Our take
More a strong ordinary episode than a Christmas special, but a sharp one: three neat comic premises, each turning on a misunderstanding, and a winter-in-the-city backdrop. The festive moments belong to Phoebe, whose holiday song keeps running out of rhymes, while Monica's kitchen standoff with Joey is one of the season's best workplace plots. Ross's commuter romance still rings true.
What happens
Ross meets a wonderful woman on the train who lives in Poughkeepsie, hours up the line, and soon he is torn between her and a woman in the city who is far less fun but much easier to reach. Rachel hates being alone over the festive season and tells Chandler she would settle for a winter fling, so he offers to set her up with someone from work. His colleagues start fawning over him to win a date, and when Rachel finds out what Chandler told them she is furious; his next attempt to fix it scares her date off for good. Monica, the new head chef at a restaurant where the staff resent her, hires Joey so she can fire him in front of everyone and prove she is in charge. Joey enjoys the tips too much to be fired, until he finally lets it happen and the staff start to respect her. Phoebe spends the episode writing a holiday song for her friends and struggling to find festive rhymes for their names. Ross, exhausted by the commute, ends up with neither woman.
Can the kids watch it?
Dating jokes and mild innuendo; fine for most children from about 10, PG for the broadcast cut.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green
- Courteney Cox as Monica Geller
- Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay
- Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani
- Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing
- David Schwimmer as Ross Geller
Guest stars
- James Michael Tyler as Gunther
- Fred Stoller as The Waiter
- Jamie Kaler as Mike
Writer
- Scott Silveri
Director
- Gary Halvorson