The One with the Embryos

Infobox Television episode
Title = The One with the Embryos
Series = Friends
Season = 4
Episode = 12
Airdate = January 15, 1998
Writer = Jill Condon & Amy Toomin
Director = Kevin S. Bright
Guests = Giovanni Ribisi as Frank Jr.
Debra Jo Rupp as Alice Knight
Prev = The One with Phoebe's Uterus
Next = The One with Rachel's Crush

"The One with the Embryos" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the American television situation comedy "Friends", which was broadcast on NBC on January 15, 1998.cite book |last= Sangster|first= Jim|coauthors= David Bailey|title= Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends|year= 2000|publisher= Virgin Publishing Ltd|location= London|edition= 2nd ed.|pages= pp.230–232|isbn= 0-7535-0439-1 ] While the title refers to Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) having in-vitro fertilisation as part of the on-going storyline designed to cover up the actress's pregnancy, the episode is best remembered for the trivia game played by the other characters.

The episode was directed by Kevin S. Bright and written by Jill Condon and Amy Toomin. It frequently ranks amongst the series best episodes in polls. Giovanni Ribisi and Debra Jo Rupp reprise their recurring characters Frank Jr. and Alice Knight.

Plot

Monica and Rachel (Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston) are infuriated by the morning crowing of Joey and Chandler's (Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry) birds. Later, the guys correctly identify the contents of Rachel's shopping bag, and Monica suggests a trivia contest to see who knows more about who, the men or the women. They place a $100 bet on the outcome and Ross (David Schwimmer) puts together some questions. Meanwhile, Phoebe learns that Frank and Alice are paying $16,000 for the IVF procedure, and there is nothing that she can do to help the process.

The trivia game begins, with various factoids about the characters being revealed. A tied score leads to a lightning round. Monica raises the stakes; if the women win, Joey and Chandler must give up their noisy birds. Chandler rebuts by suggesting Rachel and Monica give up their apartment to them, which Monica agrees to. The girls lose the lightning round, so Chandler and Joey start moving in their belongings. Rachel demands they stop and an argument ensues, which is interrupted by Phoebe, who tells the group that she is pregnant.

Reception

In a 2001 review, "Entertainment Weekly" rates the episode A+, stating that "Thanks to the trivia contest alone, "Embryos" is quite possibly Friends' finest moment". It singles out Rachel's line "He's a transpon-transpondster!" (in response to the question "What is Chandler Bing's job?") as the best of the episode. [cite web|last= Staff writer.|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,261338,00.html|title=Review: Season 4 (1997–1998)|work=Entertainment Weekly|date=2001-09-15|accessdate=2007-08-18] The authors of "Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends" call it a "sure-fire contender for the best episode of all time ... not one to be missed under any circumstances". In 2004 an MSNBC.com reviewer wrote that the character trivia is "revealed in a manner completely organic to the plot. Beautifully written and acted, "The One With The Embryos" encapsulates the whole series in a single episode". [cite news|first=Tara|last=Ariano|title=The one with the best of 'Friends'|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4760118/|work=MSNBC.com|date=2004-05-03|accessdate=2007-08-22]

The episode is the favorite of Cox and LeBlanc. Cox likes the episode because she enjoys playing Monica at her most competitive, [cite web|first=Dan|last=Snierson|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,594342,00.html|title=Friends Forever: Courteney Cox Arquette|work=Entertainment Weekly|date=2004-02-24|accessdate=2007-08-18] while LeBlanc spoke fondly of the pace of the episode and the information about the characters that came out. He identified scenes that featured just the six core cast as the best, "because you don't have to introduce a character -- you don't have to lay any pipeline -- you just get right to the funny". [cite web|first=Dan|last=Snierson|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,594342_6,00.html|title=Friends Forever: Matt LeBlanc|work=Entertainment Weekly|date=2004-02-24|accessdate=2007-08-18]

Continuity

• During the contest, the "extended part" of the living room table, that makes it square is pointing to the couch, but, right after the coin toss, there is a shot where it is shown pointing to the window.

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0583600/ "The One with the Embryos"] at the Internet Movie Database