S04E02 · EP 75
season 4 · 1997-10-02
The One With the Cat
written by Jill Condon & Amy Toomin · directed by Shelley Jensen · 25.54M viewers · image Friends Wiki (CC BY-SA)

Episode DNA

22 scenes · 4 threads
awkward 11%humiliation 7%tense 7%deadpan 6%misunderstanding 6%comeuppance 6%sad 6%absurd 5%tender 5%petty grievance 4%

Story threads over runtime

click a block to open the scene
0:005:0010:0015:0020:00
A · Entertainment unit saga
B · Chip Matthews date
C · Phoebe's cat mother
D · Robbery aftermath
01

Every scene

22 scenes · our breakdown
1 · Chandler and Joey's apartment · cold_openChandler rips his jacket

Chandler decides to sell the entertainment unit after ripping his jacket on it.

00:02–01:36petty_grievance · negotiation
2 · Monica and Rachel's apartment · act1Monica gets Chip's call

Monica excitedly receives a phone call from Chip Matthews.

01:36–02:28coincidence
3 · Monica and Rachel's apartment · act1Ross tricks Rachel about Chip

Ross tricks Rachel into thinking Chip called for her, leading to embarrassment.

02:28–04:02lie · humiliation
4 · Central Perk · act1Selling the entertainment center

Chandler and Joey advertise the entertainment center for sale.

04:02–05:23negotiation
5 ▸ 05:23
5 · Central Perk · act1Phoebe finds a cat

Phoebe finds a cat and believes it is her mother's reincarnated spirit.

05:23–06:51obsession · misunderstanding
6 · Monica and Rachel's apartment · act1Rachel confronts Monica about Chip

Rachel objects to Monica dating Chip, but Monica insists on going.

06:51–08:23petty_grievance · double_standard
7 · Central Perk · act1Joey's screening process

Joey explains his careful screening for entertainment center buyers.

08:23–09:20obsession
8 · Central Perk · act1Ross argues about the cat

Ross argues with the group about Phoebe's cat belief.

09:20–10:10misunderstanding · petty_grievance
9 · Chandler and Joey's apartment · act1Offered a canoe for the unit

A potential buyer offers a canoe in trade for the entertainment center.

10:10–10:57negotiation · deal
10 · Central Perk · act1Rachel finds missing cat poster

Rachel finds a missing cat poster that matches Phoebe's cat.

10:57–11:56coincidence · secret_exposed
11 · Central Perk · act2Friends fail to tell Phoebe

The friends fail to tell Phoebe about the missing cat poster.

11:56–12:58avoidance · misunderstanding
12 · Monica and Rachel's apartment · act2Chip arrives for Monica

Chip arrives for his date with Monica and talks to Rachel.

12:58–13:17
13 · Chandler and Joey's apartment · act2Joey gets locked in the unit

Joey gets locked in the entertainment unit by a thief.

13:17–14:32bet · humiliation
14 · Outdoors · act2Monica's date with Chip

Monica goes on a date with Chip and finds him immature.

14:32–15:50comeuppance · humiliation
15 · Chandler and Joey's apartment · act2Chandler discovers the robbery

Chandler returns to find the apartment robbed and Joey locked in the unit.

15:50–16:34humiliation · betrayal
16 · Outdoors · act2Chip's immaturity continues

Chip continues to act immature on the date with Monica.

16:34–17:21comeuppance
17 · Chandler and Joey's apartment · act2Friends see the empty apartment

The friends see the robbed apartment and Ross learns about the cat.

17:21–17:46avoidance
18 · Monica and Rachel's apartment · act2Monica dumps Chip

Monica breaks up with Chip after realizing he hasn't matured.

17:46–18:20comeuppance · breakup
20 ▸ 18:24
20 · Central Perk · act3Ross tells Phoebe the truth

Ross tells Phoebe the cat belongs to a little girl, upsetting her.

18:24–19:22misunderstanding · social_rule_violation
21 ▸ 19:22
21 · Central Perk · act3Ross apologizes to the cat

Ross apologizes to the cat to make peace with Phoebe.

19:22–20:54humiliation · confession
22 ▸ 20:54
22 · Central Perk · act3Returning the cat

The girls return the cat to its owner while the guys discuss furniture.

20:54–22:13
23 · Chandler and Joey's apartment · tagEnding with the canoe

Chandler and Joey sit miserably in their empty apartment with only a canoe.

22:13–22:17comeuppance
03

Same DNA

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Episode facts

Wikipedia · Wikidata
Aired
1997-10-02
Overall
#75
Writers
Jill Condon & Amy Toomin
Director
Shelley Jensen
Viewers
25.54M (US)
Pace
108 words/min · 106 questions

Where to watch

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In this episode

CB
Chandler Bing232 episodes · drives 527 scenes
JT
Joey Tribbiani232 episodes · drives 536 scenes
MG
Monica Geller232 episodes · drives 572 scenes
RG
Rachel Greene232 episodes · drives 552 scenes
RG
Ross Geller232 episodes · drives 707 scenes
PB
Phoebe Buffay232 episodes · drives 425 scenes
CM
Chip Matthews6 episodes · drives 1 scenes
G
GuntherJames Michael Tyler139 episodes · drives 2 scenes