The One with the Two Parties
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"The One With the Two Parties" is the twenty-second episode of season two of the television situation comedy Friends.
[edit] Plot
Monica is planning a surprise birthday party for Rachel - a nice, semiformal affair. She's working on a guest list (Joey forbids her from inviting two girls because he slept with them and didn't call back - but he claims they "steal stuff"), when Rachel comes in. Her sister graduated college, and her divorcing parents started arguing during the middle of the ceremony. When Phoebe suggests not inviting Rachel's parents, Monica reveals she's already invited Sandra, Rachel's mother.
Just as they're getting ready for the party, Rachel's father, Dr. Leonard Green, drops by to wish his daughter a happy birthday. Panicking, Monica has to think fast - she tells Dr. Green that her apartment is just the "staging area" and the real party is at Joey and Chandler's apartment - in order to keep Leonard and Sandra away from each other.
Rachel's party, then, is split in two - Joey and Chandler host the "fun" party; Monica's is boring, with cheesy games and a flan instead of a cake. Phoebe starts sneaking people out of Monica's party and into the guys' party - Monica has no idea until she goes across the hall to complain about the noise and catches Gunther there.
Ross's job is to keep Dr. Green occupied. When Dr. Green wants his glasses and cigarettes, Ross has to pretend he wears glasses and smokes to fool Sandra. Sandra then suggests Rachel see a therapist. Rachel goes back and forth between parties to talk to both of her parents, who inevitably start complaining about the divorce. Finally, she can't handle anymore of the complaining and takes a seat in the hallway.
Chandler, himself a child of divorce, talks with Rachel to tell her things will eventually be okay. Rachel, of course, is upset - but her talk with Chandler and then comfort from Ross seem to help her salvage her birthday.
Dr. Green and Sandra almost end up in the hallway at the same time - but Joey kisses Sandra to keep Dr. Green from seeing her. Sandra then declares this the "best birthday party" she's been to in a long time.
At the end of the episode, Rachel is told to make a wish and blow out the candles on her flan. Just after she blows them out, a volleyball smashes the flan - to which Rachel says, "Those things almost never come true!"
[edit] Additional cast
- Dr. Leonard Green - Ron Leibman
- Sandra Green - Marlo Thomas
[edit] Trivia
- When Chandler was hugging Rachel in the hallway and Ross came outside and hugged her, he left his glass, but out there, there is no place where he would have placed it in.
| Preceded by "The One With the Bullies" |
List of Friends episodes | Followed by "The One With the Chicken Pox" |
