FRIENDS: THE ONE WITH THE PROPOSAL {PARTS 1 AND 2} {SIXTH SEASON FINALE} (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about six Generation-X friends who live together in New York City and share a favorite haunt, a coffee bar called Central Perk. In this two-part episode, Chandler prepares to propose to Monica during a romantic dinner, and he lets all the other friends in on the secret, which they struggle to hide from her until the appropriate moment. Rachel invites her friends to a charity dinner held by Ralph Lauren, and Joey and Phoebe agree to go. Ross says that he has plans with Elizabeth, and his friends tease him about his much-younger girlfriend, but Monica asks him seriously where the relationship is going, causing him to rethink his plans for her. When Ross goes to Elizabeth’s apartment, she is having a feisty water balloon fight with her friends, which annoys Professor Geller greatly.
At the charity event, Rachel explains that they are having a silent auction, although Phoebe is far more interested in the open bar. As the winners of the auction are announced, Joey is thrilled that he “won” a sailboat, having “guessed” that it costs $20,000, and is stunned when Rachel explains that he actually agreed to buy it. An inebriated Phoebe encourages him to go for it, but as Joey cannot afford it, Rachel suggests they find the next-highest bidder and let Joey pay the difference. The man is reluctant to follow through on his bid, but Rachel paints him an appealing picture of his life at sea, which seems to work—but unfortunately, it also works on Joey, who decides he wants to keep the vessel.
At the restaurant, an anxious Chandler begins his proposal speech to Monica, but they are interrupted by none other than Richard, Monica’s former boyfriend, who is there on date, and they end up all sharing a highly awkward dinner together. When they return home, their friends all assume they are now engaged, and Chandler has to quickly inform them of the problem without arousing Monica’s suspicions. Phoebe and Joey’s clumsy backpedaling worry Chandler, and Joey tells him that he has to throw Monica off the track and make her think he has no interest in getting married in order to make the proposal a surprise.
At Monica’s suggestion, Ross weighs the pros and cons of dating Elizabeth, and unhappily decides that he should break up with her. He does so, and is just beginning to doubt himself when her airborne retaliation reassures him that he was right to end things. As the friends sit at Central Perk, Chandler stages a conversation with Joey about how marriage is unnecessary, which rattles Monica. Joey is distracted, however, by the delivery of his boat, the Mr. Bowmont. Later, at her restaurant, Monica is visited by Richard, who shocks her by revealing that he still loves her and wants to marry her and have children, his reluctance towards which was the cause of their breakup three years previously. Monica seems torn, but turns him down, saying that he is too late and falsely assuring him that she is sure that she and Chandler want the same things. She talks to Chandler again, and he keeps up the charade, unaware of Richard’s bombshell, saying that he probably never wants to get married, and she demands to know if their whole relationship is a waste of time and leaves angrily.
Rachel and Phoebe discuss Monica and Chandler’s relationship, agreeing that they are mostly happy and only slightly jealous of them. Rachel suggests that they should have “back-ups,” i.e., friends whom they will marry if they are not with someone else by a certain age, and Phoebe reveals that Joey is already hers. However, when she goes to Ross and attempts to get him to agree to the same thing, he tells her that he too is Phoebe’s back-up. Rachel and the two men confront her, who at first says it is “just good sense to back up your back-up,” but then agrees to randomly pick one and let Rachel have the other. Phoebe chooses Ross and Rachel Joey—and they quickly agree to switch.
Monica talks to Joey, who has taken to dressing in boat regalia, and he goes along with Chandler’s plan, telling her that he is against marriage and is “unlikely to take a wife.” When she tells him that Richard does want to marry her, however, he panics and tries to take it all back, but Monica leaves and goes to Richard’s apartment. She tells him that their breakup was incredibly hard for her and that she wants to be with “a grown-up” who wants the same things that she does, but is unsure what to do about Chandler and leaves to think over her feelings. After learning what happened from Captain Joey, Chandler goes to Richard’s home and admits his failed plan, and Richard encourages him to go after her and to never let her go. When he runs back home, Joey meets him in the hallway and says that Monica left for her parents’, saying she and Chandler wanted different things. Chandler is crushed, until he opens the door and finds Monica waiting for him, the room filled with candles. She then attempts to propose to him, but is overcome with emotion, protesting that “there’s a reason why girls don’t do this!” Chandler kneels in front of her and confesses his love and asks her to marry him, and she happily accepts. The two embrace, and their impatient friends burst through the door and celebrate with them. Later, the couple shares a quiet slow dance. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: May 18, 2000 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:44:27
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:79118
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Friendship
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1994-2004
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Adam Chase … Executive Producer
- Greg Malins … Executive Producer
- David Crane … Executive Producer, Created by
- Marta Kauffman … Executive Producer, Created by
- Kevin S. Bright … Executive Producer, Director
- Seth Kurland … Co-Executive Producer
- Shana Goldberg-Meehan … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Scott Silveri … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Richard Allen … Coordinating Producer
- Todd Stevens … Supervising Producer
- Andrew Reich … Supervising Producer, Writer
- Ted Cohen … Supervising Producer, Writer
- Wendy Knoller … Producer
- Sherry Bilsing … Co-Producer
- Ellen Plummer … Co-Producer
- Perry Rein … Co-Producer
- Gigi McCreery … Co-Producer
- Jamie O'Connor … Associate Producer
- Michael Skloff … Music by
- The Rembrants … Theme Music by
- Jennifer Aniston … Cast, Rachel Green
- Courteney Cox … Cast, Monica Geller
- Lisa Kudrow … Cast, Phoebe Buffay
- Matt LeBlanc … Cast, Joey Tribbiani
- Matthew Perry … Cast, Chandler Bing
- David Schwimmer … Cast, Ross Geller
- Tom Selleck … Cast, Richard
- Alexandra Holden … Cast, Elizabeth
- Steve Hytner … Cast, Mr. Thompson
- John Apicella … Cast, Mr. Bowmont
- Natasha Pearce … Cast, Zoe
- Tori McPetrie … Cast, Sarah
- Anil Raman … Cast, First Dorm Guy
- Jacqueline Schultz … Cast, Lisa
- Tony Nichols … Cast, The Maitre D'
- Alexandra Margulies … Cast, The Waitress
- Steven Harad … Cast, Emil Alexander
- Hunter Cochran … Cast, Second Dorm Guy