The One With Ross' Step Forward

The One With Ross's Step Forward
Alternate Names	"The One With The Creepy Holiday Card"
Season	8x11
Episode no.	181
Written by	Robert Carlock
Directed by	Gary Halvorson
Guest stars	Shawn Christian - Dr. Schiff Ashley Clark - Roger Sam McMurray - Doug Evie Peck - The Nurse Bonnie Somerville - Mona Wesley Thompson - Locksmith
Original airdate	December 13, 2001
Episode List
← Previous	"The One With Monica's Boots"
Next →	"The One Where Joey Dates Rachel"

"The One With Ross's Step Forward"(also known as "The One With The Creepy Holiday Card") is the eleventh episode of the eighth season, which aired on December 13, 2001.

Plot

Ross and Mona took pictures of themselves at Rockefeller Center and now Mona wants to send the picture as a holiday card to friends. Ross panics at the thought of them sending out holiday cards together because they've only been dating a couple of months. Ross tries to avoid having "the conversation" about where the relationship is going, so he wants to make a gesture instead, resulting in him giving Mona a key to his apartment even though he doesn't want to and it is the only key. He then has the locks changed and Mona is confused. He then tells Mona he loves her (he doesn't mean it though) and she replies that she loves spending time with him too, letting Ross know that she isn't in love with him either. 

Chandler's boss, Doug, has divorced his wife and invites Chandler and Monica to dinner, but Monica strongly dislikes him for drunkenly urinating on their ice sculpture at their engagement party, so Chandler decides to tell Doug that Monica and him split up so that she won't have to come. Doug, who is clearly depressed after divorcing his wife, takes Chandler to a series of bars and strip clubs to help him forget Monica, and Chandler has a miserable time with his drunk, crude boss, but later tells Monica that the worst thing of all about that night was seeing a glimpse of how he would end up if he ever lost her, and asks her to promise him she will never leave and grow old with him, and she does.  

Rachel's pregnancy hormones cause her to lust after any and every guy she sees, and she finds herself wanting to sleep with Joey and Ross. To satisfy her craving, Phoebe brings a random guy called Roger to the apartment who says he'll have sex with her, but Rachel refuses the offer. 

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

Shawn Christian - Dr. Schiff
Ashley Clark - Roger
Sam McMurray - Doug
Evie Peck - The Nurse
Bonnie Somerville - Mona
Wesley Thompson - Locksmith

Crew

Directed By:
Gary Halvorson

Written By:
Robert Carlock

Trivia

• The alternate title for this episode is "The One with the Creepy Holiday Card", This can be found on both Netflix and the DVD menu of Season 8, Disc 2, though it goes by it's original title on the DVD cover and in syndicated reruns.
• At the end of the episode Rachel is wearing an FDNY shirt, as a tribute to the Fire Department of New York and their efforts during the September 11 attacks.

Continuity/Goofs

• Ross insists to Monica and Phoebe that he gave Mona "the only key" to his apartment. However, in previous episodes Monica and Rachel would routinely go over to Ross's place in his absence to borrow cooking ingredients (that is also how they accidentally deleted a phone message from his ex-wife Emily). Phoebe also massaged her clients at Ross's place while he was at work during the brief time she lived there, and Chandler once let himself in to try to bring back Clunkers the dog.

Episode Navigation

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Preceded by "The One With Monica's Boots"

Series Eight Episodes

Followed by "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel"

<< 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"