The One With Rachel's Date

"The One With Rachel's Date" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of Friends, which aired on October 25, 2001.

Plot

Phoebe visits Monica at her kitchen at Allesandro's, where she meets Tim, her sous-chef. They really like each other and Monica sets them up with a date. Monica wants to fire him because he lit her pastry chef on fire and is really slow, but Phoebe convinces her to give him another chance. When after another day Monica still wants to fire him, Phoebe also wants to dump him because he's too affectionate. They agree that you can't dump a guy and fire a guy on the same day, but they argue about who should dump/fire him today. When Phoebe called him to dump him, he gets beeped up by Monica, who wants to fire him. They end up both doing it on the same time at the restaurant. However, when Tim says that Monica is the best chef he knows, she smiles and gives him another chance.

Ross visits Chandler at his office, where he meets Bob: a co-worker of Chandler who always calls him Toby. While putting it into perspective, Chandler accidentally reveals that his middle name is Muriel, for which the guys make fun of him. When Chandler's boss wants Chandler's opinion about adding Bob to his team, Chandler's negative about it. When Bob finds out that it was Chandler who blocked his promotion, he ventilates to Chandler (who he thinks is called Toby) about it. Bob finally finds Chandler's office and starts ruining it. When Bob asks Chandler for help, he happily joins in destroying his own office.

Rachel is visiting Joey on the set of Days of our Lives, where she meets Kash, who likes her and asks Joey to set them up on a date. Joey first brushes him off because he thinks Rachel doesn't date anymore since she's pregnant, but she convinces him to think otherwise. Ross doesn't like that Rachel goes on a date, for apparently no reason, even claiming that the ferry is dangerous. Finally he convinces to Joey that it's weird because whoever takes Rachel out, takes his baby out too. He always pictured that his next child would grow up in a happy family. Luckily for him, the date ends awful when Rachel tells Kash that she's pregnant. When they bump into each other at the street, Ross reassures her it isn't so bad because when she has the baby she will love it more than she will ever love a man. Rachel's touched by this, but when she wants to speak to Ross, he bumps into Mona from the wedding at Central Perk.

Cast and Crew

Main Cast

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

Supporting Cast

Kevin Rahm - Tim
Chris Parnell - Bob
Bonnie Somerville - Mona
Geoffrey Pierson - Mr. Franklin
Johnny Messner - Kash
James Michael Tyler - Gunther

Crew

Directed By:
Gary Halvorson

Written By:
Brian Buckner & Sebastian Jones

Trivia

When Ross discovers that Rachel and Kash Ford are to go on a ferry on their date, Ross freaks out and admits to Joey that he finds the ferry dangerous for Rachel. In The One With The Home Study, Ross mocks Rachel because she's afraid of swings.
This episode was dedicated in memory to Richard L. Cox, Sr., father of Courteney Cox, who passed away from cancer a month before this episode aired. Following this episode, she dropped the "Arquette" part of her name she had added to the end of her name upon marrying David Arquette and resumed using her maiden name professionally.
Chris Parnell, an actor best known for his tenure on Saturday Night Live from 1998 to 2006, appears in this episode as Bob, Chandler's co-worker.
Geoff Pierson, an actor best known for his role as Jack Malloy on Unhappily Ever After and Capt. Tom Matthews on Dexter, appears in this episode as Mr. Franklin.
The Magna Doodle drawing in this episode is of a caterpillar on a mushroom (a scene from Lewis Carrol's Alice In Wonderland)
At the end, when Rachel walks away from Central Perk after seeing Ross with Mona, the intro for the song, "Closing Time" by Semisonic is heard.
Chandler says "You like the Purple Rain display", a reference to the 1984 musical film starring Prince.
In this episode, it is revealed that Chandler's middle name is Muriel.

Goofs/Continuity

In the scene in the coffee house, Phoebe is talking to Monica who is drinking a cup of coffee. Towards the end of the scene, the camera is on Phoebe who is smiling and laughing at Monica. In the right hand corner is a side view of 'Monica' however, it is not Courtney Cox in the scene, but a completely different actress. The 'extra' even has her hair styled differently to Monica.
In the scene in the coffee house when Pheobe attempts to break up with Tim, he blows her a kiss goodbye. When Pheobe catches the kiss, you can see the set of the restaurant's kitchen to the top left of the screen. (The swinging door with the diamond shaped window and large coin decoration with a shelf below it on the wall.)
Phoebe mistakes Monica's sous-chef as being her boss even though we later learn in The One Where Joey Speaks French that she can speak fluent French.
As Phoebe walks into the restaurant kitchen, a crewmember's hand is visible stopping the door from swinging too much.
When Chandler tells Bob "it's his fault", there is a bin behind him that reflects the stage lights.
When Ross says goodnight to Rachel on the street, she is holding the brown bag down by her side. When the shot zooms in on her, the bag is suddenly in front of her chest.
When Rachel enters Central Perk to find Ross with Mona, the brown paper bag she's holding has the top rolled toward her. When the camera angle changes, it is rolled away from her.
When Ross is talking to Rachel on the street, the brown paper bag on her lap kept reappearing and disappearing.
When Monica and Phoebe blurt out their bad news at the same time, Tim uncrosses his arms. When the camera angle zooms in on Phoebe, you can see that his arms are still crossed.
When Phoebe meets Monica at Central Perk and tells her about her date with Tim, there is a man sitting directly behind them with a black mug that is reflecting some of the stage lights. The lights can also be seen on the rim of Monica's purple mug.
When Rachel asks what Kash said, her arms are outstretched, In the next shot they are together and when the camera cuts again and they have moved yet another time.

Quotes

Rachel: So, what would be a better excuse for why I'm not drinking on the date tonight? I'm a recovering alcoholic?, I'm a Mormon?, Or I got so drunk last night that I'm still a little drunk?

Ross: Chandler Muriel Bing... boy your parents never even gave you a chance did they?

Ross: I know something that will cheer you up, guess whose middle name is Muriel?
Rachel: OH MY GOD! Chandler M. Bing?!

Episode Navigation

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Preceded by "The One With The Videotape"	Season Eight Episodes	Followed by "The One With The Halloween Party"


<< Season 7		Season 8				Season 9 >>
#01	"The One After 'I Do'"		#09	"The One With The Rumor"	#17	"The One With The Tea Leaves"
#02	"The One With The Red Sweater"		#10	"The One With Monica's Boots"	#18	"The One In Massapequa"
#03	"The One Where Rachel Tells..."		#11	"The One With Ross's Step Forward"	#19	"The One With Joey's Interview"
#04	"The One With The Videotape"		#12	"The One Where Joey Dates Rachel"	#20	"The One With The Baby Shower"
#05	"The One With Rachel's Date"		#13	"The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath"	#21	"The One With The Cooking Class"
#06	"The One With The Halloween Party"		#14	"The One With The Secret Closet"	#22	"The One Where Rachel Is Late"
#07	"The One With The Stain"		#15	"The One With The Birthing Video"	#23	"The One Where Rachel Has A Baby, Part 1"
#08	"The One With The Stripper"		#16	"The One Where Joey Tells Rachel"	#24	"The One Where Rachel Has A Baby, Part 2"