The One with Ross's Wedding, Part Two

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"The One With Ross's Wedding, Part Two" is the twenty-fourth episode of season four of the television sitcom Friends.

First aired: May 7, 1998.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Plot

Though technically the second half of a two-part episode, this episode was originally aired back-to-back with the preceding The One With Ross's Wedding, Part One, and the action picks up directly from where that episode left off. Ross, his sister Monica, and their friends Joey and Chandler are all in London, preparing for Ross's wedding to Emily. Phoebe and Rachel, the remainder of the main cast, are still in New York City, though Rachel is attempting to fly to London to confess that she still loves Ross.

Phoebe, now alone in Monica's apartment, attempts without success to contact Ross, Monica, Joey or, in fact, anyone by phone, to warn them that Rachel is on the way to ruin the wedding. She calls Emily's parents' housekeeper, Emily's mother and eventually the hotel, through which she reaches Joey, after being stymied by British manners. Joey, for his part, is homesick and mopes around before being distracted by an attractive bridesmaid, Felicity.

Ross's parents arrive. Contrary to tradition, they have volunteered to pay for half of the wedding expenses ("Besides," Judy says, patting Monica's shoulder, "this may be the only wedding we get to throw"), but Jack blows up when he discovers that Steven and Andrea Waltham have padded in a number of extraneous expenses ("Re-carpet first floor, new guest bath, landscaping... I'm paying to remodel this guy's house!"). Ross manages to bargain the Walthams down to a (more) reasonable position, but cannot bring the budget to a close before the end of the night.

Chandler, as the primary best man, stands up to make a toast at the rehearsal dinner, which fails to make anyone (except the audience) laugh. Monica, on the other hand, is being hit full in the face by her apparently hopeless prospects as a desirable woman: her parents think she's a failure, her most recent successful relationship was with a man twice her age (Richard Burke), and a drunken member of the wedding party mistakes her for Ross's mother (she is actually his younger sister). The two console each other over alcohol. After the commercial break, Ross bursts in and out of Chandler's room, jumping with excitement. "I'm getting married! Today!" Then Monica's head pops up from under the covers: "Do you think he knew I was here?" They react awkwardly to each other afterwards, and both respond defensively when Joey asks one where the other is (he needs them to help him look for Rachel).

Rachel is stymied at the ticket counter when she discovers she's forgotten her passport. On the plane flight, her nervous energy proves highly distracting to the Englishman seated next to her. He straps on his earphones to tune out an hours-long monologue about her relationship with Ross, but eventually breaks in to agree with "[her] friend 'Pheebs'" that Rachel is going to cause Ross nothing but trouble. "And by the way," he concludes, "it seems to be perfectly clear that you were on a break."

All these threads come to a close on the night of the wedding. Ross finally gets the payment issue resolved by threatening both sets of parents: "No grandchildren! That's right!" Emily, drawn by the commotion, panics: it's a superstition that if the groom (Ross) sees the bride (Emily) in her wedding dress (which she's wearing), there will be bad luck in the marriage. Joey, distracted by the bridesmaid of the night before, allows Rachel to slip through. She charges into the hall, but finds Ross and Emily kissing, and realizes what everyone has been telling her: that she can't ruin Ross's big day. Ross, at least, is overjoyed to see her, and she stays for the ceremony. Phoebe, calling Mrs. Waltham's cellular phone, double-checks with Joey about Rachel, and manages to be present by proxy for the rest of the ceremony. Monica and Chandler, walking down the aisle, arrange to meet again that night. Finally, Emily arrives and the vows are exchanged.

"I, Emily, take thee, Ross, as my lawfully-wedded husband, in sickness and in health, 'til death parts us."

"I, Ross, take thee, Rachel— ...Emily. Emily."

The priest, confused: "Shall I go on?"

Season 4 ends here with one of the most dramatic cliffhangers in the history of the show.

[edit] Trivia

When Phoebe calls Mrs. Waltham to listen in on the wedding, you can see under the back closet door the shadow of someone walking backstage.
For this episode and part 1 of the story, an exclusive Title sequence would be used, featuring only 1 shot from the usual fountain intro & all the other footage from these 2 episodes. It is also used in The One After Ross says Rachel.
The episode also reveals one of Joey's favourite movies to be the critically-panned My Giant.