The One with the Blackout

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The One with the Blackout" is the seventh episode of season one of the television situation comedy Friends.

First aired: November 3, 1994

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 Plot
2 Trivia
3 Quotes
4 Funny Moment
5 Additional cast

[edit] Plot

The show begins with a blackout. Monica, Rachel, Ross, and Joey are watching Phoebe begin an acoustic set at Central Perk.

Chandler gets trapped in an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre, a Victoria's Secret model. He tries to impress her in various ways that fail. He smiles so much it creeps her out. He pronounces oddly that "gum would be perfection". He tries to blow a bubble with the gum only to spit it out accidentally. He then tries to chew the gum again, only to realize it is someone else's gum and then proceeds to choke on it from the shock. Jill gives him the Heimlich maneuver and saves his life.

Back at Monica's apartment, the rest of the friends have a discussion on the "weirdest place they've ever done it" and Rachel confesses that hers was "the foot of the bed". This leads to a conversation between her and Ross about how she wishes she had more excitement in her love life. Ross transposes his infatuation for her by predicting that her wish will come true in the future. Joey convinces Ross that he needs to tell Rachel how he feels about her before Ross enters the "Friend zone".

Ross works up the courage to confront Rachel but before he can confess his feelings, a stray cat attacks him. Rachel and Phoebe search for the owner in the building. The owner turns out to be Paolo, whose sudden appearance is disconcerting to Ross.

The last candle in the apartment goes out and everyone tries to make the scariest noise possible. During Ross's turn, the lights come back on and everyone sees Rachel and Paolo kissing.

Chandler and Jill finally end up bonding, playing a game Jill invented that involves whipping pens around their heads. When the lights come back on, she kisses him on the cheek. A desperate Chandler then turns to the security camera in the corner and asks for a copy of the tape.

[edit] Trivia

Chandler's bank account number (which he says aloud while asking for a copy of the tape) is 7143457.
The power outage is caused by a botched install of a TV on Mad About You (episode "Pandora's Box").
Paolo seems only able to speak Italian throughout the scenes he appears in. For non-Italian speakers, here's a short list of sentences he says:
- Paolo is being introduced in Monica's apartment. "Ragazzi, sono appena arrivato e vivo al piano di sotto, quindi ci vedremo molto spesso, penso." (Hey guys, I've just arrived and my apartment's on the lower floor, so we'll get across quite often, I think.")
- "Phoebe, anche tu bellissima. Se siete tutte così belle mi trasferisco proprio qui." ("Phoebe, you're so beautiful too. If you girls are all so gorgeous I'll move right here.")
- Paolo and Rachel are looking outside. "Guarda la luna, guarda le stelle... Guarda tutte le cose belle." ("Look at the moon, look at the stars... Look at every beautiful thing.") This sentence doesn't actually make much sense, even in Italian – it seems more like an improvised poetic verse.
Paolo's character was named Pablo, a Spanish guy entirely Spanish-speaking in the Italian dubbing of the show.

Written by:Jeffrey Astrof and Mike Sikowitz
Directed by:James Burrows
Orginal airdate:November 3, 1994