The One With Unagi

"The One With The Unagi" is the seventeenth episode of the sixth season of Friends, which aired on February 24, 2000.

Plot

Joey is broke but needs money fast for new head shots, so he is determined to get enrolled for another medical experiment. Since the only one is available is for identical twins, he hires fellow actor Carl to play his fictitious twin Tony. This plan obviously fails because Carl looks very different from Joey, but that doesn't stop Joey from blaming Carl anyway.

Because Monica had work on Valentine's Day, Chandler tells the group that the two of them are celebrating tonight. After Joey suggests that they each book a day at one of those romantic spas, Chandler says that he and Monica have decided to make each other home made presents this year. Both Chandler and Monica however have forgotten to make each other presents. At the last minute Chandler finds a mix tape in his closet and receives a sock-bunny made by Phoebe as his gift. Monica, guilty that she gave Phoebe's sock puppet as her gift while Chandler actually seemingly put effort into his, promises to make all Chandler's wishes come true in the kitchen and in the bedroom.

For the next couple of days, Monica becomes the perfect girlfriend as she showers Chandler with love and attention (which Chandler doesn't feel too guilty about receiving). However, during dinner the next night Monica decides to listen to Chandler's mix tape, and the two share a romantic moment dancing... until Janice's voice appears on the tape, her having given it to Chandler on one of his birthdays. Monica is furious and Chandler begs for forgiveness. Monica starts to come round only for the tape, which is still playing, to start playing Janice's recorded voice again, which causes Monica to storm to bed and Chandler is consigned to the couch for the night.

Phoebe and Rachel take self-defense classes that have them bragging about how they can kick anyone's ass. Ross tells them that after years of studying karate he has learned that self-defense is useless without Unagi, a state of total awareness. Rachel and Phoebe tell him that Unagi is a sushi and that there's no such thing, with Chandler later telling him the same thing. After Ross jump scares them, the two return the favor in his apartment. This causes Ross to sneak into Phoebe's apartment but he fails to hide successfully, as the girls notice him as they enter their home. They easily subdue him, which causes Ross to go to their instructor to ask how to fight them off, but he comes across as a man who enjoys to attack women, especially his ex-wife.

At the end, Ross sees the backs of two blonde-haired women near Central Perk and attacks them from behind, only to be attacked back. As he is running away from them he pauses for a second to see Rachel and Phoebe staring at him from a window at Central Perk, and he runs away in fear as he realizes the unknown women are chasing him.

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

Louis Mandylor - Carl
James Michael Tyler - Gunther
Jill Matson - The Receptionist
Ron Recasner - The Doctor
Mongo Brownlee - The Instructor
Maggie Wheeler - Janice Litman (uncredited, voice only)
Preston James Hillier - Joey Clone
Shane Keller - Twin #2

Crew

Directed By:
Gary Halvorson

Written By:
Zachary Rosenblatt & Adam Chase

Friends_617_The_One_With_Unagi — Friends 617 The One With Unagi

Trivia

Phoebe is correct, "unagi" is the Japanese word for freshwater eel. "Zanshin" is the Japanese word closest to the concept Ross is trying to tell the girls about. The reason might be explained as either Ross never learned Japanese or that he misunderstood the concept.
Ross explains to Chandler that his Saturn V Rocket model is from the Apollo 8 mission and that Apollo 8 did not land on the moon but instead orbited the moon twice and returned safely to Earth. In fact, Apollo 8 orbited the moon a total of ten times, not two.
Chandler's hair is much longer starting in this episode and until the first episode of season 7.
In this episode the cast members turn up to Central Perk and find their sofa occupied. This only happens three times in The One With The Princess Leia Fantasy, The One With Unagi and The One Where Chandler Gets Caught.
Maggie Wheeler makes a voice-only appearance as Janice Litman, making season six the only season not to show Janice.
Phoebe mentions Pat Sajak, Alex Trebek and Chuck Woolery, which Rachel then tells her "you will not find a single game show host, who’s ass I cannot kick". Pat Sajak is the current host of Wheel of Fortune, Alex Trebek is the host of Jeopardy and Chuck Woolery was the former host of Love Connection, Wheel of Fortune and Lingo.
Oddly, Gladys hair in this episode is blonde.

Goofs

When Gunther tells Joey that a customer has been waiting for his coffee for ten minutes, he hands a mug to Joey. You can clearly see that the mug is empty.
When Joey is telling Monica and Chandler about Carl, during certain shots when Chandler's back is to the camera, his arms can be seen moving or crossed, yet when the camera is on him and Monica, his hands are still in his robe.
After Joey yells at Carl that they like pizza, the camera is facing Chandler's back and its obvious that he's laughing at what just happened and his hands are in his robe pockets, yet when the camera faces him and Monica a second later, he has a serious look on his face and his hands are already out of his pockets.
When Ross tries to scare Phoebe and Rachel when explaining "Unagi" in Central Perk, Phoebe's arms change positions in different camera angles from crossed to one hand on her chin.

Quotes

[Ross has just scared Phoebe and Rachel]
Ross: At what point of those girlish screams would you have begun to "KICK MY ASS?!"
Rachel: Alright, so we weren't "PREPARED!"

[after Ross has bragged about having "unagi"]
Phoebe and Rachel: [sneaking up from behind Ross, shouting] Danger!
[Ross screams like a little girl.]
Rachel: Ah, salmon skin roll.

[Rachel and Phoebe have Ross pinned to the ground after he tried to scare them back]
Rachel: Say it.
Phoebe: Say we are unagi.
Ross: It's not something you are, it's something you have!

Phoebe: Now, we can kick anybody's ass!
Rachel: Yeah!
Ross: After one class? I don't think so.
Rachel: What? You want to see me self-defend myself? Go over there and pretend you're a sexual predator! Go on! I dare ya!
Ross: Well, of course you can defend yourself from an attack you know is coming, that's not enough. Look, I studied karate for a long time, and there's a concept you should really be familiar with. It's what the Japanese call unagi.
Rachel:Isn't that a kind of sushi?
Ross: No, it's a concept.
Phoebe: Yeah, it is! It is! It's freshwater eel.
Ross: All right, maybe it means that too.
Rachel: Ooh! I would kill for a salmon skin roll right now.
Ross: Y'know what? Fine! Get attacked! I don't even care!

Phoebe: [after Chandler mentions he and Monica will make anniversary gifts for each other] So what did you make Chandler?
Chandler: Oh, I made a 'flablarghaargh'...
Phoebe: What is that?
Chandler: Nothing!

Ross: Chandler. I sensed it was you.
Chandler: What?
Ross: 'Unagi.' I'm always aware.
Chandler: Are you aware that unagi is an eel?

Ross:About that last move where the woman tripped you and then pinned you to the floor, what would you do next?
The Instructor: Well, she would try to take her keys and then jam...
Ross: No. No, what would "you" do next?
The Instructor: Who, me? The Attacker?
Ross: Yes, That's right.
The Instructor: Why?
Ross: I tried attacking two women - did not work.
The Instructor: What?
Ross: It's OK. I mean, they're my friends. In fact I was married to one of them.
The Instructor: Let me get this straight. You attacked your ex-wife?
Ross: Oh, no, no, no. I "TRIED".

Episode Navigation

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Preceded by "The One That Could Have Been, Part 2"	Series Six Episodes	Followed by "The One Where Ross Dates A Student"


<< Season 5		Season 6				Season 7 >>
#01	"The One After Vegas"		#10	"The One With The Routine"	#19	"The One With Joey's Fridge"
#02	"The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel"		#11	"The One With The Apothecary Table"	#20	"The One With Mac And C.H.E.E.S.E."
#03	"The One With Ross' Denial"		#12	"The One With The Joke"	#21	"The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth's Dad"
#04	"The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance"		#13	"The One With Rachel's Sister"	#22	"The One Where Paul's The Man"
#05	"The One With Joey's Porsche"		#14	"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry"	#23	"The One With The Ring"
#06	"The One On The Last Night"		#15	"The One That Could Have Been, Part 1"	#24	"The One With The Proposal, Part 1"
#07	"The One Where Phoebe Runs"		#16	"The One That Could Have Been, Part 2"	#25	"The One With The Proposal, Part 2"
#08	"The One With Ross' Teeth"		#17	"The One With Unagi"
#09	"The One Where Ross Got High"		#18	"The One Where Ross Dates A Student"