Rachel on Friends travels & each occurrence is a guaranteed fiasco. Also, each fiasco involves Ross Gellar.
Let’s reminisce… About all 5 fiascos… Yes, there are 5.
Rachel on Friends Travels | Airport Fiasco #1 | The One Rachel Finds Out
All the way back to Season 1 in The One Where Rachel Finds Out, the series-long trend of Rachel’s airport fiascos begins…
It’s common knowledge that Ross has had an intense crush on Rachel since grade school. This crush although was apparently on the back burner during this marriage to now lesbian ex-wife Carol. Rachel re-emerges into Ross’s life in the pilot after walking out on her wedding to Barry. Ergo, Ross’s crush on Rachel re-emerges times 10.
Late in Season 1, Ross has a business trip to China which happens to coincide with Rachel’s birthday party.
Ross does not forget to give her a gift, however. He leaves it behind for her to open during her party.
Turns out it’s an expensive broach Rachel pointed out during a walk with Ross out & about & how it had sentimental value.
Rachel is caught off guard by the thoughtful gift… “I can’t believe he remembered…”
Then without taking a pause, Chandler chimes in… “Come on, Ross? Remember back in college, when he fell in love with Carol and bought her that ridiculously expensive crystal duck…”
Rachel has now found out…
After mulling things over & choosing to at least acknowledge that she has found out she heads to the airport to attempt to meet him. She misses him but gives another passenger a message to give Ross which gets to the wrong passenger.
After trying to not be into Ross but learning she is during a lame-o date she is on, she cuts things short to go pick up Ross at the airport.
She heads out with her flowers & feelings…
Off the plane comes Ross… & a lady friend… Julie.
Rachel attempts to run away, but trips & falls. Ross & his new lady friend Julie stumble upon her.
Rachel gives her the flowers meant for Ross & welcomes Julie “to our country.”
Finally, after not helping with Ross & Julie’s bags & getting a gash on her head & somehow having a cute bandaid on hand to protect it, she ends up back home.
Ross & Julie arrive at Monica & Rachel’s… There’s an intro.
Then Rachel exclaims … “I mean, isn’t that kick-you-in-the-crotch-spit-on-your-neck fantastic?”
Perhaps Rachel shouldn’t have headed to the airport…
The One with Ross’ Wedding | Fiasco #2 | Rachel on Friends Travels
After much consideration, Rachel decides to forego the trip to London to attend Ross & Emily’s wedding.
This is, of course, until after she & Phoebe have enjoyed some extreme bonding & Rachel figures out she’s still in love with Ross.
Ultimately, Rachel decides to make an impromptu trip to London to tell Ross that she loves him.
Phoebe, pregnant with her brother’s triplets, tries chasing Rachel to keep her from leaving the apartment. This is not effective as Rachel has made up her mind & Phoebe is “carrying a litter.”
Rachel arrives at the airport to purchase a last-minute overpriced plane ticket to London using multiple credit cards to pay for it. This, of course, is until it’s apparent that Rachel does not have her passport.
Hence, another opportunity for Phoebe to stop Rachel.
Phoebe fails again… Rachel is still determined.
Despite Rachel forgetting her passport & Phoebe’s best efforts in holding her back, Rachel finally gets on board a plane to London.
She then overshares with the passenger seated next to her. He calls her selfish.
Rachel Arrives in London…
Perhaps the random passenger got through to her a bit, as when Rachel arrives in London & sees Ross, she does not tell him that she loves him & attends the wedding as a regular guest.
That’s, in this case, a regular guest with special treatment…
Instead of Ross saying “I take thee, Emily,” he states “I take thee, Rachel.”
Somehow this sequence of events leads to a Rachel Green Airport Fiasco 2 for 1…
While Ross & Emily made it through the ceremony & did technically marry, Emily splits Rachel-Green-Style in her wedding gown out the bathroom window.
Once it’s time to go back to New York, Rachel arrives at the airport & finds Ross waiting on his flight to his & Emily’s honeymoon in Athens, hoping Emily will show up.
As the last call for boarding sounds, it’s (almost) apparent Emily is not showing up. Ross tells Rachel that he does not want to be alone & invites her to Athens.
As Rachel heads onto the plane & Ross is just about to as well, Emily Shows up.
Rachel then ends up on Ross & Emily’s honeymoon alone.
Yet another time Rachel probably shouldn’t have gone to the airport.
Fiasco #3: The 2nd Fiasco that Involves Ross Gellar Getting Married
In Season 5, Joey heads off to Fabulous Las Vegas to shoot a movie. The opportunity immediately dissipates upon Joey’s arrival & brings Joey to ultimately meet his “Secret Hand Twin.”
Meanwhile, Monica & Chandler are planning a trip to Vegas themselves. They are planning to both Joey with their support of his “Big Break” & to celebrate their anniversary.
Phoebe instantly invites herself along as she missed London being that she was pregnant with her brother’s triplets.
Then, Ross & Rachel figure out how they both can join in on the trip. Ross books their flights…
In light of a misunderstanding involving “The Act of Love” the night before their flight, there is a discussion between Ross & Rachel in regards to who embarrasses easily.
Rachel claims she does not embarrass herself easily, falls asleep on Ross’ shoulder, then Ross draws on her face & makes her into a “Human Doodle.”
Rachel is obviously pissed. After check-in, she insists on not leaving the room that apparently was planned ahead to be shared by Ross & Rachel.
Ross & Rachel enjoy almost all of the overpriced food & drink in their hotel room (sponsored by Ross per the assumption of Rachel). This meanwhile playing 21 wherein this “casino” it’s played to 23.
After R & R are tuned up, Ross tells Rachel that he misses downstairs. Rachel puts her foot down & says she will only go downstairs on one condition…
That condition is that she reciprocates & turns Ross into a “Human Doodle” as well. Ross accepts. Rachel draws on his face. They get even drunker, eat a bunch of grapes, & get married…
Fiasco #4: Rachel & Joey Would Like to Make Out
In Season 9, the gang heads to Barbados to “listen” to Ross speak.
At the time of take-off, Joey & Charlie are dating, Rachel has an extreme crush on Joey, & Ross likewise on Charlie.
With Joey & Charlie still having almost nothing in common & Ross’s speech accidentally deleted & him taking help from fellow paleontologist Charlie to re-create it, Joey & Rachel end up spending a ton of time together & her crush comes out. Ross & Charlie also end up connecting.
Without Ross & Joey knowing what has happened with each other as it pertains to Rachel & Charlie, they both commit to running their new love interests past the other out of respect.
On the plane, Ross gets to run his new love interest/Joey’s former love interest past Joey (Charlie).
Joey gives his approval. Ross is thankful & appreciative.
Joey does not get an opportunity, however, to run his new love interest/Ross’ former love of his life (Rachel) by Ross.
Rachel & Joey arrive home. Joey hasn’t run his interest in Rachel past Ross yet.
Joey & Rachel give up & make out… Then Ross walks in.
The Final Fiasco | Rachel Green at the Airport | The Left Phalange
Despite Ross’s successful efforts to persuade Mr. Zelner at Ralph Lauren to re-hire Rachel, Rachel ends up taking the position she was offered with Louis Vuitton in Paris.
Reminiscent of the last time Rachel went flying across the pond, Rachel can’t find her boarding pass for this trip. She does remember that her seat number is 32 C & she remembers this as 32 C is her bra size.
The Gate Attendant, of course, insists that Rachel needs her boarding pass to board. She responds to the Gate Attendant that if her bra size was 36 D there wouldn’t be a problem.
Rachel finally finds her boarding pass without having to make a trip home to search as she had to when she was off to London.
Rachel gets seated on the plane meanwhile Phoebe & Ross are trying to catch Rachel before she boards. They assumed she was flying out of JFK when it was actually Newark, ergo, suffering a setback timewise.
Phoebe Interveans: The Left Phalange
Miss Phoebe & Regina Phalange to the rescue! Well, actually just a Phalange…
Phoebe calls Rachel on her cell phone letting her know she has a bad feeling about the plane that she is on & that there is a problem with the left phalange.
Rachel reassures her that everything is fine on her plane & she will call as soon as she lands in Paris.
Also reminiscent of Rachel’s trip to London, an awkward conversation with the male passenger next to her.
This male passenger seeks further clarification after Rachel hangs up with Phoebe. Rachel lets him know that her sometimes nutty friend thinks there is something wrong with the left phalange but she is almost always wrong.
The male passenger flips out & alerts the other passengers that there is a problem with the left phalange.
The Flight Attendant states that there are not any phalanges on board.
The male passenger flips out more & ends up getting everyone else riled up… & finally, everyone is getting off the plane.
Phoebe & Ross finally meet up with Rachel just in time just as the “Phalange Fiasco” is being resolved & everyone is re-boarding. The flight attendant reassures everything that they put “extra phalanges on board” for everyone’s safety.
Ross professes his love for Rachel & begs her not to go to Paris. She says she can’t deal with this & re-boards the plane.
Once Rachel gets back on the plane she calls Ross apologizing for leaving him like that & how she was caught off guard.
Finally, she says she’s in love with him… like a bunch of times. She then says out loud meanwhile still leaving this long voice message on Ross’s machine that she needs to get off the plane.
Did She Get Off the Plane?
Rachel attempts to get off the plane, the Flight Attendant asks her to stay in her seat, Rachel says she has to get off the plane, & the phone call & voice message ends.
Ross arrives home to listen to the message & out loud & is wondering if she got off the plane.
She got off the plane…
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