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S1E11 - The One With Mrs. Bing
57 Plays1 month ago
Join Alasdair and DeeAnn as we discuss Fabio, going to the wrong bathroom and if we judged a previous character too quickly!!
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Transcript
Introduction and Host Banter
00:00:05
Speaker
Well, hello and welcome to the latest episode of the Purple Door Podcast, a Friends Rewatch Pod. I'm one of your hosts, Alistair, along with my good friend, Deanne. Hello, Deanne. How are you?
00:00:16
Speaker
I'm doing great, Al. How are you? Yeah, doing wonderful. It's not early. What is it? 10.15 on a Sunday morning, but the weather's beautiful. We're starting off the day of recording a podcast. I think it's going to be a fantastic Sunday.
00:00:30
Speaker
Yes, I'm excited to get outside this afternoon. Yes, without it being too cold. Yesterday was all right. it wasn't It was a bit chilly, but not too bad. But today is going to be beautiful, I think.
Episode Focus: 'The One with Mrs. Bing'
00:00:41
Speaker
Well, today we are reviewing the one with Mrs. Bing. We meet Chandler's mom for the first time. So I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this episode. But as always, let's start off with a round of Bamboozled. And I'm looking forward to hearing questions from you, Deanne.
Quiz and Scene Discussion: Ross's Tequila Antics
00:01:00
Speaker
All right, Al. So how many tequila shots did Ross have? oh Assuming that there's a clue on the table.
00:01:13
Speaker
Okay, you know what? i I didn't count it, so going to have to guess. But a few seconds, this shot before that, I did look to make sure there was eight tequila shots and, you know, there was six people and then Rachel and Paolo arrived.
00:01:28
Speaker
But then I didn't look at how many were left after Ross had... I never even look to see how many there started out with because I remember her pouring them, but I didn't. Yeah, and eight makes sense because there'd be the six characters plus Mrs. Bing and then Paolo.
00:01:43
Speaker
So that would be the eight. But then I didn't look, so I'm going to guess six. and That's a lot. what That is a lot. So there were three in front of him that were upside down, and then he was using one of the shot glasses so that he could, you know, appraise.
00:02:01
Speaker
I do love that scene. Well, given what he does in the next scene, I think he might have had to have six or seven, but four. Four we'll go
Chandler's Mom: Name Confusion
00:02:10
Speaker
with. I do love the appraisal scene.
00:02:13
Speaker
All right. Well, my first one for you is what is Chandler's mom's either middle name or first part of her hyphenated last name?
00:02:24
Speaker
What? her Okay. i Nora Bing. Right? Yes. That is her name, but she actually, when Jay Leno introduces her, I think that's the scene, it's Nora something Bing.
00:02:37
Speaker
Oh. I have no idea. Because I know Paulo, whenever he walks in and he sees her on the TV, he says, oh, Nora Bing. Nora Bing.
00:02:48
Speaker
No, he introduces her as Nora Tyler Bing. Oh. I'm assuming Tyler, you know, maybe her maiden name and hyphenated more than a middle name. But, yeah, she was Morgan Tyler Bing.
00:03:02
Speaker
All what's the second one you've got for me? Morgan or Nora? Oh, sorry, sorry, Nora. No, Morgan's the actress. Sorry. Yes, Nora. I was like, wait, whoa. Hold on a moment.
00:03:13
Speaker
My notes are all wrong. All
Critique of Monica and Phoebe's Coma Scene
00:03:16
Speaker
right. What room is Mrs. Bing staying in? So that is one of my questions.
00:03:24
Speaker
but So I've written down 226. Yes. and we And the reason I i can eat i even know that without looking back at my notes is because when we were watching Kate, I can't remember why, I'll need to ask her, was hoping it was room 227 because apparently room 227 was in some other show and was quite well known.
00:03:44
Speaker
I'll find out what show. There was a whole show called, only I thought it was 226. Was it 227? she I'm not familiar to with this show at all. She thought it was 227.
00:03:55
Speaker
We're going to have to look that up real quick. but speaking Right. yeah She's right, of course. Why would I ever question Kate? Of course she's right. But that's exactly what I thought of whenever I heard her say that. i That sitcom.
00:04:09
Speaker
I need to look this sitcom up because that hurt it caught her ear. And then we went back and we watched it she was like, was that 226 or 227? Yeah, and that sitcom was a spinoff of another show.
00:04:22
Speaker
really All right, I've got some homework again today. All right, let's my second question for you, this one I think is tricky. Part our conversation before we started recording, this one might be a bit obscure, but what flavor of ice cream is Chandler eating when his mom is on the TV?
Detailed Scene Analysis and Trivia
00:04:41
Speaker
Flavor? Flavor or type. I'll give you anything. Okay. So, yeah, it's a Haagen-Dazs container. It is indeed. its Yeah, I have no idea what flavor, though. we We had to squint our eyes to have a good look because it is coffee.
00:04:57
Speaker
But you get the point. Haagen-Dazs is impressive. That's so funny. Well, and the thing is, is that I was looking at, there's a couple of other, like, scenes throughout the show where they're eating Haagen-Dazs ice cream.
00:05:10
Speaker
But I've never, like, zoomed in or... or paid close enough attention to see a flavor so definitely some product placement of some sort okay so then this is one of the ah it might be obscure but what newspaper stand is outside of central perk like and i said newspaper stand just like that's It's not really a newspaper stand. It's like a like a vending machine, but it's not. you know the The little thing where you put your quarter in and cool ah pull it open and take out your newspaper or if you're scared, the whole stack.
00:05:49
Speaker
Yes. um so the is ah you I don't know, but are you looking for the name of the newspaper? Mm-hmm. Okay. So i feel like I immediately think of the New York Times and the Post I feel the times is kind of fancier. So we're going to go with the post.
00:06:07
Speaker
Nope. Oh, USA today. Oh, dearie me. I didn't catch that. That's a great question. Didn't catch that at all. Well, and it's in a couple of different shots, like in a couple of different shots. And it's like right at the bottom and there's two there, you know, and then the girls are leaving and, and then there's that whole thing like right out front of the thing, of the,
00:06:33
Speaker
ah shop and But the one on the right is the USA Today, and it's got like the the symbol, the logo for USA Today, which is why that stood out.
00:06:45
Speaker
I'm going to have to look back at that. Okay, so I think this is my third question for you. What compliment does the mystery man pay to Phoebe in the opening scene?
00:06:56
Speaker
Okay. Ooh, I know this one. And I was going back and forth because they were both wearing hats. So that was our, ah you know, when I watched this again, think it was to Phoebe, but it could have been to Monica.
00:07:10
Speaker
Yeah, because they both said thank you. That's true. That's true. And so I don't know, but it it was nice hat. Nice hat indeed.
00:07:20
Speaker
Yes. All right. Oh, i can't ask you that one. Wait. oh Yeah, I can.
00:07:31
Speaker
but So I went through, and and this one, it's from the very end, and I was going to ask how many mistakes in Rachel's manuscript, if you will, how many mistakes did they find?
00:07:52
Speaker
I'm going to go. I didn't count it. oh Okay. you know Actually, I'm going to. How many mistakes did they find on the first page?
00:08:05
Speaker
Three. It is three. Excellent. I thought we remembered three interactions. ah well and They found one more, but Phoebe had already flipped her page. She's on the second one, but that got cut out of Like that's on just the DVD version.
00:08:25
Speaker
Interesting. So three. Right on. love it. All right. So let's see. I've got three more for you all in all. Oh, me too. Oh, excellent. What two professions do Monica and Phoebe decide the coma guy has?
00:08:42
Speaker
He's something and something on the side.
00:08:48
Speaker
He's a lawyer. Yep. And then he's something artistic because he has the grooves in his knuckles. Yes. um
00:08:59
Speaker
is it it He teaches, is it pottery? You would get at least half a point in my book. He's a lawyer who's a sculptor, a sculptor on the side.
00:09:13
Speaker
That's very close. That's to me, I think. oh Perfect. I love that. All right. Here's another obscure. Man, numbers and obscure things is is my theme for this specific episode.
00:09:29
Speaker
So what's the name of the restaurant that they all ate at?
00:09:37
Speaker
I don't even know where I would have seen. i Obviously, it must have been and they're all sitting in the restaurant. I don't remember the name. ah remember Ross saying who chose this dive or something. Uh-huh.
00:09:50
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. and You know, what so Joseph said that that was too obscure. So then I'll ask you what kind of restaurant. That's what he felt. Okay.
00:10:02
Speaker
i I don't think it's too obscure asking the name of the restaurant because I've asked you the name of the dry cleaners. the one with the East German laundry detergent. So I think it's a fair question.
00:10:14
Speaker
Okay. But but point is it some kind of sushi or something something like that? Okay. So that's what I thought because he makes the comment, I hope it's not Kung Pao chicken.
00:10:30
Speaker
Right. Whatever she's talking about that. yeah I assumed it was an Asian restaurant. Right. on the On the bathroom doors, it's Chico's and Chica. That's right. There is um bullfighters on the wall.
00:10:45
Speaker
There's pouring tequila shots. You're right. Of course. Yes. and The name of it is the Mexican Village. I didn't catch that, but i could have inferred to what type of restaurant it was.
00:10:57
Speaker
Yeah. No, that's a great question. I like it. and All right. I've got two more for you. What color was the sweater that Monica knitted for the coma guy?
00:11:09
Speaker
Green. You knew that? yet Green it is? I did. because Okay. So that shade of green is one of my favorite colors. Good to know. so I was like, that's a great color. good one I would like one of those.
00:11:23
Speaker
Yeah. ah All right. So what is the name? of Rachel Karen Green's manuscript that she's writing. Oh, hold on a second.
00:11:35
Speaker
I believe that's near the back of my notes. Oh, don't tell me I didn't write it down. ah today A woman undone. Nice.
00:11:46
Speaker
Yes. ah Again, credit to Kate, because I didn't write that down. And she said that might be a question. So, yeah yes, she's sneaking like that.
00:11:57
Speaker
All right. My last one for you is how many copies of her books does Mrs. Bing say she has sold? Hey, guess what? My question number seven is. I can't imagine. How many copies has Nora Bing sold?
00:12:12
Speaker
100 million copies. And I want to discuss that later, but yeah that's what I have. 100 million. ah And we have to talk about that scene because one of the lines that got cut from yours makes more sense as to why that kiss happened.
00:12:30
Speaker
So, we'll talk. I've just got to buy the DVD set. This is getting ridiculous. and And also, that I was doing some research on this, on this episode, just looking around, and there's a a blooper that is apparently in that scene that we watched it like five times. We cannot see.
00:12:49
Speaker
So when we get there, remind me, I'd like to see if it might be in the DVD version.
Ross and Nora Bing's Controversial Kiss
00:12:55
Speaker
Okay. All right. But you have another question for me or is that it? No, that was it. My last question was about... I love it That was a great round of bamboozled. those i love those questions.
00:13:07
Speaker
We did a great job. We did. Let's dive into this episode. where We're starting off outside, which isn't too common so far. We mentioned this to each other off the air last week. that In the background, you can see Joey's VD poster from a few episodes ago, which I think is a great thought throwback.
00:13:26
Speaker
but um I'm going to start off by... reminding you possibly, and I don't think we spoke on air about it. Well, we did talk about the fact that we, Kate and I, went and did the Warner Brothers tour where you saw some of the Friends sets earlier this month.
00:13:40
Speaker
And that street where this is filmed is, in Friends, certainly the same street where the girls meet Jean-Claude Van Damme. And it's also the street where Annie filmed, oh, The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.
00:13:56
Speaker
That's the street that she sings that on. And then there were some other things too, but those stood out to me yeah as that location, which I thought was really interesting. But Monica and Phoebe are buying a newspaper.
00:14:07
Speaker
And then, you know, they see this handsome man who compliments one or both of their hats and then comes to a very unfortunate, you know, an incident. Yes.
00:14:20
Speaker
Well, it made me laugh whenever Monica, she grabs Phoebe and she says the line about oh that. Here's a guy. That can, what did she say? It was so funny, but it made me laugh. like Send us all into a pit of despair. That's right.
00:14:38
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, but behind us is a guy who has the potential to break our hearts and plunge us into a pit of depression. Right. It's like a Chandler line.
00:14:49
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. you know And I made a comment an episode or three or four ago about Monica is not really funny. You know, like funny is not her thing.
00:15:01
Speaker
But in this episode, she says a few just quick lines that were like legitimately funny. Like, oh, ah whatever we get to it. But the part she's, what did I even just ask?
00:15:16
Speaker
And she's funny in this episode. Like like it legitimately funny to me. That's really interesting because that's not... It's not that I didn't think she was funny, but i love that you've got that different take of that because that's it hadn't really crossed my mind. But you're absolutely right.
00:15:32
Speaker
She has some great sort of one-liners throughout this. So the guy, is he hit by an ambulance? I've forgotten. Yes, he is. Yes, that's what I thought. And we kind of go straight from there and he's in the coma.
00:15:44
Speaker
And I've got so many issues with this guy in the coma and how this is filmed and... We'll get to the guy himself when he wakes up. But how are they in this guy's hospital room and they don't even know his name?
00:15:58
Speaker
Nobody knows this guy's name. He is John Doe, a female Doe. Right. Or female deer. ah Whatever that line was with Phoebe. But, um yeah, what is happening there?
00:16:12
Speaker
Yeah, like... I'm very fortunate. I've A, never been in a coma, and I don't think I've ever visited anyone who is. But I imagine they'd have a lot of bits and pieces hanging off their body.
00:16:23
Speaker
This guy just kind of looks like he's taking a nap with, like, one thing in his wrist, if I recall. Like, there's there's very little going on for a guy who's in a coma, I feel. Well, and I... Why is he not in ICU?
00:16:37
Speaker
Right. but ah Normally, where... ah yeah I've been in a few different ICUs in like different hospitals, but those rooms are normally open to the nurse's station and there's a lot of beeping and a lot of noises and a lot of people in and out.
00:16:58
Speaker
Right. So it's very strange that he's just kind of chilling in this room where nobody's ever checking on him except for Phoebe and Monica.
00:17:09
Speaker
Yeah, I feel that they can almost just walk into the hospital and straight into the room and nobody bats an eyelid and they just stay there for hours. It just seems very odd indeed to me, the whole sort of setup of that.
00:17:24
Speaker
um But we go from there to back actually to the girl's apartment where Nora Bing is on Jay Leno with her new book, A First Time Meeting Chandler's Mum. Yeah.
00:17:38
Speaker
Let's see. Now, Chandler, thought this was quite interesting, suggests they turn it. I was going to ask you this at Trivia Corner. of What does he suggest they turn on instead? ah Yeah. Yes. Weekend at Bernie's, which we find out later, is Rachel's most favorite movie.
00:17:57
Speaker
Right. Even though she kind of discards it, which I can understand. It might be a favorite movie, but Nora Bing is ah is happening live. or You know, they won't have seen this before. So I can understand that. um something I did look into was why this this movie gets mentioned a couple of times.
00:18:13
Speaker
So I'm not, maybe I do know the guy, but the guy who starred in Weekend at Barneys is Jonathan Silverman. And he grew up being very good friends as children with David Schwimmer in Los Angeles. They grew up together. They were very good childhood friends and and apparently they are still friends.
00:18:33
Speaker
So I wonder if that's why maybe they chose that movie to be one of Rachel's favorites or to mention it twice. Yeah. That makes total sense. Yeah. There's a definite ah connection there.
00:18:45
Speaker
And then, ah as you mentioned in trivia, a trivia corner in bamboozled that Paolo returns. He comes in and, Rigatoni. Rigatoni from Rome. that It's such a great insult.
00:19:00
Speaker
I do like, and this is a flash forward quite a wee bit, but yeah he doesn't really know any English, but he knows Nora Bing. And then Joey's grandmother, who doesn't speak English way into the future, knows Sam Waterstone.
00:19:18
Speaker
think she's and goes Capricorn One. And that's the only English she knows. So it's these two characters who only speak Italian. um They only know the name of a celebrity.
00:19:30
Speaker
the all the english yeah do we anything Do we think Joey speaks Italian? i don't think he does. but I don't think so. How does he communicate with his grandma?
00:19:41
Speaker
and you know I don't know. but That's that's a a question for another episode. I need some time to ponder and and think about that. But Paolo made me think about that because Joey is very Italian in the American Italian culture sense, but that doesn't mean he speaks Italian.
00:19:59
Speaker
But just just a passing thought. We'll discuss that at a later time. But... Let's see.
Cultural References: Late Night TV
00:20:05
Speaker
Yeah. yeah Go ahead. I wanted to talk just real quick about the Jay Leno, because I had originally thought that she was in New York and that's how but she was in New York filming on Jay Leno. And that's Evan Chandler's like, oh, you know, great. Mom's in town.
00:20:27
Speaker
But then whenever i i watched it again, because, you know, I like to watch it once to take notes and watch it again and just enjoy it and notice anything, you know, that I miss.
00:20:38
Speaker
But um and she was she said, you know, I'm flying out to New York, which I hate. And I'll see my son, which I love. And so I was like, where do they film Jay Leno? like Or not anymore, obviously. But where did they And it was at the NBC studios in Burbank, which is also the same place that they filmed the show, right? Or in the same area. Yes.
00:21:07
Speaker
So I just thought that was interesting. That's a fun little thing. Yeah, I guess it must be, you know even possibly the same sort of stage, you know, or something. Because if she's there, they might have filmed that Jay Leno scene. And then she's straight over to the restaurant.
00:21:23
Speaker
ah But yeah. Yeah, that's it. I mean, Jay Leno was on the air for a long time, before my time here, but like 10 or 15 years, right? Yeah, he was on there for a long time because it was, what, the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, I think, and then Jay Leno took over and he was so weird.
00:21:41
Speaker
Right. That's not nice. I'm sorry. was fine. and was fine but I've got no feelings on him. Joseph's into his car collection. so that he does have an Him and Jerry Seinfeld, right, known for having an extensive car collection, I believe. yeah Yes.
00:22:00
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, I don't know. That was not something I pulled up. Yeah. Because who does The Tonight Show now?
00:22:11
Speaker
I see. I know Conan O'Brien did conan o'brien did it I think it might be Jimmy Fallon. I think there was somebody in between those two. It's not something I had to watch, but I think you're right. I think it's Jimmy Fallon.
00:22:24
Speaker
I believe.
00:22:27
Speaker
Let's see. We'll need to... Conan O'Brien. Yeah. Who most... It is. It's Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Fallon. Yep. Yeah. There you go. There we go. I enjoy watching clips clips of it.
00:22:41
Speaker
Well, that's... It's one of these things... don't stay up that late. Yeah, me either. I'm right there with you. that was We won't digress too much, but I think we've talked about this before. I've never seen Saturday Night Live before. Yes, we have. and ice smell They just had the 50-year anniversary show. So I watched all of that.
00:23:02
Speaker
We sat and watched the whole thing. Really funny. Really funny. Yes. I understand why it's this sort of cultural icon. yeah You know, I get it. So anyway, we've digressed tremendously.
00:23:16
Speaker
But yeah, I wanted to mention too. No, no, no. That was me. I wanted to mention that I did actually watch that Saturday Night Live 50 years. I'm so glad. It was really, really cool. um
Hospital Scene Analysis: Boundary-Crossing
00:23:27
Speaker
So let's see. We go from it. Paolo's back.
00:23:30
Speaker
We'll see how long that lasts. But we go back to the hospital. And there's kind of like a little montage of clearly they're coming and going a little bit. Monica's reading the paper.
00:23:41
Speaker
Brings in a tree. Yeah, Stevie was arranging all the flowers. and then it Shaving his face. Yeah, there's all sorts of odd things going on.
00:23:53
Speaker
How weird is that? I could not imagine shaving somebody's face. Especially not somebody that I don't even know you. Yeah, it's a very... yeah it It seems dangerous and intrusive and but I guess it's to highlight how ridiculous this whole situation been right yeah because I feel it's almost like uncomfortably close like you said like it's weird it is that's not something you do to somebody else and even to make that decision for somebody else like just just very very odd indeed right okay and then the names whenever they were trying to guess his name
00:24:40
Speaker
um I went down a rabbit hole about the name that she suggests. Oh, what was it? The one that Phoebe suggested?
00:24:50
Speaker
The unusual name? Yes, and had written down like E-E-H-E-N because I was just trying to sound it out. Right. But it was like Annenbaum.
00:25:03
Speaker
Oh, man. Yeah. I forgot what it was. had looked it up. It's a Greek... um
00:25:13
Speaker
Anyway, we'll come back to it later. But as it was funny to me because that was like that. It went from very normal and bland and no offense to any Glenns out there.
00:25:24
Speaker
i once knew a very awesome kid named Glenn. Right. yeah But. but you know, very, you know, not the standard sort of thing that you would literally never hear.
00:25:37
Speaker
Right. It's a very Phoebe thing to say. Yes. One extreme or the other. The gray is hard. Well, we're we're kind of crescendoing upwards to the big incident in this episode here. We're now in the restaurant, this Mexican restaurant and the tequila has been poured.
00:25:58
Speaker
Um, unless they, I've ah lost track of the continuity slightly, but they're drinking tequila. And then at that point, is it Mrs. Bing, Nora and Ross outside the toilets, the restrooms?
00:26:12
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. Well, actually she's out there. Yeah. Because he's doing, he's ascending and then Paulo's licking, uh, Rachel's hand and all of that. And then,
00:26:25
Speaker
She's on the phone in the hallway and then Ross walks out of the women's room. I get the physical comedy there when he sees the other the lady come out and he sort of does this double take. He's very confused.
00:26:41
Speaker
It reminds me of the the whole world was the washing machine or the dryer. The physical comedy David Schwimmer pulls off really is tremendous. Yes, that's so funny.
00:26:52
Speaker
Okay, Al, have you ever gone into the wrong restroom? You know, I think that that is much more of a thing that happens to women because, like, ah we're like I'm trying to think, like, at concerts, at certain concerts, there's a lot more women going to the bathroom than a guy's one.
00:27:12
Speaker
So you have to make that decision. um so But you've never, like, accidentally walked into wrong I'm trying to think if that's ever... happened. Now, I will share this little story.
00:27:25
Speaker
I was 17 or 18 and went to Italy to watch a football soccer match. um And things are done a little differently there.
00:27:37
Speaker
And there was just one bathroom for everybody. And I pushed on the door and I'll be very careful how I explain the story. It just opened essentially like the door into the bathroom was like the stall door.
00:27:54
Speaker
You just open this door from the restaurant and you're in the stall. um And in Italy, certainly this very, it was a very, very old building. There was no toilet of any sorts. There was just like a porcelain, very shallow white bowl built into the floor with a hole for the plumbing.
00:28:14
Speaker
And there was a woman, let's just say squatting over it. and that and And that's... Whoa. Yeah. So yeah I and shut the door quickly and left.
00:28:25
Speaker
I think that's the closest I have ever come to that faux pas. Now, how about you? Have you ever accidentally gone into the wrong bathroom? Yes. Yes, I have.
00:28:36
Speaker
Right. Well, we need to hear this story. And, ah Al, it might have happened more than once. Right. on Just on accident. But one night I went to Walmart and um yeah we were on our way home. It was back before COVID, you know, whenever Walmart was open 24 hours and all of that.
00:29:00
Speaker
And so i had to go. So I go in the restroom and it was a Walmart that I had never been in before. And normally, like with my familiar places, I know where the restrooms are. That's always one of the very first things that I scope out just,
00:29:16
Speaker
I don't know why it's right what it is. What are those weird quirky things? But um at this particular Walmart, like normally as my normal Walmart, it it's to the right.
00:29:30
Speaker
The women's are to the right and the men's to the left. right For whatever reason, it was flip-flops. And so I went in and I went to the bathroom and then I came out and there are all these urinals on on the wall And there's a person there and I'm just like, ah!
00:29:49
Speaker
So I went back into and waited until they left and then I came out and then I went into the women's to wash my hands. I was so gross out and freaked out but I was so like super focused on I've got to go and we've got to go now.
00:30:07
Speaker
One thing on your mind. Yes. yes and is So that's probably my most vivid one and it was so weird because there was somebody else in there that was weird weird weird weird weird weird That's hilarious.
00:30:25
Speaker
Well, if it ever happens, I'll let you know. Yes, please do. If you accidentally wander into the wrong one. We let everybody you know. Absolutely. These things, they happen. Right? Right. they know I hope.
00:30:37
Speaker
To other people, too. If you're a listener and it's happened to you, let us know so Deanne feels better. And then I will feel better about my life choices, guess. Choices. Yeah.
00:30:52
Speaker
Well, let's see. Ross starts to talk to Nora about the hand licker and the one he's licking, whatever it is. And um Nora explains that Paolo, what does she call him? A secondary character at best. You can't sell Paolo.
00:31:07
Speaker
Yes, i mean but you'll kill him off. Now, I can honestly say this is not any kind of, oh, because I'm a guy. i've not I just haven't read any What was the this famous guy who was known for being on the sort of romantic novel book?
00:31:25
Speaker
Fabio. Fabio. I've never read a book with him on the cover. But to me, Fabio and Paolo are kind of cut from the same cloth. So were there not books written about a Fabio kind of character?
00:31:39
Speaker
You know what I'm saying? I don't know. hi I don't know. But that i her point about that, Was that Fabio, and not Fabio, Paul is now very interchangeable in my brain. Right. But that Paulo is just, you know, a surface.
00:32:00
Speaker
Surface level, good looking surface level. But then, and we talked a little bit about this at the ah beginning before we started a recording, but she's telling, you know, I can't write Apollo because he's Yes.
00:32:17
Speaker
You know, he's a secondary character. He's just kind of there for show. But you, you're the hero. You're smart and you're sexy. and And then he's like, no, like that. Did you? Yes.
00:32:32
Speaker
Okay. and she says, and the fact that you don't realize that you are smart and sexy is what makes you the hero.
00:32:44
Speaker
And then she kisses him. That's right. Yeah, that's a very good description. Is that what you're... Because in the thing that I looked at, that was the one of the lines that was taken out.
00:33:01
Speaker
I think some of that line is in there. he certainly took She certainly talks about Paolo being secondary at best. And I think she does compliment Ross. I'll need to double check. I feel like she does.
00:33:15
Speaker
So I've got it pulled up. And so like she's like, you're smart and you're sexy. And he's like, right. And then she, yes, you are. And the fact that you don't even, or you don't think you are, makes you even sexier.
00:33:29
Speaker
Ah, kiddo. and But that is in blue. Yes, I think that bit is cut out. Yes. So ah she where she goes back and she kind of reiterates again.
00:33:42
Speaker
Yes, that's cut. To me, Taking that just a little bit too far. Absolutely. Just a little bit too far. Getting into weird some weird territory there. Yes. And it's she, but that that was definitely her.
00:33:56
Speaker
um So I Googled this episode, as i I tend to do right before we get on here, just to see if there's anything additional that I have missed. um And something that came up was somebody claims that when Nora and Ross kiss, you can see a cameraman in the shot.
00:34:14
Speaker
Oh! I watched it on our... Like said, I stream it on HBO Max three or four times. We couldn't see anything, not even a shadow that didn't match either Ross or Nora.
00:34:26
Speaker
I wonder if that's why they cut the line out. It could be. It could be. So maybe if you have a moment and want to look on the DVD, I wonder if it's there. Because apparently is right as they kiss. You can see somebody, a cameraman or something in the background.
00:34:41
Speaker
Which... from our cut on HBO Max. I'm not sure how that would work, but it'd be interesting to see if you can see anything. Oh, I will be looking into that whenever we're all done today.
00:34:55
Speaker
yeah Excellent. Well, they end up kissing and then Joey ah catches them. I guess is the one that stumbles and you know stumbles into the where the bathrooms are. Just trying to go to the bathroom. and he did he makes up good wise I don't understand why he'll go and pee on the street. Why not just go into the
Friendship Complexities: Joey and Chandler
00:35:13
Speaker
bathroom?
00:35:13
Speaker
Because then he's near from the situation. Because he just panicked. He did, he did. He just wanted to as far away from that situation as possible. And I don't blame him because how awkward.
00:35:28
Speaker
Right, yeah, what a terrible position. um But yeah, not not a good move for on Ross's part or Nora's part here. But it does segue us into, I think this is my favourite scene actually in this whole episode where the guys are in the hallway.
00:35:44
Speaker
Again, there it's the, I don't know, to me Friends isn't, physical comedy-centered, think it's the writing, but there's this these moments throughout each episode that just get me and remind me how good of actors and actresses these actors and actresses are.
00:36:00
Speaker
Like when Ross knocks on the door And then, ah but you know, on Joey and Chandler's apartment and the way he grabs Joey and yanks him out. Yeah. Is Chandler home? And he's like, yeah. It's brilliantly done.
00:36:17
Speaker
And I think this, again, this is another little moment that backs up my thinking that Joey is the best friend throughout the whole series. He's just, he's talking about the code. He wouldn't break the code. Yeah.
00:36:31
Speaker
You know, he talks about possibly a sister, maybe a hot aunt, but never a mother. Which is interesting because whatever future, whatever Chandler has the sister situation, yeah that's not okay. That's not okay.
00:36:47
Speaker
Absolutely not. In Joey's mind. So maybe his moral compass changes slightly. But I do love that Joey relies on this code. You know, somebody that perhaps doesn't have the strongest ethical morals, which maybe we'll talk about in a bit in listener mail, because um Kate has an issue she wants me to I going to say, we are in yeah trouble.
00:37:09
Speaker
We are in trouble. Yeah, but i got we got in trouble for something we said a few episodes ago, which we will discuss and throw throughout to our listeners. Yeah. but Maybe Joey's moral code shifts, as we know, when there's an incident with a sister.
00:37:23
Speaker
I would like to say, this is jumping ahead slightly in this scene, there is a continuity error here. Because when ah Ross talks about, you know, she's not like other moms, you know, she's sexy or whatever.
00:37:38
Speaker
And then Joey gets very defensive about his own mother, which is funny. How about poor Gloria Trivioni? Poor Gloria. Well, he said that Gloria had seven children. Well, Joey has seven sisters, so that would make it that she had eight children.
00:37:54
Speaker
So just throwing that, it's just a very slight continuity error there. and that Yeah, and I wouldn't necessarily hang on to that too much because they he's probably had a shot or two. He's been drinking.
00:38:11
Speaker
he yeah Have you ever sat at a table and counted people? And you're always missing one. and Right. you realize you're not counting yourself. Right.
00:38:23
Speaker
I want to stick up for Joey. Stick up for Joey. That's just mistake. Right. he forgot to count himself. Yeah, I even stuck up for him in my head by thinking, I wonder if any of the sisters were twins.
00:38:36
Speaker
So she gave birth seven times. You know, that thought went through my head. You know, and that's a great area. That's, you know, she gave birth seven times, but to eight children. But, yeah, then Chandler opens the door to get the newspaper and, um you know, they all scare the life out of each other.
00:38:54
Speaker
um And then this whole racquetball thing starts to unravel before it's even begun. There's no solid story here. it just um It just reeks of desperation.
00:39:08
Speaker
um Now, it's funny. Like, when I was a teenager, I played tennis and I played squash. And really in my 30s, I played quite a lot of pickleball before it got really popular, I might add.
00:39:22
Speaker
um Went to competitions and things. I don't really know racquetball is. I think it's very similar to squash, but with a different racket. um yeah Is it played in a sort of plexiglass?
00:39:35
Speaker
It is in a room. And then there's two guys. And this is the extent of my knowledge of racquetball is from what I've seen on TV and movies. Because I know nothing. But they're always like in a room.
00:39:48
Speaker
And then there's always two guys in sweatbands on their heads. Yes. Typically in shorts. Right. And they're hitting the ball up against the wall. And they take turns volleying it back and forth.
00:40:02
Speaker
Yeah. thank you I think it's very similar. to Squash is that. The rackets are different shape. They've got a much longer neck and a smaller head on the top of the racket.
00:40:15
Speaker
than racket. I think racquetball has a short handle, I think. think it's just a wee handle and a bigger head on the racket, I think. But I'm kind of guessing the rules are the same because the court, the the room that they play in is, from my uneducated eye, looks identical. There might be some little nuances or markings or something.
00:40:38
Speaker
But i think I think they're very much similar or the same. um But then Paolo leaves, having evidently spent the night and with Rachel, and they start kissing in the hallway.
00:40:49
Speaker
And Ross said, did they wait for me to do this? Wah, wah, wah. Wah, wah. It's all about Ross. It's all about you, Ross. Sorry, Katie Condren again, our dear friend who loves Ross. Yeah, it's not the world that does not send it.
00:41:07
Speaker
does not center around Ross and his sad sackness. um We end up jumping over back to the hospital. and This is where I think Phoebe and... Oh, sorry, go ahead. Hold on, hold on. yeah That's the part where Monica is so funny.
00:41:22
Speaker
Right? Because then they pop into... They go into the girls' apartment. ah Right? And then they go over in there and then Monica, they are going back and forth and ah Joey tells him, you know, he might his mom might tell him.
00:41:40
Speaker
And then Monica comes out and she's like, what are you guys doing here? That's right. Rachel and Paulo just stepped outside and so then they came inside.
00:41:51
Speaker
And then he's like, well, he didn't even have a jump strap. And she's like, That's right. Yes. And that made me laugh out loud whenever she said that.
00:42:03
Speaker
There was something so funny about that line and the way she delivered it it It just it cracked me up. Yes. cracked me out and that's It's a great line. Yeah, i forgot that was at the end of that scene.
00:42:17
Speaker
But we see Monica in the next scene and it seems like she ah Phoebe's you know looking after this guy together has slightly unraveled as well because they're showing up separately, it would appear, without telling the other one.
00:42:30
Speaker
Because if I remember rightly, Monica must have been there in the morning because she changed his pajamas. Yeah, which is so weird, right? Again, how could somebody... dis You'd have to disconnect somebody, right, from their machines evidently either keeping him alive or at least monitoring him. How could... Okay, and where did these pajamas come from? Did people buy pajamas for this man?
00:43:01
Speaker
Guess his size? like Where... oh And how does she know wasn't a nurse that did it? Because I'm pretty sure, again, you can't just walk into a hospital room with nobody checking out who you are to completely strip down and change the clothing of a stranger.
00:43:17
Speaker
It's somebody who is extremely vulnerable and in Oklahoma, nonetheless. Right. Bizarre. Such a strange set of circumstances here. and So you can see the tension building between Monica and Phoebe here.
00:43:33
Speaker
um Another scene that I love coming up here, we go to the boys' apartment and evidently Ross has concocted a story that Paolo kissed Nora Bing.
00:43:45
Speaker
um He starts to lie to Chandler, but I'm going to give him some credit here. A, he shouldn't have concocted the story, but B, he did just he couldn't go through with it.
00:43:56
Speaker
And even though he knew the damage that this could cause to him and Chandler's friendship, He does own it. um Which, like said, I've given him some credit, but don't want to give him too much credit for just doing the right thing, just doing the thing you should do.
00:44:12
Speaker
So my wonder with that scene was, was that his plan to tell him, just to kind of gauge how angry Chandler was going to be and then tell the truth?
00:44:26
Speaker
Or was he going to lie and blame it all on Pauline? pop but that guy and just call it a day was his plan here that's a great thought is is ah because i i want to hate on ross always but my wonder i would like to think because he's an intelligent guy i would like to think that maybe he was just gauging to see what chandler's response was going to be
00:44:57
Speaker
Like maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it was me instead of random Paolo. I don't know. That's really interesting. My assumption was he was going to see this Paolo story through and then panicked and just did what he needed to do. He did the right thing.
00:45:14
Speaker
But that's, yeah, it could have been an additional layer to that. And with Joey standing there knowing the truth. Right, it's a bold move. Would he had told Joey prior, hey, let's just tell him it was Paolo and call it a and I didn't get the Paolo story because either just don't tell Chandler and then the only way it would get out is if Nora told him, but then he's she's going to tell him it was Ross.
00:45:45
Speaker
So what was the point in this? But maybe that leans itself to your possible theory He was kind of setting it up somehow. Yeah. I don't know.
00:45:56
Speaker
I don't know. Just a wonder. Just a wonder. The wonder that is Ross. Yes. I do love, I mean, very sad for Chandler to go through this, but like when he calls it, I think it's in this scene, he calls his mum a Freudian nightmare.
00:46:11
Speaker
Yeah. Freud comes up again. Freud again. And that's such a great description, I think, for what he's gone through and going through with his mother. um I mean, the Friday night when he storms out slams the door. I love the way I get the physical comedy, the way he does it and then Joey does it.
00:46:29
Speaker
Just very, very well done. um I'm looking forward to the next episode or two because we noticed... that there's no Etch-a-Sketch on the door, the boy's door. Yes.
00:46:43
Speaker
But there is in the hospital. looking for that. Right? There's one in the hospital. No. No, no, no. It's a Magna Doodle up on their door. Right. and But it's an Etch-a-Sketch that Phoebe gives.
00:46:56
Speaker
Because i went there, too. I went there, too. Okay, good. And then was like, wait a minute. No, no, no. It's the Magna Doodle where you can write with the magnets. Not at the Etch-A-Sketch where you'd have to actually draw it all out.
00:47:08
Speaker
So that's what I, so it's funny. Kate and I were both wrong initially, I think. Because she thought it was an Etch-A-Sketch and I thought it was a whiteboard on the boy's door. But you're absolutely right. it's the Magna Doodle.
00:47:19
Speaker
um Yeah. Yeah, you're exactly right. I'm glad you caught that. Yeah, because i was looking for it. Because this is the first episode that I've like dissected with you where we're inside the boys apartment for any period of time.
00:47:35
Speaker
Yes. And so I was, I was looking for it. Well, I'm looking forward to continuing this specific conversation next week. Cause I've got thoughts about things I've seen in the boys apartment in next week's episode, which we'll get to.
00:47:49
Speaker
and We can talk about that weird chair that Chandler was sitting in. It's a weird chair. Right. The decor and the furniture in the boys' apartment is bizarre. this one Again, is it they're just two young guys and they don't really care? Like they found it on the street and it's just a free chair?
00:48:07
Speaker
know, something like that. um But get you're right, considering they go from those to the, ah what are they called, the Barker loungers. ah You know, later, there's definitely some... ah Yeah, things improve in the furniture department at a later date.
00:48:22
Speaker
Until they get robbed.
Character Growth: Rachel and Monica
00:48:25
Speaker
Yeah, until they get robbed. Then real bad. That patio table. I do love that scene. So I'm looking forward to reviewing that one with you.
00:48:35
Speaker
Well, seems we jump back over to the coffee house. As it was brought up in Bamboozled, Rachel has started writing a book called A Woman Undone. um She talks to Monica about it.
00:48:46
Speaker
ah And good for Rachel. Again, I think she's expanding her horizons a wee bit. You know, she's she's taking a chance. She's trying to do something. So good on her for doing that.
00:48:57
Speaker
um And then Monica's about to start her set. about a guy that's recently become very important to her, I believe she says. And again, leading on it one more time for this episode, you know we um we see the physical comedy, this time from Courtney Cox and Lisa Kudrow, as they leave to race out the coffee shop.
00:49:20
Speaker
And it makes me laugh because she is like ah cause she's singing that song and it's the same tune as another song. like that Right. be your man or whatever but it's just like and I just want to say i gotta to go and then she takes off I'm taking a short break and that made me laugh because it was Monica very slowly starts to that door like she's trying to sneak out it was funny And then Joey comes in and he's clearly not let go of Ross, not thinking that Gloria is as hot as Nora because he's brought in brought pictures of the wedding day.
00:50:01
Speaker
Very defensive is of his family. Again, good on Joey. But then comes one of my favorite lines. It's the line and then the reaction of Joey when Chandler comes in and addresses Ross as mother kisser.
00:50:17
Speaker
Very funny, but then Joey buckles with laughter. It's just fantastic. And yeah I think you can see in this scene that while Chandler's upset with Ross, with good reason,
00:50:33
Speaker
Ross starts to break Chandler down a little bit. Really Chandler's more upset with his mother because there's been a pattern of, the I assume most of Chandler's life of this kind of behavior. But you can see that the cracks there, that Chandler is going to forgive Ross.
00:50:47
Speaker
He's not quite there yet, but it's coming. Yeah. And it made me laugh whenever that he's like, you know, and, You kissed my mom. We're rehearsing for a Greek play. That made me a laugh because it's just so out there and funny. And I like that.
00:51:06
Speaker
Yeah, I think. And then we get down the one knee, you know, and Chandler's got his finger. Yes. So well done. Well, we we bounce back over to the hospital and the coma guy, do we find out his name, by the way?
00:51:20
Speaker
No. No, I didn't think so. I thought about this afterwards when i was just writing down some notes. He is awake and a bit of a jerk. I think. I think he is. But then, on the other hand, he didn't ask them to do any of this stuff and he does say thank you.
00:51:36
Speaker
So i got my initial reaction was the guy's a jerk. But the more I think about the more I'm like, he doesn't know who these people are. They've kind of violated his space in a lot of ways. And, and you know, I mean, shaving him, changing his pajamas.
00:51:54
Speaker
Maybe he's not jerk. I don't know. What do you think? Yeah, I didn't think so. but Because he comes out of the restroom and there are these two women in regular clothes that obviously do not work at the hospital.
00:52:08
Speaker
And how are you? and And he answers them. Right. and And whenever they were on the street at the very beginning, he compliments somebody's hat.
00:52:18
Speaker
Right. I don't know that he's a jerk, but so much is just, I think so. I'm woozy, but I'm okay. And they're just and that he who who are you? Like, that's a very legitimate question.
00:52:34
Speaker
He didn't say it in a rude way. He wasn't being ugly. and um, I mean, can you imagine waking up from a coma? He's obviously been out for a while.
00:52:46
Speaker
And what's weird to me is, where are the people that would have been looking for him for these days? He's awake now. why Why is nobody there?
00:52:58
Speaker
See, and my thought was, you know, he got hit while he was walking down the street. I would infer that he had his wallet or some kind of identification with him. Right. I would guess. Because he just purchased something. That's right.
00:53:12
Speaker
But I guess in the 90s it was cash, right? Much more. Especially at a place like that. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So it's not like he would have swiped a debit card or something like that.
00:53:23
Speaker
But, yeah. Like, where are the people? Where is his i Anything. And I suppose he could have thought that Monica and Phoebe were crazy. you're like Almost like stalkers.
00:53:36
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Because he's gone. Well, they kind of are. yeah Yeah. Well, and on the the flowers, you know they had written you know from Phoebe and Monica.
00:53:48
Speaker
And so as he's looking around at the stuff, he's got to be like, who are these people? Right. Right. Yeah, I think the more i I think my gut reaction was to sort of side with Monica and Phoebe, but the more I thought about it listening to you now, yeah, he was completely right in his reaction.
00:54:07
Speaker
Yeah. um but He wasn't rude, but he had a firm boundary there. Yeah. And I don't think that, you know, ah I read to you, I sang you, I don't know.
00:54:19
Speaker
Makes them sound crazy. yeah What? Why? Get out. And then I would be thinking, like, where are the nurses? Where is somebody to get these crazy people out of my room? One of those alarms by the bed. Right.
00:54:33
Speaker
Oh, for help. Well, poor old guy. We bounce from there back over to the boys' apartment where Nora Bing is. I think she's dropping off copies of her book front for his friends.
00:54:46
Speaker
Before she's heading off to Lisbon, I guess the next leg of the book tour. And good for Chandler. Like he he apparently lets her have it a bit. And there's some arguing, which I guess is good to get all this off of his chest.
00:55:00
Speaker
Well, I mean, it's like a lifetime yeah of all of these feelings and inappropriate and everything else. And i like it made me laugh whenever he is.
00:55:12
Speaker
You know, she's like, I came to drop off these books, they're autographed, how you know, and to give you a kiss and a goodbye. It's a, here's your kiss, here's your goodbye, and off she goes.
00:55:25
Speaker
And he very easily could have just let her go and not said anything. But you kissed my best, Ross. Yeah. Which made me laugh. But, like, he had probably been rehearsing what he was going to say.
00:55:40
Speaker
Right. And she tried to just kind of blow through, which is probably... Well, to me it was ah it was a little callback. We didn't mention this, but earlier, when Ross kind of goes... yeah I can't remember what he's talking about exactly, but he's like, oh, Nora, Mrs. Mum, you're Bing?
00:55:56
Speaker
Yeah. kenny gets that is It's a similar sort of... You're right, suddenly you're trying to blurt it out, and and then you get the names mixed up. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and then Joey listening through the...
00:56:07
Speaker
Again, I don't know why I find this line so funny. Well, they were arguing and fighting, and now I'm here spelling it out for you, you know? And then what happens? I'm telling you. So I think they listen. I think evidently Nora has handled it the right way, you know, and she's apologetic, and she and Ross greet each other very formally in the hallway.
00:56:30
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. And good on Chandler. Good on Chandler for not holding any more against Ross, I suppose. Like I said, he had every right, but I'm glad that they were able to to get through it together.
00:56:45
Speaker
Yeah, and get to the root cause, you know? like Right. the thing Instead of staying mad at Ross, yeah, you can be mad at Ross. You almost broke his finger, and it absolutely...
00:56:58
Speaker
But that's not where the where your feelings actually are coming from. It's not really with Ross because as much as I hate to say it, drunk Ross, he was not wrong situation. Right.
00:57:14
Speaker
It's more well, I don't know if more, but yeah, you're absolutely right, not 100%. Yeah. Yeah. yeah That might be another thing to bring up list of the mail. It ties the question I want to ask you.
00:57:27
Speaker
But I think we go from, oh, apparently in the hallway, Kate noticed this. Earlier in the hallway, when they're talking about racquetball, there are drapes hanging over the window in the hallway.
00:57:38
Speaker
But in this there are not drapes. There's just blinds. There was blinds and drapes, and then the drapes have disappeared, apparently. The window in the hallway by the stairs? Yes, so if you're looking to the stairs slightly to the right. So I'm going to go back and look at that as well.
00:57:54
Speaker
huh um Just just to see. And why would you have drapes in a stairwell in an apartment building? Very odd place to have them.
00:58:05
Speaker
But apparently they were there, then they disappeared. And then we we end this episode in the girls' apartment. um Let's see, Rachel's giving everyone a copy of her what we call a manuscript, and then this the the spelling mistakes are brought up.
00:58:20
Speaker
All these kind euphemistic things, and which again, I think is a so there is a callback to this a little bit when Rachel decides to quit her job and she types out her CV, her resume, and it says she has excellent computer skills, but she makes a spelling mistake there. So I like these little things that probably mean nothing.
00:58:46
Speaker
but kind of flash forward or flashback. Yeah, or um or are just consistent that the little details are not her strong suit. Right. so these And then they kind of tease her about them a little bit. But again, I think good for Rachel.
00:59:01
Speaker
Like, good on her. It's like us with this podcast. We didn't know what we were doing at the beginning, but we just dived right in. And just put it out there and see what happens. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah.
00:59:13
Speaker
because um yeah And you're absolutely right. And how embarrassing, I don't know if embarrassing or being vulnerable or what that is, but i ah handing somebody your writing and being like, here, read it.
00:59:30
Speaker
Here you go. You're very vulnerable. You got to have a degree of bravery to do that, I think. Yeah, I think so too. I'm proud of her. Considering where she's come from just, what, 10 episodes ago in the pilot, I think she's come there's a lot of growth.
00:59:44
Speaker
I think, you know, she deserves to compliment her decision to be vulnerable like that. Yeah. but um And i think certainly on the on the stream, that's the end of this this episode.
00:59:55
Speaker
Yeah. We finished there in the girl's apartment. But
Nora Bing vs. Real Authors
01:00:00
Speaker
um some brand new information I wanted to look up was when, as we discussed in Bamboozled, and Nora has said she sold 100 million books.
01:00:08
Speaker
And I thought, well, is that a lot or is it not very much for an obviously a well-known author? You know, i really didn't have it. It's obviously it's a lot of books and it sounds like a lot, but I didn't know...
01:00:21
Speaker
If it really was. If that if that's a realistic amount. Like if you think of a super, I don't know, Stephen King, do we know if he sold 50 million books or 900 million books? I wouldn't really know. I'd take a guess. Did you look this up?
01:00:40
Speaker
I looked up how many other authors are estimated to have sold 100 million books. Okay. And there was a list. And some of those authors I'd never heard of. But there was four that jumped out. And then again, these are just estimations.
01:00:54
Speaker
but Tom Clancy. Okay. Lewis Carroll. Oh, okay. Terry Pratchett. I don't know who that is. um He did The Hobbit? No, what did he do?
01:01:07
Speaker
um Terry Pratchett. Hold on a second. And then C.S. Lewis of Narnia fame. Okay, yes. You'll know who... I can't believe I forgot. Terry Pratchett wrote... Yeah, Discworld, which I've never read. It's very much um sort of fantasy stuff.
01:01:27
Speaker
um English, Discworld and Nightwatch. I know of Discworld. Weird. Yeah, well, what is it? There's something else I feel he's particularly famous for. But he does, um yeah, sort of fantasy, not Dungeons and Dragons, but like otherworldly sort of.
01:01:45
Speaker
it's Kind of like C.S. Lewis. Yes, I think very similar. Okay, so ah Tom Clancy, absolutely not. That is not fantasy. I love Tom Clancy books.
01:01:57
Speaker
Like, not fantasy and then who did you say um let's see tom clancy lewis carroll so alice in wonderland yeah so that's interesting that out of those four three of them are fantasy genre right yeah that's very because that is not a genre ah lot that i get hung up on like at all. It's not me either. Not my thing.
01:02:27
Speaker
That's interesting. So Discworld is the series that Terry Pratchett is best known for. I'm just reading a little blurb. I've never heard of that. So I certainly have. I don't know if it's more of a British thing. He's an English guy.
01:02:40
Speaker
And it's all about these flat disc shaped planets or one planet. It's one planet. So flat earth. The rest on the back of these enormous four elephants.
01:02:51
Speaker
And there's all this yeah sort of um symbolism of this cosmic turtle and things. There's 41 books in this series. I've never read them, but that's what I know them from is Discworld. I think it's got like this sort subculture of people that follow it, I think.
01:03:07
Speaker
Okay, so then i just went and looked up Stephen King because I'm like, okay, so how many copies would Stephen King be? Because I'm Tom Clancy and then these other three that like aren't really books that So Stephen King, between 400 and 500 million copies.
01:03:25
Speaker
Yes. And it was interesting. knew it would be a lot. that's i mean, that's, yeah, a tremendous amount of books. I did get thinking how hard it must be to track that with any accuracy because of secondhand bookshops.
01:03:37
Speaker
Oh, yeah. You know, like like we – Does that only count once? That's what i'm guessing. Like I will buy, if there's a book I'm looking forward to, I'll buy it new, you know, at Amazon or wherever. Whenever it's released, right. But I would guess 75% of the books I've ever bought come from a used bookshop, secondhand bookshop, recycled books on the Denton Square, something like that.
01:04:02
Speaker
ah Right. And I assume that those aren't really tracked when they change hands more than once. That's true. Because then you've got to think about libraries. And then do what about audiobooks? Do audiobooks count? Right.
01:04:17
Speaker
No idea at all. I don't know how it's really tracked. Huh. Yeah, so just... Well, there. Yeah, there you go, something that thought was quite... And like said, always trying to look up a brand new information in the voice of Phoebe for each show, that was it. It was like, yeah, who... What kind of company does she share, Nora being in that 100 million?
01:04:38
Speaker
And of course, this is before her new book, so maybe she'll end up going into the stratosphere with... With all these bits. So, of course, Mrs. Bing was played by the famous Morgan Fairchild. Okay.
01:04:49
Speaker
Who's one of those people that I know who she is. And I think most people know who she is. but Yeah, but I had no idea why. Right. That's like exactly the conversation I had with myself. as I was like, oh, oh, oh. Oh, it's all right. don't yeah but so Sorry. Bellatrix is barking.
01:05:07
Speaker
Quite all right. She has feelings on Nora Fairchild apparently. She does. ah Morgan. Morgan Fairchild. Morgan Fairchild. Goodness. but um But yeah. I was like I know who she is.
01:05:22
Speaker
i I say that. I recognize her. i recognize her. i know that she is. But I was like why? why Why do I know who she is? Because I could not tell you why.
01:05:36
Speaker
but that's just one of those faces that she was She was on Dallas and my parents were were avid Dallas watchers. I believe it came on Sunday nights maybe. but And then she was on um the other one that came on right after it. The lawyer show that I had to go to bed before that one because it was racy.
01:06:00
Speaker
Oh dear. Yes. Falcon Crest. Is that right? right i I don't know. I don't know that show. And so what what else did you find out about good old Morgan? Well, very little other than it's interesting you brought up she was on Dallas because she was born Dallas. Yeah, she was born in Dallas, which for anyone who doesn't know is about 30 miles south of where Woolison, Deanne, and I live. We live about 10 miles from each other, but we're both in sort northern suburbs of Dallas.
01:06:33
Speaker
Yeah. She was in Days of Our Lives. I'm not sure how long, but she was definitely in it. So I thought that was a fun, you know, sort of thing again with Joey being in Days of Our Lives.
Morgan Fairchild's Impact on the Episode
01:06:45
Speaker
And she was in five episodes of Friends. Now, when I looked her up, I Googled her. She's been in a million things. And I'm sure some of them I recognize, but most of them I didn't. So I feel like there must be some something that made her famous and maybe it was the Dallas connection.
01:07:02
Speaker
Or, you know maybe she became famous in that. But, um yes, one of these people that I know but didn't know why. And to me, honestly, I associate with friends. She was also in a whole bunch of, ah so I grew up in the Dallas area. Right. But she was in a whole string of commercials.
01:07:23
Speaker
But they were all local to the Dallas area. And so the fact that she was on Dallas, And then she was on, think it was called Falcon Crest. And then um and and on all of these local commercials, she was just like a household name and face here where I grew up.
01:07:46
Speaker
so Right. that was Interesting. It's that local connection. Well, now we're we're at the stage of the recording where we'll look at our Gunther Central Park, our favorite character.
01:07:57
Speaker
It could either be the character or the actor. um Who have you gone with this week? Morgan Fairchild. I thought you might. Mrs. Bing, I'm sorry. I think, I like her.
01:08:12
Speaker
i think she's had a very, like, knowing what we know later that we find out about um her marriage to Chandler's dad and all of that. And she is famous and she is doing and i I think she genuinely thought she was a good mom doing the right thing by her son.
01:08:35
Speaker
Like I really genuinely think she did. Yes. And I like that they had their come to to life conversation between her and Chandler and apparently got loud. It probably was a not ugly but a lot of years of a lot of things.
01:08:55
Speaker
Right. So I think she's my Gunther's central perk character. I like it. It just dawned on me when you said Morgan Fairchild. I think I could very easily talk about her as Morgan Freeman, like the name, without realizing I'd made a mistake.
01:09:12
Speaker
Like it just dawned on me how similar, obviously, their names are. And I probably wouldn't catch it if I said Morgan Freeman. I may have done it in this episode. I don't know. um ah She was my second pick.
01:09:25
Speaker
okay And Wilson, you and have known each other, I don't know, 15 years maybe. This might be the rockiest moment in our friendship. Because for me, to berose is going to be to be Ross Geller.
01:09:38
Speaker
No, not yet. I'm going to be honest Later, later, there might be one or two episodes where I will... suck it up and pick Ross, but not yet.
01:09:51
Speaker
Well, I've got a couple of reasons. I'm going to try and soften the blow a bit. And it's slightly Ross. It's slightly David Schwimmer. I love the appraisal line. I love that so much.
01:10:02
Speaker
And his physical reaction when he realizes he went into the wrong bathroom. I love that. I dislike the fact that he kissed Chandler's mom, of course. But i do like the fact he he owned up to it.
01:10:13
Speaker
A little sketchy the way he did it with the Paolo thing. But he did own up to it. And he was like, yes, I've screwed up. What can I do to make this right? So I'm kind of giving him those. But really, it was more of the two little golden nuggets of physical comedy that made him stand. And the fact to me...
01:10:31
Speaker
Nobody else stood out particularly above Nora. um So I'd like, he and and I think she has some golden moments later on, which we'll talk about when we get there.
01:10:42
Speaker
So we'll hit this slightly rocky patch in our friendship. And Ross Geller for me aza is my Gunther Central Park. Wow. It's like you, you, you kiss my Ross.
01:10:55
Speaker
That's right. That's exactly it. How dare you. How dare And then how would you rate this out of 10, you know, deliciously hot, sweet yeah cups of Central Park coffee? How would you rate this this week? With perfect amount of creamer. Indeed.
01:11:11
Speaker
i This one would be an eight, I think. ah had It had some pretty solid laugh out loud moments. Gave us some, like, deep deeper character development.
01:11:24
Speaker
with some of our characters. um And then, and Monica was funny. Like everybody had their moments where it was Perfect timing.
01:11:35
Speaker
I liked it. I liked it. All right. I liked it. I don't know if I liked it as much as you. I think it's funny. I think there are great moments. um this Again, we we're stumbling into some controversy.
01:11:49
Speaker
um I'm going with six and an espresso. Six and a half. Yeah. Hey. I have looked at other ones that I gave a six and ones that I've given a seven.
01:12:00
Speaker
And to me, it kind of falls in between them. I don't think it's as funny for me as East German laundry detergent. Okay. Which which I personally gave a seven. But I think it's better than the one with the butt or the one with the thumb, which I both gave a six.
01:12:15
Speaker
Okay. So for me, I'm going with six, six and a half, six and an espresso for this one. I'm just kind of, I don't know. I think maybe I need to... I have a rubric that I follow. Right.
01:12:28
Speaker
We do. The educator and the school. I work on that for my consistency because got to be honest with a lot of my ratings that often has a lot to do with how I'm feeling.
01:12:39
Speaker
But I stick with that because it was funny and I had laugh out loud moments. And that, I think, is is a big contributing factor to how high I go.
01:12:53
Speaker
because the point. Right, that needs to be part of your rubric, I think. does. It doesn't make you genuinely laugh. Now, I will say I thought we might see this slightly differently because right at the beginning of recording, recording you said, you know really you brought up Monica's one-liners, which hadn't even occurred to me.
01:13:10
Speaker
So it was clearly to me that you and I had looked at this through slightly different lenses, which is what this is all about and is perfect. I love that. But um on that note, any final thoughts?
01:13:21
Speaker
Well, Al, I'm hoping that um some of our listeners, we would love to hear from you guys. and Please feel free to reach out to us, comment um on the podcast, reach out to us on Instagram.
01:13:36
Speaker
We want to know about who's listening to this pod. ah what What is your connection to friends? like Is it just something... random that you've run across um is it something that's had an impact on you we i just we would love to know more about the people that are listening so please reach out talk to us yeah i mean the thing about friends is it is a great community and i'm not going to yeah we're not going to sit here and talk about numbers because it's not really about numbers but we do have a growing listener base i've been stopped at work um
01:14:10
Speaker
you know by a couple of people who listen each week and they give me their points of view. um And I happen to live with somebody who listens to the show. And on that note, she is bringing us our piece of listener mail this year, so this year this episode.
Listener Engagement: Reflecting on Morals
01:14:23
Speaker
So Kate, my wife, was listening to... um I forgot which episode it is. the one with Aurora, right at the beginning. um Is it episode two or three where Chandler dates Aurora um that she meets at Joey's play where he is um yeah singing his song, his Freudian song.
01:14:45
Speaker
um And I don't remember exactly what I said, but apparently I was a little harsh in judging Aurora's morals in ah Kate's opinion.
01:14:57
Speaker
Kate is more of the opinion that she feels Aurora is honest with everybody. She's not hiding anything. Yes, she has a husband and evidently several boyfriends. There's Ethan and then there's Chandler and then there's another guy.
01:15:12
Speaker
um But she feels that we can infer that Aurora's honest with everybody. um I don't know if she's honest with her husband.
01:15:22
Speaker
I don't know if that actually comes up. um She seems to be being honest with Chandler. and costs And Ethan doesn't seem to have a problem with Chandler. But she thinks that perhaps I possibly, we were a little harsh on Aurora in that episode. So i wanted to throw that out there to the listeners.
01:15:42
Speaker
Is Aurora just doing what Joey does? um If Aurora was a guy, would would that be seen differently? Or what did you feel she was sneaking around and and not acting appropriately?
01:15:54
Speaker
Yeah, and it was episode five. Episode five. vote five ah you know And we did talk about that um during the episode about And I believe that ah questionable morals what comment was. Yeah, that's what I thought. it was And, um yeah, I totally see what Kate's saying. And I can't remember our whole conversation about that. neither do Right. But, is I mean, yeah, maybe that was kind of judgy.
01:16:25
Speaker
It might have
Joey's Honesty in Dating
01:16:26
Speaker
been. And she brought up Joey. You know, do we know if Joe is always honest with these women that he seems to sleep with and then leave? Maybe he is, but maybe he isn't. You know, we don't really know.
01:16:36
Speaker
Anyway, some food for thought for our listeners as we sign
Preview of 'The One with the Dozen Lasagnas'
01:16:39
Speaker
off this week. But next week, it is the one with the dozen lasagnas. I love that one. Yes, I'm looking forward. I love it. And I also find there's some things in the background I find very interesting.
Conclusion and Sign Off
01:16:51
Speaker
So on that note, thank you guys very, very much for tuning in to the Purple Door podcast.