Friends (TV Series) The One with Joey's Bag (1999) User Reviews

Phoebe finally meets her dad, Frank Buffay!

[Lady_Targaryen · 7/10 · 25 June 2009]

Chandler hates Monica's massages, since they hurt him instead of relax, but when he tells her about that, she stays upset and cries.

Phoebe's grandmother dies and in her funeral, Phoebe meets her dad, Frank Buffay. Frank thought Lili was alive and stays shocked to know that she died 17 years ago. Phoebe pretends not to be his daughter and invites him to a coffee to talk more with him.

Joey needs Rachel's help to stay elegant for an audition. Rachel gives him the idea to use a shoulder bag with the clothes she chose for him, but Joey ends up liking the bag so much that he decides to use everywhere he goes. (The bag even ruins his audition.)

Ps: Joey definitely stayed nice wearing the clothes Rachel gave to him!

Joey's bag and Phoebe's Dad

[wilsonjd · 7/10 · 9 December 2021]

Just re-watched this episode, and noticed how good the acting is in the scene with Phoebe and her dad at Central Perk. If you watch Lisa Kudrow's face, you believe that she's actually meeting her dad who abandoned her when she was a baby. Bob Balaban is the perfect actor to play Phoebe's dad. His mannerisms are just like Phoebe's. This little scene is a perfect demonstration of how actors can express real emotions and still be funny.

The rest of the episode is just ok. The story about Joey's bag is a bit annoying.

The One With Phoebe's Dad

[devashishparnami · 9/10 · 3 July 2019]

Phoebe's grandma has died. Joey wants to look great for an audition and Rachel takes him down to the store to help him out. They pick a shoulder bag to go with the clothes. Joey likes the bag so much he isn't going to return it after the audition. Phoebe meets her dad at the funeral but doesn't tell him who she is. Joey doesn't get the part because of his bag. Phoebe meets her dad for coffee. He came to the funeral to speak to Lily and Phoebe tells him that she died 17 ago. She also tells her dad that she is his daughter. Joey gives up the bag because the world isn't ready for Joey and his bag.

The One with Joey's Bag

[ComedyFan2010 · 6/10 · 14 August 2011]

The good thing about this episode is Phoebe's grandmother's funeral. There are so many fun ideas around it. How Ursula thought that grandma has been dead for five years now and didn't want to go to the funeral because she already made her peace with the death. And the 3D glasses at the funeral, that was crazy! And of course the fact that we get to meet Phoebe's father. Their conversation at the end is both funny and moving, very well done

Besides this, the episode sucks. The story with Joey's bag is just irritating. Except for the "unisex" part I saw nothing funny about it. Wait, I should laugh at some homophobic jokes and the fact that they are so close minded that they can't see a man wear a bag? They even convince Joey at the end to give up his bag that he likes just because of the close minded society. Yeah, thats the way to act

The massage story is bad as well. And the conversation that Chandler and Monica had at the end was very badly done. I am not sure if Courtney Cox was acting bad or it was just the fact that the scene was so badly written. I have a feeling that it is a combination of both

This is supposed to be a review, right?

[jpapanone · 5/10 · 13 August 2020]

Why do people use this space to write a recap of the show. Isn't that done already by IMDB???? Anyway. I have enjoyed revisiting Friends. Haven't watched it in many many many years. I was wondering where the wheels came off. The car is wobbling like crazy. I thought there were a few good seasons remaining before it just completely went off the deep end, but the descent of Ross, the annoyance of Monica seems to be pretty solid halfway through season 4. Phoebe her consistent annoying self, but that's the character that a lot of people seemed to like for some reason.

Joey's Feminine Bag and Phoebe's Dad

[vivianla · 16 December 2020]

Joey goes to Bloomingdale's and gets help from Rachel to pick out an outfit for his audition. He wears a nice green dress shirt and tie. Rachel recommends a bag that the guys make fun of him for.

At the audition, the director asks Joey to put down the purse. Joey gets so focused on the bag he doesn't even audition because the director won't provide more time.

Phoebe's grandmother died. Monica comes in saying she saw a couple having sex in a car. Not the way how they were doing it Monica said when Phoebe says transitioning to second life is nice.

At the funeral Frank Buffay comes and runs when he is questioned by Phoebe. Phoebe later says she caught up with him and will question him pretending to be an executor at the coffee house. Phoebe questions her father who admits he was a bad father and Phoebe then reveals her identity. They hold hands.

Joey comes back saying Estelle said he did not get the part. It was the bag.

The One with Joey's Bag

[studioAT · 4/10 · 28 July 2021]

This episode feels a bit dated now, with the treatment of Joey just because he wants a bag feeling very un 2021 where we would accept such things.

The Monica/Chandler storyline isn't great, but it's as ever well played.

The Phoebe storyline is spoilt in hindsight, because after lots of time being spent to her finding her father, he appears here and then never again.

A middling episode of the show overall.