The One With Chandler's Dad

"The One With Chandler's Dad" is the twenty-second episode of the seventh season of Friends, which aired on May 10, 2001. The plot revolves around Monica and Chandler going to Las Vegas to invite Chandler's estranged father to their wedding.
==Plot==
The episode starts with Ross and Joey asking to borrow Monica's Porsche, so an angry Rachel demands to know why Monica doesn't let her drive. Phoebe reveals that Rachel thinks that Monica talks too much about the wedding, so Monica replies by letting Rachel know that she is a terrible driver.
Ross arrives at Central Perk and comments to Rachel about how fast the "bad boy" is. Rachel requests the keys of the Porsche, but Ross refuses. He then he goes to the bathroom to comb his hair (using the comb on the floor of the bathroom), and during his absence Rachel steals the keys and $20, which she claims to a watching nearby woman as her alimony.
Monica then asks Chandler about why his father hasn't answered the wedding invitation and Chandler reveals that the reason is because he wasn't invited. Monica claims that he would regret not having his father at his own wedding and also that she wants to get to know her future father-in-law. Chandler protests, telling her that his father embarrassed him a lot as a kid, including when he came to every single one of his swim practices and cheered him on dressed as a different Hollywood starlet, Monica tells him that at least he showed up to every single one and cheered for him. She then packs their bags and tells them they are going to Las Vegas to meet his father.
Joey decides to bond with Jake, Phoebe's new boyfriend, so he invites him to the Knicks game, but as Jake reaches down for his agenda, Joey sees he is wearing women's underwear. He tells Phoebe about this, she explains that they were goofing around and that they traded underwear. She then tells him that he is unsure about his manhood, as opposed to Jake who is so secure in his manhood that he agreed on a dare to wear women's underwear.
Rachel is "Porsche-ing" (speeding) around much to Ross' annoyance, but they are pulled over by Officer Hanson (who Rachel calls Officer Handsome), for speeding - he also discovers that Rachel does not have a valid driving license. Rachel flirts with him so he won't give her a ticket and she succeeds, after which Ross begins to drive.
Chandler and Monica arrive to the show of Helena Handbasket, who Chandler reveals to be his father. Chandler admits in the previous years his father tried to contact him multiple times which Chandler ignored. Helena begins to talk to the people in the crowd, and Chandler says he can't deal with this. This draws Helena's attention to him and she asks him a question. Hesitantly, Chandler turns around to face her. Helena is surprised once she recognizes that it is her son, and a tear rolls down her cheek. Helena then notices Monica's ring, and Chandler admits they are engaged. Rather awkwardly, Helena turns to another man and says "So, you're bald." Chandler interrupts and invites her to the wedding, and she tells him that she wouldn't miss it for the world.
Joey arrives at Central Perk and shows Phoebe that he stole and is currently wearing Rachel's underwear. She replies by agreeing that he is a man, but is also a bit slutty. Joey relishes the feel of silk and also goes into a discussion about how pantyhose feels, but the awkward and uncomfortable look Phoebe gives him lets him know that he went too far. Joey goes to take the underwear off and comes back, telling Phoebe that after this whole ordeal he really needs to be with a woman. He goes to hit on the hot girl sitting behind them, and after telling her he was on Days of our Lives, attempts to pay her bill of $4.50, but when pulling out his wallet, he also pulls out Rachel's underwear.
Ross is pulled over, this time by Officer Petty (whom Ross calls Officer Pretty), so he tries to do the same thing as Rachel but fails, and he is given a ticket for driving too slow. He is then ashamed of his attempt to be feminine and get out of a ticket, with Rachel admonishing him and telling him he has a son.
==Cast and Crew==
===Main Cast===
Jennifer Aniston - Rachel Greene
Courteney Cox Arquette - Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow - Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc - Joey Tribbiani
Matthew Perry - Chandler Bing
David Schwimmer - Ross Geller
===Supporting Cast===
Kathleen Turner - Charles Bing / Helena Handbasket
Mark Consuelos - Officer Hansen
Troy Norton - Jake
Chuck Martinez - Officer Petty
Alexis Arquette - The waiter in drag
Joe Everett Michaels - Bakersfield Guy
Stephanie Dicker - The woman
Michelle Haury - The waitress
James Michael Tyler - Gunther (uncredited)
Jeri Slaughter - Dancer (uncredited)
Kevin Alexander Stea - Dancer (uncredited)
===Crew===
Directed By: 
Kevin S. Bright & Gary Halvorson
Written By: 
Greg Malins, Brian Buckner & Sebastian Jones
==Trivia==
===General===
*In this episode, Rachel reveals that her driver's license is expired. This was previously mentioned in "The One With The Invitation" (S4E21). Rachel renews her license at some point between this episode and "The One With The Cake" as Ross chases after Rachel with her license when she's pulled over for speeding. 
*In a previous episode, "The One With Frank Jr." (S3E5) Chandler named a list of women he could sleep with without his girlfriend getting angry. One of them was Jessica Rabbit, from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Jessica Rabbit was voiced by Kathleen Turner, who in this episode plays Chandler's father, Charles Bing/Helena Handbasket.
*Chandler mentions that his situation with his dad is very Cats in The Cradle which is a song by Harry Chapin. The song is about how a dad was always busy when his son was little and didn't spend time with him and how the son does the same with his dad when he grows up.
*Kathleen Turner co-starred in Jewel of the Nile (1985), Romancing the Stone (1984) and The War of the Roses (1989) with Danny DeVito who appears as Officer Goodbody in "The One Where The Stripper Cries".
* Chandler's father is the last parent of the gang to be introduced (with a speaking part).
** Charles Bing is mentioned many times in the series and there is a shot of him from the back in a flashback from when Chandler was little, in "The One With All The Thanksgivings". Then, his face is not visible, and he has no lines.
*The snippet of music played over the aerial view of Las Vegas is "Believe" by Cher. 
*The snippy waitress at the drag show was played by Courteney Cox-Arquette's then sister-in-law, Alexis Arquette, who died on September 11, 2016, from a heart attack.
*The snippet of music played during Rachel driving Monica's Porsche (with Ross in the passenger seat) is "Ride Wit Me" by Nelly.
*In this episode, it's said that Rachel is an Aquarius. Jennifer Aniston was born on February 11, so it really is her astrological sign.
**As usual in the show, this is very inconsistent with previous statements, especially when Rachel told Gunther her birthday was on May 5th.
*This is the only episode with two directors.
* Although it is not confirmed on-screen, Emma was conceived, in-universe, two weeks prior to this episode. Monica is logging the RSVPs to the wedding when she notes that Chandler's dad hasn't responded. We later learn in "The One With The Videotape" Ross was helping Rachel assemble the invitations when they had sex and slept together one month before the wedding.
* Monica claims in this episode that she wasn't a brownie, she just ate them. She was, however, a "brown bird," as was revealed in "The One Where Rachel Quits".
* The song which Chandler's Dad sings at the end of the Vegas scene is "It's Raining Men" best known for being performed by The Weathergirls.
* The is the 2nd episode to end with the title "The One With...Dad". The 1st was "The One With Phoebe's Dad" back in season 2.
===Goofs===
*When Chandler and Monica are in Vegas, Monica's wrap keeps moving where it is on her shoulders between shots.
*When the Porsche is parked outside of Central Perk the license plate reads "YSO 791". Later when Ross and Rachel are driving, the license plate reads "JGL 334". Furthermore when the Porsche is first seen in "The One Where Rosita Dies" it begins 'LSU'.
*When Ross gets in the Porsche with Rachel he sits in the back seat to avoid the "death seat" but the next scene with them in the car he is sitting in the front. 
*When Rachel stops the car, the image outside her window continues moving for a few seconds indicating the obvious use of a green screen.
== External links ==
* Transcript of the episode including the deleted scenes
* "The One with Chandler's Dad" at the Internet Movie Database
==Episode Navigation==
Category:Friends Episodes
Category:Season 7
Category:Episodes with Chandler's name in the title
Category:Episodes
Category:Season 7 Episodes