession Girl

Crew

Directed By:
James Burrows

Written By:
Jeff Greenstein & Jeff Strauss

Trivia

• This is one of the very rare times when Ugly Naked Guy has someone at his apartment (in "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" (S5E14), he has Ross over).
• This is the first appearance of Jane Sibbett as Carol in the series; she replaced Anita Barone who played her in "The One With The Sonogram At The End" (S1E2).
• Although it reminds him of his parents' divorce, Thanksgiving becomes one Chandler's most significant holidays during the course of the series:
  • In "The One With The Football" (S3E9), Chandler revels with joy about being chosen over Joey by a foreign stranger (although his childish celebrations make the girl re-think her choice to neither of them);
  • In "The One With Chandler In A Box" (S4E8), Chandler starts dating with Kathy with Joey's blessing after he and Joey have one of the worst fights ever;
  • In "The One With All The Thanksgivings" (S5E8), Chandler accidentally lets it slip to Monica that he loves her;
  • In "The One Where Ross Got High" (S6E9), Chandler bonds with Monica's parents after Ross accused him of getting high instead of him during their college years;
  • In "The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs" (S7E8), Chandler wins a bet with Ross because the latter can't get to list the fifty states in six minutes, making him skip Thanksgiving dinner;
  • In "The One With Rachel's Other Sister" (S9E8), Chandler doubts his skills as a father but manages to be a good one to Rachel and Amy who fight at his apartment;
  • In "The One With The Late Thanksgiving" (S10E8), Chandler and Monica receive the phone call telling them that a girl from Ohio picked them as her baby's parents.
• The song that plays when Joey's posters are seen is "Don't Stand So Close To Me" by The Police.

Memorable Quotes

• Chandler: "And this is from the Cry for Help Department: Are you wearing make up?" Joey: "Yes I am, as of today, I'm officially Joey Tribbiani, actor/model. Chandler: "That's funny. I was thinking you look more like, Joey Tribbiani, man/woman."
• Monica: "Rach, do you still think, you are gonna make it to Vail?" Rachel: "Absolutely. Shoop, shoop, shoop. Only $102 to go." Chandler: "I thought it was $98.50?" Rachel: "Yeah, well, it was, but I, I broke a cup, so..."
• Pheobe: "Okay, Ross, dont take this the wrong way or anything, but back off."
• Chandler: "I prefer to keep a safe distance from all this merriment."
• Joey: "Hey hey, that tone won't make me go any faster." Monica: "Joey!" Joey: "That one will." 
• Pheobe: "Look, I'm trying to cheer you up, but you have to meet me halfway."
• Joey: " I got one keyhole and a zillion keys. You do the math!"
• Monica: "Potatoes are ruined, potatoes are ruined, potatoes are ruined."
• Pheobe: "Oh hoo, you get the bigger half, what did you wish for?" Joey: "The bigger half."
• Chandler: "I'm very thankful that all of your Thanksgivings sucked."

Episode Navigation

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2

3

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7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

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24

Preceded by "The One Where Nana Dies Twice"

"The One Where Underdog Gets Away"

Followed by "The One With The Monkey"

1. "The Pilot"
2. "The One With The Sonogram At The End"
3. "The One With The Thumb"
4. "The One With George Stephanopoulos"
5. "The One With The East German Laundry Detergent"
6. "The One With The Butt"
7. "The One With The Blackout"
8. "The One Where Nana Dies Twice"
9. "The One Where Underdog Gets Away"
10. "The One With The Monkey"
11. "The One With Mrs. Bing"
12. "The One With The Dozen Lasagnas"
13. "The One With The Boobies"
14. "The One With The Candy Hearts"
15. "The One With The Stoned Guy"
16. "The One With Two Parts, Part 1"
17. "The One With Two Parts, Part 2"
18. "The One With All The Poker"
19. "The One Where The Monkey Gets Away"
20. "The One With The Evil Orthodontist"
21. "The One With The Fake Monica"
22. "The One With The Ick Factor"
23. "The One With The Birth"
24. "The One Where Rachel Finds Out"