The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends

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Friends season three September 1996 - May 1997 List of Friends episodes
Episodes: The One with the Princess Leia Fantasy The One Where No One's Ready The One with the Jam The One With the Metaphorical Tunnel The One with Frank, Jr. The One with the Flashback The One with the Race Car Bed The One with the Giant Poking Device The One with the Football The One Where Rachel Quits The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister The One with All the Jealousy The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends The One with Phoebe's Ex-partner The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break The One the Morning After The One Without the Ski Trip The One with the Hypnosis Tape The One with the Tiny T-Shirt The One with the Dollhouse The One with a Chick. And a Duck. The One with the Screamer The One with Ross's Thing The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion The One at the Beach

"The One Where Monica and Richard are Just Friends" is the thirteenth episode of season three of the television situation comedy Friends.

First aired: January 30, 1997

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Monica tries to return a video at the video store, but she's stuck with an extra charge after returning it two minutes late. Someone overhears her plight and offers to help her pay for it. Monica turns around to see who it is... and it turns out to be Richard. They talk and realize they've missed each other, so they agree that they can still be friends. They go out for an "innocent burger" (vegetarian Phoebe points out that there's "no such thing"), she teaches him how to make lasagna. They start sleeping together again - but just as friends. Monica goes to Richard's apartment to surprise him - only to hear him coming home with a date. She and Richard talk, and decide that they shouldn't get back together after all.

Phoebe starts dating Robert, a jock she met in the park. Chandler and Ross quickly notice, however, that Robert isn't as "concealed in the shorts area" as he thinks he is - they catch a glimpse of his genitalia. Soon, Joey accidentally gets a free show. Phoebe can't understand what the guys are laughing at - until Joey asks him to pass a tray of cookies, thus exposing himself again. The fact that she hadn't even seen it "with permission" bothers Phoebe, so she dumps him. Robert complains that this happens frequently and can't understand why - until Gunther comes by and tells him to "put the mouse back in the house."

When Rachel drops by the guys' apartment to borrow some ice, she finds a copy of the book The Shining in their freezer. Joey mentions that whenever he reads it, he has to make sure there's plenty of room in the freezer - he's safer from it while it's in there. He admits that he's read the book often. Rachel, who can't see what's so great about it, agrees to read it if Joey will read her favorite book - Little Women. To the surprise of both, they really enjoy the others' favorite book. However, when discussing about their books, Joey accidentally reveals the ending of The Shining to Rachel while speaking in code to Chandler and Ross. This in turn, starts a war between the two, revealing plot points about the books, until Rachel tells Joey that Beth dies, which upsets him. Rachel seeing how upset he is, tells Joey that Beth doesn't die. When Joey asks why she would say such a thing, she responds by saying "I wanted to hurt you." Ross points out that it's the first book Joey has ever loved that didn't star Jack Nicholson. At the end of the episode, Joey (upset again) goes to Rachel and tells her that Beth is really sick. Rachel then offers to put the book in her freezer.