Friends (TV Series) The One with Russ (1996) User Reviews

The One with Russ

[Lady_Targaryen · 8/10 · 6 May 2008]

Joey is angry because of his failure as an actor. He eventually gets an audition for the soap opera 'Days of our Lives', and since he slept with the casting lady, he got the role of doctor Drake Ramoray

Monica starts to date Fun Bobby again. The Friends start to notice that Fun Bobby is an alcoholic and Monica talks to him to stop with this terrible habit. The problem is that Fun Bobby stops to be ''Fun'' when he quits drinking, becoming a very annoying person when he is sober. The situation gets inverted, and Monica is the one who needs to drink to enjoy staying with Fun Bobby.

Rachel starts to go out with a guy who is totally similar to Ross, Russ.

(Hilarious end: Julie & Russ getting together!)

The One With Sober Bobby

[devashishparnami · 7/10 · 7 February 2018]

Joey gets lots of bad reviews for his play. Monica is back with Bobby who drinks too much. Rachel has a date and tells everyone she is not mad at Ross but doesn't have any feelings for him anymore either. Her date's name is Russ and he looks like Ross. Bobby will sober up for Monica - only problem: sober Bobby is boring. Joey will get a part in a TV show but he has to sleep with the casting lady which he doesn't know if he should do. Monica starts drinking to be able to stand boring sober Bobby and Bobby breaks up with her because he thinks he can't be in a relationship with another alcoholic. Joey sleeps with the casting lady and gets a big part in the show. Rachel dumps Russ because she realizes he is exactly like Ross. Julie comes over to drop some stuff for Ross and Russ and she fall for each other.

The One with Russ

[ComedyFan2010 · 6/10 · 18 June 2011]

This is one of the weaker episodes. The idea of Rachel falling for someone exactly like Ross isn't very original nor is much done with it. I didn't really get to laugh much through this story

The story about Fun Bobby being an alcoholic is just as dull as Bobby himself after he stopped drinking. The only slightly funny part of it was the fact that he believed that Monica was an alcoholic too and broke up with her because he didn't want to be in a co-dependent relationship

I think Joey's story was the best one in the episode. at least in the beginning, the reading of reviews was the best part in the whole episode. And it is also an important story since this is how Joey gets his first big role, his big break as Dr. Drake Ramorey

Another Weak Episode

[slightlymad22 · 6/10 · 11 December 2014]

Another weak episode in season 2 for "Friends".

Plot In A Paragraph: Rachel starts dating someone called Russ who is very similar to Ross, meanwhile Joey's spirits are lifted when he gets the chance to audition for the TV show "Days Of Our Lives" but his joy is short lived when he realises him getting the role depends on him sleeping with the casting director.

The Joey storyline was the best part of this episode, especially early on. However I found the Rachel falling for Russ (David Schwimmer in a dual role) and not seeing the similarities to Ross lame and unfunny.

Things have dried up a bit since the episode called 'The List' Hopefully things pick up soon.

Another average trip to Central Perk

[studioAT · 4/10 · 16 April 2017]

Again, as others have said, this isn't the best episode of 'Friends' you'll ever see, and is one that rather relies on the 'actor playing two roles' concept for the main source of its comedy.

The Joey storyline is certainly the best of the three, and it's always lovely to see Matt Le Blanc and Matthew Perry bounce off of each other.

The Monica/Fun Bobby storyline isn't too bad, there's some good jokes there, and Courtney Cox does well.

I think the writers were unsure where they wanted Ross and Rachel to go, and that's why we get these filler episodes along the way. I certainly thought this episode was a bit average though.

Not funny

[puzgolac · 4/10 · 24 May 2023]

As many have said, this is a pretty boring episode. This is neither the first, nor the last time that this show was stretching things out waaaaaay to long - whether it is a joke, a scene, or an idea and plot line. Therefore, we have the unnecessary delay of the actual beginning of Ross' and Rachel's relationship. The writers apparently needed some filler and thus these empty episodes came to be. Now the lack of a plot doesn't have to be a problem in a sitcom, provided it is actually funny, but, sadly, these episodes in between Ross and Rachel kissing and actually starting their relationship are woefully unfunny.

On a side note, the brief appearance of Julie reminded me again how miscast the actress playing her was. Even though she is just 5 years older than David Schwimmer in real life, from her first appearance I couldn't get past the fact that she looks old enough to be his mother.