The One Where Old Yeller Dies
Season 2 - Episode 20
| Tom Selleck | Dr. Richard Burke |
| Jane Sibbett | Carol |
| Jessica Hecht | Susan |
Phoebe is surprised and disturbed by the ending of "Old Yeller." It turns out her mom used to not show her the ends of sad movies, to protect her from the emotional pain. Phoebe goes out and rents a whole bunch of them, and they cause her to develop a really cynical attitude. Monica persuades Joey and Chandler to take Richard to the Knicks game with them, and suddenly the three guys can't get enough of each other. Joey and Chandler want to be lust like Richard! Monica starts to get jealous and when she confronts them, Richard finds out that the guys see him as a "dad." And Ross is tired of missing Ben's "firsts," and decides he wants to spend more time with him. Carol and Susan think that's a great idea. Taking care of Ben prompts Ross to mention his future plans with Rachel (two kids, house in the burbs), which freaks her out. Eventually, she and Ross decide it's okay for the two of them to be in different places regarding the future. In the end, Ross misses Ben's first word (he says "hi" to Rachel), but is thrilled when Ben tells him "bye".