Hanging Out With Friends 07.03.08: The One With The Bullies

Posted by Jerome Cusson on 07.03.2008

Click here for an episode review, but more importantly some thoughts on a possible Friends movie...

Got some stuff to get do beforehand, so bear with me. Here's your George Carlin clip of the week. This week, it's about finding a place for your stuff.



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This was posted on 411 earlier.

Reports are going around that a Friends movie is apparently being considered following the success of the Sex and the City movie.

A source says, "Jennifer (Aniston), Courteney (Cox) and the rest of the cast are keen to reprise their roles, under the right circumstances. The box office success of Sex And The City has really got their wheels spinning about how a Friends film could be just as big, if done right. Timing and the script are really important, but now that Courteney and Jen both have production companies, they can potentially get very involved in those decisions."

This is dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. I think it's great that the only film geared toward women this summer has made a boatload of money, but this is a show that has been off the air now for four years. This is a sitcom with plots that could barely sustain themselves for 20 minutes, especially in the last couple seasons. How can the writers possibly come up with something that could go for 90-120 minutes with older stars and the only possible plotline people could care about being the wedding of Ross and Rachel? If you even try and do anything else, people will piss on it hard.

This is a desperate ploy by Jennifer Anistion and Courtney Cox. With faltering careers comes the feeling of wanting to still be relevant. Aniston's movie career is exactly clicking on all cyllinders. Cox' teleivison show Dirt was canceled. Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow also really aren't doing that much either so I could see them jumping on board. There may be two saving graces.

Matthew Perry has a show upcoming on Showtime. If it's successful, I think Perry would be a lot less inclined to do some movie about Friends when he's moved onto something else. Perry is a very funny actor, and he's built to be on television. I wish Studio 60 had been more successful since I thought he was really good on the show.

David Schwimmer is someone who's already directed one theatrical film. He has his hands in theater here in Chicago. I personally think Schwimmer is the person most likely to be put the kibosh on something like this. If he wants to be taken seriously as something other than Ross, why go back and beat the same drum? I'm sure the money would be good, but based off those million dollar an episode years of the show, I seriously doubt he needs it.

To conclude, this is a dumb dumb dumb idea. Don't do it.

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Jennifer Aniston-Rachel Green
Lisa Kudrow-Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc-Joey Tribbiani
Matthew Perry-Chandler Bing
David Schwimmer-Ross Geller
Courteney Cox-Monica Geller
Peter DeLuise...Carl
Nicky Katt...Arthur
Giovanni Ribisi...Frank Jr
Laraine Newman...Mrs. Buffay
James Michael Tyler...Gunther

Written by Sebastian Jones & Brian Buckner
Directed by Michael Lembeck

Just for the record, getting me to even watch this next episode is a feat in itself since I despise almost every inch of it. Not only does it make Chandler and Ross look like the biggest wusses ever, but it has the added bonus of being one of the dumbest concepts ever. Really the only reason I’m watching this is to try and pull some funny moments out of it.

The six friends are watching a business channel because Monica has a stock with her initials. Phoebe thinks she’s seeing signs the whole day that she should go see her father. This is not a good start.

Chandler and Ross come back from allegedly playing racquetball, but apparently they were just grabbing their bags. Nicky Katt and Peter DeLuise get to play the bullies. Nicky Katt is a highly underrated actor who I’ve enjoyed in a number of projects like Boston Public and Sin City. Here, he just gets to play a jerk with a really bad accent. Way to completely emasculate two characters this episode guys!

Joey informs Rachel about the fun they had the last time they tried to take Phoebe out to her dad. Monica’s interview was with a 50s diner where she gets to dress up and dance on the counter. She also sees that her stock has gone up and decides tom invest in her initials. The boom would come a few years later. She should have waited. Ross and Chandler talks about their emasculation and Rachel actually sympathizes with him instead of slapping him for being a wuss.

Phoebe drives to the house again and has a confrontation with Frank Buffay’s dog. That little bastard does look pretty mean. Ross and Chandler are back at Central Perk getting emasculated by the bullies again. There’s a difference between putting your characters in funny or dramatic situations, and there’s this crap. It’s got the benefit of making Chandler and Ross look pretty awful. Plus, the performances given by the two leads are just plain bad.

Phoebe still can’t bring herself to go see her dad, but she can drive the car forward and hits the dog. I know it’s kind of sadistic but the sound effect and the look on their faces are very funny. Monica is getting more stocks. In a desperate attempt to make money. The poor dog is going to be alright as it turns out. Rachel tells Phoebe to call her dad, but she doesn’t want to. Joey volunteers to do it instead. A woman answers the phone, and Joey goes into stalker voice mode for some inexplicable reason. And he even no-sells it afterward.

Chandler and Ross try to make cappuccino at the boys’ apartment and then it turns into a Starbuck’s (or really any coffee place) as it’s nowhere near as good. Say whatever you want about Joey, but he’s at least willing to help Ross and Chandler with the bullies. Ross doesn’t want to have Joey around, so they go back down to get their asses kicked. Monica asks Rachel for 100 bucks since she lost it in the market. Gellar really doesn’t want to have to dress up and work at that diner.

Phoebe goes back to the house and he meets his stepbrother, played by Giovanni RIbisi. The worst part about this is how piss poor continuity is in this episode. We previously saw RIbisi in another episode pulling a condom out of Phoebe’s guitarcase back in New York City. Honestly, you couldn’t cast anyone else? How about addressing what happened back in the city? It wouldn’t take much effort honestly.

Ross and Chandler burn their tongues and run into the bullies. It’s apparently time for a fight, but luckily all four of these guys are big weenies as it turns out. And as much as this show will have sex and language, but minimal violence. Oh wait. We got to imagine a dog being hit by a car. Actually showing the dog getting hit would be worse. Ross, Chandler, and the bullies unite when someone steals what used to be Chandler’s hat. They still won’t give Chandler his hat back so he takes it back and promptly falls on his face.

The five friends head off to the diner to make Monica lipsynch and dance on the counter. That was just mean.

The “How you Doin’ moment?”Funniest Lines/Moments: Oh man. I completely forgot this line was in this episode. This is another one of my favorite lines of all time on any sitcom really.

The “Oh no!” moment (weakest moment of the episode): Ross and Chandler look like twits

Chandler: Couldn’t we just lose our virginities again? Because I think, actually, mine’s growing back. That is one of my more oft-quoted lines sadly.

FRIENDS TRIVIA REVEALED!: Phoebe has a stepbrother.

The 411: This wasn't very good at all. Not at all. I've never hated Ross and Chandler more than I did in this very episode.

Final Score:  4.0   [ Poor ]