The One Where They're Going to Party

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"The One Where They're Going to Party" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of Friends.

First aired: December 11, 1997

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Plot

This episode starts off with the introduction of the van to be used for Monica and Phoebe's catering business.

Monica decides to fill in for a food critic in a newspaper. Chandler walks in and tells Ross that their fun friend Mike "Gandalf" Ganderson, "The Party Wizard," is back in town. Ross and Chandler get off work hoping to party the next day. They describe his parties with, "You just go out for a couple of beers and end up on a fishing boat to Nova Scotia." The boys are bummed when Gandalf can't make it, but Joey encourages them to go out and have fun on their own. They soon realize that as they age, they have more of an appreciation for spending quiet time with friends.

Meanwhile, Monica writes an offensive review of a restaurant. But when the restaurant owner shows up, she is offered the job of head chef at his restaurant. Monica takes the job, but Phoebe is not okay with it. "You don't really need me," Monica protests, and Phoebe replies, "You're the cook! Without you, it's just me driving up to people's houses with empty trays and asking for money!" Monica then offers to quit her head chef post and continue the catering business. Phoebe realizes what is best for Monica and tells her to take the job.

Rachel interviews for a better post, but her boss Joanna wants to keep her as her assistant. So Rachel's boss intentionally makes Rachel's interview go really badly, making her seem incompetent. Rachel threatens to quit when Joanna admits what she did was wrong, but she didn't want to let Rachel go. So to make up for it, she offers Rachel the same job but in their own department by creating the new post. The next day, it is revealed that Joanna was hit by a cab and died. Rachel realizes this means she will not get the promotion, after all. Joanna's other assistant Sophie, who was constantly insulted by Joanna since Rachel came to work for her, is very pleased with the news of the death.

Monica is introduced to the staff of the restaurant, who are mostly related to the head chef who was fired because of Monica's article. She tries to break the ice with a poem but realizes that the staff is very mad at her.