Friends, "The One with the East German Laundry Detergent": Have a good break-up

A review/recap of the October 20, 1994 episode after I go on three auditions a month and call myself an actor.

Of the first 5 episodes of Friends, this one may be its weakest. The Monica and Joey storyline was boring and not funny, the Chandler and Phoebe storyline was boring and slightly funny, and the Ross and Rachel storyline was passable (mostly because we know what it means for the rest of the series). This episode really shows the flaws of Friends. Breaking the characters into groups with their own storylines hurts the overall show, particularly if the different stories don't connect. Instead of watching one half-hour show, we are watch three ten-minute shows mixed together.

The Monica and Joey storyline brought absolutely nothing to the story. It was strictly used for laughs (which is what Joey is used for anyway), but it didn't deliver. Incest and incest jokes are never funny. Also we don't know how it ended, other than Angela (Kim Gillingham) and Bob (Jack Armstrong) broke up. But did Joey get another date with Angela and is Monica going to go out with Bob?

Chandler struggling to break up with Janice (Maggie Wheeler) was funny, especially after he has had plenty of shots of espresso (I counted 5 cups on the table), but it's an easy sitcom move and has been done before. Also, we never find out how Phoebe can break up with people so easily.

The most important part of the episode was Ross and Rachel. They have their first unofficial date at the laundromat. As Rachel is a "laundry virgin," Ross helps her through it. After she stands up for herself to a rude woman, she becomes so excited that she kisses Ross. Ross is so astonished that he bangs his head on a dryer door.

Funniest parts of the episode:

• Ross freaking out after Chandler tells him that going to the laundromat with Rachel is a date
• Chandler not able to break up with Janice
• Ross banging his head after being kissed by Rachel

Other notes:

• Ugly Naked Guy's second mention
• First episode for Janice. The character is really just a poor-man's version of Fran Dresher's character, Fran Fine, on The Nanny.

Overall, this was a weak episode, but it is very important to the Ross and Rachel relationship. This was their first "date" and first kiss.