S05E11

The One With All The Resolutions

The gang makes New Year's resolutions; Chandler avoids mockery, Rachel stops gossiping, and Ross struggles with leather pants on a date.

11 Scenes264 Lines
Scene 1

Monica and Rachel's, Monica and Rachel are hosting a New Year's party. So the place is crowded and in a shameless promotion for Nbc they're watching Jay Leno's coverage of New Year's from Time Square.

40 lines
Jay Leno
(On TV to Dick Clark) Is there any entertainment there? What are people doing?
joey
Joey
All right! Here we go! 1999! The year of Joey!
chandler
Chandler
(deadpan, standing next to Monica) We're very happy for you.
joey
Joey
What's the matter?!
chandler
Chandler
We wanted to kiss at midnight, but nobody else is going to so y'know...
joey
Joey
All right, I'll take care of it.
monica
Monica
Oh no, wait! Joey!
(They try to stop him, not sure of what he's planning. He ignores them and goes to talk to Ross.)
ross
Ross
(hopping) 73! 72! 71!
joey
Joey
Ross! Ross! Ross, listen! Who are you kissing at midnight, huh? Rachel or Phoebe?
ross
Ross
What?
joey
Joey
Well you gotta kiss someone, you can't kiss your sister.
ross
Ross
Well, who's gonna kiss my sister.
joey
Joey
Chandler.
ross
Ross
Awww, man! Really?
joey
Joey
Dude-dude, who would you rather have kiss your sister, me or Chandler?
ross
Ross
That's a good point.
joey
Joey
Yeah.
ross
Ross
Oh well, since I have that whole history with Rachel, I guess Phoebe.
joey
Joey
Okay, great!
ross
Ross
All right.
joey
Joey
Pheebs! Pheebs! Ross wants to kiss you at midnight!
phoebe
Phoebe
It's so obvious, why doesn't he just ask?
joey
Joey
Rach! Rach! Listen, I'm gonna kiss you at midnight.
rachel
Rachel
What?!
ross
Ross
Well, everyone's gotta kiss someone. You can't kiss Ross you got the history.
rachel
Rachel
So?
joey
Joey
So? Who would you rather have kiss you, me or Chandler?
rachel
Rachel
Oh, good point.
joey
Joey
Yeah!
Everyone
(watching the ball drop) 3! 2! 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
(And with that everyone starts playing tonsil hockey. Chandler with Monica, Ross with Phoebe, and Joey with Rachel.)
chandler
Chandler
(To Monica) Happy New Year!
monica
Monica
Happy New Year.
ross
Ross
(To Phoebe) Happy New Year, Pheebs!
phoebe
Phoebe
You too!
rachel
Rachel
(To Joey) Happy New Year, Joey!
joey
Joey
So did that do anything for ya?
(Rachel slowly walks away.)
OPENING CREDITS
Scene 2

Monica and Rachel's, after the party. Everyone has left, except for the gang.

27 lines
ross
Ross
Y'know what? I'm gonna go out on a limb and say no divorces in '99!
rachel
Rachel
But your divorce isn't even final yet.
ross
Ross
Just the one divorce in '99! Y'know what, I am gonna be happy this year. I am gonna make myself happy.
chandler
Chandler
Do you want us to leave the room, or?
ross
Ross
Everyday I am gonna do one thing that I haven't done before. That my friends is my New Year's resolution.
phoebe
Phoebe
Ooh! That's a good one! Mine is to pilot a commercial jet.
chandler
Chandler
That's good one too, Pheebs. Now all you have to do is find a planeload of people who's resolution is to plummet to their deaths.
phoebe
Phoebe
Maybe your resolution is to not make fun of your friends, especially the ones who may soon be flying you to Europe for free on their own plane.
monica
Monica
She has a better chance of sprouting wings and flying up your nose than you do of not making fun of us.
ross
Ross
In fact, I'll bet you 50 bucks that you can't go the whole year without making fun of us. Eh, y'know what, better yet? A week.
chandler
Chandler
I'll take that bet my friend. And you know what, paying me the 50 bucks could be the "new thing you do that day!" (Ross looks at him.) And it starts right now!
joey
Joey
All right, my New Year's resolution is to learn how to play the guitar.
ross
Ross
Ohh.
phoebe
Phoebe
Really?! How come?
joey
Joey
Well, y'know those special skills I have listed on my resume? I would love it would be great if one of those was true.
phoebe
Phoebe
Do you want me to teach you? I'm a great teacher.
joey
Joey
Really? Who-who have you taught?
phoebe
Phoebe
Well, I taught me and I love me.
joey
Joey
Yeah that'd be great! Thanks Pheebs!
rachel
Rachel
Op, look! Claire forgot her glasses! And she's gonna be really needing these to keep an eye on that boyfriend, who, I hear, needs to keep his stapler in his desk drawer, if you know what I'm talking about.
monica
Monica
Hey Rach, maybe your resolution should be to umm, gossip less.
rachel
Rachel
I don't gossip!
(They all laugh.)
rachel
Rachel
Well, maybe sometimes I find out things or I hear something and I pass that information on y'know kinda like a public service, it doesn't mean I'm a gossip. I mean, would you call Ted Kopel a gossip?
monica
Monica
Well if Ted Kopel talked about his coworkers botched boob jobs, I would.
rachel
Rachel
What? They were like this!
(She puts her hands over her breasts and indicates that the coworkers boob job resulted in one pointing up and one pointing down with her hands by pointing up with one hand and down with the other.)
Scene 3

Central Perk, Ross is talking to a beautiful woman as Chandler and Joey enter.

23 lines
Woman
I'll see you tomorrow.
ross
Ross
Okay! (She leaves.) (To Chandler and Joey.) Hey!
joey
Joey
Hey!
ross
Ross
I just asked that girl out.
chandler
Chandler
Nice!
joey
Joey
Nice!! Yeah! Is that part of your resolution, your new thing for today?
ross
Ross
Yes it is. See. (Shows them the piece of paper she gave him with her name and phone number on it.)
chandler
Chandler
(reading it) Elizabeth Hornswoggle?
ross
Ross
That's right, uh, Elizabeth Hornswoggle.
chandler
Chandler
Horn-swoggle.
joey
Joey
You all right Chandler? Is there something funny about that name?
chandler
Chandler
No. No, I just think that maybe I-I'd heard it somewhere before. (Sits down rubbing his temple.)
joey
Joey
Oh really! Where? Somewhere funny I'd bet! (Chandler is straining to keep quiet as Phoebe enters.)
ross
Ross
Hi, Pheebs!
phoebe
Phoebe
Hey!
ross
Ross
Oh-oh, guess what? I-I have a date with Elizabeth (Talking into Chandler's ear.) Hornswoggle.
phoebe
Phoebe
Hornswoggle? (To Chandler) Ooh, this must be killing you.
ross
Ross
All right, see you later.
joey
Joey
See ya! All right Pheebs, I am ready for my first lesson.
phoebe
Phoebe
Okay. (Joey tries to take the guitar.) Oh no-no-no, you don't touch the guitar! First you learn here, (Points to her head.) then you learn here. (Points to the guitar.)
joey
Joey
Umm, okay.
phoebe
Phoebe
Okay, lesson one: chords. Now, I don't know the actual names of the chords but umm, I-I-I made up names for the way my hand looks while I'm doing them. (She starts to show Joey the chords. Transcribers Note: For this one you'll have to use your imagination, 'cause it would take me 50 pages to describe each one. So if you want to see them, you'll have to wait for this episode to come to a TV near you.) (Holding up her hand and then reconfiguring her hand with each name.) So then, this is Bear Claw. Okay, umm, Turkey Leg and Old Lady. (Joey tries to imitate them.)
chandler
Chandler
What an interesting approach to guitar instruction. Y'know some might find it amusing, I myself find it regular.
Scene 4

Monica and Rachel's, Phoebe is entering with Rachel.

33 lines
phoebe
Phoebe
Hey everybody, Rachel was so good today. She didn't gossip at all.
rachel
Rachel
I didn't! Even when I found out...umm, all right, well let's just say I found something out something about someone and let's just say she's gonna keep it. (Goes into her room.)
joey
Joey
Hey, Pheebs! Check-check this out. (Holds up his hand in one of Phoebe's chords.)
phoebe
Phoebe
Ooh, you nailed the Old Lady! (They both laugh at what she said.)
joey
Joey
Yeah listen so, I thought I was getting better, so on my way home today I stopped by this guitar store and...
phoebe
Phoebe
Did you, did you touch any of the guitars while you were there? Did you?!
joey
Joey
No.
phoebe
Phoebe
Give me your hands. (He does and she smells his left hand.) Strings. Gimme it! (He gives her his right hand and she smells it as well.) Pick. Do you want to learn to play guitar?
joey
Joey
Yes!
phoebe
Phoebe
Then don't touch one!!
ross
Ross
(entering, with Ben) Hi!
Ben
Hi!
monica
Monica
Hi Ben!
Ben
Auntie Monica!! (He runs to hug her.)
chandler
Chandler
(notices something) Ross is wearing leather pants! Does nobody else see that Ross is wearing leather pants? (Pause, no one speaks.) Someone comment on the pants!
rachel
Rachel
I think they're very nice.
monica
Monica
I like 'em.
joey
Joey
Yeah! (Chandler bangs the table in frustration.)
monica
Monica
I like them a lot.
chandler
Chandler
That's not what I had in mind! See, people like Ross don't generally wear these types of pants. You see, they're very tight. (Motions to Ross's buttock.) Maybe there's something in that area.
(They all speak at once in general approval of his pants selection; Joey asks where he got them. I can't pick out the rest of it.)
ross
Ross
Oh see, I-I needed a new thing for today and there's this leather store that always smells so good and I thought to myself, "Wow, (To Chandler) I never really owned a good smelling pair of pants before."
(No one says anything.)
chandler
Chandler
Oh come on!! (Storms out.)
ross
Ross
(after he's left) Okay, seriously, what do you think?
joey
Joey
You look like a freak.
rachel
Rachel
Awful, absolutely awful. (Plus other negative comments from Phoebe and Monica.)
(Monica starts taking pictures of Ross and Ben, with the flash.)
ross
Ross
What are you, what are you doing?
monica
Monica
It's my New Year's resolution!
ross
Ross
What, to blind my child?
monica
Monica
No! To take more pictures of all of us together. I mean I really think it's the best resolution because everyone will enjoy the pictures.
joey
Joey
Well, everyone will enjoy my music as well. (Does a chord and Monica starts taking pictures of him and Phoebe. They both start to strike a pose with the excessive amount of pictures that Monica takes.)
Scene 5

Elizabeth Hornswoggle's apartment; Ross is there on his date with her. They are sitting on the couch watching a movie. Ross is obviously hot.

13 lines
ross
Ross
(talking to himself) My God! These pants are burning up! (He's still wearing the leather pants.) (She snuggles closer.) Oh come on, she wants to snuggle now! What is she trying to kill me? It's like a volcano in here! (Out loud.) Are you hot?
Elizabeth Hornswoggle
No.
ross
Ross
Okay, it must just be me then.
(He shifts on the couch and a ripping sound emanates from his lower regions, the sound reminds one of a brief explosion of gas. In other words, it sounds like he farted. She has a look of horrific wonderment, wondering "Did he just fart?")
ross
Ross
That was just the pants on the couch. Umm, hey, do you, do you mind if I use your bathroom?
Elizabeth
No, go ahead.
ross
Ross
Thanks. (Gets up and as he does so, the sound returns. Without another word he heads into her bathroom.)
[Cut to Elizabeth Hornswoggle's bathroom, Ross frantically pulls his shirt out and drops his pants. He exhales in sheer ecstasy as the coolness of the bathroom envelops his legs. He sits on the cast iron bathtub, again gasping in pleasure. He next grabs a magazine and starts to blow air on his exposed legs, but that doesn't work the way he wants it to. So he throws the magazine down, looks around for another idea, and finds one. He jumps up and hops to the sink. He turns on the water and starts to splash some on his legs, cooling them further.]
ross
Ross
(in ecstasy) Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........
Elizabeth
(yelling from outside) Hey, my favorite part is coming up!
ross
Ross
'Kay!
(He goes to pull up his pants, but can't seem to get them past his knees. He frantically tries to pull them up to no avail. Panic sets in.)
ross
Ross
Oh my God!
Scene 6

Monica and Rachel's, Phoebe is drilling Joey on the chords as Monica looks on.

22 lines
phoebe
Phoebe
Tiger! (Joey moves his hand in an attempt to do the chord, in fact he does it with each name.) Dragon! Iceberg!! (He fails.) Joseph, did you even study at all last night?
joey
Joey
Yes! Yes, I did.
phoebe
Phoebe
Then do Iceberg!
joey
Joey
(thinks) (quietly) G-sharp.
phoebe
Phoebe
G-sharp? Have you been studying the real names of the chords? (Joey doesn't answer.) Have you? (He looks away in shame.) Oh my God!
joey
Joey
What?! I didn't touch a guitar!
phoebe
Phoebe
No, but you're questioning my method!
joey
Joey
No, I'm not questioning it, I'm saying it's stupid! (Notices Monica standing between them and smiling.) What?! (The camera clicks, taking another picture.)
monica
Monica
Thank you. (Leaves.)
phoebe
Phoebe
Y'know none of my other student thought I was stupid.
joey
Joey
Your other student, was you!
phoebe
Phoebe
Yeah, well, y'know maybe you just need to try a little harder!
joey
Joey
(looking in the Yellow Pages) Look, maybe I need to try a real teacher! Right here! Here! Andy Cooper, he teaches guitar and look ooh, there's a nice picture of him with a little kid and THE KID'S GOT A GUITAR!!!!!! (Storms out.)
phoebe
Phoebe
Fine! You go learn from your qualified instructor! But don't come crying to me when everyone's sick and tired of hearing you play Bad, Bad Leroy Brown!!
rachel
Rachel
(entering, singing) "Baddest man in the whole damn town."
phoebe
Phoebe
Oh, fine! Take his side! (Storms out.)
(Rachel looks shocked, gets over it, notices she's alone, and picks up the phone. The last part of which is something she shouldn't have done, because the phone is already in use. By Monica, and now Rachel can hear every word.)
monica
Monica
(on phone) I can't wait to be with you! I'll sneak over as soon as Ross picks up Ben. I'll just tell Rachel I'm gonna be doing laundry for a couple of hours.
chandler
Chandler
(on phone) Laundry. Huh. Is that my new nickname? (Rachel is absolutely stunned, she opens her mouth in absolute amazement.)
monica
Monica
(on phone) Awww, y'know what your nickname is, Mr. Big...
rachel
Rachel
Arghh!! (She quickly hangs up the phone and starts to pace around wondering what to do.)
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Scene 7

Chandler, Joey, and Ross's, The phone rings and Joey answers it.

38 lines
joey
Joey
(answering phone) Hello?
ross
Ross
(calling from Elizabeth's bathroom) Joey, it's Ross! I need some help!
joey
Joey
Uhh, Chandler's not here.
ross
Ross
Well, you can help me!
joey
Joey
Okay.
ross
Ross
Listen, I'm in Elizabeth's bathroom...
joey
Joey
Nice!
ross
Ross
No, I-I got really hot in my leather pants so I took them off but they must have shrunk from the-the sweat or-or-or my legs expanded from the heat. Look, I-I can't put them back on. I can't!
joey
Joey
Oh. That is quite a situation. Uh, do you see any like, powder?
ross
Ross
Powder! Yeah! Yeah, I have powder! (Grabs some of her shelf.)
joey
Joey
Good-good, okay, sprinkle some of that on your legs, it'll absorb some of the moisture and then you can get your pants back up.
ross
Ross
Yeah, okay, hold on! (He puts the phone down and proceeds to spread a large amount of powder on his legs and makes another attempt at pulling up his pants. It doesn't work, and without picking up the phone leans down to it.) (Almost in tears.) They're not coming on man.
joey
Joey
Umm, do you see any-oh, Vaseline?
ross
Ross
Ohh, I-I see lotion, I have lotion! Will that work?
joey
Joey
Yeah, sure, spread some of that on there.
ross
Ross
Hold on.
(Ross proceeds to apply copious amounts of the lotion on his legs. He literally starts spraying the back of his legs with the lotion, and as he applies some to his butt he makes a happy face like he enjoyed that sensation. After using about half the bottle he again tries to pull up his pants, but at the first sign of resistance, his hand slips off of the pants and hits him in the forehead.)
joey
Joey
Ross? You okay?
ross
Ross
They're still, they're still not coming on man and the lotion and the powder have made a paste!
joey
Joey
Really?! Uhh, what color is it?
ross
Ross
What difference does that make?!
joey
Joey
Well, I'm just-if the paste matches the pants, you can make yourself a pair of paste pants and she won't know the difference!
rachel
Rachel
(entering) Joey, do you have a minute?
ross
Ross
Dude, what am I gonna...
joey
Joey
(To Ross) Uh, Rachel's here, so good luck man, let me know how it works out. (He hangs up the phone and strands Ross in the bathroom.)
rachel
Rachel
Oh, Joey, I have such a problem!
joey
Joey
Oh well, you're timing couldn't be better. I am putting out fires all over the place.
rachel
Rachel
Okay. Okay. Okay. Joey, I have got to tell you something!
joey
Joey
What-what is it, what is it?
rachel
Rachel
Oh my God, it's so huge, but you just have to promise me that you cannot tell anyone.
joey
Joey
Oh no, no-no-no-no! I don't want to know!
rachel
Rachel
Yes! Yes! Yes, you do want to know! This is unbelievable!
joey
Joey
I don't care, Rach! Look, I am tired of being the guy who knows all the secrets but can't tell anyone!
rachel
Rachel
What? What secrets? You know secrets? What are they?
joey
Joey
And you're not supposed to be gossiping!!
rachel
Rachel
I know, I know! I just can't keep this one in, so I pick up the phone... (Joey in a childish attempt to not hear what Rachel is about to say, puts his fingers in his ears and starts to scream loudly. Rachel turns and walks out upon seeing that Joey's not gonna listen, and as she exits Chandler walks in and sees Joey in his current state.)
joey
Joey
I'm not listening to you!
(Chandler seeing that Joey has his eyes closed sneaks over and picks up the chicken. The chicken starts flapping it's wings in protest as Chandler holds the chicken inches from Joey's face. Joey stops yelling and upon opening his eyes sees the chicken, screams, and falls to the ground in horror.)
Scene 8

Elizabeth's apartment; Elizabeth is inquiring as to the delay in Ross's exit from her bathroom.

6 lines
Elizabeth
Ross, umm, you've been in there for a long time. I'm starting to get kinda freaked out.
ross
Ross
All right, I'm coming out. Hey, can you turn the lights off.
Elizabeth
No, let's just leave the lights on.
(Ross opens the door and steps into the living room. He has fully removed his pants and holds them wrapped into a ball in front of his crotch. His legs are covered in the powder and lotion paste. He looks terrible.)
Elizabeth
Oh my God!
ross
Ross
I had a problem.
Scene 9

Central Perk, Joey is there to apologize to Phoebe.

7 lines
joey
Joey
Hey, Pheebs?
phoebe
Phoebe
No, I can't talk to you! I don't have a fancy ad in the Yellow Pages!
joey
Joey
Look, Pheebs, I just, I wanna apologize for, for saying that your method was stupid and-and maybe ask you to be my teacher again. And-and I promise, I won't touch a guitar until you say I'm ready. (After a short pause she hands him her guitar.) You really think I'm ready?
phoebe
Phoebe
Uh-huh!
joey
Joey
Wow! Cool! (He takes the guitar, stands up, and goes to play a note. However, while strumming it, he knocks it out of his hands and it bounces off the table and lands on the floor. Phoebe just stares at the guitar.)
joey
Joey
(sitting back down) Was the chord at least right...
phoebe
Phoebe
No!
Scene 10

Monica and Rachel's, Ross is returning from his horrible trek back home without pants on. The whole gang is there.

53 lines
chandler
Chandler
Oh my God!
monica
Monica
We heard about your pants, I'm so sorry.
ross
Ross
This year was supposed to be great! But, it's only the second day and I'm a loser with stupid leather pants that don't even fit!
Everyone
No. No, you're not a loser.
ross
Ross
Look at me! (Chandler squeaks in an attempt not to make fun of him.)
monica
Monica
Hey, hey, look. Look Ross, Ben drew a picture of you! (Shows him Ben's picture.) Huh? You're-you're a cowboy!
ross
Ross
Oh, be-because of the leather pants.
monica
Monica
See? Ben doesn't think you're a loser, he thinks you're a cowboy! Now that's something.
(All at once.)
phoebe
Phoebe
Yeah!
rachel
Rachel
That really is something; that's really cool.
joey
Joey
Howdy partner!
ross
Ross
Maybe I should get another pair! Ooh, y'know, they-they had some with fringe all down the sides. (Chandler starts rubbing his temple again.) I'm gonna go kiss Ben goodnight. (He starts to head for Monica's bedroom.) I can't believe he thinks I'm a cowboy. (Pause.) I would make a good cowboy. (He struts into Monica's room.)
monica
Monica
Okay, now that everything's wrapped up here, I think I'm, I'm gonna go do my laundry.
chandler
Chandler
Oh yeah, me too. Y'know if this shirt is dirty. (Smells it.) Yep.
(They both exit.)
phoebe
Phoebe
Okay, I'm gonna go too. I'm gonna go to the airport. I figure if I hang around there long enough, someone's bound to leave one of those planes unattended.
rachel
Rachel
Good luck, honey!
phoebe
Phoebe
Bye! (She exits, leaving Rachel and Joey alone.)
rachel
Rachel
Hey, uh, Joey?
joey
Joey
Umm?
rachel
Rachel
Remember that big thing I was gonna tell you about?
joey
Joey
Oh, no! (Starts that screaming thing again. Rachel stops him by pulling his fingers out of his ears.)
rachel
Rachel
I'm not gonna tell you, but if you found out on your own, that would be okay and then we could talk about it. Right?
joey
Joey
Well, then it wouldn't be a secret. So yeah, that would be okay. Yeah. Yeah!
rachel
Rachel
(quietly) Yeah. Well. (Pause.) Hey uh Joe, would mind going over to Chandler's bedroom and get that book back that he borrowed from me?
joey
Joey
Now? You want me to go over there now?
rachel
Rachel
Yeah!
joey
Joey
Do you know something?
rachel
Rachel
Do you know something?
joey
Joey
I might know something.
rachel
Rachel
I might know something too.
joey
Joey
What's the thing you know?
rachel
Rachel
Oh no, I can't tell you until you tell me what you know.
joey
Joey
I can't tell you what I know.
rachel
Rachel
Well then I can't tell you what I know.
joey
Joey
Okay, fine.
(Silence ensues.)
joey
Joey
You don't know!
rachel
Rachel
All right, how about I go over there and I will walk into Chandler's bedroom and I will see that thing that I think that I know is actually the thing that I think that I know! (Note: Kudos to Ms. Aniston on the delivery of that line. She said it very quickly and didn't screw up a word. Try it yourself, it ain't that easy.)
joey
Joey
(gasps) YOU KNOW!!!!
rachel
Rachel
AND YOU KNOW!!!
joey
Joey
Yeah, I know!!!!
rachel
Rachel
Chandler and Monica?!! Oh, this is unbelievable!! How long have you known?
joey
Joey
Too long! Oh my God, Rach, I've been dying to talk to someone about this for so long! Listen, listen, we can't say anything about this to anybody, they're so weird about that! Listen... (Phoebe returns and interrupts them.)
rachel
Rachel
Hey!
phoebe
Phoebe
Hey! It's raining. I don't want to fly in the rain. So...
(Pause.)
joey
Joey
Oh, I am going to go for a walk in the rain.
rachel
Rachel
Ohhh, yeah, me too.
(They both exit.)
phoebe
Phoebe
That's weird. (Pause.) I bet they're doing it.
CLOSING CREDITS
Scene 11

Central Perk, Phoebe, Ross, and Monica are there.

2 lines
chandler
Chandler
(entering) Oh good, okay, I can't take it anymore. I can't take it anymore. So you win, okay? Here! (Hands him the 50 bucks he's about to owe him.) Pheebs? Flying a jet? Better make it a spaceship so that you can get back to your home planet! And Ross, phone call for you today, Tom Jones, he wants his pants back! And Hornswoggle? What are you dating a character from Fraggile Rock?! (He sits down and sighs in relief.)
END