The One With The Giant Poking Device

The One With The Giant Poking Device
Season	3x08
Episode no.	56
Written by	Adam Chase
Directed by	Gail Mancuso
Guest stars	Charles Thomas Allen - Ben Geller John Christopher Allen - Ben Geller James Michael Tyler - Gunther Maggie Wheeler - Janice Litman
Original airdate	November 14, 1996
Episode List
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Next →	"The One With The Football"

"The One With The Giant Poking Device" is the eighth episode of the third season of Friends, which aired on November 14, 1996.

Plot

Still in shock for what he saw in the previous episode, Joey and Monica reveal to the group that he just witnessed Janice kissing her ex-husband. Joey tries not to tell Chandler about it, but when he sees him yearning in front of pearls, which he wants to buy for Janice's birthday, he can't hold it any longer and reveals the kiss to Chandler. Out of disbelief, Chandler tries to accuse Joey of being wrong, but Joey confirms what he saw to him. Chandler confronts Janice, who admits to having kissed her ex-husband at least twice. She also reveals to be in love with both men, but can't bring herself to choose one. After talking to Joey, Chandler makes Janice go back with her ex-husband, as he doesn't want to be the reason for splitting up a family. He soon changes his mind about this, however, as Janice tells Chandler that she's his soulmate; nonetheless, she leaves to be with her ex-husband.

Ross leaves Ben with Monica and Rachel. Monica plays the airplane with Ben, but she bumps his head. Out of guilt, the girls dress him up in a rain jacket costume from ben's rainy day bear complete with hat to cover the bump, which Ross still finds at the end of the day. When Rachel finds out that he's not angry at her for this, she reveals how it was Monica who bumped his head and not her. Ross tries to make Monica feel guilty, but ends up bumping his own head.

Phoebe is reluctant to go to the dentist as she thinks it's a fatal mistake - to others, because every time she visits, someone dies. Her tooth is in too much pain for her to bear it anymore, so she goes to the dentist. When she comes back, she starts to call everyone she knows to check if they're still alive. When Joey points out how Ugly Naked Guy is unusually still, she thinks the curse killed him. After Joey constructs a giant poking device with chopsticks, the guys poke all the way from Monica's apartment to Ugly Naked Guy's. Phoebe is overjoyed to see that he's still alive.

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

Charles Thomas Allen - Ben Geller
John Christopher Allen - Ben Geller
James Michael Tyler - Gunther
Maggie Wheeler - Janice Litman

Crew

Directed By:
Gail Mancuso

Written By:
Adam Chase

Trivia

• Rachel bakes brownies in this episode. In The One With Phoebe's Birthday Dinner, Ross remarks to Rachel: "You haven't cooked since 1996!". However, Rachel has cooked the disgusting English beef-trifle in The One Where Ross Got High, three years after this episode. This makes Ross' statement wrong. However, Ross could judge that this isn't actually cooking because it was so disgusting, and two entirely different recipes.
• The book that Chandler is holding as he waits for Janice in the apartment is On The Road by Jack Kerouac, the cover's distinctive photograph of the author and Neal Cassady can just be seen as he anxiously turns the pages.
• When Ben says "Monica bang" after having hit his head, it sounds as if he is saying "Monica Bing", possibly eluding to the future marriage between Monica and Chandler.

Goofs

• In the first two scenes Phoebe isn't wearing any of her rings on her fingers but then in her next scene she is wearing them.
• When Phoebe is leaving to go to the dentist her bag turns around when she's talking to others.
• In the scene where Joey comments on how Ugly Naked Guy looks awfully still, you can see that the speed of the clip has been increased from when Phoebe starts running up to the window and ends right before she gasps.
• When Monica tells that Joey saw Janice kissing her ex-husband, in the first shot, Ross holds a red mug. In the next shot, the mug is gone.
• When Monica says "That's what I'd sound like if I exploded.", in this shot, she holds the ice cream on her right hand. In the next shot, now is on her left hand.

Episode Navigation

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Preceded by "The One With The Race Car Bed"

Series Three Episodes

Followed by "The One With The Football"

<< Season 2		Season 3					Season 4 >>
#01	"The One With The Princess Leia Fantasy"		#10	"The One Where Rachel Quits"		#19	"The One With The Tiny T-Shirt"
#02	"The One Where No One's Ready"		#11	"The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister"		#20	"The One With The Dollhouse"
#03	"The One With The Jam"		#12	"The One With All The Jealousy"		#21	"The One With A Chick And A Duck"
#04	"The One With The Metaphorical Tunnel"		#13	"The One Where Monica And Richard Are Friends"		#22	"The One With The Screamer"
#05	"The One With Frank Jr."		#14	"The One With Phoebe's Ex-Partner"		#23	"The One With Ross' Thing"
#06	"The One With The Flashback"		#15	"The One Where Ross And Rachel Take A Break"		#24	"The One With The Ultimate Fighting Champion"
#07	"The One With The Race Car Bed"		#16	"The One With The Morning After"		#25	"The One At The Beach"
#08	"The One With The Giant Poking Device"		#17	"The One Without The Ski Trip"
#09	"The One With The Football"		#18	"The One With The Hypnosis Tape"