The One With The Blackout
Friends episode
Rachel and Ross talk during the blackout.
Season	1x07
Episode no.	7
Written by	Jeff Astrof Mike Sikowitz
Directed by	James Burrows
Guest stars	Larry Hankin - Mr. Heckles Cosimo Fusco - Paolo Jill Goodacre - Herself
Original airdate	November 3, 1994
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"The One With The Blackout" was the seventh episode of the first season of Friends.

PlotEdit

When a power-cut blacks out most of New York City (due to a mishap on Mad About You). Chandler, to his delight finds himself trapped inside an ATM vestibule with Victoria's Secret model Jill Goodacre. She lets him use her cell-phone, and offers him gum which he instantly regrets refusing. He accidentally spits out her gum which he finally accepted, then picks up some to put back in his mouth and begins to choke when he realizes it wasn't the original gum. The others kill time in Monica's apartment, lit by the light from a Menorah, telling stories of the weirdest places they ever had sex. Joey tells Ross he waited too long moving onto Rachel and is now too far into the 'friend zone.' Ross still tries to make a move on Rachel while stargazing on the balcony. Joey keeps the other girls inside by pretending Ross prepares a birthday surprise party for Monica. A wandering cat jumps on Ross' shoulders, and there is an amusing scene where he panics and flails about, trying to throw the cat off of him, causing the cat to dig its claws into his shoulder as it desperately holds on. Rachel and Phoebe go knocking on their neighbor's doors to find the cat's owner, and when a neighbour named Mr. Heckles lies about being the owner, they see through his bluff. On their mission, they bump into the hunky, and actual cat-owner, Paolo, who only speaks Italian. Rachel brings him back to the apartment where he outstrips Ross's flirting, even not being able to speak English.

Cast and CrewEdit

Main CastEdit

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 CastEdit

Larry Hankin - Mr. Heckles (credited as "Weird Guy")
Cosimo Fusco - Paolo
Jill Goodacre - Herself

CrewEdit

Directed By:
James Burrows

Written By:
Jeff Astrof & Mike Sikowitz

TriviaEdit

• Chandler's account number is 7143457
• Paolo's lines in this episode would translate to the following:
  • When he introduces himself to the guys: "Hi guys, I just moved in and I live in the floor below this so I'll guess we'll see quite a lot of each other."
  • When Rachel introduces Paolo to Phoebe: "Phoebe, you're gorgeous too! If you're all this beautiful I'll move right here!"
  • When serenading to Rachel: "Look at the moon, look at the stars, look at everything that's beautiful."
• Phoebe lets it slip out to Joey that Monica had a crush on him when he first moved in, something which Monica wanted to keep a secret. This is referenced in The One With The Flashback, where Joey is actually seen moving in.
  • In the DVD episode, Monica ends up confessing to Joey that she liked his arms when she first saw him. This leads to Joey flirting with Monica using his arms; Monica, now over her crush, makes him shut up.
  • Monica keeps her (sexual) crush on Joey secret until The One With The Truth About London, when Phoebe makes her reveal that she wanted sex with Joey on the eve of Ross' wedding with Emily and not with Chandler.
  • When Rachel is walking down the hall meeting Paolo for the first time, she has a candle and her shadow is visible. But this is physically impossible as the candle is the only light.

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