Friends 617 The One With The Unagi

[Scene: Central Perk, Ross, Chandler, and Phoebe are there. Joey is working.] Ross: Hey, remember when I had a monkey? Chandler: Yeah. Ross: Yeah, what, what was I thinking? Joey: (he’s just picked up their bill) Hey! So, what’s with the 20 percent tip? Did I do something wrong? Chandler: Twenty percent is a pretty generous tip Joe. Joey: Y’know what’s more generous than that?! Fifty percent! Y’know what’s even more generous than that?!! Chandler: I see where you’re goin’! Ross: What’s up with the greed Joe? Joey: All right, look I’m sorry you guys, but it’s just that I gotta get these new head shots made. And they’re really expensive, y’know? I’m down to like three! Well, actually two ‘cause one of ‘em I kinda blackened in some teeth—Why did I do that?! (Hits himself in the head.) Ross: Well isn’t there something you can do to earn a little extra money? I mean, can’t-can’t you pick up, I don’t know, an extra shift here? Phoebe: Or, y’know, I used to beg for money. Of course it helps if you’ve got y’know a little of this (she sticks her chest out and shakes it) goin’ on. Wow! I still have it! Ross: Oh, wait! Wait! Don’t you have an audition today? Yeah! Maybe you’ll get that job! Joey: Oh, ha-ha-ha! Ooh! Wait a minute, I used to get medical experiments down on me all the time! Chandler: (reminiscing) Ah, finally an explanation. Joey: No-no! I used to get paid for all kinds of medical stuff, remember? Let’s see uh, well I don’t want to donate sperm again. (To Ross) I really prefer doing that at the home office y’know? (Ross nods his head.) Ooh-ooh, maybe they want like some of my blood or-or spit or something, huh? Gunther: (approaching with a tray with an order on it) Joey! Joey: Yeah? Gunther: What did I tell you about talking to your friends while you’re working? Joey: Uhh do it? Gunther: That guy (points) has been waiting for his coffee for ten minutes! He’s complained about you three times! (He hands the coffee cup to Joey, assuming that Joey will deliver it and walks away.) Joey: Well, where was I? (Takes a sip of the coffee.) Opening Credits [Scene: Central Perk, Ross is there as Phoebe and Rachel enter wearing workout clothes.] Ross: Hi! Phoebe: Hey! Ross: Hey, what have you guys been up to? Phoebe: Ohh! We went to a self-defense class today! Ross: Wow! Rachel: Yeah, kicking a guy in the crotch all morning really takes it out of ya! Joey: Takes it out of you? (Laughs.) Phoebe: Now, we can kick anybody’s ass! Rachel: Yeah! Ross: After one class? I don’t think so. Rachel: What? You wanna see me self-defend myself?! Go over there (points) and pretend you’re a sexual predator! Go on! I dare ya!! Ross: Well, of course you can defend yourself from an attack you know is coming, that’s not enough. Look, I studying kara-tay for a long time, and there’s a concept you should really be familiar with. It’s what the Japanese call (he holds two fingers up to his temple, and he does this every time he says this word) unagi. Rachel: Isn’t that a kind of sushi? Ross: No, it’s a concept! Phoebe: Yeah it is! It is! It’s freshwater eel! Ross: All right, maybe it means that too… Rachel: Ohh! I would kill for a salmon skin roll right now! Ross: Y’know what? Fine! Get attacked! I don’t even care! Phoebe: (deadpan) Come on Ross. We’re sorry. Please tell us what it is. Ross: Unagi is a state of total awareness. Okay? Only by achieving true unagi can you be prepared for any danger that may befall you! Phoebe: You mean in case someone is trying to steal your bamboo sleeping mat or your kettle of fish? (Rachel laughs and Ross mocks her.) Ross: (moves closer) All I’m saying is, it’s one thing being prepared for an attack against like each other; whole another story being prepared for an attack, I don’t know, like a (turns and puts his face close to Rachel’s and screams) surprise!! (Rachel calmly wipes the spittle off her face.) Ross: All right, you know that one was coming, but that doesn’t mean you have unagi. (Does the finger thing.) Rachel: (To Phoebe) Ooh! Y’know what? If we made reservations, we could have unagi in about a half-hour. Ross: Y’know what… (Moves away as Chandler enters, panicked.) Chandler: Hey-hey, is Monica here? Phoebe: No. Ross: No. Chandler: Okay, look I need your help, I don’t know what to get her for Valentine’s Day. Rachel: Well, Valentine’s Day was like two weeks ago, so I wouldn’t get her a calendar! Chandler: (laughs) She was working on Valentine’s Day so we’re celebrating it tonight. Joey: Ohh, hey! Why don’t you book a date for both of you at one of those romantic spas? Phoebe: Ooh, Joey, that’s actually a really good idea! Joey: And of course, crotchless panties. Chandler: Well appealing as that does sound to her boyfriend (pause) and her brother, (the camera pans to Ross flashing Joey a very evil look; Joey gets scared) I can’t do that we promised we’d make each other gifts this year. Rachel: Aw, I love that. Phoebe: You guys! Joey: You can’t make crotchless panties? You take, you take a pair of scissors and you just cut… Rachel: (interrupting him) Okay-okay-okay! So, making things. That sounds like so much fun. Chandler: Yeah, I thought so to until I paper mached one of my eyes shut. Phoebe: Oh, I love paper mache! What did you make? Chandler: I made a… (Does one of those gibberish words.) Phoebe: What is that? Chandler: Nothing! Ross: So what are you gonna do? Chandler: Well, have you guys made anything that maybe I can take credit for? Phoebe: Ohh! I have! I have! I started making these little sock bunnies! (She takes out a sock that’s been made into a bunny with eyes, nose, mouth, whiskers, and two other socks sown onto it for ears.) Oh for crying out loud! Rachel: Hey, wait a minute! That is my sock! Phoebe: Now, it’s you little bunny friend. (She sticks it in Rachel’s face and they both laugh.) [Scene: Monica and Chandler's, Chandler is desperately trying to make his Valentine’s Day gift. He takes a paper cup, turns it upside down, sticks two pencils into the top, and hangs a coat hanger from the bottom.] Chandler: (admiring his work) This, this actually is a… (Does the same gibberish word from before.) Monica: (entering) Hey! Chandler: Hey! Honey, can I ask you a question about the Valentine’s Day gifts? Monica: Oh, yeah. Chandler: Do we have to make the entire thing? Monica: Yes! Why, did you—you forget to make yours? Chandler: Of course, of course not. I just have to uh, go over to the place where I-I made it and pick-pick it up. Monica: Okay. (They kiss.) Okay, I can’t wait! This is going to be the best Valentine’s Day ever! (Chandler giggles and exits.) I can’t believe it! Make the presents! Make the presents! Chandler: (sticking his head back in) What? Monica: I’m just so excited to make the presents! (Chandler does another sarcastic/scared laugh and leaves.) Shoot! [Scene: A Medical Research Office, Joey is there to sign up for an experiment, any experiment.] Joey: (to the receptionist) Hi uh, I’m Joey Tribbiani and with all do respect I’d like to donate some fluids. Receptionist: We’re actually at the end of one of our research cycles, so we’re not looking for applicants right now. Joey: Oh that’s too bad. I’ve kinda been saving up. (She just looks at him in horror.) Uh, are you sure there’s no studies I can participate in? Receptionist: Well, here’s a schedule of what’s coming up. (Hands it to him.) Joey: Thanks. (Starts to read it.) Well but this one starts now. (Points to one.) Receptionist: Oh that one is available now, but only identical twins are eligible. It’s a twins study. Joey: But it’s $2,000. Receptionist: Sorry. Joey: Well how about this one? Testing the effects of Joey Tribbiani on attractive nurse receptionists. Receptionist: We already got the results back on that on, and they’re not good. (Joey beats a hasty retreat.) [Scene: The Hallway between the Apartments, Ross is hiding behind that bump out on Monica’s side waiting for Phoebe and Rachel. As they come up the stairs, he jumps out and yells…] Ross: DANGER!!! DANGER!!!!! (They both scream and jump away.) Phoebe: Ross!!! Rachel: What the hell was that?! Ross: A lesson in the importance of unagi. (He starts doing the finger thing every time now.) Phoebe: Ohh, you’re a freak!! Ross: Perhaps. Now I’m curious, at what point during those girlish screams would you have begun to kick my ass? Rachel: All right, so we weren’t prepared! Ross: I’m sorry I had to take such drastic measures to make my point, but I—look, I just want you guys to be safe. (Monica comes out to throw out the garbage and Ross screams…) DANGER!!!!! (She completely ignores him and keeps walking.) Ahhh, huh? Unagi. [Scene: Cole-Geddes Casting Agency, Joey is there on his audition and thinking about that 2,000 bucks for the twins study.] Joey: (in his head) 2,000 bucks is a lot of money. Oh, I wish I had a twin. Where could I find someone who looks exactly like me? (The camera widens its shot to reveal a room full of Joey look-a-likes. Joey looks at the guy next to him and then back at his script.) [Scene: Ross's apartment, Ross is coming in from doing his laundry. He starts folding it as Chandler enters.] Chandler: Hey. Ross: (not turning around) Chandler. I sensed it was you. Chandler: What?! Ross: Unagi. I’m always aware. Chandler: Okay, are you aware unagi (does the finger thing) is an eel? Ross: What’s up? Chandler: I can’t figure out what to make Monica. Ross: Oh, why don’t you make her one of your little jokes. Chandler: I’m going crazy! Okay? Do you have any thing around here that looks homemade? Ross: Y’know what? She’d-she’d love this. (Picks up a model of the Saturn V rocket, that’s the one that took man to the moon.) Uh, it’s an exact replica of Apollo 8. I made it in the sixth grade. Chandler: Yeah, I guess I could use that. I could say that your love sends me to the moon. Ross: Yeah-yeah, except Apollo 8 didn’t actually land on the moon. But you-you-you could write that umm, your love lets me orbit the moon twice and return safely. (Apollo 8 was the first one that orbited the moon and the one that read the Christmas Story from the orbit of the moon on Christmas Eve, 1968. They also took the famous Earthrise picture of the Earth rising over the moon.) Chandler: Wait a minute, I can’t give this to her. Ross: Why not? Chandler: Because it says "Captain Ross" on the side and "I hate Monica" on the bottom. Ross: Oh. (Chandler leaves dejectedly. When the door closes Rachel and Phoebe jump out from behind the curtains and scream…) Phoebe and Rachel: DANGER!!!!! (Ross screams like a little girl.) Rachel: Ahhhhh, salmon skin roll. (She does the finger thing.) [Scene: Monica and Chandler’s bedroom, he’s still trying to figure out what to make Monica.] Chandler: Okay. Okay. (He goes to the closet, moves the clothes out of the way, and notices an empty hanger. He takes the empty hanger and bends it all out of shape. Then he holds it out as if he’s giving it to her.) Yes honey, I made it myself. (He throws it down and goes to her chest, grabs something, goes to the bed table, and takes out a pair of scissors. He turns around and holds the scissors to the crotch of the panties he just removed.) I can’t do it. I can’t do it. (He throws them both down and continues looking. He opens another closet door and finds a tape.) Oh! Oh! A mixed tape! A mixed tape!! (He runs out into the living room.) [Cut to the living room, Chandler is entering as Monica finishes wrapping her present for him on the kitchen table.] Chandler: Hey! Hi! You uh, ready to exchange gifts? Monica: Sure! Okay, you go first. ……