The One with the Screamer
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"The One With the Screamer" is the twenty-second episode of season three of the television situation comedy Friends.
[edit] Plot
Phoebe's phone breaks, and her warranty is about to expire - so she uses Rachel and Monica's phone. She's stuck waiting on hold for a very long time.
Joey comes in and asks how many tickets to his play they need. Ross announces he's bringing Cailin, a girl from work. Rachel then says that she, too, has a date - and runs out to find one. Excited that the gang is going to get to meet Kate, Joey confesses that he used some of Chandler's cologne - until he finds out that Chandler doesn't wear cologne and he'd used the duck's worm medicine. Phoebe is about to hang up when she puts the phone on speaker and the recording says she's the next caller in the queue.
Ross, Rachel, and their respective dates - Cailin and Tommy - arrive at the theater first. Tommy seems like a perfectly nice guy at first. But when Cailin and Rachel head off to the ladies' room, and Ross and Tommy find a couple sitting in their seats, Tommy starts screaming at them and calling them names.
The play director brings out a newspaper to share the review - which is pretty bad. Joey's pleased, because the reviewer says he's "not the worst thing about this play." The reviewer had awful things to say about Kate and the director. The director takes it especially hard - and breaks up with Kate as a result. Joey walks her home - and they end up staying up all night talking.
The next morning, Phoebe is STILL on hold. Ross tries to tell everyone about Tommy's "rage problem" - but they just pass it off as his being the jealous ex-boyfriend. Ross spills coffee on Tommy outside of Central Perk, and Tommy goes off on him - but the door was shut, so the rest of the gang is oblivious.
That night, during another performance of Joey's play, he finds out that Kate got a job in Los Angeles - and she's leaving the next day. Phoebe is still on hold. Tommy asks to use the phone; since Phoebe's still on hold, Chandler lets him go across the hall to use his phone. Tommy starts to play with the chick - until it poops in his hand, triggering his "rage problem" again. This time, the entire gang sees him and Tommy realizes he can't pretend he's a calm person in front of Rachel anymore. "Step away from the duck," Chandler says menacingly. On his way out, Tommy mocks calmness towards Rachel: "I guess we're not going out anymore!" then screams; "MAN!"
Joey catches up with Kate, to find out about her decision to move to LA. She'd been offered a part on General Hospital, and can't stay in New York just for Joey (who tells her to stay "for the museums"). He tells her goodbye, then finishes up the play (which involves the main character getting on a spaceship in search of alternative fuels).
During the closing credits, it's revealed that Phoebe's been on hold for two days. She says it's okay, because she dialed a toll-free 801 number. After finding out she'd actually been on hold with a not toll-free number in Utah, Phoebe finally hangs up - breaking the girls' phone in the process. But she does have a number they can call to fix it.
[edit] Trivia
- Ben Stiller plays Rachel's weird date. Jennifer Aniston would later play Ben's weird date in Along Came Polly. Christine Taylor would appear three episodes later as Ross's date Bonnie, Stiller and Taylor married in 2000.
[edit] Additional cast
- Stage Manager - Jeffrey D. Brooks
- Cailin - Laura Cayouette
- Pete Becker - Jon Favreau
- Estelle Leonard - June Gable
- Kate Miller - Dina Meyer
- Lauren - Jennifer Milmore
- The Director - Reg Rogers
- Jonny - Scott Sandler
- Tommy - Ben Stiller
| Preceded by "The One With a Chick. And a Duck." |
List of Friends episodes | Followed by "The One With Ross's Thing" |
