Rachel waits patiently at the airport for Ross, not knowing he is returning with a new girlfriend, Julie. Meanwhile, after giving Joey and Chandler new haircuts, Phoebe is persuaded to cut Monica's hair, but gives her an awful haircut. And Joey learns that his tailor is a very naughty man.

The guys are uncomfortable with Carol's breast milk and Rachel is uncomfortable with Monica's growing friendship with Julie. Meanwhile, Joey competes with a fellow cologne spritzer for the affections of a beautiful colleague.

Heckles who lives in the appartement underneath Monica and Rachel is always complaining of their stomping around and being noisy. While complaining Heckles dies and leaves all his stuff and his apartment to Rachel and Monica. The apartment is the biggest mess they have ever seen. While cleaning it Chandler finds out that he is exactly like Heckles and is afraid he will die all alone just like Heckles

Six years Phoebe got married to a gay friend of hers from Canada who needed a green card. She used to be in love with him but didn't tell her friends that they are married. Because Monica is upset that Phoebe didn't tell her she got married they start yelling the others secrets out: the panties on the telephone pole are Monica's from sex on the balcony, Chandler has a third nipple, Joey acted in a porn movie. Ross tells Rachel he hasn't had sex with Julie because he has only been with one woman in his life and she turned out to be a lesbian. The gang watches Joey's porn. Meanwhile Phoebe's husband tells her he isn't gay and needs a divorce because he is getting married again. Rachel tries to talk Ross out of sleeping with Julie but doesn't succeed.

Chandler gets a phone call from a strange woman who wanted to call her ex-boyfriend Bob. Chandler is organizing Ross's birthday. Monica is appointed to head lunch chef and in charge of purchasing. The friends go out to have a celebration dinner. Rachel, Joey and Phoebe are upset because everyone else thinks they earn enough money to go out to fancy places all the time and spend lots of money on Ross's birthday. Arguing about Rachel, Joey and Phoebe not wanting to accept gifts from Ross, Monica and Chandler because it feels like charity. Monica gets fired for taking 5 steaks and an eggplant from work.

Ross eats Monica's kiwi pie, and has an allergic reaction to it. Even though he hates injections, Monica takes him to the hospital, meaning Chandler and Joey have to take care of baby Ben. They use him to seduce women, but forget the baby on the bus, and go through the hassle of finding him again. In the meantime, a professional guitarist plays in Phoebe's spot in Central Perk, leading to her being jealous and to Rachel feeling bad about it.

A drunken Rachel is persuaded to call Ross and reveals her feelings for him on his answering machine. And when he finds out, he must make the choice between her and Julie. Meanwhile, Monica finds work as Chandler's personal trainer and Phoebe has a hard time trying to get her boyfriend to have sex with her.

Rachel tells Phoebe and Monica, Ross tells Chandler and Joey about their kiss. Ross doesn't know what he's doing because he can't figure out whether to be with Julie or Rachel. Everyone (including Julie) is at Central Perk and Phoebe sings a song about their love triangle. Monica gets a new job making up recipes for a synthetic chocolate substitute. Chandler, Joey and Ross make a list with Julie and Rachel's pros and cons to make it easier for Ross to pick one of them. Monica makes Phoebe and Rachel try her terrible Mockolate recipes. Ross breaks up with Julie and Rachel is very happy but she sees the list they wrote and is not exactly happy... they argue and Rachel doesn't want to be with Ross anymore. Ross gives everything to win Rachel back.

It's Christmas time and Monica tries tipping with cookies, rather than cash, with mixed results. Phoebe learns that the guy in the pictures her grandmother keeps around is not her father and tries to track down her real father. Chandler and Joey wait too late to shop for presents.

Joey gets lots of bad reviews for his play. Monica is back with Bobby who drinks too much. Rachel has a date and tells everyone she is not mad at Ross but doesn't have any feelings for him anymore either. Her date's name is Russ and he looks like Ross. Bobby will sober up for Monica - only problem: sober Bobby is boring. Joey will get a part in a TV show but he has to sleep with the casting lady which he doesn't know if he should do. Monica starts drinking to be able to stand boring sober Bobby and Bobby breaks up with her because he thinks he can't be in a relationship with another alcoholic. Joey sleeps with the casting lady and gets a big part in the show. Rachel dumps Russ because she realizes he is exactly like Ross. Julie comes over to drop some stuff for Ross and Russ and she fall for each other.

Ross isn't confident enough to accept attending his ex Carol's lesbian wedding to Susan. Because the wedding caterer has a bad accident, Monica gets the job, a first for her, but can't get it done without generalized slave labor... Joey has his first TV appearance as Dr. Drake Ramore in Days of Our Lives, and shows the friends some acting tricks used there... Phoebe's 82 year-old client Rose died on her massage table, and her spirit went into her- now she has two crazy personalities and an octogenarian's agenda... Rachel was all nerves for her ma's first visit since she blew her wealthy wedding to Barry, but actually her happiness in poverty inspires Mrs. Greene Sr., who never worked but cracks at everybody, to leave Rach's pa and cheerfully join the crazy modern girls life... Everybody attends the wedding, and when Carol's parents won't give her away...

Ross goes to visit Marcel while on a trip to California, and finds that the monkey is working in commercials. Joey gets his first fan letter and ends up dating the woman, who turns out to be a stalker who thinks that the happenings on Days of Our Lives are real. Phoebe is asked to sing for the children at the library, but their parents are horrified by her lyrics.

Rachel and Monica compete for the affections of Jean-Claude Van Damme after meeting him on a movie set. Chandler meets a former schoolmate, a makeup artist, who seems to have the hots for him. An excited Joey gets a role as an extra in the movie and Ross and Marcel go on a whirlwind tour of the city.

Monica still can't get a job, and money is becoming tight. Ross gets her to agree to ask her parents for money. Joey buys Chandler a hideous gold friendship bracelet, and overhears Chandler complaining about it to Phoebe. Ross continues to pine after Rachel, who Phoebe insists is his "lobster", but she makes it pretty clear that its not happening. However, when an old home video of Monica and Rachel's prom is discovered, Ross's true feelings for Rachel are shown.

Joey buys a big screen TV and two leather recliners with his newfound money. Monica has a catering job for a friend of her parents, the attractive Dr. Richard Burke. Ross and Rachel attempt to have their first real date, but it's difficult for Rachel to overcome their long friendship.

After having a fight with Chandler, Joey decides to move out. Rachel and Phoebe decide to get tattoos. And on his birthday, Mr. Geller receives the unsettling news that his best friend, Richard, and his daughter, Monica, are dating.

Joey shows the friends his new apartment. Chandler and Joey miss each other and watch Baywatch in their apartments while talking on the phone together. Phoebe gets a chance to record "Smelly Cat" but can't cope with the background singers. Ross is driving Monica crazy because he is so much at Monica's and Rachel's place Monica feels like 16 again living with her brother. Chandler finds a new roommate called Eddie. Chandler is shocked to find that Eddie doesn't like fussball nor Baywatch...

Chandler finds out Eddy is not only much less fun then Joey, but positively crazy and frighteningly suspicious and inconsistent. Ross is stressing out to learn Rachel has 'animal sex' with Paolo; Richard and Monica are uncomfortable to learn she is only his second lover, he the last in a long row; there's a logistical dilemma for both couples' make up-sex. After Joey told a TV digest he 'rewrites some of his dialogs', an insulted scenarist writes his character Dr. Drake Ramoray to fall to his death, ending his DOOL-career.

Creeped out by his bizarre new roommate, Chandler demands he move out. Eddie agrees...but doesn't go. Joey has trouble coming to grips with the death of Dr. Drake Ramoray and the accompanying change in his lifestyle. And a new book on empowerment for women inspires the female friends to have a "goddess meeting."

Phoebe's world view is shattered when she learns how "Old Yeller" really ends. Monica becomes jealous when Richard begins going out with other people, namely Joey and Chandler. And Rachel becomes upset when she learns that Ross has planned their whole life together.

A bully at Central Perk steals Chandler's cap. Monica has a job interview at a 50's theme restaurant where she would have to cook in a costume and dance on the counter. Phoebe goes to see her father but a dog prevents her from doing so. The bullies at the coffee shop keep coming back to bully Ross and Chandler so they try to make their own coffee at home. Phoebe has the courage to go see her dad but he left his wife and son 4 years back. Monica loses all her money ($127) on the stock market so she has to take the job. Ross and Chandler are standing their ground at Central Perk and get into a fight with pickpockets - with the bullies on their side!

Planning Rachel's surprise birthday party. To prevent Rachel's parents to be at the same party they have half of the guests in the boys' apartment with Rachel's dad and the other half in the girls' apartment with Rachel's mum. Phoebe smuggles people from Monica's boring party to the boys' great party. Rachel can't cope with their parents separation.

Phoebe catches chicken pox just as her old flame Ryan arrives in town on leave from the Navy. Even though he hasn't yet had chicken pox, he can't stand to be apart and they both spend the rest of the time trying to not scratch. Joey gets a job at Chandler's office but decides to play it as a role. The character he creates, Joseph, has a wife and kids and ultimately blames Chandler for his own screwup. Monica is upset that Richard doesn't have a "thing": an unexplainable quirk. He eventually comes up with one to ease her mind.

Joey has a problem: he has to kiss a guy for an audition and Warren Beatty told him he was a bad kisser. Joey wants to practice kissing a guy with Chandler. Rachel is maid of honor for Barry and Mindy's wedding. She has to wear a horrible pink dress. Monica thinks about getting married to Richard. Richard tells her he sees a future with Monica but not with kids. Chandler has a relationship over the Internet. Turns out the girl is married. Ross, Rachel, Richard and Monica go to the wedding. Rachel feels uncomfortable because Barry's parents told everyone she ran away from Barry because she was crazy after having had syphilis. Ross saves Rachel by making a speech about her courage to show up at the wedding. Richard tells Monica he'll have a child with her if he has to in order not to lose her. Monica doesn't want a child with someone who doesn't really want to have one. Chandler's meets his cyber space friend and they kiss.