Ross's ex-wife makes an unexpected visit to announce something which results in complicated emotions, Monica feels inferior when her parents come to visit and Rachel bookends a failed relationship.
There are already signs of improvement in the series' second outing. For example there's a better balance between the characters. Everybody gets at least a few funny lines, including Phoebe and Rachel who were on the weaker side comedically the first time around. I love Phoebe's response when Monica is trying to find her engagement ring. It's the kind of answer that makes sense, but at the same time is obviously not the one she was asking for.
Joey also continues to be his lovably dopey self, while Chandler proves to be so charismatic and witty I can definitely see how he became such an everlasting character. He was amusing in the pilot, but here he steals the show every time he speaks. Him excitedly telling everyone "Let's dig in!" as they all go looking for the ring in the lasagna, the sad revelation that his parents liked his imaginary friend more than their own son and his sarcastic remarks towards Monica as she's cleaning frantically are some of the moments that stood out. I don't want to make this too much about one actor, but there's definitely something special and likable about Matthew Perry's performance.
Monica gets some solid character building as we're introduced to her OCD as well as shown how her parents treat her with a minimal amount of respect at best and scathing criticism at its worst. Jack does make more of an effort to be nice, but Judy's only compliment is the pot of curry tasting like curry. You feel so bad for Monica, while simultaneously laughing at the parents' bizarre quirks. Even when Ross steps up and tells about something that happened to himself, Judy still berates her daughter for keeping it from them! I can tell I will have a lot of fun whenever these two appear.
The main story centers on Ross, who gets to deal with a lot of anguish when his ex-wife Carol announces that she's pregnant. What's interesting to note is that besides one slightly ignorant comment towards the start, his main problem with Carol isn't that she's in a lesbian relationship, but rather that she and Susan are having a baby together he was never told about. Not to mention they've already decided on a name for the child, no matter if it's a boy or a girl. It brings a level of nuance to his characterization, since the feeling of being left in the dark is something that is easily relatable. The debate he has with them over the first and last name is hilarious, and the kind of convo that edges on being ludicrous, yet at the same time you can see where he's coming from. And we get a rather sweet resolution when the doctor broadcasts the sonogram, which stops the three of them dead in their tracks as they observe the wonder of a life in progress. What could possibly be more important than witnessing your offspring about to make their first leap into the world?
The subplot with Rachel is a continuation of the first episode, where we saw her leave husband-to-be Barry at the altar. The added context really helps give a full picture of the situation, and as she visits the dental clinic to give back the engagement ring it becomes apparent that he wasn't such a catch to begin with. Not only did it take little to no time for him to move on, but he has already remarried with Rachel's best friend Mindy, who was her maid of honor at the wedding. Wow, what a grade-A jerk.
Oh, and there's a boy in the dentist chair who Barry's taking care. He and Rachel had some funny exchanges with each other.
However, while Aniston does perform slightly better she still falters compared to the rest of the cast. Besides a couple of decent deliveries, her comedic timing hasn't quite gotten quite there yet. Just like before though she continues to play the dramatic material well. The conversation she and Ross have at the end as they contemplate over the disappointing directions their lives have taken and they wistfully wonder if true love really exists or there's something more exciting than a thankless café job. Given the info we've been given so far, we're aware whose heart has caught Ross's attention.
Considering the important groundwork lain along with the sharp humor throughout, I'm surprised this episode isn't talked about more fondly.
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