TGI – Friends 809 “The One with the Rumor"

Summary

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Pod Meets World – "TGI – Friends 809: The One with the Rumor"

Date: November 27, 2025
Hosts: Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, Ryder Strong
Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)

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Episode Overview

In this special holiday-themed episode, Danielle, Will, and Ryder dive into a Friends Thanksgiving classic: "The One with the Rumor" (Season 8, Episode 9), famously guest-starring Brad Pitt. The hosts share their reactions to the episode’s writing, characters, and cultural moments, connecting the content to their own sitcom backgrounds and giving fans a humorous, nostalgic breakdown of why this particular Friends episode remains an enduring legend.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Hosts’ Relationships with Friends

• All-around admiration: Will, a self-proclaimed Friends superfan, marvels at the show's consistent writing and the legendary chemistry of its cast:
  • “Matthew Perry is, for this version of acting… one of the top three of all time.” (16:42 – Will Friedle)
• Ryder appreciates the ensemble: He notes the rarity of sitcom casts maintaining such high energy and group chemistry season after season, even in Season 8 (16:39–17:29).
• Danielle’s outside perspective: She admits she’d seen few full episodes before, knew about the Brad Pitt cameo via pop culture, and was “amazed” at the script’s quality (18:27–19:14).

2. Why Brad Pitt’s Cameo Was Such a Big Deal

• The hosts contextualize the hype: Brad Pitt, then the world’s biggest movie star and Jennifer Aniston’s real-life boyfriend, breaking TV/film barriers.
  • “Seeing the world’s biggest movie star on TV back then just was not happening.” (21:27 – Danielle Fishel)
  • “That would have been… in the 70s, like Robert De Niro going on Barney Miller.” (21:39 – Will Friedle)

3. Breaking Down the Episode’s Plot, Sets, and Structure

• Plot summary: Monica invites Will (Brad Pitt), an old high school friend, to Thanksgiving. Will's unresolved hatred for Rachel results in the reveal of the infamous "I Hate Rachel Green Club" and a legendary rumor.
• Set design appreciation: The hosts geek out over the apartment layouts, noting the cleverness of having the couch facing sideways, rooms full of props for business, and the “lived-in” feel (25:38–26:44).
• Ryder on sitcom sets: “It’s basic, but it’s so good. You can have division… instead of one giant room.” (26:58 – Ryder Strong)

4. The Art of Sitcom Storytelling

• Single-location brilliance: The episode is almost entirely contained to Monica and Chandler’s apartment—an exercise in character-driven storytelling and efficient comedy blocking (38:21–38:47, 60:36–60:49).
• A and B stories intertwined: Joey’s heroic turkey quest and Will’s vendetta are tightly woven together, with recurring themes (“emptiness,” “needing to fill a void”) (40:55–41:07).
• Table scenes executed flawlessly: Ryder, as a director, praises the technical feat of balancing energy and coverage in difficult dinner-table setups (38:21–38:47).

5. Character Detail & Chemistry

• Joey as Will’s spirit animal: Danielle repeatedly points out how Joey’s food-centric, big-hearted goofiness channels Will Friedle’s own personality.
  • “This just is Will Friedle.” (29:05–30:57, 40:08–40:55)
• Brad Pitt’s performance: Initial stiffness gives way to memorable, “smoldering” comic delivery as the angry Will—both Ryder and Danielle acknowledge his transformation once his character’s motive kicks in (36:24–37:25).
• Phoebe’s perfect asides: Lisa Kudrow’s lines (“Just take off your shirt!” at 50:41) crack up the hosts, who suspect it’s ad-libbing gold.

6. Thematic Touchstones & 90s References

• Rumors and their impact: The rumor about Rachel having “a hint of a penis” is dissected as a masterstroke of juvenile cruelty, as well as a perfect “Friends” style gag: sharply drawn, outrageous, and somehow believable in their world (51:34–51:40).
• Gentle critique of 90s sitcom tropes: The hosts flag moments such as “gay panic” and statutory teacher-student romance as very “of their time,” discussing how these jokes have aged (49:31–49:36, 58:44–59:02).

7. Standout Writing, Cast Unity & Lasting Legacy

• Rare late-game success: Will and Ryder praise Friends for maintaining sharp writing and energy eight seasons in—a huge rarity in sitcoms (16:52–18:26).
• Cast loyalty stories: Will highlights how the Friends actors always renegotiated as a unit, maintaining camaraderie and keeping egos in check, and how it’s reflected on screen (65:08–65:46).
• Timeless, multi-generational appeal: Even Danielle’s young son knows the theme song and opening fountain sequence, proof of the show’s cultural longevity (31:40–32:12).

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Will’s Movie Theater Rant:
  “By the time I get into the theater for a movie, one single movie ticket, small popcorn, small soda, and a hot dog, it was $60.”
  (04:53–05:21 – Will Friedle)

• Brad Pitt’s Peak:
  “This is like Brad Pitt from Meet Joe Black… the hottest Brad Pitt that’s ever existed.”
  (35:48 – Danielle Fishel)

• Perfect Linking of Stories:
  “Here—the perfect writing to thematically link A and B stories. It’s so great.”
  (40:55 – Ryder Strong)

• On Ensemble Comedy:
  “Great actors with great writing will work every single time.”
  (35:02–35:05 – Will Friedle)

• Phoebe’s Asides:
  “Come on, Will, just take off your shirt.”
  (50:41 – Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe – praised by Danielle at 50:42)

• The Rumor Itself:
  “We started a rumor… that you had both male and female reproductive parts… you still had a hint of a penis.”
  (51:34–51:40 – Ross & Will)

• On Thanksgiving Episodes:
  “The holiday that this show really wrapped itself around was Thanksgiving… Everybody looked forward to their Thanksgiving episodes.”
  (29:42–30:19 – Will Friedle)

• Sitcom Consistency:
  “The vast majority of Friends episodes are this good. They really are. The writing is so top-notch. It’s crazy.”
  (64:25–64:36 – Will Friedle)

• On Aging & Nostalgia:
  “Why couldn’t a show exactly like this work, but everyone’s in their late 40s and 50s? Because those are the people that watch Friends anyway!”
  (64:38–64:47 – Will Friedle)

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Key Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |----------- |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16:39 | Discussing overall affection for Friends and the rarity of its long-term quality | | 21:27 | The significance of Brad Pitt’s guest spot | | 26:58 | Geeking out on set design and sitcom technicalities | | 38:21 | Ryder on dinner-table direction challenges | | 40:55 | Story structure and A/B story interlinking | | 50:41 | Phoebe's iconic "take off your shirt" line | | 51:34 | Reveal of the “hint of a penis” rumor | | 60:44 | Noting the episode’s single-set brilliance | | 64:25 | Will’s assertion on Friends’ extraordinary writing legacy | | 65:08 | Cast loyalty and behind-the-scenes dynamics |

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Tone & Style

The hosts’ style is a blend of playful teasing, sitcom industry insight, and pure fandom. Will’s self-deprecating humor and nostalgia, Ryder’s thoughtful technical observations, and Danielle’s earnest curiosity and wit make the conversation relatable, lively, and peppered with affectionate jabs. Their on-air chemistry echoes the very show they’re discussing—tight-knit, lovingly critical, and always ready for a joke or bit of sitcom lore.

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In Summary

This "Pod Meets World" episode celebrates the enduring magic of Friends by dissecting one of its most talked-about entries. The hosts highlight how the show’s mix of tight writing, impeccable casting, and genuine ensemble energy set a gold standard for sitcoms—one that remains unmatched decades later. From technical set design to the cultural impact of a rumor about “a hint of a penis,” every detail is covered with humor, warmth, and sharp TV craft.

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Pod dismissed!

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Okay, confession time. I tried to host a Friendsgiving last year with, let's say, questionable results.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes, we remember. You made mashed potatoes that somehow had the consistency of drywall.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, this year I'm taking notes from you both. I'm stocking up at one of my favorite places in the world, whole foods market. Their 365 brand has everything I need without wrecking my wallet.

[Will Friedle]

Same I got a no antibiotics ever Turkey for just 149 a pound with prime and even snagged organic green beans and mushrooms for the casserole.

[Ryder Strong]

Now I'm hungry. I'm all about their frozen appetizers Quiche trio Butterfly Shrimp. It's like hosting with cheat codes.

[Danielle Fishel]

See Friendsgiving redemption arc in progress.

[Ryder Strong]

Enjoy. So many ways to save on your Thanksgiving spread at Whole Foods Market.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.

[Will Friedle]

Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studios and Intuit QuickBooks.

[Ryder Strong]

In this latest season, hosts Austin Henkowitz and Janice Torres are talking to self starters about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and how QuickBooks helps you to get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it.

[Will Friedle]

Listen to Mind the Business Small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay guys, it's time for some holiday shopping. Topanga always had it figured out and luckily so do I. Yeah, well I don't.

[Ryder Strong]

And neither do I.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, let me help. Apple Gift Card makes it easy. Games, apps, maybe even an ad free podcast to listen to.

[Will Friedle]

Problem solved.

[Ryder Strong]

Visit applegiftcard.apple.com to learn more and gift one today.

[Danielle Fishel]

This holiday season is giving famous and that's thanks to Famous Footwear who has all of the top gifts like Jordan Fry and company, Adidas, Nike, Birkenstock, Timberland, and basically every brand your family has already texted you about online or in store. The selection is huge. They've got styles for everyone. So it should come as no surprise that Famous Footwear is my one stop holiday miracle. And because December is chaos disguised as Yuletide cheer, you can shop however you need all online in one of their 800 stores or get same day delivery powered by DoorDash. It's a lifesaver when you suddenly remember your cousin has feet. Buy one pair. Get one half off at your local Famous Footwear or Famous Dot com. Some exclusions apply. Running a business is hard enough. Don't make it harder with a dozen apps that don't talk to each other.

[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Thousands have already made the switch. Why not you try Odoo for free at O D O o dot com. That's odoo dot com.

[Will Friedle]

So you know how I'm a young guy trapped in a young guy's body. Everybody, everybody knows that. That there's nothing old about me in any way, shape or form. The prices of things in town don't throw me in any way, shape or form.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, no, I know that for sure. You're a young cool if there's ever been one.

[Will Friedle]

So this week I have something very rare happen in my life where I have two days in the middle of the week, completely off. Like, I have nothing to do. I have no podcasting, I have no auditions. I'm not recording anything. I'm like, I have nothing to do. So I wake up, I walk the dog, and I say to Susan, I say, you know what I'm gonna do tomorrow? I'm gonna do something I haven't done in a very long time. I'm gonna go to a movie.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, I love this.

[Will Friedle]

Which I have not done. Susan can't go. I'm going by myself. So I go on the online machine. Cause apparently you gotta do to pick my seat. And I go, well, this is a mistake. Cause it's an 11am movie, so it can't be $27 for a ticket. That's wrong. So I try to find another website that has the correct price, but no, it's $27 for the ticket.

[Danielle Fishel]

Fine.

[Will Friedle]

This is the world we live in now. I'd like to be a part of it, apparently. Here we go. I then have my wife, cause she needs the car. Drop me off at a movie. Like, I'm 11.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right? Cause you have one car.

[Will Friedle]

We have one car. So she literally is like, have a great time at the movies, honey. Call me when you' I'll come pick you up. I went, thanks. And I jumped out of the car, walk inside. You know what I get?

[Ryder Strong]

What the hell?

[Danielle Fishel]

Popcorn in a soda and a hot dog.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, wow. I'm going nuts. What I didn't know is that before I had to do that, I needed to call Zurich to move some money around. By the time I get into the theater for a movie, one single movie ticket, small popcorn, small soda, and a hot dog, it was $60.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

That's insane.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. When we go with both kids to the movies, it ends up, how do you do that? Almost $200 to see a movie.

[Will Friedle]

This used to be like, I've got five extra bucks. I'm gonna go to a movie and get some popcorn. This is insane, people. And it made me realize that we, as consumers, we need to say no. Oh, my God. So first of all, I sit in the movie, and I'm already like, I can't believe I'm doing this with this. And then two people sit next to me. Who? The guy. They're obviously on a date or something. It's the middle of the day, and he decides to describe everything that's happening on screen to the woman next to him the entire movie. So I'm $60 in. You know, if I had kids, they couldn't go to a private school because I decided to see this movie. And I'm next to people that are talking the entire time I'm in the movie.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was it full? Could you not just move seats even though you had picked your seat in the movie?

[Will Friedle]

I'm one of those people that. I would rather sit there and seethe and stay in the seat that I booked the night before.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rather ruin your day.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

I.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly. So I just sat there, and I'm like. And then he turns me, and the movie's over. It's like. It was good, right? And I wanted to be like, it could have been.

[Danielle Fishel]

It could have been. But you were talking through the whole thing.

[Will Friedle]

But no, he. I was like, yeah, it sure was. I went. I Big fan of what they're doing in the whole Predator world. So I wanted to see Predator Badlands.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, I've heard it's cool.

[Will Friedle]

It's great. I really enjoyed it.

[Danielle Fishel]

You think?

[Will Friedle]

But I think. But again, so much money for the ticket. So I'm already having, like, an old. Like, a senior person's moment where I'm like. I get that the music is too loud. Exactly. And the music is too loud, and the movies are too expensive, and this is awful. And I'm walking out of the theater, and I'm walking down these big stairs, going into the mall, and it happens. My whole day changes because it happens. Young man walking towards me wearing a shady melon T shirt. No.

[Danielle Fishel]

No way.

[Will Friedle]

The first POD meets world Merch in the wild. As I'm leaving the movie and that's.

[Ryder Strong]

Like a deep cute one.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly. So I say, obviously, hang on, you've got a Shady melon shirt. I've got my, my glasses on that now I have to wear to see anything, including the several thousand dollars I had to take out of my account to see the movie, right? And he said, yeah. And I went, you know, I'm C4C. Well, he then looked at me, went, oh my God, you're Will Friedle. I said, yes, I am. And I've been waiting for this moment to see this. Can we take a picture together? I've got a picture with him. We'll put it up on our IG. Yeah, like can we FaceTime my girlfriend? I said, sure, because I'm so excited.

[Danielle Fishel]

Are you going down? I want to. I'm picturing the escalator. You're going down the escalator and he's coming up the escalator.

[Will Friedle]

No, no, I went down the stairs. I went down. You know, there's a stairs in front of the spiral staircase. So I get to the bottom and he's walking up to see a movie. So he's FaceTimes his girlfriend who does not answer. He's like, she's never going to believe me. I said, well, why don't we take a picture on your phone too? So we took a picture on his phone. But as I'm walking out to have then wait for my wife to come pick me up, I'm thinking to myself, this was the best day ever. I just saw a pod meets world.

[Ryder Strong]

Shirt in the wild.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know what?

[Ryder Strong]

You had to get out into the.

[Danielle Fishel]

World just to also worth every penny of that thousand dollar excursion just to have that moment.

[Will Friedle]

It was so cool. It totally turned my day around. It was not at a convention, it was not on a plane going to a convention. It was just randomly in the wild Shady Melon T shirt.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, that's so cool.

[Will Friedle]

I was pretty happy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Love that. That's so cool.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

And yeah, movies are very expensive. Oh.

[Will Friedle]

Never going to see one again. But it was. That was awesome. Actually, I wanted to go tomorrow, but it's already full. I want to see the new running man.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh.

[Will Friedle]

So, yeah, I've been. We sold. I sold a kidney and some blood.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And so hopefully I'm gonna get some popcorn.

[Danielle Fishel]

It is true that the movie theaters are nicer now. You get those big seats. They get to. They recline.

[Will Friedle]

Mine was broken. It did not fully recline.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Wow. I cannot believe you didn't move. I mean, what.

[Will Friedle]

I sat there, everything about seething in my age going, I'm 53 seats in, basically, and I'm sitting in this broken chair with people talking next to me. Just amazed that people are paying this amount of money for tickets for things. Did you hear the new article that came out that apparently. And we can verify this, apparently, the average price ticket for a Taylor Swift concert, the Average price was $4,000.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Will Friedle]

Insane what people are paying for this nowadays.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Because of resale. Yeah, that's why. It's not because that's what she charged.

[Will Friedle]

No, I don't blame her. I don't blame her at all. I blame people that are paying for the. For the tickets. Everyone just needs to stop until people go, you know, if Taylor Swift walks into a concert and there's nine people there, they're gonna have to lower the prices. And that's.

[Danielle Fishel]

We.

[Will Friedle]

We have the power as consumers. Because this is crazy now.

[Ryder Strong]

It's crazy people.

[Will Friedle]

Sorry, I needed to vent a little bit. Now I'm gonna take a nap and have some oatmeal, and my day is gonna be fine.

[Danielle Fishel]

You' your computer.

[Will Friedle]

I'm wearing them right now. Yeah. I'm not regular. It's making me a little angry.

[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm Ryder Strong.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm Will Friedell.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, so this holiday season is giving famous. Trust me, I'm a famous person, so I would know. And it's thanks to Famous footwear. They've got all the top gifts from Jordan Fry and company. Adidas, Nike, Birkenstock, Timberland, basically. Basically every brand that makes people go, oh, wow, you really love me. I'm a big Famous Footwear fan. Because the deals are real and the selection does not play around online or in store. You can outfit your entire family in one trip, which for me means my kids get their cool shoes. Only wish list. My husband gets his. I'm outdoorsy, but not too outdoorsy. Timberlands. And I get something cozy that says I survived the end of the year rush. Because we all know holidays are chaos disguised as glitter. And thanks to Famous footwear. I can shop online in one of their 800 stores or have shoes delivered same day with doordash. They are truly a holiday miracle. Buy one pair, get one half off at your local Famous Footwear or famous.com. some exclusions apply. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[Will Friedle]

Ryder Strong and Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you will definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business, Start Small Business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.

[Ryder Strong]

Mind the business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry.

[Will Friedle]

In this latest season, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are covering topics on the forefront of running a small business.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss. And using Intuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it.

[Will Friedle]

Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danielle Fishel]

Let's take a second to talk about Legacy Box because their gigantic Black Friday event starts right now. Better Homes and Gardens literally called it the most sentimental gift and I couldn't agree more. And this year they're going all out with 65% off so you can finally dig into those dusty boxes full of priceless footage and have it immortalized forever for as low as $27. Whether it's old camcorder tapes that your mom swore she'd do something with someday or albums full of photos that just seem so outdated now, Legacy Box will make sure these important life moments will survive. It's simple, it's safe, and they've helped out over a million families. You just fill the box with your VHS tapes, photos, even film reels. They digitize everything by hand here in the USA and then send it back on the cloud or a thumb drive plus your originals. Think of every Christmas morning you recorded. You can actually relive those this holiday season on the big screen instead of hoping the tape still works. Legacy Box's Black Friday event is here and they are giving our listeners their best deal of the year. And if you order now, you can still get your memories digitized by Christmas. Legacybox.com meets world to save an unreal 65% with limited quantities ready to ship, this deal will go fast. Legacybox.com meets world for 65% off Legacybox.com meetsworld big things are happening at your local CVS. Extra big.

[Will Friedle]

So hurry on over because extra big deals are here.

[Ryder Strong]

These are deals so extra that they absolutely cannot be missed. And every two weeks there's gonna be more.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you've got to keep coming back so you can keep saving on all the brands and products you and your family use every day.

[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

Visit your local CVS store or cvs.com extra big deals to shop this week's deals and stock up on your favorite products.

[Guest or Advertiser]

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[Danielle Fishel]

The journey through holiday TV episodes continues. I know I missed Will's Make a Wish when you guys talked about MASH Thanksgiving. Sorry to have sat that one out, but this week we are.

[Ryder Strong]

I want to give that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sorry. No, I'm good.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, sensing your sarcasm.

[Danielle Fishel]

But this week we once again get into the leftover turkey and stuffing. But for one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, possibly the biggest sitcom ever, Friends, I'd say this one is even a bit of a listener request because on our social media, this episode came up over and over. It is season eight, episode nine, the one with the Rumor. I know we've talked about it being a bit of a blueprint for you, Will, but what is both of your relationship with Friends, the show?

[Will Friedle]

I love Friends.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I started watching Friends from the beginning. I think it is wonderfully written. The characters are incredible. And Matthew Perry is for this version of acting, which we always talk about sitcom acting being its own thing is, I say, one of the top three of all time. Yeah, I mean, he just plays off beat. You never know where he's gonna go with his dialogue. You never know what's gonna happen. It's a shame knowing now his life that he was in such torment as he was doing the show. But my God, could that man hit a joke and hit it in a way you never thought it was gonna happen?

[Ryder Strong]

It's interesting to me that you single him out so much, because I think everybody is so good. They. This cast is just amazing across the board, and their chemistry is insane. Like, I just. So. It's. It's. I've never been able to, like, really say, like, he's that distinct. I just think that as an ensemble, I don't know if there's ever been a better cast.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. I mean, again, you can make arguments for. For some of the biggest sitcoms of all time, the Cheers and the Seinfeld and Nash. But again, one of the things that Ryder and I talked about on the episode that you decided not to come on because you hate me and you hate the things I love Danielle had.

[Danielle Fishel]

Nothing to do with Dancing with the Stars. Nothing.

[Will Friedle]

No, no. God, of course it didn't. Is the fact that we're trying to find a show because there's so few that actually get better or just as good the longer they go, which is almost impossible to do. I mean, every show you find that has this big drop off where you're watching the later seasons, like, God, this isn't very good.

[Ryder Strong]

And Friends, while.

[Will Friedle]

Yes, the later episodes weren't as good maybe as some of the middle or early episodes, it didn't have that big a drop off.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. No.

[Ryder Strong]

This is season eight.

[Will Friedle]

Eight. And it's still doing this.

[Ryder Strong]

So fresh. Correct.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I could not believe how good this was.

[Will Friedle]

The sustainability of this cast was really outstanding. It really was.

[Danielle Fishel]

I agree. I know I had seen a few episodes of the show when it was on. I've still never seen them all. I had never seen this episode, even though I was familiar with it existing in just the Zeitgeist. Because I remember, of course, that, you know, Brad Pitt was on Friends.

[Will Friedle]

Right, Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

So, yeah, I knew it existed. And obviously, I know I've worked with Marcel the monkey, so.

[Will Friedle]

We have.

[Ryder Strong]

That's right.

[Danielle Fishel]

We worked with him. That's. That's an accomplishment. So, you know. But yeah, the show. When I saw on the paperwork that we were doing a season eight episode of Friends, I thought, oh, no, we're gonna do one. That's not good. It was incredible.

[Will Friedle]

It was great.

[Ryder Strong]

Incredible.

[Will Friedle]

It's a great. It is a. It is one of the best written sitcoms of all time.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, it's a show that seems to still resonate with even Gen Z and younger. And this particular episode first aired on November 22, 2001, 24 years old. You can watch it on HBO Max. It's one of their tent pole titles for when you're Choosing a streaming service. They paid a lot of money for the rights, so go make them feel good about it.

[Will Friedle]

Is that. I'm sorry, is that. I was wondering that because it was an NBC show, so I figured it was going to be on Peacock. Is that what it was? Is like HBO just had a bidding war, gobbled it up. Friends.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

They were like, we know that people want that.

[Will Friedle]

Makes sense.

[Ryder Strong]

Smart.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. So jumping into our synopsis, Monica invites Will, an old school friend of hers and Ross's over for Thanksgiving dinner, unaware that he isn't a big fan of Rachel. It was directed by Gary Halvorson. This is one of 56 episodes of Friends he directed. And he was a. A very busy go to hire for TV shows. He began his career as a director at the New York Metropolitan Opera.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was written by Shayna Goldberg Meehan, who was an EP of the show. This is one of four scripts she wrote. She would later co create the infamous spin off Joey with her husband, producer Scott Silvery. And worth noting, her father created Family Ties.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Will Friedle]

Gary David Goldberg was her dad.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Wow. Geez.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. I had to look at her last name before I was like, yeah, that's right.

[Will Friedle]

That's awesome.

[Danielle Fishel]

Starring. And no need to go deep with these names. You know all about them. Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, a role she won an Emmy for. Courtney Cox as Monica Geller. Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffet. Another Emmy winner for friends, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani. Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing. He tragically passed away in 2023 at the age of 54. And David Schwimmer as Ross Geller. Guest starring Brad Pitt as Will Colbert. This is probably the show's most publicized guest star. He was the real life boyfriend of Jennifer Aniston at the time, making up one of the biggest celebrity couples of our generation.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And seeing the world's biggest movie star on TV back then just was not happening.

[Will Friedle]

Nope.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, it was. It was crazy that he was going to do an episode of tv.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that would have been. That would have been the film equivalent of in the 70s, like Robert de Niro going on Barney Miller.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right.

[Will Friedle]

It just would never have happened.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. That's such a young cool reference for. You know what?

[Ryder Strong]

You're so.

[Will Friedle]

You know what? First of all, can you speak up? I can't hear everything you're saying. And second of all, I'm old today and I'm loving it. Wow. By the way, there's people out there that are like, oh, my God, spot On analogy. They know exactly what I'm talking about. Thank you. They probably don't know how to listen to a podcast, but they've never heard of a podcast. They know what's happening. Yikes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, well, let's jump into our recap. We start in Joey and Rachel's apartment. Rachel, who's in the early stage of pregnancy, walks out in a bathrobe while Joey sits in his favorite lounge chair. He's reading the book what to Expect when youn're Expecting. Worth noting, it is not his baby she's carrying. They are not in a relationship.

[Will Friedle]

Not yet.

[Danielle Fishel]

Nope. Joey is shocked by a section he just read. It says a woman's finger will swell up to twice its size during pregnancy and never shrink back. Rachel looks at her fingers in shock and then grabs the book to read it for herself. Joey laughs. You fall for it every time. Then Phoebe walks in with a bag full of her old maternity clothes. Rachel immediately loves one pair of bold pattern pants with a stretchy waistband. Phoebe explains that the pants expand as the baby grows. And once the baby's out, they're perfect for shoplifting melons.

[Ryder Strong]

All right, so I had no idea what was going on. So she's pregnant with. Ross's pregnant because they end up together. I know that. And the show started with Rachel running away from a wedding.

[Will Friedle]

Correct.

[Ryder Strong]

And meeting the friends and becoming part of their crew.

[Will Friedle]

Well, she grew up with Rachel and Ross. So Rachel was Monica's best friend in high school and Ross was the older brother.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

And then Rachel went off to marry Barry and ran away from his.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay, now they're. So they're having a child even though they're not together.

[Will Friedle]

Correct. They had. There's a great episode. I think it's called the One with the Videotape where he actually. Ross, by accident, videotapes the sexual encounter they have that gets her pregnant.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Will Friedle]

And it's a very, very funny episode where all of the other friends are like, we're gonna need to see the tape. And then it's a question of do they watch it or do they not watch it? What are they gonna watch? What are they not? Cause she keeps saying it's hysterical. She keeps saying, you hit on me, Ross. And that's why this happened. He's like, you came on to me. Oh.

[Danielle Fishel]

And they have the whole encounter.

[Will Friedle]

He's like, I have it on tape. And she's like, excuse me. And so it's a really funn way they get there. But the thing about Friends is you can also tell where they are in the series by who's living with whom. Oh right, because it starts where Monica lives in that house which they've, they've done the work on where they say like if you actually were going to rent that Nowadays it's like $14,000 a month or something like that. But she lives there in the rent controlled building that her grandmother left her and Rachel moves in with her. So that's originally was Joey and Chandler live in across the hall. Rachel and Monica lived together and then Ross lives by himself and then they keep switching partners.

[Danielle Fishel]

So where does Phoebe live? Phoebe also lives.

[Will Friedle]

Phoebe also lives by herself at this point. I think she lives by herself before she lived with her grandmother. Okay, so the right now what's happening is eventually Monica and Chandler get together. So they move into that apartment and so Rachel, Rachel ends up moving in with Joey which then eventually leads to Ross. And you think Ross and Rachel are going to get back together. But actually Joey and Rachel start to get together. It's. They keep trading partners and, and who's living with whom. But it's. They all live with each other at some point. Even Ross moves in with the guys at some point. So it's it. They just trying to get everybody into these two sets.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, what I love is that as much as, you know, it feels like there's so much going on in this episode. We're only in two sets the whole time. Yeah, it's just conversation. It's just great character based comedy.

[Will Friedle]

It's beautiful. It's big and it's deep and it's just. Oh, it would be wonderful to shoot on that.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know there's places for them to go where they can still be kind of in the scene where you can imagine that they either could or could not overhear what's going on. If they went up that hallway, the kitchen, you can imagine conversations going on in there. And then the living room by the tv. And there's places to go, there's lots of places to sit. There is so much stuff. It's also really crammed full of things which doesn't make it feel overwhelming. It just looks full and lived in and gives people things to do.

[Will Friedle]

And every little thing apparently was planned out like every little thing. So when you're in the guy's apartment and they shut the door, there's an Etch A Sketch on the back of the door that always has a different picture or a message. And apparently there was a person that was hired at like two or three thousand dollars a week whose entire Job was just to come in and change that Etch A Sketch every episode.

[Ryder Strong]

Really?

[Will Friedle]

Wow. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's cool.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, I have to say, it's like one of the smallest, geekiest things. But the fact that the couch is sideways is amazing. Because think about it. Every sitcom, the tradition is the couch faces the audience. And we still do this all the time. And in this set or in the set, we enter in the next scene. It's like it's sideways. It makes such a difference. Exactly what you're talking about. Danielle. You have a division. You can have people sitting on the couch.

[Danielle Fishel]

There's a kitchen in a living room instead of one giant room.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes, it's so basic, but it's so good.

[Will Friedle]

And they also almost never. They do. There's times they do, but very rarely. Do you go into the bedrooms. Yeah, occasionally you go into a bedroom or you go into Rachel's bedroom or you go into Monica and Chandler's bedroom. Occasionally you go into the bathroom, but it's rare.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, then Monica walks in. She's happy to see everyone. She informs the crew that Thanksgiving will be at 4 o' clock tomorrow. She adds that she invited Will Colbert from high school, but Rachel doesn't remember him. Monica explains that he was in Ross's class again. As Will mentioned, Ross is Monica's older brother and Rachel's baby daddy. To be this Will Colbert was in marching band and he was really overweight. Monica reveals that back then she was his thin friend. This is another famous thing that you should know from the show is that Monica, in a flashback from Friends is revealed to be in was extremely overweight in high school. Despite these clues, Rachel still can't place him. She asks, are you sure that wasn't your imaginary boyfriend? Monica grins. No, that was Jared. She looks off longingly in the distance. Wow, I haven't thought about him in a long time. She snaps out of it and tells Rachel that Will's in town for business and had nowhere to go. She also mentions that he lost a bunch of weight and looks really, really gorgeous. Joey loudly clears his throat with a disapproving look and Monica clarifies, I still love Chandler again. Footnote, Chandler is her husband and Joey and Ross's best friend. Joey demands, wouldn't hurt you to say it once in a while. Monica laughs it off and announces she won't be making a turkey this year. Joey jumps out of his seat in protest, but Monica explains Phoebe doesn't eat turkey. Joey then turns his blame to Phoebe, but she stands firm. Turkeys are beautiful, intelligent animals. Joey argues, no, they're not. They're ugly and stupid and delicious. Monica assures him it's not just Phoebe. Will is still on a diet. Chandler doesn't eat Thanksgiving food. And Rachel has an aversion to poultry. In this scene more than any other scene, I really felt like Joey is Will.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Very me. Or Eric. I'm curious.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, no, Will. Will is very smart. But so much of the Joey humor, both self deprecating and being around food and, and like so much of it. I'm like, this just is Will Friedle.

[Ryder Strong]

I feel like we've actually had this argument because I'm anti turkey. I'm like, why do we need to make the whole meal about this?

[Will Friedle]

Because it's awesome and amazing.

[Ryder Strong]

Totally average bird that takes so much time. I never understood like let's make Thanksgiving about anything but the turkey.

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

I also. We should tell everybody out there. And you. I think you both know this or maybe you don't. The holiday that this show really wrapped itself around was Thanksgiving.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Like every year the big episode they did was a Thanksgiving episode. They didn't really do a Christmas episode. They would occasionally or Halloween episode. But everybody looked forward to their Thanksgiving episodes because they would usually do flashbacks or there would be some. Some kind of thing about the story that would really unfold. I think the Thanksgiving episode is where you see Ross and Chandler back in college dressed like they're basically in Flock of Seagulls with the hair like. Yeah. So this was like their big thing on Friends. Was the Thanksgiving episode great?

[Ryder Strong]

I love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rachel explains that she had to leave the room the other day when Joey had roast chicken. But he thought it was because he put the whole thing on his hand and made it walk across the table again. Monica says it's not worth the hassle to make an entire turkey for three people. But Joey argues you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving. That's like the fourth of July with no apple pie. Or Friday with no two pizzas. Again. This is. This is Wil Friedle. Monica gives in but tells him there's going to be a ton left over. Joey shakes his head. He promises he will finish that turkey.

[Ryder Strong]

B story set in motion perfectly.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's off and running.

[Ryder Strong]

Perfect.

[Danielle Fishel]

She just doesn't believe he can eat an entire turkey in one sitting. But Joey doesn't hesitate. I'm a Tribbiani. This is what we do. We may not be great thinkers or world leaders. We don't read a lot or run very fast, but damn it, we can Eat.

[Will Friedle]

There's a great famous blooper from this episode where he says, we're Tribbianis. We may not be great thinkers or run faster. Good actors. Because he can't remember his lines.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's amazing. Oh, that's so good. And then the show intro plays. Do you guys think this is maybe the most famous TV theme song of all time?

[Ryder Strong]

Well, here's the thing. I was trying to get Indy to watch Friends with me last night.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Because we were. You know, he. It was before his bedtime. I was like, hey, you know, I gotta watch this show Friends. He's like, no. And I'm like, do you even. You don't even know what it is. And he goes, I know. There's the opening credit sequence with the song. And it's kind of like the opening of Boy Meets World except they're all dancing around in front of a fountain. And they. And I was like, oh, oh, you do know Friends. He's like, yes. He's absorbed it.

[Will Friedle]

I don't even know how.

[Ryder Strong]

But, yeah, he knew exactly when the show was in the conversation credits. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Cheers is in the Conversation. Mash is in the. Cause when you. When you start that Cheers, you know, you want to go where everybody knows your name. And that's enough. I mean, there's some that are pretty famous, but, yeah, you'd have to put friends up there. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And I just love, like, how young they are dancing around the fountain. Like, you know, because you're seeing them in the contemporary setting. And then it keeps going. I just. It's great.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's so cute.

[Will Friedle]

It's also just so different because we know what that's like, where it's like, hey, we're gonna throw you guys together. We're shooting an opening title sequence. Just have fun, you know, Go crazy.

[Ryder Strong]

You can tell, like, some of them are very uncomfortable. Shuffle. And then look at the camera. Oh, hey.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

You know those days of shooting. It's gonna be cold. They're in the fountains. They're sp. Water at each other. It's like, come on, you guys. Jump in the fountain. It'll be great. Yeah, the kids want to jump.

[Ryder Strong]

The kids want to jump.

[Will Friedle]

Yes. We know those days so well.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then we're in Monica and Chandler's apartment. Chandler is watching Thanksgiving football. While Monica sets the table. She asks out loud, isn't it weird to think about how next year at this time there will be a little baby at the table? Chandler's head whips around and he frantically examines her stomach. She Clarifies Rachel's. That's good to know where you're at. Then Phoebe walks in wearing one of her signature Betsy Johnson style bright outfits. She wishes her friends a happy Thanksgiving and asks Monica if she needs any help. Monica gladly puts her to work. Since Chandler is so invested in the football game, she hands Phoebe a pile of napkins to fold. But then, as a real Type A, abruptly stops her. No, not like that. Sweetie, we're not at a barn dance. You want to fold them like swans, like I showed you at Christmas time.

[Will Friedle]

That is my wife we're watching. And I'm like, that's you? She's like, yeah, I know. I mean, it was like such a flashback to. Hey, hey, Howie, you gonna do the napkins like that this year for the table? Like, you get that kind of, like, wow, you're.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is that how we're doing it? Huh?

[Will Friedle]

Okay, that's Susan.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Phoebe sarcastically says, oh, yeah, it just came screaming back to me. Monica leaves her to fold the napkins while she checks on the yams next door at Joey and Rachel's apartment. Now alone, Phoebe makes her swans and asks Chandler, how's the game? He smugly responds, I have no idea. I'm just pretending to watch the game so I don't have to help out with stuff. Phoebe is shocked. That is just brilliant. Chandler says. Monica doesn't notice because every once in a while, he just yells and screams stuff at the tv. On cue, Monica walks in and Chandler screams at the tv, hey, wait. Oh, hey. Monica smiles. Is your team winning, honey? Chandler improvs. Oh, yeah. Anderson just scored again. Then he whispers to Phoebe, there's no Anderson.

[Ryder Strong]

That's so good. There is no Anderson.

[Will Friedle]

I laughed out loud.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

Watching this.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, I did too.

[Ryder Strong]

Like, many times.

[Danielle Fishel]

I did too. Like, it's.

[Ryder Strong]

You can't help it. It's so good. It's just easy, simple character. It's so funny.

[Will Friedle]

Great actors with great writing will work every single.

[Ryder Strong]

God, it just kills every time. So good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Phoebe wants in on this. She tells Monica, I don't think I can help you after all. I didn't realize this game was on. Monica didn't realize she liked football. So Phoebe explains, normally, I don't. But she squints at the tv. Green Bay is playing. Monica's surprised. You like Green Bay? And Phoebe explains, well, it's only like my favorite bae. And then she runs to join Chandler on the couch. Then there's a knock at the door and Monica answers it to find the Brad Pitt on the other End. The audience loses their minds when he appears. As they should. By the way, this is like Brad Pitt from Meet Joe Black. Which is like the hottest Brad Pitt that's ever existed.

[Will Friedle]

Sue said the same thing. She's like, oh, and it's peak Brad Pitt. It is peak Brad Pitt.

[Danielle Fishel]

It is Brad Pitt. When every person in the world would be like, I would leave anyone for him.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. I would sleep with that guy. Yeah. And I say that as a fully heterosexual male. I would. And wake up in the morning be like, totally, totally worth it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just worth it. They hug and wish each other a happy Thanksgiving. Monica admits, God, will, you look so great. You must have lost, like, he cuts her off £150. Yeah. I'm gonna be in one of those Subway sandwich commercials. A joke that does not hold up.

[Will Friedle]

Nope. The only one. Maybe Jared. Yeah, the only one that does. Now, I have a question. As a sitcom actor, sometimes you notice that film actor. I mean, it's just a different way of acting.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was gonna ask this too. I know.

[Will Friedle]

So when he first comes in, some of the jokes are a little staccato.

[Ryder Strong]

I was worried. I didn't feel he's just gonna phone his way through this. But then he nails it.

[Will Friedle]

Then he gets by the end of.

[Ryder Strong]

The episode because they gave him great things to do. Like, it's perfect. Because at first I was like, oh, they're just gonna talk about how he looks and he's just gonna, like, walk through this stiffly. But when they gave him the motivation of being angry at Rachel I was like, oh, good. And he nailed it.

[Will Friedle]

He was great. But, yeah, it started shaky.

[Danielle Fishel]

The first couple beats the same thing. I thought, oh, no, he's gonna be bad. But no, you're right. That what the change was. The minute you knew he wasn't just gonna be a guest at Thanksgiving who was gorgeous.

[Ryder Strong]

He had a character. He had his own point of him.

[Danielle Fishel]

And his was well written.

[Will Friedle]

I ha. He's got a real smoldering thing going on. So good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Will hands her up high. It's no fat, no sugar, no dairy. It's no good. Just throw it out. Monica introduces him to Chandler who waves and explains. I'd shake your hand, but I'm really into the game. Plus, I think it'd be better for my ego if we didn't stand right next to each other. Which? One, I love that joke just on its face. It's a great joke. But two, I love that as the director for all the blocking in this to figure out if they did if it said in the script. And then they shake hands. And now you have to figure out how Chandler gets from here to over there and then back over to the couch is a logistical nightmare. And so the fact that they had a great, wonderful joke to keep him right where he is is just amazing. Monica.

[Ryder Strong]

And on that. On that tip, by the way, I think I've mentioned this before. The hardest thing to shoot is dinner table scenes. Like, dinner table scenes are the hardest things to direct. And this show does it so well, they had to bring cameras into the set in order to get both sides of the table. I bet you this was multiple setups. Multiple. It's a nightmare. And you never lose energy. Everything just pops. The acting's great. This is so well directed. This episode is so.

[Danielle Fishel]

The way they incorporated the passing of food into the storyline so that it isn't just like unnecessary, necessary business. So great.

[Ryder Strong]

So good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Monica introduces Phoebe next, who gives a casual hey. But when she turns back to the tv, she mouths, wow. And glances up to the sky to congratulate God on a job well done. Meanwhile, Will can't help but admire how great Monica looks. And she gives him returns with a similar round of compliments for him. Chandler pipes up, I'm watching the game, but I'm not deaf. Will is excited to hear that Ross will be joining them for Thanksgiving. But when Monica mentions that Rachel Green will also be be there, he suddenly looks angry. He admits through gritted teeth, God, I hated her. She was horrible to me in high school. He lets out a sigh. Well, it was a long time ago. I'm in a good place. It might be fun to see her again. Then he impulsively asks, got any cakes or cookies or something?

[Will Friedle]

He also does the perfect. He does the Brad pit with. When he first hears about, he goes like. It's like that weird head. The Brad pit head shake that he does. And all the things that's so great.

[Danielle Fishel]

He quickly scolds himself, no, Will, no. On the couch, Chandler reminds Phoebe they need to scream something at the tv. So they both let out some dramatic oh nos and come on. Before Phoebe takes it too far, yelling, damn you rest, ref. You burn in.

[Will Friedle]

You burn in hell.

[Danielle Fishel]

Then Joey walks in, rummaging through a bag of chips. Monica snaps at him, what are you doing? You gotta save room. You're. You've got almost an entire turkey to eat. Joey responds, let me explain to you how the human body works again. This. This is Will Friedle. I don't know what else to tell you, but someone owes you massive Royalties. Serious residuals for this inspo. Like, I have to warm up my stomach first. Eating chips is like stretching. Triblianis. Never get full. Will chimes in, I actually know what you're talking about. And I'm here to tell you something, friend. You can eat and eat and eat, but nothing will ever fill that void. Joey just nods and then turns back to Monica. Who the hell is this?

[Ryder Strong]

And here, the perfect writing to thematically link A and B stories. Like, it's just. It's so great.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's so good.

[Ryder Strong]

Because the B story is ridiculous and so fun. But then it still connects. It still makes sense.

[Danielle Fishel]

It still ties in. Monica introduces him to Will and they shake hands. Then Ross walks in and sees his old friend Will. You came, man. You look incredible. Hot stuff. Hot stuff. He gives Will a hug, but then questions his word choice.

[Ryder Strong]

Hot stove.

[Danielle Fishel]

The two catch up. Will tells him he's a commodities broker and Ross says, that's interesting. Will admits, it's not. But I'm rich and thin. Ross states, I don't think I've seen you since Lance Davis graduation party. Will remembers that being such a fun night. And Ross admits, it would have been more fun if we had gotten in. But still real fun. Will remembers how lame they used to be. Remember how into dinosaurs we were? That's such a good joke.

[Will Friedle]

Staring at the paleontologist.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. Ross is clearly embarrassed he has grown up to become a paleontologist. Will asks, so what do you do now? And Ross immediately changes the subject.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, so good.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then Rachel walks in. Will stares at her with the fury of a thousand suns. Ross quickly remembers Will's hatred and asks if he's going to be okay. Will just continues to stare at Rachel. I'll be fine. It's just. God, I hate her, Ross. I hate her. And then he crushes a few of Monica's fake flowers in the process. Yes.

[Will Friedle]

This is the perfect example of a show that's funny from beginning to end without it being joke, joke, joke, joke, joke, joke, joke, joke, joke. Like the whole thing is just funny. Yeah, it's, it's, it's. The comedy is coming from the situation.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

And.

[Will Friedle]

And it's not set up joke, set up joke, set up joke. It's just situation after situation that you're giggling or laughing the entire time in between, waiting for the next jump. It's incredible.

[Danielle Fishel]

Totally. I couldn't agree with you more.

[Ryder Strong]

It's because the characters are so well developed and they're allowed to have nuance even though they're Very clear. Right. But just think about the layers of Ross in this episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Ryder Strong]

He's able to be, like, hanging with Brad Pitt. But then they were dorky kids together, so they were the losers in high school. And that ends up being actually the plot reveal later at the dinner table.

[Will Friedle]

It's so good.

[Ryder Strong]

It's so good. It gives everybody a level of realism that even though it's completely over the.

[Will Friedle]

Top, it never feels like.

[Ryder Strong]

It never feels like. It's just. It's all built out of what you believe and what you know about these characters. So that when the ridiculous situation or the exposure of somebody's secret is revealed it feels natural. It's like, yes, it's been perfectly set up.

[Danielle Fishel]

God, it's good. It's really good. Ross reminds him that high school was a long time ago. But Will's still obsessing. Look at her with those yams. My two greatest enemies. Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates.

[Ryder Strong]

Perfect, perfect joke.

[Danielle Fishel]

Then Rachel finally notices him. She whispers to Monica, oh, my God. Who is that? Monica tells her, that's Will from high school. And Rachel's shocked. She doesn't remember him at all. She admits, wow, he's really got that sexy smoldering thing going on. The camera cuts to Will still furiously staring her down.

[Will Friedle]

Rachel, killer with his eyes. And she's like, that's so sexy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rachel is giddy. Look at the way he's just staring at me. I think he's trying to mouth something to me, but I can't make it out. Again, the camera cuts to Will who's very obviously mouthing, I hate you. Monica decides to intervene. Dinner's ready. Chandler and Phoebe hop off the couch and yell, good game. Solid effort. Monica asks them, who won? And Phoebe answers, green Bay. While Chandler says, detroit, fight. At the same time, Phoebe clarifies, The Lions technically won, but it was a moral victory for the Green Bay Merman.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, that's me. Go, Mermans.

[Will Friedle]

That's Ryder.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rachel grabs a glass of water then finds Will standing directly behind her. She introduces herself and he nods. Yeah, I remember you. She takes this as a compliment and admits she's having the hardest time placing him. But then realization hits. Did we fool around at Lance Davis's graduation party? He shakes his head and responds, you are unbelievable. But she's still not getting this, and she thanks him.

[Will Friedle]

Thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Once again, Monica intervenes. She makes sure Rachel and Will sit on opposite sides of the table. Monica sets a plate near Joey and uncovers a chicken. Joey scoffs, that's it. Even if no one helps me, I'd be able to finish that, no problem. At least give me a challenge. Monica laughs at him. Him. This is Chandler's chicken. She grabs the turkey, which is a bird three times its size, and plops it in front of Joey. This is the turkey. He nervously asks, how big is it? And Monica tells him, about 19 pounds. He gasps, that's like me when I was born. Rachel asks the table, would you like some yams, Will? He scowls, oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?

[Will Friedle]

Now wait. I have a question. Though she doesn't want to make a turkey, she knows it's only for three people. Why get a 20 pound turkey? You can't get a 14 pound turkey.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

You gotta get the giant one. Damn you, Monica.

[Danielle Fishel]

Comedy Will.

[Will Friedle]

I know, I know. I'm familiar. But still, it's a big turkey.

[Danielle Fishel]

She doesn't understand. As Joey passes the turkey right past her, she complains, can we please keep the chicken and the turkey? On the other side of the table, the smell is just yak. Will not so subtly coughs, Typical. Rachel asks what he means and he finally breaks, I said it was typical. Typical of you. Rachel Green queen. Rachel does whatever she wants in her little Rachel land. He pretends to flick his hair back and the audience loves this. Joey asks again, seriously, who is this guy?

[Will Friedle]

Who is this guy?

[Danielle Fishel]

Then Rachel pipes up, sorry, do you have a problem with me? Will responds, I don't know. Do I? Do I? Phoebe states the obvious, I think you do. Monica fills Rachel in. Apparently you were a little mean to him in high school. Will scoffs, a little mean? You made my life miserable. Rachel admits, I had no idea. I'm sorry. Will huffs, well, you should be. Screw it. Bring on the yams. Monica tries to protest, reminding him that he's worked so hard. But he screams, yams. Yeah. She obliges. Will angrily stares at Rachel as he scoops spoonful after spoonful of yams onto his plate. Rachel tries to apologize for whatever she did to him, but Will reveals, it wasn't just me. We had a club. The I Hate Rachel Green Club. Rachel gasps, so what, you all just joined together to hate me? Who else was in this club? Will lists off the members. Me and Ross. He proceeds to point at Rachel's baby daddy slash ex boyfriend sitting next to him. Ross tells Will, no need to point. She knows who Ross is. We get a nice sitcom cliffhanger. Commercial break. And then we return. Back at the table, Rachel's dumbfounded. You were in an I Hate Rachel Club. Will proudly answers, yes, he was. And holds up a hand to high five Ross. Ross politely leaves him hanging as Rachel continues to interrogate. Who else was in this club? Ross tells her there was also that exchange student from Thailand, but I don't think he knew what it was. Rachel asks him, so we went out for two years and you never told me you were in an I Hate Rachel club. Now Will is the shocked one. You went out with her? We had a pact. Ross laughs. That was in high school. It's not like it was binding forever. Will wonders, then why did it have the word eternity in it?

[Ryder Strong]

I just love this. I love this so much. You can just immediately see the two of them making a pledge.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

The eternity. I love it so much.

[Will Friedle]

I love how he also still thinks it's binding.

[Danielle Fishel]

One of the things I love about it is that I really do believe there are two different types of people. Some who believe, like, my childhood packs are that and I would never betray my bestie from 11th grade. And people who are like, that means nothing. I was a child. How. How have we not moved on from this?

[Will Friedle]

These are not legally binding in anything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rachel asks Monica if she knew about this. Monica swears she didn't and asks Ross and Will, is that why you guys would go up to your bedroom and lock the door? They both nod and say yes. Monica admits, a little relieved. I gotta say, not free from the gay panic.

[Will Friedle]

Still slight, some gay panic. Still gotta have some. It's the 90s.

[Danielle Fishel]

Gay panic in the 90s.

[Will Friedle]

It's gotta be a twist of gay panic.

[Danielle Fishel]

Everyone's dying. Just a sprinkling, sprinkle of sprinkling an amuse booster sprinkling of sac phobia and gay panic. You gotta.

[Will Friedle]

It's the 90s.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ross tells Rachel he's sorry. He starts to explain, the only reason I joined. Will jumps in. Co founded, Ross clarifies. Co founded the club was that I was insanely in love with you. Obviously, I didn't handle it very well, but I. If you think about it, the I Hate Rachel Club was really the I Love Rachel Club. Will clarifies, except that it really was the I Hate Rachel Club. Rachel is still worked up, so you guys would just get together and just, like, say mean things about me. Will boasts, oh, we did a little more than that. Ross begs him. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. So Phoebe asks, what else did you do? Will grins. We started a rumor. Rachel wants to know what it was and Ross starts to stammer Phoebe interjects again. Come on, Will, Just take off your shirt.

[Ryder Strong]

So amazing.

[Danielle Fishel]

I feel like that was an ad lib from her.

[Ryder Strong]

Honestly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I feel like that's something she just said and I don't know why I have that feeling, but I.

[Ryder Strong]

It's a perfect runner. Just. Just establish that she. Because at the end when she hugs.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know, but also, it's been such a long time since she's really like, made. Other than the wow and looking up to God. Like, it's been a while since anybody's reminded us that he's very good looking. And so the fact that she throws it in there like about something else is just so funny. Ross finally reveals the rumor was that you had both male and female reproductive parts. Rachel is shocked, but Will is loving it. He brags, that's right. We said your parents flipped a coin and decided to raise you as a girl. But you still had a hint of a penis. A hint of a penis is Jesus. The perfect way of describing something that you wanted to start as a rumor?

[Will Friedle]

It's just a great band name.

[Danielle Fishel]

Hint of a Penis.

[Will Friedle]

Hint of penis would be great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rachel's in disbelief and Monica chimes in. You started that. Rachel gasps. You heard that? Monica breaks the news. Everyone at our school heard it. Chandler chimes in. Everyone at my school heard it. You were the hermaphrodite cheerleader from Long Island. Rachel covers her face in horror. Oh my God. This is all making so much sense to me now. This is why Adam Carter wouldn't go out with me. This is why Billy Trat would just stay in this region. Motioning to her upper half, Ross tries to make her feel better. Actually, Billy Tratt is gay now, so that one's not really our fault. Rachel asks Monica why she never told her this. Monica sighs. I thought it might be true. And I was afraid that you were gonna cry and then show it to me. Joey intensely stares at her pants and she smacks him on the arm. Stop staring. There's nothing there. It's not true. Joey responds, I'm afraid I'm gonna need proof. And Rachel storms out. Okay, so this holiday season is giving famous. Trust me, I'm a famous person, so I would know. And it's thanks to Famous Footwear. They've got all the top gifts from Jordan, Fry and Company. Adidas, Nike, Birkenstock, Timberland. Basically every brand that makes people go, oh, wow, you really love me. I'm a big Famous Footwear fan. Because the deals are real and the selection does not play around. Online or in store. You can outfit your entire family in one trip. Which for me means my kids get their cool shoes only wish list. My husband gets his. I'm outdoorsy, but not too outdoorsy. Timberlands and I get something cozy that says I survived the end of the year rush because we all know holidays are chaos disguised as glitter. And thanks to Famous Footwear, I can shop online in one of their 800 stores or have shoes delivered same day with doordash. They are truly a holiday miracle. Buy one pair, get one half off at your local famous footwear or famous.com Some exclusions apply. I'm Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.

[Will Friedle]

Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you will definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit Quickbook.

[Ryder Strong]

Mind the Business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry.

[Will Friedle]

In this latest season, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are covering topics on the forefront of running a small business.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss and using Intuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it.

[Will Friedle]

Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danielle Fishel]

Big things are happening at your local CVS Extra Big.

[Will Friedle]

So hurry on over because extra big deals are here.

[Ryder Strong]

These are deals so extra that they absolutely cannot be missed. And every two weeks there's gonna be more.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you've got to keep coming back so you can keep saving on all the brands and products you and your family use every day.

[Will Friedle]

And speaking of saving, Extra care is the way to save at cvs. So use your extra Care card to unlock savings every time you shop.

[Ryder Strong]

And if you're not a member yet, now is the time to join.

[Danielle Fishel]

And the best part? It's completely free. Just sign up online or in store and you'll start saving instantly.

[Will Friedle]

And always be sure to check the CVS Health app app for deals and savings.

[Ryder Strong]

Visit your local CVS store or cvs.com extra big deals to shop this week's deals and stock up on your favorite products.

[Guest or Advertiser]

You guys the holidays are coming and I am personally so excited to start making the cookies. It's one of my favorite parts. Every year you get to make them and then you get to eat them. And maybe you give them away also. And before you know it, Black Friday is here. And Pandora Jewelry is offering up to 40% off storewide and sitewide now through December 2nd. Explore jewelry designed to last beyond the season. From classic charms to modern rings, bracelets, earrings and more. Whether you're holiday shopping or treating yourself, now's the perfect time to find something Special. [e-mail] and your local Pandora Store Exclusive.

[Danielle Fishel]

Supply the world is buzzing with AI tools. But instead of making things easier, they've made things overwhelming. There's a better way. Meet Superhuman, the AI productivity suite that gives you superpowers so you can outsmart the work chaos with Grammarly, mail and coda. Working together, you get proactive help across your workflow. No matter how you work, experience AI that meets you right where you are. Unleash your superhuman potential today. Learn [e-mail] podcast that's superhuman.com podcast. Later that night, we're in Monica and Chandler's apartment. Joey stares at his half eaten turkey and declares, you are my Everest. Monica assures him he doesn't have to finish it, but Joey argues, I do. Otherwise, what's next? Today I'm just a guy who can't finish a turkey. But tomorrow I'm the guy who eats half a Power Bar, wraps up the rest and puts it in the fridge. Funny joke. He realizes he just needs to change his pants. Jeans have no give.

[Will Friedle]

What was I thinking? Jeans have no give again.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is so Will. Like, I can totally imagine going to Will and Susan's house for Thanksgiving and Will being like, I've got my stretchy pants on. Like I. It's perfect. It's true. He walks out just as Rachel comes storming in with her yearbook in hand. She announces to everyone, listen to what Sean McMahon wrote in my year yearbook senior year. Dear Rach, you're such a great person. Not girl person. Ross rolls his eyes. I think you're reading a little too much into it. She reads the rest of the message to prove him wrong. Dear Rach, you're a great person. Sorry about your teeny weeny. Will loves it. But Ross asks her, what do you want me to do? You want me to call everyone in the entire school and tell them it wasn't true? She says, yes, and Will butts in. Could you also tell them I'm skinny now? And Monica jumps in. Oh, me too. Ross says he isn't calling anyone because it was like a million years ago. But Rachel doesn't care. She reminds Ross, I never did anything to hurt you in high school. Monica can't stand by without saying something that's not entirely true. You did start that rumor about Ross making out with Mrs. Altman, our 50 year old librarian. Ross stands up and shouts, how did.

[Ryder Strong]

You know that this which is such a great turn. Like the fact that he gets angry that it was revealed.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it's perfect section though this whole.

[Will Friedle]

Random story is so perfect because she's 50.

[Danielle Fishel]

And by the way, by the way, apparently it was just a thing in the 90s that teachers hooked up with students and it was not at all the a problem for the teacher. It was looked at as like what was wrong with you, child?

[Will Friedle]

Oh my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's like.

[Will Friedle]

But it's also because if it wouldn't have worked in the opposite gender role if it was one of the. If it was one of the women.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I mean talking about when she was 16 making out with a 50 year old teacher, a guy that it wouldn't have hit the same way. Nope.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I have.

[Will Friedle]

Different times, different times, different times.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

It's a romp.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's a romp. It's a. It's an illegal romp. Monica is shocked.

[Will Friedle]

It's a statutory romp.

[Ryder Strong]

Statutory romp is brilliant.

[Will Friedle]

Absolutely brilliant.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

Monica is shocked. It's true. Then Ross unconvincingly tries to deny it. Rachel jumps in. I saw you guys going at it behind the card catalog. Ross stammers at the accusation and Will cuts in. She also made out with Taka Kik the night before he went back to Thailand. Chandler can't let this go. I'm sorry, in high school you made out with a 50 year old woman. Ross defends his actions. She didn't look 50. Chandler asks did she look 16 the way.

[Will Friedle]

And that delivery. Just the way. Did she look 16? Just the way he did is so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ugh.

[Will Friedle]

It's gorgeous.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. He does. He does do things with an offbeat that just makes you love them because they, they don't hit the rhythm the same way. And it just, it does, it stands out.

[Will Friedle]

It's so good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rachel realizes there's a picture of her in the yearbook she shows everyone and they collectively gasp. Ross explains she didn't photograph well. Chandler adds, well, she probably wasn't familiar with the process having spent most of her life sitting for oil painting.

[Will Friedle]

Yes, she's my age, by the way. This is not 90.

[Ryder Strong]

50 is. It's insane. But this whole set of jokes it just kills.

[Will Friedle]

Brilliant. The canes.

[Danielle Fishel]

The cane.

[Ryder Strong]

And only when it rains.

[Will Friedle]

I was like, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

When it was damned.

[Will Friedle]

Brilliant.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, my God. It's so good. And we haven't left this set. We have not left this set. We will not leave this set.

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Ryder Strong]

And, like, we do not need much more than just funny people. Oh, my God, it's so good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Phoebe wonders, how did this happen? Did she lure you to an early bird dinner? Ross says, I was working late in the library one afternoon. It was just the two of us. She needed some help with her word jumble. Everyone watches on and they're all very clearly trying not to break. Break. Ross continues, and one thing led to another. If you must know, Anita was very gentle and tender. May she rest in peace. Monica questions, didn't she walk with a cane? Ross shouts, only when it was damp. He is disgusted by Rachel. I can't believe you told people about this. Everybody knew. He looks at Will and declares, I'm back in the club. He gives Will an overly enthusiastic high five. And Phoebe raises her hand. I want to join. Rachel can't believe this. Phoebe explains, I'm sorry, but I never got to be in a club. I didn't get to go to high school. But three of us would meet behind a dumpster to learn French. Bonjour. Bonjour. Rachel tells them, fine. You guys can have your stupid little club. But I would just like to say that what you did to me is way worse than what I did to you. You gave me a teeny weeny. Will laughs and nods with pride. Monica tries to bring Rachel back to reality. Even with that rumor, you were one of the most popular girls in school. Everyone wanted to be like you. One girl wanted to be like you so much she stuffed her pants with a Tootsie Roll.

[Will Friedle]

Jesus.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rachel's touched. Monica tells Ross. And if it weren't for Rachel's rumor, no one in high school would even have known who you were. She put you on the map. Ross argues as a romancer of the elderly. Monica admits that Mrs. Altman was the kind of woman where you could tell she used to be pretty. He remembers the eyes. They did still sparkle. Monica reminds him of the bigger picture. This was way in the past. You've been through so much since then. And now you've got so much more important stuff going on in your lives. Can't you just let this go? Rachel and Ross realize Monica's right. Ross adds, I mean, we are having a baby together. Will is shocked. Hold on. You got her pregnant?

[Will Friedle]

I love that. Hold on.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ross says yes. And Will asks, are you getting married? Ross says, no. So Will smirks. You knocked her up, but you're not going to marry her. He holds his hand up for a high five. Again, dude. Ross doesn't participate in the celebration, so Will looks around the room. Anybody? Phoebe jumps up from the couch.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

She gives him a long hug and sighs. It's exactly how I imagined it would be. Joey storms in wearing Phoebe's maternity pants. Where's that turkey? Phoebe explains, those are her maternity pants. But Joey argues, no, no. These are my Thanksgiving pants. And he shows off the stretchiness and once again takes his seat with the bird. And then we're in the tag. Monica and Chandler's apartment later that night. Joey victoriously sets his fork down next to the fully devoured turkey and wipes his forehead. Here come the meat sweats. Monica hands him a towel. We're all very proud of you. Chandler adds, yes, I believe we can expect a call from the president any moment now. Phoebe asks if there's anything they can do for him. And he says, no, just nobody press on my stomach. Rachel tells him he can keep the pants behind him. Monica is wrapping up some pie leftovers. And Joey perks up.

[Guest or Advertiser]

What do you.

[Danielle Fishel]

What do you got there? Is that pie? Monica laughs. Yeah, you want some? He responds, just cut me a little sliver. Monica goes to cut him a piece, and he insists, a little bigger. She makes the cut a little larger, but it's not enough. He insists, a little bigger. What, are you afraid you're gonna run out? Cut me a real piece.

[Will Friedle]

Cut me a real piece.

[Ryder Strong]

My God, what an amazing episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's incredible.

[Ryder Strong]

Just like barely any resolution. I don't care. So much fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

Doesn't matter.

[Ryder Strong]

So much fun.

[Will Friedle]

The thing that's amazing is most of them are like this. I know the vast majority of Friends episodes are this good. They really are. The writing is so top notch. It's crazy.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So fun.

[Will Friedle]

Now, why couldn't a show exactly like this work? But everyone's in their late 40s and 50s.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I know, because those are the.

[Will Friedle]

People that watch Friends anyway. Yeah, but it's like somebody's divorced, you know? Obviously somebody would be divorced. Somebody is the Bachelor who's been a bachelor, now he's 51. There's so many ways to do this over again. You just need a good writing team because, God, the writing is so perfect.

[Danielle Fishel]

It is. It's so good. It's the thing that makes it work. I mean, also the fact that the cast's chemistry, like Ryder said, is just insane.

[Will Friedle]

And apparently they were like, according to everybody, the six of them were thick as thieves the entire time they shot the show. It was never like this one person was getting too big for their britches or this person wanted more. It was, they were together as a unit the entire time. They always renegotiated together. They were, I mean, it was no egos on the set. I mean, you had, you had people that were blowing up on the show at the time. You know, Matthew Perry was going off and doing movies. Jennifer Aniston was going off and doing movies. It would have been so easy for the egos to come in and destroy this entire set. And apparently it just never happened. They were first and foremost all about their friends and doing the show. And that's amazing. It shows.

[Danielle Fishel]

So cool. Well, thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World show. You can send us your emails podmeetsworldshowmail.com and we've got merch.

[Will Friedle]

Could there be any more merch?

[Danielle Fishel]

Podmeetsworldshow.com who did it last time? Ryder did.

[Will Friedle]

You should do it, Daniel.

[Danielle Fishel]

You haven't done it in a while with this voice. No.

[Will Friedle]

Well, that's why you do it, because you got the sexy rasp. Take us out, sexy.

[Danielle Fishel]

We love you all. Pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fischl, Will Friedle and Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sudbaksh, producer Maddie Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World series superfan Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworld show or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line. But first, There the last one. Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.

[Will Friedle]

So usually on ok, Story Time, our audience will send in their relationship problems. And the okay Storytime squad gives some good advice goofily. But today we're not giving out our usual advice. Our producer Riley says we're giving something else. So what are we doing today, Riley? Today we're playing a little game theme, says the man. I bought special gifts for you guys from ebay. Each one picked with one of you in mind. Yeah, Dakota, if you want to guess. All right, there is a gift at my feet. Open that thing now. It is in my hands. Oh, I feel like it's got to be our resident gamer kiosk. This is the rectangle of childhood. It's a portable game console. I used to have this as a kid. This game console I used to play all the time. And you know when your mom came into the room when you were a kid and like, you're pretending to sleep, but. Riley, what a thoughtful gift.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, Riley, thank you so much.

[Will Friedle]

Riley, you're crushing it. But we have one more gift. Yeah, we got another one. Let's open it. Boom. Oh, camera. An old timey camera. That's right. Classic. This is awesome because you know how I love to take pictures of my travels. Yeah, you're always somewhere, whether it's in Kyrgyzstan with some nomads or just New York, you know, with a nice little piece of trash or a rat taking pictures with the birds. So, Riley, you got all of this from eBay, dude, eBay. It was really fun finding it with you guys. Like, I had very specific things for.

[Ryder Strong]

Each one of you.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, it was all there. Thanks, Riley. And thank you. EBay. And guys shop ebay for millions of.

[Ryder Strong]

Fines, each with a story. EBay.

[Will Friedle]

Things people love. Running my small business was like playing basketball. Five on one and I was the one. Now QuickBooks gives me access to a team of AI agents and trusted experts for the assists I need. Not from Whitnet.

[Danielle Fishel]

Outdo it with Intuit. QuickBooks feature availability varies by product. It's finally here. Black Friday at ulta Beauty. Take 30% off Mac foundations and lip colors. Save $100 on the iconic Dyson Airwrap. And starting Tuesday, shop mascaras for $14 and lip colors for $12. Perfect for stocking up. To make it super easy, shop online and pick up in store or get same day delivery. Head into Ulta Beauty and shop Black Friday D deals now through November 29th. Ulta Beauty gifting happens here. Big things are happening at your local CVS Extra Big.

[Will Friedle]

You don't want to miss these extra big deals and more are coming every two weeks. So keep coming back.

[Ryder Strong]

Use your extra care card to unlock savings every time you shop. Extra care is the way to save at cvs.

[Danielle Fishel]

So if you're not a member yet, join for free online or in store and start saving.

[Will Friedle]

Visit your local CVS store or cvs.com extra big deals to shop this week's deals.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.