After Mr. Heckles dies and leaves all his belongings to Monica and Rachel, Chandler discovers eerie similarities between the late eccentric man and his own life. Ross and Phoebe have a dispute over the progression of evolution.

Joey buys a big screen TV and two leather recliners with his newfound money. Monica has a catering job for one of her parents' friends and becomes infatuated. Ross and Rachel attempt to have their first real date, but Rachel laughs every time they kiss. When they try again the next evening, they are interrupted when Ross is called into the museum.

Creeped out by his bizarre new roommate, Chandler demands he move out; Eddie agrees... but won't go. Joey has trouble coming to grips with the death of Dr. Drake Ramoray and is facing some exorbitant bills. And a new book on women's empowerment inspires the ladies to have a "goddess meeting."

Ross reveals a fantasy to Rachel involving a certain "Star Wars" character. Monica suffers from insomnia after her breakup with Richard. And Chandler, back together with Janice, wants Joey to bond with her.

Rachel makes a rash decision after Gunther tells her she needs to be retrained. Phoebe tries to help Joey when he gets a job selling Christmas trees. And Ross accidentally breaks a girl's leg and tries to make it up to her.

Chandler hits on a woman at Central Perk, not realizing she is Joey's new girlfriend. He soon realizes he is very attracted to, possibly in love, with her. Ross and Rachel play the jealousy game in their relationships. And Phoebe desperately tries to catch a cold after discovering that her voice is sexier and her singing better when she has phlegm in her throat.

Although the Thanksgiving meal is great, Chandler is still moody over his parent's divorce during the holiday when he was a boy and Ross is depressed about his second divorce. The group reminisces about their worst Thanksgivings in order to cheer them up, and Monica's worst memory is revealed.

Phoebe learns that Gary is going to ask her to move in with him and thinking this is way to fast, she tries to get Chandler to talk him out of this decision. Rachel buys an expensive sphynx cat but is disappointed when it doesn't behave as she hoped it would. Meanwhile, Ross and Joey start throwing a ball while they are bored but it changes from a time-filler to a super-competitive obsession when Monica joins in.

It's Thanksgiving and Monica's parents are coming to visit, which is a problem because, not only they do not like Chandler, they also don't know that he and Monica are living together. Rachel is tasked with making a Thanksgiving dessert, but she does so with mixed results. Meanwhile, Joey and Ross are eager to finish the dinner and leave, because they want to go to a Thanksgiving party with Janine and her dancer friends.

Barry and Mindy's impending divorce prompts the gang to fantasize about what their lives might be like if they'd all taken different courses. Ross is still married to Carol, and Rachel is married to Barry, but fawning over famous soap star Joey Tribbiani. Monica is still fat and dating a doctor. Chandler is an aspiring writer and Phoebe is a Wall Street shark for Merrill Lynch.

The gang continue to fantasize about how different their lives could have been. Carol and Ross decide to have a threesome to spice up their marriage. Rachel goes to Joey's but is incredibly nervous about cheating and gets drunk. Meanwhile, Monica's dinner date falls through and Chandler tries to cheer her up but things take an unexpected turn.

Ross's plans to teach Ben about Hanukkah are continually thwarted when the young boy can't get his mind off of Santa. Meanwhile, Phoebe prepares to move back into her refurbished apartment, with or without Rachel. However, she'll stop at nothing to get Rachel to go with her, including buying Joey a drum set. Monica is mystified by Chandler's inability to tip properly.

So close to the wedding, Chandler suddenly realizes the overwhelming meaning of getting married and takes off without warning anyone. Meanwhile, Joey acts opposite a famous actor in a movie, but can't bring himself to tell him that he spits when he says his lines. Phoebe and Ross try to find Chandler before the wedding starts, while Rachel tries to hinder Monica, so that she doesn't find out the shocking news. On the day of the wedding Joey encounters a scheduling problem, while Phoebe and Rachel come across a surprising discovery.