S02E21 · EP 45
season 2 · 1996-04-25
The One With the Bullies
written by Sebastian Jones & Brian Buckner · directed by Michael Lembeck · 24.7M viewers · image Friends Wiki (CC BY-SA)

Episode DNA

16 scenes · 3 threads
absurd 12%tense 10%humiliation 9%coincidence 8%scheme 7%threat 7%humiliating 7%cheerful 5%escalation 5%sad 4%

Story threads over runtime

click a block to open the scene
0:005:0010:0015:0020:00
A · Monica's stock gamble
B · Coffee shop bullies
C · Phoebe meets family
01

Every scene

16 scenes · our breakdown
1 · Central Perk · cold_openSigns to see father

Phoebe explains signs telling her to visit her biological father.

00:01–02:14coincidence · obsession
2 ▸ 02:14
2 · Central Perk · act1Bullies take Chandler's hat

Arthur and Carl bully Chandler and Ross at the coffee shop.

02:14–03:55threat · humiliation
3 · Monica's apartment · act1Monica refuses diner job

Monica tells Rachel about a humiliating job offer at a 50s diner.

03:55–04:29humiliation · avoidance
4 ▸ 04:29
4 · Monica's apartment · act1Friends hear about bullies

Ross and Chandler tell the others about the bullies at the coffee shop.

04:29–05:46petty_grievance · threat
5 · Monica's apartment · act1Monica decides to invest

Monica decides to invest her savings in the stock market.

05:46–06:09scheme · obsession
6 ▸ 06:09
6 · Car outside Frank Buffay's house · act1Dog traps Phoebe in car

Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey are trapped in a car by a barking dog.

06:09–07:23coincidence · avoidance
7 ▸ 07:23
7 · Central Perk · act1Confrontation at coffee shop

Chandler and Ross confront the bullies again at the coffee shop.

07:23–09:33escalation · petty_grievance
8 · Central Perk · act1Bullies ban them from shop

The bullies tell Chandler and Ross they are banned from the coffee shop.

09:33–09:42threat · humiliation
9 · Car outside Frank Buffay's house · act1Phoebe runs over the dog

Phoebe accidentally runs over the dog as she leaves her father's house.

09:42–11:02coincidence
10 · Monica's apartment · act1Monica buys stocks blindly

Monica buys stocks based on company initials.

11:02–12:04scheme
11 · Monica's apartment · act1Joey calls about the dog

Joey calls the dog's owner to say the dog is okay.

12:04–13:33impersonation · scheme
12 ▸ 13:33
12 · Different coffee shop · act2Ross and Chandler plan to fight

Ross and Chandler decide to stand up to the bullies.

13:33–15:10escalation
13 · Monica's apartment · act2Monica loses all her money

Monica loses all her money and needs a loan.

15:10–15:47humiliation · scheme
14 · Frank Buffay's house · act2Phoebe meets her half-brother

Phoebe meets her half-brother Frank Jr. at her father's house.

15:47–18:54coincidence
15 ▸ 18:54
15 · Central Perk · act3Fight with bullies resolved

The four men chase thieves instead of fighting each other.

18:54–22:51pursuit · comeuppance
16 · 50s diner · tagMonica works at diner

Monica is forced to work at the 50s diner.

22:51–22:55humiliation · comeuppance
03

Same DNA

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Episode facts

Wikipedia · Wikidata
Aired
1996-04-25
Overall
#45
Writers
Sebastian Jones & Brian Buckner
Director
Michael Lembeck
Viewers
24.7M (US)
Pace
113 words/min · 108 questions

Where to watch

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In this episode

PB
Phoebe Buffay232 episodes · drives 425 scenes
RG
Rachel Greene232 episodes · drives 552 scenes
CB
Chandler Bing232 episodes · drives 527 scenes
MG
Monica Geller232 episodes · drives 572 scenes
RG
Ross Geller232 episodes · drives 707 scenes
JT
Joey Tribbiani232 episodes · drives 536 scenes
G
GuntherJames Michael Tyler139 episodes · drives 2 scenes
FB
Frank Buffay Jr.14 episodes · drives 12 scenes