- 6 weeks ago
Could this season BE any more iconic? Join us as we dive deep into the unforgettable moments of Friends' seventh season! From Monica and Chandler's wedding preparations to the legendary Holiday Armadillo, turning thirty, and that jaw-dropping cliffhanger finale - we're covering all the laughter, tears, and "OH MY GOD" moments that made this season truly special.
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00:00Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukkah!
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're diving deep into the definitive moments of the seventh season of Friends,
00:12including wedding build-up, holiday armadillos, turning 30, and the cliffhanger that kept us on tenderhooks all summer.
00:20I pronounce you husband and wife. Now kiss her again.
00:25The one with the season recap. Season seven picks up right where we left off.
00:34Monica and Chandler are engaged. Their celebration plans, though, get derailed fast.
00:39We just kissed. You guys kissed? What does this mean? Are you getting back together? Can I sing at your wedding?
00:50Thunder being stolen.
00:51Most of the season follows them prepping for the big day, with all the chaos that comes with that.
00:57The one with Rachel's assistant, one of ten episodes directed by David Schwimmer, is a busy one.
01:02Once, Monica was sent to a room without dinner, so she ate the macaroni off a jewelry box she'd made.
01:10Ross used to stay home every Saturday night to watch Golden Girls.
01:17Monica couldn't tell time until she was 13.
01:19Rachel makes some questionable workplace moves, while Joey finds his way back on to Days of Our Lives.
01:29Speaking of duel, as Joey calls it, Dr. Drake Ramore makes a comeback in a storyline that could only exist on a soap.
01:36My character is coming out of his coma.
01:38It also gives us a memorable cameo from Susan Sarandon and her daughter, Ava Amore.
01:55Joey's acting career brings more laughs when he lies his way through a movie audition, a storyline originally written for the one with Barry and Mindy's wedding, but one that apparently made the network too nervous at the time.
02:06These are more realistic, but perishable, okay?
02:09Over here, we have pink suede, which is nice, but if it gets wet, then, you know, it's gonna shrink.
02:15Yeah, maybe we'll just take that one away.
02:18Joey's got a lot going on this season.
02:20He accidentally buys a boat, learns to sail with Rachel, and shares the world's most oddly wholesome nap with Ross.
02:26Great nap.
02:28It really was.
02:29Later, we see what happens when no one gets any sleep in the show's only bottle episode, where everyone's stories don't overlap after the first few minutes.
02:42We also get three-ish holiday episodes, the classic Thanksgiving one, the one with all the candy, and the now iconic holiday armadillo.
02:51We also get a rare Rachel and Chandler storyline that proves the two are an underrated comedy duo.
02:56Yeah, look, there's a piece that doesn't have floor on it.
02:59Stick to your side.
03:00Come on now.
03:01The gang hits the big 3-0 this year, and watching how each of them handles it feels painfully and hilariously relatable.
03:08Come on, Rach.
03:09Look, turning 30's not that big a deal.
03:11Oh, really? Is that how you felt when you turned 30?
03:14Why, God, why?
03:17We had a deal. Let the others grow old, not me.
03:21Bebe doesn't get a huge season-long arc, but she still has her moments.
03:24She briefly reunites with David, the scientist guy, learns to ride a bike, introduces us to clunkers, and makes our shortlist for wedding entertainment.
03:33Maybe once we vet her set list first?
03:35We thought Phoebe would leave, but she just stayed and stayed.
03:41That's right, I'm here all night, and Chandler will never get paid.
03:45Hey, here's a dollar. Consider it a deposit. Please sing at our wedding.
03:51She and Ross clash after each dating one half of a divorcing couple, and she competes with Rachel over a lost phone and the Maid of Honor title.
03:59I remember...
04:00Oh!
04:03Oh!
04:05Very good!
04:07Yes! Excellent! Perfect score!
04:10As Monica and Chandler's big day approaches, there's dress shopping, tux drama, vow writing, and Chandler finally reconciling with his parent.
04:18Well, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.
04:22The wedding is a whirlwind.
04:24Still, they say their I do's before the season ends on a cliffhanger no one saw coming.
04:28It's also another standout year for guest stars.
04:32Kristen Davis, Gabrielle Union, Jason Alexander, Denise Richards, Winona Ryder, and Gary Oldman, who won an Emmy for his role as Richard Crosby, just to name a few.
04:42You just won an Oscar.
04:44No, I didn't.
04:46I think you did.
04:49I think I lost three times.
04:54A cookie?
04:55The ones with all the holiday cheer.
04:57As we mentioned, this season went quite heavy on the holiday cheer.
05:01We start with the classic Thanksgiving episode, where the focus is anything but turkey.
05:06Well, maybe unless you're Ross.
05:08This is crazy. I can do this.
05:10All right, uh, I bet I can get all 50 before dinner.
05:13Okay, but if you can't, no dinner.
05:16You're on.
05:16It opens on the infamous 50 states game that probably ruined a few real Thanksgiving dinners back then.
05:22Rachel and Tag finally get together, and we also learn one detail about Chandler that almost made us reconsider everything we felt about him.
05:29Okay, it's, um...
05:30Don't do it!
05:34Don't do what?
05:35I have to.
05:36Okay?
05:37It's time.
05:43Okay, I hate dogs.
05:44Oh, come on, look at that face.
05:46Who could possibly hate that face?
05:47Then in The One with All the Candy, Ross gives Phoebe a gift that could melt even the Grinch's heart,
05:53while Monica bites off a little more than she can chew, trying to make holiday candy for the whole building.
05:58This woman was trying to do a nice thing for you.
06:02She was making candy so she could try to get to know all of you,
06:05and I'll bet that not one of you can tell me her name.
06:09Am I right?
06:11Candy lady?
06:14You're not candy lady.
06:16However, when we think of this season's holiday episodes, one stands above the rest.
06:21Fun fact, the tradition of dressing up as an armadillo for Hanukkah goes back to, just kidding.
06:26That's about as real as Superman and Santa attending the Easter Bunny's funeral.
06:30But if you did believe it for a second, it's probably time for another episode rewatch.
06:35Ross ends up with the costume after failing to find a Santa suit on Christmas Eve Eve.
06:39Okay, look, do you have anything, uh, Christmassy?
06:43I promised my son, and I really don't want to disappoint him.
06:47Um, come on, I, you gotta have something.
06:50It arguably takes the crown for the ultimate Christmaka episode,
06:53even several years before the OC coined the term.
06:57It's a rare moment where the series properly acknowledges the Gellers' faith
07:00and celebrates their culture, and it does so with warmth, humor, and heart.
07:04See, you're part Jewish, and Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday.
07:07Santa has rangers that can fly.
07:10Right, um, but on Hanukkah, Hanukkah is a celebration of a miracle.
07:15See, years and years ago, there were these people called the Maccabees.
07:19Beneath the comedy, there's something genuinely touching about Ross
07:22trying to balance his son's excitement for Christmas with pride in his Jewish heritage.
07:26He doesn't want to take away Ben's love of Santa.
07:29He just wants to add a little dreidel to the mix.
07:31On Hanukkah, we sing, um, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay.
07:37Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
07:39Okay, it's not a contest.
07:41And honestly, if he'd led with the bit about eight days of presents and donuts,
07:45he might have had an easier time of it.
07:47It sure would have worked on us.
07:48Even more, it's a celebration of interfaith families and cultural coexistence.
07:53Well, how about this year, instead of Santa, we have fun celebrating Hanukkah?
08:00No Santa?
08:01Was I bad?
08:04No, oh, no, no, no.
08:05Hey, you weren't bad.
08:06You've been very good, Ben.
08:08It's about showing that multiple traditions can exist side by side,
08:11that kids can love Christmas trees and lighting menorahs equally,
08:14and that honoring different heritages doesn't diminish the joy of any one holiday.
08:19Well, I'll stay, but only because I want to hear about Hanukkah.
08:24Ben, will you sit here with Santa and learn about Hanukkah?
08:30Okay, Santa.
08:31Beyond the laughs, the episode carries a message of harmony.
08:34The idea that traditions, histories, and cultures can be embraced together,
08:39and that celebrating them together makes life richer.
08:41That's why, decades later, the holiday armadillo remains iconic,
08:45not just because it's undeniably hilarious,
08:48but for the way it reminds us what the holidays truly should be,
08:51inclusive, joyful, and united.
08:53The miracle was that that little bit of oil that should have lasted just one day burned for...
09:01Eight whole days.
09:02That's right, and that's why we celebrate Hanukkah today.
09:05The end.
09:07Awesome.
09:08The one with the road to the wedding.
09:10Of course, a big part of the season is the build-up to Monica and Chandler's wedding,
09:14and wow, they packed a lot in.
09:17The one with Monica's thunder is a classic bottle episode
09:19and a fun way to pick up from the Sentimental Season 6 finale.
09:23No, I will not shut up, because I'm engaged!
09:28Whoa, big talk!
09:29Huh?
09:29Why don't you come over here and say that to me, huh, buddy?
09:32Yeah, my fiancé will kick your ass!
09:34It almost mirrors the chaos of the one where no one's ready,
09:38with multiple storylines overlapping, all anchored by one major event.
09:42Also, were they kind of foreshadowing future events with this line?
09:45But I must warn you, the night that you announce your engagement,
09:48I'm going to announce that I'm pregnant!
09:51How is that ever going to happen?
09:53We also can't talk about the wedding prep without mentioning the bagpipes,
09:57or, more importantly, the now-iconic blooper it gave us.
10:01The Friends gag reel is pretty epic, but this season really gave us some gems.
10:06Many of us probably expected Monica to be a total bridezilla,
10:22but that only scratches the surface of the emotional rollercoaster she goes on this season.
10:26Seeing her wrestle with the realization that her parents had given up on her ever having her day hits hard.
10:31Sorry, honey, but we just assumed if you got married after you turned 30, you'd pay for it yourself.
10:36You bought the beach house when I was 23!
10:39Which means you had seven years of beach fun, and you can't put a price on that, sweetie.
10:43It explains her obsession with control and her longing for that perfect moment she's been denied for so long.
10:49Often in Ross's favor, Chandler eventually understands just how important this is to her.
10:54While he's willing to make a huge financial sacrifice,
10:57the real turning point comes when Monica starts to see the life they could build together.
11:01The house, the kids, the Joey room matter far more than one perfect day.
11:06That's real relationship growth.
11:08I don't want a big fancy wedding.
11:11Sure you do.
11:12No.
11:14I want everything that you just said.
11:17I want a marriage.
11:19Monica wobbles again when she realizes that all the exciting firsts in a relationship are behind her.
11:24I haven't had that feeling since I first started going out with Chandler.
11:26Well, I'm never going to have that feeling again, am I?
11:31You sound like a guy.
11:33No, a guy would be saying, I'm never going to get to sleep with anyone else.
11:37Oh my God, I'm never going to get to sleep with anyone else.
11:39It was great seeing the show address something that, for others, might feel like a shameful secret they hide inside.
11:45Surprisingly, Chandler swoops in, reminding her that their married firsts are just beginning.
11:51Look, for me, the rush is knowing that we are going to be together for the rest of our lives.
11:57Really?
11:58Well, yeah.
11:59It's done in a way that we have no doubt helped reassure countless others besides Monica.
12:04Of course, he has his own freakouts, especially around that London truth bomb.
12:08I don't know what I need.
12:09I need a walk.
12:10Wait, Chandler, come on.
12:11It's not a big deal.
12:12It is to me.
12:13You wanted to sleep with Batman and said you had to settle for Robin.
12:17Still together, every obstacle, every trade-off, every messy moment pulls them closer.
12:23Even Monica fighting another bride over her dream dress,
12:26then giving it up so Chandler can have the band he wants at the wedding,
12:29shows them setting the foundations of married life beyond the party.
12:33Sorry, Monica.
12:34Why do you have to return it?
12:35Oh, because it doesn't really fit.
12:39Oh, by the way, I booked the Swing Kings.
12:41Oh, that's great.
12:42Great, thanks.
12:43Really, that's the core of their arc this season.
12:45Monica has been dreaming of being a bride forever,
12:48while Chandler used to break out in a cold sweat at the thought of commitment.
12:51Everything they navigate, small sacrifices, big decisions, wobbles, and even laughs,
12:57cements their partnership and sets them up for life beyond the wedding day.
13:01Thank you so much for staying so calm during this.
13:03I mean, it's really, it's made me stay calm.
13:07I could have been worse.
13:09By the time they finally walk down the aisle,
13:11it's clear this is the start of a marriage built on compromise,
13:15compassion, understanding, and shared dreams.
13:18That's why Mondler isn't just the it couple of the series.
13:21They are relationship goals, full stop.
13:24This season also gave us a clips episode as Monica and Chandler write their vows.
13:28Have you written your vows yet?
13:29I figured I'd just buy those.
13:31Pat, I'd like to buy a vow.
13:35Sweetie, you know I have no sense of humor when it comes to the wedding.
13:38True to tradition, fans didn't love it.
13:40It actually ended up as the lowest rated episode of the series.
13:44But it's kind of interesting when you look at it alongside the season's other bottle episodes.
13:48It almost feels like the show was taking a moment to slow down and reflect amid all the wedding buildup.
13:53All the things that he's taught you, like...
14:00Or all the things you taught him.
14:05Now everybody knows the basic erogenous zones.
14:08You got one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven.
14:15Almost like the creators were splurging on the wedding storyline
14:18without actually spending a beach house sized budget.
14:20However, before we get into the actual big event, we need to talk about Chandler's parent.
14:26The one with Chandler's dad.
14:28Despite its inclusion of LGBTQIA plus characters,
14:32we wouldn't exactly hold friends up as a model for positive representation.
14:36What are you going to do when he finds out he wasn't even asked?
14:38Well, he doesn't have to know.
14:39It's not like we run in the same circles.
14:41I hang out with you guys and he...
14:44stars in a drag show in Vegas.
14:46There's no denying it was a pretty homogenous show on all fronts.
14:49Co-creator Marta Kaufman has since expressed regret
14:52for unintentionally reinforcing systemic bias in Hollywood.
14:56Sure, the one with the lesbian wedding was groundbreaking for its time.
14:59But the show often made its queer characters the punchline.
15:03We're gathered here today to join Carol and Susan in holy matrimony.
15:07Oh my god.
15:09Now I've seen everything.
15:10Even the recurring gag about Chandler having a quality doesn't hold up
15:14and plays into outdated and harmful gender expectations.
15:17Okay, I don't know.
15:18You just...
15:19You have a quality.
15:21Yes.
15:21Right?
15:21A quality.
15:22Oh, oh, a quality.
15:25Good.
15:25Because I was worried you guys were going to be vague about this.
15:28Nowhere is that more apparent than in the introduction of one of Chandler's parents.
15:32We learn Chandler grew up embarrassed by his parent
15:34for not fitting into traditional gender roles.
15:37You look up into the stands and there's your dad cheering you on,
15:40dressed as Carmen Miranda.
15:41He's wearing a headdress with real fruit that he will later hand out to your friends
15:46as a healthy snack.
15:48It doesn't seem like the two became estranged because Chandler's parent was trans,
15:52but more so because Chandler didn't know how to process having a parent
15:55who looked and acted differently from what he saw around him.
15:58The portrayal has not aged well.
16:00Today, a trans performer would rightfully be cast in the role,
16:03and the constant misgendering would never make it off the page,
16:06or even pass the pitch meeting.
16:08Yeah, he's made phone calls, written letters, even came to New York.
16:13But I always said I was too busy to see him.
16:15You know, it's all very Cats in the Cradle.
16:16I don't want to get into it.
16:21Here we go.
16:22Kathleen Turner, who played the role,
16:24has said it was presented to her as something, quote,
16:26groundbreaking, since trans representation was virtually non-existent
16:30in mainstream TV at the time.
16:32And yes, seeing a trans character on a hit network sitcom
16:35was huge for visibility,
16:37but representation only helps when it's done with care.
16:40In this case, she was treated more as a joke than a person,
16:43reinforcing harmful stereotypes rather than challenging them.
16:46I feel pretty, oh so pretty,
16:49I feel pretty and witty and...
16:52Hey!
16:57That can't be your father.
16:59Believe me, I've been saying that for years.
17:00To her credit, Kaufman has acknowledged these flaws
17:03and said she's, quote, embarrassed that she didn't know better at the time,
17:07particularly when it came to misgendering.
17:09Oh, turn around, darling.
17:10Let me see your pretty face.
17:21Can we have our drinks, please?
17:22Uh, waiter?
17:23Tris?
17:24She's since made an effort to do better,
17:26even saying she once instantly fired someone on set for making a transphobic joke,
17:31showing she believes there's no place for that kind of behavior.
17:34So while we can't rewrite the past,
17:36moments like this remind us how far we've come
17:38and how important it is to keep learning,
17:41growing,
17:42and creating a world where everyone feels seen and respected.
17:45We'd really love it if you could be there.
17:50Really?
17:50I know it would make me happy.
17:57Ma'am.
18:01Then I wouldn't miss it for the world.
18:03Before we continue,
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18:18The one with Monica and Chandler's wedding.
18:21Never have we felt an entire season build up to a finale quite like this one,
18:26and it sure packs in a lot.
18:28While Ross's big brother talk barely makes Chandler flinch,
18:31it's a reminder of all the history he's been carrying that leads to his cold feet.
18:35Because if I go home, we're going to become the Bings.
18:38I can't be the Bings.
18:40What's wrong with being the Bings?
18:42The Bings have horrible marriages.
18:44He loves Monica more than anything,
18:46and that fear only proves it because now it's not about commitment.
18:50It's about the paralyzing terror of letting her down and repeating his parents' mistakes.
18:55It doesn't help that his parents bring their bickering to the rehearsal dinner.
18:58What could have been just another Chandler panics gag
19:01instead becomes this really poignant look at how inherited trauma can make us freeze
19:05and how much courage it takes to choose a healthier, happier path?
19:09I totally believe you can do this.
19:12I want to.
19:13I love her so much, but I'm afraid...
19:16This is too huge.
19:18Deep down, Ross gets it too.
19:20His protective instincts might kick in,
19:22but he sees what's underneath Chandler's anxiety
19:24and helps him find his way back to the aisle and the woman we all know he loves.
19:28I'm telling you, just a little bit at a time.
19:32Yeah, okay, well, what's the next little bit?
19:35Getting married.
19:36Okay, okay, but you can do that too, just like you've done everything else.
19:44Yeah, you're right.
19:45I can do that.
19:47Yeah.
19:47The friends all step up in their own ways here,
19:50proving the power of family, even when it's the kind you build yourself.
19:53They rally around Monica's happiness and do everything they can to make sure the wedding happens.
19:59I need you to perform another wedding.
20:01Can you do that?
20:02I don't know.
20:03Are they Greek Orthodox?
20:05Yeah, yeah.
20:07They're my friends.
20:08Monica Stephanopoulos and Chandler Acidophilus.
20:16Even Joey risks his big moment to be there for his friends.
20:19Sure, we'd have loved a few more scenes with Richard Crosby,
20:21but seeing Joey play the role of a lifetime,
20:24officiating Monica and Chandler's wedding, was worth it.
20:27Dearly beloved, that's my life!
20:35I can take it from here.
20:37Thanks.
20:37After all the ups and downs, they finally make it down the aisle.
20:41One look at Monica, and you can almost see Chandler letting go of years of pain and fear.
20:46It's not ideal to find out your groom was a flight risk just hours earlier,
20:49but that contrast is exactly what makes the moment hit so hard.
20:53For anyone who's ever carried the weight of their past,
20:56it offered real hope that happiness, love, and peace are still possible.
21:00Any surprises that come our way, it's okay, because I will always love you.
21:07You are the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with.
21:12You want to know if I'm sure?
21:18You may now kiss the bride.
21:20And of course, the wedding isn't the only big event.
21:23There was a pregnancy test in the garbage, and it's positive.
21:27Monica's pregnant.
21:30When Phoebe finds a positive pregnancy test, she assumes it must be Monica's.
21:34But in the final moments, we find out otherwise.
21:37That reveal was reportedly filmed after the audience left,
21:40and we get why they'd want to keep it so hush-hush.
21:42Hey, Phoebe.
21:44We cannot tell anyone about this.
21:47Right.
21:47Okay?
21:47Yeah.
21:48Okay.
21:48This finale was really all about new beginnings.
21:51And as the credits rolled,
21:52we couldn't wait to see where those threads would lead in season 8.
21:55Look at them.
21:58And they're going to have a baby.
22:02Uh-huh.
22:04But for now, we were just happy to bask in Monica and Chandler's big day
22:08and everything it promised.
22:10What's your favorite moment from this season?
22:12Let us know in the comments.
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