The One with the Sonogram at the End

"The One with the Sonogram at the End" is the second episode of the NBC television series Friends. It is the second episode of the show's first season and was broadcast on September 29, 1994.

Plot

Carol, Ross' ex-wife, suddenly appears at his job to tell him she is pregnant. Meanwhile, Monica is freaked out since her parents are coming over and she doesn't want her parents to be critical about how dirty her apartment may be. Rachel asks if anyone has seen her engagement ring, the one she got from Barry. No one has, and Rachel immediately has a panic attack since she is meeting Barry to give him back the ring. Rachel remembers she had it on early this morning when she was in the kitchen making lasagna. Monica is upset, as this was the one job she gave to Rachel and now the dinner for her parents was ruined.

Ross arrives and tells everyone Carol is pregnant, while Phoebe finds the engagement ring. Ross tells his friends that Carol and Susan want him to be involved, but only if he is comfortable with that. Ross informs the group that Carol and Susan invited him to go to their first sonogram appointment tomorrow and he has no idea what he is going to do. He is still processing the fact that he has become a father, and he doesn't know where he fits in with two lesbian mothers.

Later on, in the apartment, Monica & Ross are pouring wine for their parents. After their mother spends the night criticizing Monica, she asks what is new with Ross. He eventually reveals that Carol is going to have his baby. Their mother accuses Monica of not telling them. Later, in Central Perk, everyone has except for Rachel and Ross, who is trying desperately to start a conversation with his crush. They talk about Barry and Carol, and Rachel asks when did life get so complicated. Ross is gazing at Rachel with a dreamy look.

While Ross goes to the clinic to see Carol, Rachel goes to Barry. Ross discusses with Carol and Susan about the baby's name, and is horrified when his baby will not carry his last name. Ross realizes he is not ready to be involved and tries to go, but when they all see the baby in the sonogram the three are happy. Back at Barry's dental practice, Barry reveals that he went to their honeymoon with Mindy, Rachel's best friend. They are both dating now.

The final scene is at Monica & Rachel's apartment. Ross brought over a copy of the sonogram and the whole gang is watching it. Rachel is on the phone, talking to Mindy. She ends the conversation by telling Mindy that if everything works out and the two get married, she hopes the kids will have Barry's receding hair and Mindy's old nose. The gang is staring at the outburst from Rachel who says she knows it's a cheap shot, but she feels so much better for saying it.

Reception

In the original broadcast, the episode was viewed by 20.2 million viewers and achieved the rating of 14.0. The reviews for the episode were mixed. The A.V. Club noted in its review that the episode "seems a far more run-of-the-mill sitcom episode—definitely formulaic, and in places sadly derivative."^[1][2] LeakyNews review said, "The One With the Sonogram at the End serves mostly to move plot along and give us some character backstory.".^[3] Another review said, "After an extremely strong start with a funny and informative cold open, the episode loses itself by forgetting about the rest of the cast somewhere in the middle."^[4]

References

External links

• "The One with the Sonogram at the End" at the Internet Movie Database
• "The One with the Sonogram at the End" at TV.com