Summary of The One Where Paul's the Man


Liz and Ross plan a weekend away at her family's country house, even though her father, Paul, has threatened Ross's job at the university if Ross keeps seeing his daughter. Meanwhile, Paul and Rachel are still dating, and Paul has told Rachel that he has a surprise for her. Liz and Ross are getting settled into the country house when Liz asks Ross if he brought protection. He didn't, so she goes off to buy some, telling him to get comfortable in the hot tub. Ross is just beginning to undress when he hears Rachel and Paul walk into the house. Paul's surprise was that he was taking Rachel away for the weekend. Ross hides under the couch where Rachel and Paul are getting comfortable. Rachel drops something, and when she goes to pick it up she spots Ross. She asks Paul to get her something to drink from the kitchen, and shoves Ross into the nearby bedroom. Just as Rachel and Paul are getting comfortable again, Liz comes back from her shopping expedition. Paul asks her what she's doing there, and with help from Rachel she says she came up for some peace and quiet to write a term paper. Rachel suggests she go in THAT bedroom over there to work on it. Liz says she wouldn't do that, because THAT bedroom is her father's bedroom. Yipes! Instead, Liz says she's going to go upstairs to work, and asks Rachel to come with her. Rachel loudly asks Paul to get her something from the car, trying to give Ross time to escape. Paul is on his way to the car when he notices that his bags are still lying by the door, so he picks them up to take them into his bedroom. Ross is behind the door, and wriggles under the bed before Paul spots him. Paul catches a glance at himself in the mirror, and starts pumping himself up for a romantic weekend with Rachel, telling himself he's a neat guy, he's the man and he's a love machine. He even sings the Love Machine song and everything. Ross is in shock that Paul is making such an ass of himself. Paul then heads out to the car and Liz sneaks into the room. Ross says he'll just slip out the window and meet Liz around front. Just as he's trying to get out the window, Paul comes bursting back into the room with Rachel hot on his heels. He confronts Ross, saying he's going to lose his job. Ross says okay, but he should know that Ross too is a neat guy and a love machine. Ross sings a bit of the song, and suddenly Paul is not nearly as threatening, offering to show Ross to the guest room.

Joey is upset that when he lost his role on Days of Our Lives, his head shot was taken off the wall at his local dry-cleaner's. He figures now that he's starring in his own TV show, he can get his picture back up on the wall. He goes to his dry-cleaner with a copy of his head shot, and asks to have it put back on the wall now that he's in a new TV show. The gruff dry-cleaner pulls out a copy of TV Guide and says to point out his show. Joey says it's not on the air yet, but he can give the dry-cleaner a copy of one of the tapes. He comes back and asks the dry-cleaner how he liked the tape. The dry-cleaner says it was offensive to Russians, making them all seem like terrorists, and since he's Russian Joey's picture can't go on the wall. Joey protests that Harrison Ford is on the wall, and he was in lots of movies where the Russians were portrayed as evil. The dry-cleaner says Harrison Ford is good customer, bringing lots of clothes to be dry-cleaned, while Joey brings nothing. Joey comes back with a huge pile of clothes to be dry-cleaned, but the Russian guy isn't there. Instead, there's a pretty Asian woman. Joey asks her to make sure the Russian guy knows the Joey Tribbiani brought in this huge pile of clothes. The lady slyly suggests that the Russian guy isn't the only person who can get his picture up on the wall. Joey asks her out for a drink. Joey comes back later, all excited to see his picture on the wall, and it's there, but the words "Son of a Bitch" are written across it in red marker. It turns out that the pretty lady Joey took out was the Russian guy's wife!

Monica is at a museum exhibit with Rachel and Phoebe. They overhear a couple discussing their wedding plans, and realize that the room they're standing in can be reserved for weddings, although there is a two-year waiting list. They all decide it would be fun to sign up on the waiting list, just in case they're in a position to get married in two years, they'll have a great place to do it in. Chandler is at home and the phone rings. He lets the answering machine get it, and overhears a woman calling from the museum saying that there was a cancellation, and actually the Gellar/Bing wedding could be moved up if they wanted. He freaks out and grabs the phone. Later, Monica comes home. Chandler is all weird and runs out of the door. Monica hears the answering machine message and realizes what happens. She runs down to the coffee shop and asks Phoebe if she's seen Chandler. Phoebe hasn't, but is just as horrified as Monica that Chandler overheard the message. Monica is in the apartment, anxious and waiting for Chandler to show up. Chandler finally comes in, still acting weird and freaked out. Monica tries to comfort him, telling him it doesn't mean anything, and she wasn't trying to pressure him, it was just sort of for the fun of it and she knows he's not ready to get married and that's totally okay. Chandler is comforted by Monica and says he understands, and he'll stop freaking. Monica goes across the hall to assure Joey that Chandler is okay. Phoebe walks out of the guest room and asks Chandler if Monica bought it. Chandler smiles and says that she did. Phoebe asks Chandler if he like the museum, and Chandler says it's perfect. Phoebe giggles over the fact that Chandler is going to ask Monica to marry him.


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