So you know how I'm a young guy trapped in a young guy's body.

Everybody knows that there's nothing old about me in any way, shape or form.

The prices of things in town don't throw me in any way, shape or form.

No, no, I know that for sure.

You're a young cool if there's ever been one.

So this week, I have something very rare happened in my life where I have two days in the middle of the week completely off, like I have nothing to do.

I have no podcasting, I have no auditions, I'm not recording anything.

I'm like, I have nothing to do.

So I wake up, I walk the dog, and I say to Susan, I say, you know what I'm gonna do tomorrow.

I'm gonna do something I haven't done in a very long time.

I'm gonna go to a movie.

Oh I love this.

Which I have not done.

Susan can't go.

I'm going by myself.

So I go on the online machine because apparently you gotta do that first to pick my seat, and I go, well, this is a mistake because it's an eleven AM movie, so it can't be twenty seven dollars for a ticket.

That's wrong.

So I try to find another website that has the correct price.

But no, it's twenty seven dollars for the ticket.

Fine, this is the world we live in now, I'd like to be a part of it.

Apparently, here we go.

I then have my wife, because she needs the car, drop me off at a movie, like I'm eleven.

Right, because you shove me one car?

She we have one car.

So she literally is like, have a great time at the movies' honey, call me when you're done and I'll come pick you up.

I went, thanks, and I jumped out of the car walk inside.

You know what I get?

What the hell?

Popcorn Minnesota and a hot dog?

Oh wow, I'm going nuts.

What I didn't know is that before I had to do that, I needed to call Zurich to move some money around.

Good.

By the time I get the theater for a movie, one single movie ticket, small popcorn, small soda, and a hot dog, it was sixty dollars.

Yeah, that's.

Insane.

Yeah, when we go with both kids to the movies, it ends.

How do you do that?

Almost two hundred dollars.

To see a movie?

This used to be like I've got five extra books, I'm gonna go to a movie and get some popcorn.

This is insane, people, and it made me realize that we as consumers, we need to say no, we can't.

Oh my god.

So first of all, I sit in the movie and I'm already like, I can't believe I'm doing this with this, And then two people sit next to me.

Who the guy they're obviously on a date or something.

It's the middle of the day, and he decides to describe everything that's happening on screen to the woman next to him the entire movie.

I'm sixty dollars in.

You know, if I had kids, they couldn't go to a private school because I decided to see this movie and I'm next to people that are talking the entire time I'm in the movie.

Was it full?

Could you not just move seats even though you had picture seat?

And one of those people that I would rather sit there and seethe and stay in the seat that.

I booked than your day, Yeah, exactly, I exactly.

So I just sat there and I'm like, and then he turns me in the movies over It's like it was good, right, And I wanted to be like, it could have been.

It could have been, but you were talking through the whole thing.

But no, he he.

I was like, yeah, sure was.

I went.

I'm a big fan of what they're doing in the whole Predator world, so I wanted to see Predator bad Lands.

I've heard it cool, it's great.

I really enjoyed it.

You think, but I think, but again, so much money for the tickets.

So I'm already having like an old, like a senior person's moment where I'm like, I get that the music is too exactly, and the music is too loud, and the movies are too expensive, and this is awful.

And I'm walking out of the theater and I'm walking down these big stairs going into the mall, and it happens.

My whole day changes because it happens young man walking towards me wearing a shady melon T shirt.

Oh no way, the first pod meets World merch in the Wild.

I'm leaving the movie, and that's like a deep cut.

Exactly, So I say, obviously, hang on, you've got a shady melon shirt.

I've got my glasses on that now I have to wear to see anything, including the several thousand dollars I had to take out of my account to see the movie, and he.

Said yeah, and I went, you know, I'm well.

He then looked at me and went, oh my god, you're Wilford All.

I said, yes, i am, and I've been waiting.

For this moment to see this.

Can we take a picture together.

I've got a picture with him.

We'll put it up on our ig.

He's like, can we FaceTime my girlfriend?

I said, sure, going down I want to.

I'm picturing the escalator.

You're going down the escalator.

He's coming up the escalator.

I went down the stairs.

I went down.

You know, there's the stairs in front of the firal staircase.

So I get to the bottom and he's walking up to see a movie.

So he's facetimes his girlfriend, who does not answer.

He's like, she's never gonna believe me.

I said, well, why don't we take a picture on your phone too, So we took a picture on his phone.

But as I'm walking out to have then wait for my wife to come pick me up, I'm thinking to myself.

This was the best day ever.

I just saw a Pod meets World shirt in the wild.

You know what I had to get out into the world to see.

Also worth every penny.

Excursion, just to have that moment.

It was so cool.

It totally turned my day around.

It was not at a convention, it was not on a plane going to a convention.

It was just randomly in the wild shady melon t shirt.

Oh that's so cool.

I was pretty happy.

I love that.

That's so cool.

Yep.

And yeah, movies are very expensive.

Oh, never going to see one again, but it was.

That was awesome.

Actually, I wanted to go tomorrow, but it's already full.

I want to see the new Running Man.

So yeah, I've been we sold.

I sold a kidney and some blood, yeah, and some popcorn.

It is true that the movie theaters are nicer now you get those big seats they.

Get to the n was broken and did not fully reclact.

Okay, well I cannot believe you didn't move.

I mean what, I sat there.

In my age going on fifty three seats basically, and I'm sitting in this broken chair with people talking next to me, just amazed that people are paying this amount of money for tickets for things.

Did you hear the new article that came out that apparently, and we can verify this, apparently the average price ticket for a Taylor Swift concert the average price was four thousand dollars.

Oh my gosh, wow, insane what people are paying for this nowadays?

Yeah, because of resale.

Yeah that's why it's not because that's what she targed her.

I don't blame her at all.

I blame people that are paying for the for the tickets.

Everyone just needs to stop until people go.

You know, Taylor Swift walks into a concert and there's nine people there, They're going to have to lower the prices.

And that's we We have the powers consumers, because this is crazy.

Now, it's crazy people.

Sorry, I need its event a little bit.

Now.

I'm going to take a nap and have some oatmeal and my day is going to be fine.

You'll be good.

I'm wearing them right now.

Yeah, I'm not regular.

It's making me a little angry.

Welcome to Pond meets the World.

I'm Daniel Offishal, I'm right or Strong, and I'm Will Fordell.

The journey through holiday TV episodes continues.

I know I missed Will's make a wish when you guys talked about mash Thanksgiving.

Sorry to have sat that one out, but this week we are wanting to hear that.

Sorry, sensing your sarcasm.

With this week, we once again get into the leftover turkey and stuffing.

But for one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, possibly the biggest sitcom ever, Friends, I'd say this one is even a bit of a listener request because on our social media this episode came up over and over.

It is season eight, episode nine, the one with the rumor.

I know we've talked about it being a bit of a blueprint for you will, but what is both of your relationship with Friends?

The show?

I love Friends?

Yeah, I started watching Friends from the beginning.

I think it is wonderfully written.

The characters are incredible, and Matthew Perry is for this version of acting, which we always talk about sitcom acting being its own thing.

Yeah, is I'd say one of the top three of all time.

Yeah.

I mean he just plays off beat.

You never know where he's going to go with his dialogue.

You never know what's going to happen.

It's a shame knowing now his life that he was in such torment as he was doing the show.

Yeah, but my god, could that man hit a joke and hid it in a way you never thought it was gonna happen.

It's interesting to me that you single him out so much, because I think everybody is so good.

Like they're funny to get This cast is just amazing across.

The board, and their chemistry is insane, Like I just so it's it's I've never been able to like really say like he's that distinct.

I just think that as an ensemble, I don't know if there's ever been a better cast.

Yeah, I mean again, you can make arguments for some of the biggest sitcoms of all time, the Cheers and the Seinfel Yes and Nash and but again, one of the things that we that writer and I talked about on the episode that you decided not to come on because you hate me and you hate the things I love, Danielle.

Nothing to do with Dancing with the Stars, nothing, no.

No, God, of course it didn't.

Is the fact that we were trying to find a show because there's so few that actually get better or as just or just as good the longer they go, which is almost impossible to do.

I mean, yeah, every show you find that has this big drop off where you're watching the later seasons, like, God, this isn't very good and Friends, well, yes, the later episodes weren't as good maybe as some of the middle or early episodes.

It didn't have that big a drop off.

Right, this is season eight, eight and it's still doing this so fresh, correct, So I know, yeah, I could not believe how good this was.

The sustainability of this cast was really outstanding.

It really was.

I agree.

I know I had seen a few episodes of the show when it was on.

I've still never seen them all.

I had never seen this episode, even though I was familiar with it existing in just the zeitgeist because I remember, of course that you know, Brad Pitt was on Friends, right, right, So yeah, I knew it existed.

And obviously I know I've worked with Marcel the Monkey, so we have that's right, We worked with him.

That's that's an accomplishment, so you know.

But yeah, this show.

When when I saw on the paperwork that we were doing a season eight episode of Friends, I thought, oh, no, we're going to do one that's not good.

It was incredible.

It's very incredible.

It's a great It is a it is one of the best written sitcoms of all time.

Yeah, well, it's a show that seems to still resonate with even gen Z and younger and this particular episode first aired on November twenty second, two thousand and one, twenty four years old.

You can watch it on HBO Max.

It's one of their tent pole titles for when you're choosing a streaming service.

They paid a lot of money for the rights, so go make them feel good about it.

Is that I'm sorry?

Is that?

I was wondering that because it was an NBC show, so I figured it was going to be on Peacock.

Is that what it was?

Is like HBO just had a bidding warble of Friends.

Yeah, like we know that people want that makes sense smartest, Yeah?

Yeah.

So jumping into our synopsis, Monica invites Will, an old school friend of hers and Ross's, over for Thanksgiving dinner, unaware that he isn't a big fan of Rachel.

It was directed by Gary Halverson.

This is one of fifty six episodes of Friends he directed, and he was a very busy go to hire for TV shows.

He began his career as a director at the New York Metropolitan Opera.

Wow.

It was written by Shana Goldberg Mehand, who was an EP of the show.

This is one of four scripts she wrote.

She would later co create the infamous spinoff Joey with her husband, producer Scott Silvery and Worth, noting her father created Family Ties.

Wow, Gary David Goldberg was her dad.

Yes, wow, jeez, Yes, I had to look at her last name before.

Yeah, that's right, that's awesome starring and no need to go deep with these names.

You know all about them.

Jennifer Aniston is Rachel Green, a role she won an Emmy four Courtney Cox as Monica Geller, Lisa Kudrou is Phoebe Buffet, another Emmy winner for Friends, matt LeBlanc is Joey Tribiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing.

He tragically passed away in twenty twenty three at the age of fifty four, and David Schwimmer as Ross Gueller guest starring Brad Pitt as Will Colbert.

This is probably the show's most publicized guest star.

He was the real life boyfriend of Jennifer Aniston at the time, making up one of the biggest celebrity couples of our generation.

Oh yeah, and seeing the world's biggest movie star on TV back then just was not happening.

Nope, it was.

It was crazy that he was going to do an episode of TV.

Yeah, that would have been That would have been the film equivalent of in the seventies, like Robert de Niro going on Barney Miller, right right, It just would never have happened.

Yeah, that's such a young, cool reference for you.

So, you know what, can you speak up?

I can't hear everything you're saying.

And second of all, I'm old today and I'm loving it.

Wow.

By the way, there's people out there that are like, oh my god, spot on analogyo, what I'm talking about?

Thank you?

They probably don't know how to listen to a podcast, but they never heard of a podcast.

You know what's happening.

Oh, let's jump into our recap.

We start in Joey and Rachel's apartment.

Rachel, who's in the early stage of pregnancy, walks out in a bathrobe while Joey sits in his favorite lounge chair.

He's reading the book What to Expect when You're Expecting Worth, noting it is not his baby she's carrying.

They are not in a relationship, not yet.

Nope.

Joey is shocked by a section he just read.

It says a woman's finger will swell up to twice its size during pregnancy and never shrink back.

Rachel looks at her fingers in shock and then grabs the book to read it for herself.

Joey laughs, you fall for it every time.

Then Phoebe walks in with a bag full of her old maternity clothes.

Rachel immediately loves one pair of bold patterned pants with a stretchy waistband.

Phoebe explains that the pants expand as the baby grows, and once the baby's out, they're perfect for shoplifting melons.

All right, So I had no idea what was going on.

So she's pregnant with Ross's Yeah, I mean because they end up together.

I know that.

And the show started with Rachel running away from a wedding, correct and meeting the friends and becoming part of their crew.

Well, she grew up with with Rachel and Ross.

So Rachel was Monica's best friend in high school and Ross was the older brother, right, and then Rachel went off to Mary Barry and ran away from his Okay, but now they're.

So they're having a child even though they're not together.

Correct, they had there's a great episode.

I think it's called the one with a videotape where he actually Ross by accident videotapes the sexual encounter they have that gets her pregnant, okay, And it's really it's a very very funny episode where all of the other friends are like, we're we're gonna need to see the tape.

And then it's a question of do they watch it or do they not watch it?

What are they going to watch?

What are they not because she keeps saying it's hysterical.

She keeps saying, you hit on me, Ross and that's why this happened.

He's like, you came on to me.

And they have the whole encounter and he's like, I have.

It on tape and she's like, excuse me.

And so it's a really funny the way they get there.

But the thing about Friends is you can also tell where they are in the series by who's living with whom right, because it starts where Monica lives in that house, which they've they've done the work on where they say, like, if you actually were going to rent that nowadays it's like fourteen thousand dollars a month or something like that.

But she lives there in the rent controlled building that her grandmother left her, and Rachel moves in with her.

So that's Originally it was Joey and Chandler live in across the hall, Rachel and Monica lived together, and then Ross lives by himself, and then they keep switching partners.

Maybe also lives by herself at this point.

I think she lives by herself before she lived with her grandmother.

Okay, so the right now what's happening is eventually Monica and Chandler get together, so they move into that apartment, and so then Rachel ends up moving in with Joey, which then eventually leads to Ross.

And you think Ross.

And Rachel they're going to get back together, but actually Joey and Rachel start to get together.

It's they keep trading partners in and who's living with whom, but it's they all live with each other at some point.

Even Ross moves in with the guys at some point, So it's it they just trying to get everybody into these two sets.

Well, what I love is that, as much as you know, it feels like there's so much going on in this episode.

We're only in two sets.

The whole tome.

Yeah, it's just conversation.

It's just great character based.

It's beautiful set, it's big, and it's deep, and it's just it would be wonderful to shoot on that.

I know, there's places for them to go where they can still be kind of in the scene where you can imagine that they either could or could not overhear what's going on if they went up that hallway, the kitchen, you can imagine conversations going on in there, and then the living room by the TV.

And there's places to go, there's lots of places to sit.

There are so much stuff.

It's also really crammed full of things, which doesn't make it feel overwhelming.

It just looks full and lived in and gives people things to do.

And every little thing apparently was planned out, like every little thing.

So when you're in the guy's apartment and they shut the door, there's an etch a sketch on the back of the door that always has a different picture or a message.

And apparently there was a person that was hired at like two or three thousand dollars a week whose entire job was just to come in and change that etch a sketch.

Ever.

Really, wow, Yeah, that's cool.

Well, I have to say, it's like one of the smallest, geekiest things.

But the fact that the couch is sideways is amazing because think about it, every sitcom, the tradition is the couch faces the audience, and we still do this all the time.

And in this set or in the set we enter in the next scene, it's like it's sideways.

It makes such a difference, exactly what you're talking about, Danielle.

You have a division.

You can have people sitting.

On the couch instead of one giant room.

Yes, it's so basic, but it's so good.

And they also almost never they do.

There's times they do, but very rarely do you go into the bedrooms.

Occasionally you go into a bedroom, or you go into Rachel's bedroom, where you go in to Monica and Chandler's bedroom.

Occasionally you go into the bathroom, but it's rare.

Yeah, yeah, Well, then Monica walks in.

She's happy to see everyone.

She informs the crew that Thanksgiving will be at four o'clock tomorrow.

She adds that she invited Will Colbert from high school, but Rachel doesn't remember him.

Monica explains that he was in Ross's class.

Again, as Will mentioned Ross is Monica's older brother and Rachel's baby daddy to be.

This Will Colbert was in marching band and he was really overweight.

Monica reveals that back then she was his thin friend.

This is another famous thing that you should know from the show is that Monica in a flashback from Friends, is revealed to be and it was extremely overweight in high school.

Despite these clues, Rachel still can't place him.

She asks, are you sure that wasn't your imaginary boyfriend?

Monica grins, No, that was Jared.

She looks off longingly in the distance.

Wow, I haven't thought about him in a long time.

So good.

She snaps out of it and tells Rachel that Will's in town for business and had nowhere to go.

She also mentions that he lost a bunch of weight and looks really, really gorgeous.

Joey loudly clears his throat with a disapproving look, and Monica clarifies, I still love Chandler again.

Footnote Chandler is her husband and Joey and Ross's best friend.

Joey demands, wouldn't hurt you to say it once in a while.

Monica laughs it off and announces she won't be making a turkey this year.

Joey jumps out of his seat and protest, but Monica explains Phoebe doesn't eat turkey.

Joey then turns his blame to Phoebe, but she stands firm turkeys are beautiful, intelligent animals.

Joey argues, no, they're not.

They're ugly and stupid and delicious.

Monica assures him it's not just Phoebe.

Will is still on a diet, Chandler doesn't eat Thanksgiving food, and Rachel has an aversion to poultry.

In this scene, more than any other scene, I really felt like Joey is Will.

Yeah, Will me or Eric No, No, Will.

Is very smart, but so much of the Joey humor, both self deprecating and being around food and and like so much of it.

I'm like, this just is will Ford Dell.

I feel like we've actually had this argument because I'm anti turkey.

I'm like, why do we need to make the whole meal about this awesome and amazing, totally average bird that takes so much time?

I never understood, like, let's make Thanksgiving about anything but the turkey?

No?

Yes?

I also we should tell everybody out there and you.

I think you both know this, or maybe you don't.

The holiday that this show really wrapped itself around was Thanksgiving.

Yeah, like every year the big episode they did was a Thanksgiving episode.

They didn't really do a Christmas but they would occasionally or a Halloween episode, but everybody looked forward to their Thanksgiving episodes because they would usually do flashbacks or there would be some some kind of thing about the story that would really unfold.

I think the Thanksgiving episode is you see Ross and Chandler back in college dressed like they're basically in flock of seagulls with the hair like.

Yeah.

So this was like their big thing on Friends was the Thanksgiving episodes.

Great, I love it.

Rachel explains that she had to leave the room the other day when Joey had roast chicken, but he thought it was because he put the whole thing on his hand and made it walk across the table.

Again.

Monica says it's not worth the hassle to make an entire turkey for three people, but Joey argues, you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving.

That's like the Fourth of July with no apple pie or Friday with no two pizzas again, this is this is Wilfredll.

Monica gives in but tells him there's going to be a ton left over.

Joey shakes his head.

He promises he will finish that turkey.

Story set in motion.

Personally, it's off and running.

She just doesn't believe he can eat an entire turkey in one sitting, but Joey doesn't hesitate.

I'm a tribani.

This is what we do.

We may not be great thinkers or world leaders.

We don't read a lot or run very fast, but damn it, we can eat.

There's a great famous blooper from this episode where he says we're Tribbiani's we may not be great thinkers or good run fast or.

Good actors because he can't remember his lines.

That's amazing.

Oh that's so good.

And then the show intro plays, do you guys think this is maybe the most famous TV theme song of all time?

Well, here's the thing.

I was trying to get Indy to watch Friends with me last night.

Yeah, because we were you know, it was before his bedtime.

I was like, hey, you know I got to watch the show Friends.

He's like no, and I'm like you don't even know what it is, and he goes, I know.

There's the opening credit sequence with the song, and it's kind of like the opening A Boy Meets World, except they're all dancing around in front of a fountain.

And I was like, oh, oh, you do know friends.

He's like, yes, he's absorbed it.

I don't even know.

Yeah, exactly the cover opening credits.

Yeah, cheers is in the conversation mashesn't because when you when you start that cheers, you want to.

Go where everybody knows you.

That's not I mean there's some that are pretty famous, but yeah, you'd have to put friends up there.

Yeah yeah, And I just love like how young they are dancing fountain like, you know, because you're seeing them in the contemporary set it and then it keeps going.

I just it's great, It's okay.

It's also just so different because we know what that's like.

Well, it's like, hey, we're gonna throw you guys together.

We're shooting and opening title sequence.

Just have fun.

You don't dance, you can tell like some of them are very uncomfortable.

Shuffle and then look at the camera.

Oh hey yeah, just you know those days of shooting.

It's going to be cold.

They're in the fountains.

They're spitting water at each other's like, come on, you guys, jump in the fountain.

It'll be great.

Yeah, the kids want to, kids want to.

Yes, we know those days so well.

And then we're in Monica and Chandler's apartment.

Chandler is watching Thanksgiving football while Monica sets the table.

She asked out loud, isn't it weird to think about how next year, at this time there will be a little baby at the table.

Chandler's head whips around and he frantically examines her stomach.

She clarifies, Rachel's good to know where you're at.

Ben.

Phoebe walks in, wearing one of her signature Betsy Johnson's style bright outfits.

She wishes her friends a happy Thanksgiving and asks Monica if she needs any help.

Monica gladly puts her to work.

Since Chandler is so invested in the football game, She hands Phoebe a pile of napkins to fold, but then as a real type a abruptly stops her.

No, not like that, sweetie, We're not at a barn dance.

You want to fold them like swans, like I showed you at Christmas time.

That is my wife.

We're watching and I'm like, that's hug She's like, yeah, I know.

I mean it was like such a flashback to hey, hey, hi, you gonna you're gonna do the napkins like that this year for the table, Like you get that.

Kind of like, wow, you're doing it okay at Susan.

Yeah, Phoebe sarcastically says, oh yeah, it just came screaming back to me.

Monica leaves her to fold the napkins while she checks on the yams next door at Joey and Rachel's apartment.

Now alone, Phoebe makes her swans and asks Chandler how's the game.

He smugly responds, I have no idea.

I'm just pretending to watch the game so I don't have to help out with stuff.

Phoebe is shocked.

That is just brilliant.

Chandler says, Monica doesn't notice because every once in a while he just yells and screams stuff at the TV.

On cue, Monica walks in and Chandler screams at the TV, Hey, wait away, Monica smiles, is your team winning, honey?

Chandler improvs Oh yeah, Anderson just scored again.

Then he whispers to Phoebe, there's no Anderson.

They're so good.

Laughed out loud.

I did take many times.

You can't help it.

It's so good.

It's just easy, simple character bit.

It's so funny.

It just kills every time.

Phoebe wants in on this, shells Monica, I don't think I can help you.

After all, I didn't realize this game was on.

Monica didn't realize she liked football, so Phoebe explains, normally I don't.

But she squints at the TV.

Green Bay is playing.

Monica's surprised you like Green Bay, and Phoebe explains, well, it's lonely, like my favorite Bay, and then she runs to join the chandler on the couch.

Then there's a knock at the door and Monica answers it to find the brad Pitt on the other end.

The audience loses their minds, as they should.

By the way, this is like Brad Pitt from Did You Meet Joe Black, which is like the hottest Brad Pitt.

That's ever existed.

Sue said the same thing.

She's like, oh it, it's peak Brade.

Brad Pit it is Brad Pitt when every person in the world would be like, I would leave anyone for him.

Yeah, yeah, I would sleep with that guy.

Yeh.

And I say that as a fully heterosexual male, I would and wake up in the morning be like totally totally.

Worth it, worth it.

They hug and wish each other a happy thingsgiving Manica admits, God, will you look so great?

You must have lost like he cuts her off one hundred and fifty pounds.

Yeah, I'm gonna be in one of those Subway sandwich commercials.

A joke that does not hold up.

No, the only one, maybe, Jared, Yeah, the only one.

Now, I have a question.

As a sitcom actor sometimes you notice that film actor.

I mean, it's just a different way of ask this.

I know.

So when he first comes in, some of the jokes are a little staccato.

I was worried, doesn't worry.

I didn't feel he's.

Just gonna through this.

But then he nails it, and he gets by the end of the shaky because they gave him great things to do, Like it's perfect.

Because at first I was like, Oh, they're just gonna talk about how he looks, and he's just going to like walk through this stiffly.

But when they gave him the motivation of being angry at Rachel, I was like, oh good, and he nailed it.

Yeah, but yeah, it started shaky the first cup.

I thought the same gang.

I thought, oh no, he's going to be bad.

But no, you're right that what the change was the minute you knew he wasn't just going to be a guest at Thanksgiving.

Who was gorgeous character him and mouthings.

Written smoldering, so good.

Will hands are a pie.

It's no fat, no sugar, no dairy.

It's no good.

Just throw it out.

Monica introduces him to Chandler, who waves and explains, I'd shake your hand, but I'm really into the game.

Plus I think it'd be better for my ego if we didn't stand right next.

To each other.

Which one, I love that joke just on its face, it's a great joke.

But two, I love that as the director for all the blocking in this, to figure out if they did if it said in the script, and then they shake hands, and now you have to figure out how Chandler gets from here to over there and then back over to the couch is a logistical nightmare.

And so the fact that they had a great, wonderful joke to keep him right where he is is just amazing.

And on that tip, by the way, I think I've mentioned this, the hardest thing to shoot is dinner table scenes.

Like dinner table scenes are the hardest things to direct, and this show does it so well well.

They had to bring cameras into the set in order to get both sides of the table.

I bet you this was multiple setups, multiple It's a nightmare, and you never lose energy.

Everything just pops.

The acting is great.

This is so well directed this episode, so.

The way they incorporated the passing of food into the storyline so that it isn't just like unnecessary business so great.

Monica introduces Phoebe next, who gives a casual hey, but when she turns back to the TV, she mouths wow and glances up to this guy to congratulate God on a job well done.

Meanwhile, Will can't help but admire how great Monica looks, and she gives him returns with a similar round of compliments for him.

Chandler pipes up, I'm watching the game, but I'm not deaf.

Will is excited to hear that Ross will be joining them for Thanksgiving.

But when Monica mentions that Rachel Green will also be there, he suddenly looks angry.

He admits, through grinded teeth, God, I hated her.

She was horrible to me in high school.

He lets out a sigh.

Well it was a long time ago.

I'm in a good place.

It might be fun to see her again.

Then he impulsively asks cutny cakes or cookies or something.

He also does the perfect He does the Brad Pitt with Ready first years about He goes like, it's like that weird head to Brad Pitt headshake that he does in all the things.

It's so great.

He quickly scolds himself.

No will no on the couch.

Chandler reminds Phoebe they need to scream something at the TV, so they both let out some dramatic oh nos and come on before Phoebe takes it too far, yelling, damn you res reef.

You burn it, you burn it out.

Then Joey walks in rummaging through a bag of chips.

Monica snaps in him, what are you doing?

You got to save room.

You're You've got almost an entire turkey to eat.

Joey responds, let me explain to you how the human body works.

Again, This is Will for now.

I don't know what else to tell you, but someone owes you massive royalties, curious residuals for this inspo like I have to warm up my stomach first.

Eating chips is like stretching Triviani's never Get Full.

Will chimes in, I actually know what you're talking about, and I'm here to tell you something.

Friend.

You can eat and eat and eat, but nothing will ever fill that void.

Joey just nods and then turns back to Monica who.

And here it's a perfect writing to combine to to thematically link A and B stories like it's just.

It's so great.

Well, the B story is ridiculous and so fun, But then it still connects.

It still ties in.

Monica introduces him to Will and they shake hands.

Then Ross walks in and sees his old friend Will you came man, you look incredible, hot stuff, hot sup.

He gives Will a.

Hug, but then questions his word choice hot stuff.

The two catch up.

Will tells him he's a commodities broker, and Ross says that's interesting.

Will admits it's not, but I'm rich, and then Ross states, I don't think i've seen you since Lance Davis's graduation party.

Will remembers that being such a fun night, and Ross admits it would have been more fun if we had gotten in, but still real fun.

Will remembers how lame they used to be.

Remember how into dinosaurs we were.

It's such a good joke, sists exactly.

Ross is clearly embarrassed she has grown up to become a palaeontologist.

Will asks, so what do you do now?

And Ross immediately changes the subject, and then Rachel walks and Will stares at her with the fury of a thousand zun's.

Ross quickly remembers Will's hatred and asks if he's going to be okay.

Will just continues to stare at Rachel.

I'll be fine.

It's just God, I hate her Ross, I hate her, and then he crushes a few of Monica's fake flowers in the process.

This is the perfect example of a show that's funny from beginning to end without it being.

Joke joke joke, joke, joke, joke, joke joke joke.

Yeah, like the whole thing is just funny.

Yeah, it's it's the comedy is coming from the situation, and it's not set up joke, set up joke, set up joke, it's just situation after situation that you're giggling or laughing the entire time in between waiting for the next Joes.

Yes, it's incredible, totally.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Because the characters are so well developed.

Yeah, they're allowed to have nuance even though they're they're very clear, right like it, but like the just think about the layers of ross in this episode, right right, Like he's able to be like hanging with Brad Bitt, haven't but the and they were dorky kids together, so they were like the losers in high school and that ends up being actually the plot reveal later at the dinner table.

It's so good.

It's so good.

It gives everybody like a level of realism that even though it's completely over the top, Yeah, it never feels like it never feels like it's just it's all built out of what you believe and what you know about these characters, so that when the ridiculous situation or the exposure of somebody's secret is.

Revealed, it feels natural.

It's like, yes, it's been perfectly set up God, it's good.

It's really good.

Ross reminds him that high school was a long time ago, but Whill's still obsessing.

Look at her with those yams.

My two greatest enemies, Rachel Green and Complex CARLOI perfect joke.

Then Rachel finally notices him.

She whispers to Monica, Oh my god, who is that.

Monica tells her that's Will from high school, and Rachel's shocked she doesn't remember him at all.

She admits, Wow, he's really got that sexy, smoldering thing going on.

The camera cuts to Will, he still furiously staring her down to.

Kill her with his eyes, and she's like, that's so sexy.

Rachel is giddy.

Look at the way he's just staring at me.

I think he's trying to mouth something to me, but I can't make it out.

Again, the camera cuts to Will, who's very obviously mouthing I hate you.

Monica decides to intervene.

Dinner's ready.

Chandler and Phoebe hop off the couch and yell good game, solid effort.

Monica asks them who won, and Phoebe answers Green Bay, while Chandler says Detroit.

At the same time, Phoebe clarifies the Lion's technically won, but it was a moral victory for the Green Bay mermans.

That's right.

Rachel grabs a glass of water, then finds Will standing directly behind her.

She introduces herself and he nods, yeah, I remember you.

She takes the has a compliment and admits she's having the hardest time placing him, but then realization hits did we fool around at Lance Davis's graduation party?

He shakes his head and responds, you are unbelievable.

But she's still not getting this, and she thanks him.

Thank you.

Once again, Monica intervenes.

She makes sure Rachel and Will sit on opposite sides of the table.

Monica sets a plate near Joey and uncovers a chicken.

Joey scoffs, that's it.

Even if no one helps me, I'd be able to finish that.

No problem.

At least give me a challenge.

Monica laughs at him, this is Chandler's chicken.

She grabs the turkey, which is a bird three times its size, and plops it in front of Joey.

This is the turkey.

He nervously asks how big is it, and Monica tells him about nineteen pounds, He gasps, just like me when I was born.

Rachel asks the table, would you like some yams?

Will?

He scowls, Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?

Now?

Way, I have a question, though she doesn't want to make a turkey.

She knows it's only for three people.

Why get a twenty pound tree?

You can't get a fourteen You gotta get the giant one Nica comedy.

Will I know, I know, I'm familiar, but she doesn't understand.

As Joey passes the turkey right past her, she complains, can we please keep the chicken and the turkey on the other side of the table.

The smell is just yack?

Will not so subtly coughs typical.

Rachel asks what he means, and he finally breaks I said it was typical, typical of you, Rachel Green Queen Rachel does whatever she wants in her little Rachel land.

He pretends to flick his hair back and the audience loves this.

Joey asks again, seriously, who is this guy?

Who is this guy?

Then Rachel pipes up, Sorry, do you have a problem with me?

Will responds, I don't know, do I do?

I Phoebe states the obvious, I think you do.

Monica fills Rachel in, apparently you were a little mean to him in high school.

Will scoffs a litl mean.

You made my life miserable.

Rachel admits I had no idea.

I'm sorry.

Will huffs, well, you should be screw it.

Bring on the yams.

Monica tries to protest, reminding him that he's worked so hard, but he screams, yams, you shad obliges.

Will angrily stares at Rachel as he scoops spoonful after spoonful of yams onto his plate.

Rachel tries to apologize for whatever she did to him, but Will reveals it wasn't just me.

We had a club, the I Hate Rachel Green Club.

Rachel gasps, so what you all just joined together to hate me?

Who else was in this club?

Will lists off the members, Me and Ross.

He proceeds to point at Rachel's baby daddy slash ex boyfriend sitting next to him.

Ross tells Will no need to point, she knows who Ross is.

We get a nice sitcom cliffhanger commercial break, and then we returned back at the table.

Rachel's dumbfounded you were in and I hate Rachel club.

Will proudly answers, yes he was, and holds up a hand to high five Ross.

Ross politely leaves him hanging as Rachel continues to interrogate who else was in this club.

Ross tells her there was also that exchange student from Thailand, but I don't think he knew what it was.

Rachel asks him, So we went out for two years and you never told me you were in and I hate Rachel club.

Now, Will is the shocked one.

You went out with her.

We had a pact, Ross laughs.

That was in high school.

It's not like it was binding forever.

Will wonders, then, why did it have the word eternity in it?

I just love this.

I love this so much.

Did you just immediately seen the two of them making a pledge?

Yeah, runs the eternity.

I love it so much as still thinks it's binding.

That's one of the things I love about it is that I really do believe there are two different types of people.

Some who believe like my childhood packs are for that and I would never betray my bestie from eleventh grade, and people who are like that means nothing.

I was a child how have we not moved on from this?

These are not legally binding?

Rachel asks Monica if she knew about this.

Monica swear she didn't, and asks Ross and Will, is that why you guys would go up to your bedroom and lock the door?

They both nod and say yes.

Monica admits a little relieved.

I gotta say not free from the gay panic gay panic in the nineties.

He's gotta be a twist of gay panic.

It's everyone just a sprinkling sprinkle, sprinkling phobia and gay panic.

Ross tells Rachel he's sorry.

He starts to explain.

The only reason I joined, Will jumps in, co founded.

Ross clarifies, co founded the club was that I was insanely in love with you.

Obviously I didn't handle it very well, but I if you think about it, the I Hate Rachel Club was really the I Love Rachel Club.

Will clarifies, except that it really was that I Hate Rachel Club.

Rachel has still worked up, So you guys would just get together and just like say mean things about me, Will boast, So we did a little more than that, Ross begs him.

Oh no, no, no, no, no, no no no.

So phoebe asks what else did you do?

Will grinns we started a rumor.

Rachel wants to know what it was, and Ross starts to stammer.

Phoebe interjects again, come on, Will, just take off your shirt and tell us.

So amazing.

I feel like that was an adlub from her.

I like, honestly, yeah, I feel like that's something she just said.

And I don't know why I have that feeling, but I it's a.

Perfect runner just established that she because at the end when she hugs.

It, I know.

But also, it's been such a long time since she's really like made other than the wow and looking up to God like, it's been a while since anybody's reminded us that he's very good looking, and so the fact that she throws it in there like about something else is just so funny.

Ross finally reveals the rumor was that you had both male and female reproductive parts.

Rachel is shocked, but Will is loving it.

He brags, that's right.

We said your parents flipped a coin and decided to raise you as a girl, but you still had a hint of a penix.

A hint of a penis is She's the perfect way of describing it is something that you wanted to start as a rumor.

It's just such a great band name.

Hint of a penis, hint of penis.

Great.

Yeah.

Rachel's in disbelief, and Monica chimes in, you started that.

Rachel gasps, you heard that, Monica breaks the news.

Everyone at our school heard it.

Chandler chimes in, everyone at my school heard it.

You were the hermaphrodite cheerleader from Long Island.

Rachel covers her face and horror.

Oh my god, this is all making so much sense to me.

Now.

This is why Adam Carter wouldn't go out with me.

This is why Billy Tratt would just stay in this region.

Motioning to her upper half, Ross tries to make her feel better.

Actually, Billy Trott is gained, so that one's not really our fault.

Rachel asks Monica why she never told her this.

Monica says, I thought it might be true, and I was afraid that you were gonna cry and then show it to me.

That's a great one.

Joey intensely stares at her pants, and she smacks him on the arm.

Stop staring.

There's nothing there.

It's not true, Joey responds, I'm afraid I'm gonna need proof, and Rachel storms out.

Later that night, we're in Monica and Chandler's apartment.

Joey stares at his half eaten turkey and declares, you are my everest.

Monica assures him he doesn't have to finish it, but Joey argues, I do otherwise.

What's next?

Today I'm just a guy who can't finish a turkey, But tomorrow I'm the guy who eats half a power bar, wraps up the rest and puts it in the fridge.

Funny joke.

Ye, He realizes he just needs to change his pants.

Jeans have no give?

What was I thinking?

Jeeves have no give?

Again?

This is so Will Like, I can totally imagine going to Will and Susan's house for Thanksgiving and Will being like, I've got my stretch your pants on, like I It's perfect, It's true.

Uh.

He walks out, just as Rachel comes storming in with her yearbook in hand.

She announces to everyone, listen to what Sean McMahon wrote in my yearbook Senior year.

Dear Rach, you're such a great person, not girl person.

Ross rolls his eyes.

I think you're reading a little too much into it.

She reads the rest of the message to prove him wrong.

Dear Rach, you're a great person.

Sorry about your teeny weeny.

Will loves it, but Ross asks her, what do you want me to do?

You want me to call everyone in the entire school and tell them it wasn't true.

She says yes, and Will buts in, could you also tell them I'm skinny now?

And Monica jumps in, oh me too.

Ross says he isn't calling anyone because it was like a million years ago, but Rachel doesn't care.

She reminds Ross, I never did anything to hurt you in high school.

Monica can't stand by without saying something, well, that's not entirely true.

You did start that rumor about Ross making out with missus Altman, our fifty year old librarian.

Ross stands up and shouts, how did you know that this?

Which is such a great turn, like the fact that he get angry that.

It was revealed and it's her section though this whole random story is so perfect because.

She's fifty and by the way, by the way, apparently it was just a thing in the nineties that teachers hooked up with students, and it was not at all a problem for the teacher.

It was looked at as like, what was wrong with you child?

Yeah, it's like.

It's also because if it wouldn't.

Have worked in the opposite gender, if it was one of the if it was one of the women.

Yeah, I mean talking about me when she was sixteen making out it with a fifty year old teacher, a guy, that it wouldn't have hit the same way.

Yeah, raw, different times, different times, different times.

I know it's on a bump.

It's a romp.

It's a it's an illegal romp.

Monica is shocked.

Statutory romp.

Statutory romp is brilliant.

It's absolutely brilliant.

Monica is shocked it's true.

Then Ross unconvincingly tries to deny it.

Rachel jumps in, I saw you guys going at it behind the card catalog.

Ross stammers at the accusation, and Will cuts in.

She also made out with taka Ki KEHK the night before he went back to Thailand.

Chandler can't let this go.

I'm sorry, in high school you made out with a fifty year old woman.

Ross defends his actions.

She didn't look fifty Chandler asks, did she look sixteen.

The way and that delivery just the way?

Did she look sixteen just the way he did?

Is so ough?

It's gorgeous.

I know.

He does do things with an offbeat that just makes you love them because they don't hit the rhythm the same way, and it just it does.

It stands out.

It's so good.

Rachel realizes there's a picture of her in the yearbook.

She shows everyone and they collectively get asp Ross explains she didn't photograph well.

Chandler ads, well, she probably wasn't familiar with the process, having spent most of her life sitting for oil painting.

Yes, she is my age fifty is it's insane.

But this whole set of jokes, it just kills.

When it rains.

I was like, you know when it was down down brilliant.

Oh my god, it's so good.

And we haven't left this set.

We have not left this set.

We will not leave this set.

No, like, we do not need much more than just funny people.

Oh my god, it's so good.

Phoebe wonders, how did this happen?

Did she lure you to an early bird dinner?

Ross says, I was working late in the library one afternoon.

It was just the two of us.

She needed some help with her word jumble.

Everyone watches on and they're all very clearly trying not to break.

Ross continues, and one thing led to another.

If you must know, Anita was very gentle and tender.

May she rested bees.

Monica questions didn't she walk with a cane?

Ross shouts only when it was damn.

He is disgusted by Rachel.

I can't believe you told people about this.

Everybody knew.

He looks at Will and declarre's I'm back in the club.

He gives Will an overly enthusiastic high five, and Phoebe raises her hand.

I want to join.

Rachel can't believe this.

Phoebe explains, I'm sorry, but I never got to be in a club.

I didn't get to go to high school.

But three of us would meet behind a dumpster to learn French bonjour.

Rachel tells them, fine, you guys can have your stupid little club, But I would just like to say that what you did to me is way worse than what I did to you.

You gave me a teeny weenie.

Will laughs and nods with pride.

Monica tries to bring Rachel back to reality.

Even with that rumor, you were one of the most popular girls in school.

Everyone wanted to be like you.

One girl wanted to be like you so much she stuffed her pants with a Tootsie roll.

Jesus, Rachel's touched, Monica tells Ross, and if it weren't for Rachel's rumor, no one in high school would even have known who you were.

She put you on the map.

Ross argues as a romancer of the elderly.

Monica admits that missus Altman was the kind of woman where you could tell she used to be pretty.

He remembers the eyes they did still sparkle.

Monica reminds him of the bigger picture.

This was way in the past.

You've been through so much since then, and right now you've got so much more important stuff going on in your lives.

Can't you just let this go?

Rachel and Ross realize Monica's right.

Ross adds, I mean we are having a baby together.

Will is shocked.

Hold On, you got her pregnant?

I love that.

Hold On, Ros says yes, and Will asks are you getting married?

Ros says no, so Will smirks you knocked her up, But you're not going to marry her.

He holds his hand up for a high five.

Again.

Dude Ross doesn't participate in the celebration, so Will looks around the room.

Anybody.

Phoebe jumps up from the couch.

Okay, she gives him a long hug in size.

It's exactly how I imagined it would be.

Joey storms in, wearing Phoebe's maternity pants.

Where's that turkey?

Phoebe explains those are her maternity pants, but Joey argues, no, no, these are my Thanksgiving pants, and he shows off the stretchiness and once again takes his seat with the bird.

Then we're in the tag Monica and Chandler's apartment later that night.

Joey victoriously sets his fork down next to the fully devoured turkey and wipes his forehead.

Ah, here come the meat sweats.

Monica hands him a towel.

We're all very proud of you.

Chandler adds, yes, I believe we can expect to call from the President any moment now.

Phoebe asks if there's anything they can do for him, and he says no, just nobody press on my stomach.

Rachel tells him he can keep the pants behind him.

Monica's wrapping up some pie leftovers and Joey perks up.

What do you got there?

Is that pie?

Monica laughs, yeah, you want some?

He responds, just cut me a little sliver.

Monica goes to cut him a piece, and he insists, not a little bigger.

She makes the cut a little larger, but it's not enough, he insists, a little bigger.

Why are you afraid you're gonna run out?

Come me a real peace?

You're a real peace.

My god, what an amazing episode.

It's just like barely any resolution, I don't care.

So much fun and so much fun.

Thing that's amazing is most of them are like this.

I know, the vast majority of Friends episodes are this good.

They really are.

It's the writing is so top notch.

It's crazy.

Yeah, so fun.

Now, why couldn't.

A show exactly like this work?

But everyone's in their late forties and fifties?

Yeah, I know, because those people share apartments.

Yeah, but it's like somebody's divorced, you know, obviously somebody would be divorced.

Somebody is the bachelor who's been a bachelor now he's fifty one.

There's so many ways to do this over again.

You just have a good writing team, because god, the writing is so.

Perfect it is, it's so good.

It's the thing that makes it work.

I mean.

Also the fact that the casts chemistry, like writer said.

Is just insane, and apparently they were like according to everybody, the six of them were thickest thieves the entire time they shot the show.

It was never like this one person was getting too big for their bitches, or this person wanted more.

It was they were together.

As a unit the entire time.

They always renegotiated together.

They were I mean, it was no egos on the set.

I mean, you had people that were blowing up on the show at the time.

You know, Matthew Perry was going off and doing movies.

Jennifer Aniston was going off and doing movies.

It would have been so easy for the egos to come in and destroy this entire set, and apparently it just never happened.

They were first and foremost all about their friends and doing the show.

And that's amazing.

It shows so cool.

Well, thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World.

As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World Show you can send us your emails podmeets World Show at gmail dot com.

And we've got March.

Could there be any more merch?

Pod Meets Worldshow dot com.

Who did it last time?

Right?

You should do it, Daniel You haven't done it in.

A while with this voice.

No, well, that's why you do it, because you've got the sexy rest take us out, sexy.

We love you all, pod dismissed.

Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfridell and Wryter Strong Executive producers, Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tara sudbachsch producer, Maddy Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World super fan Easton Allen.

Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon.

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