The One With Ross's Grant

Thursday, 6 November 2003

Ross reaches the final round for a $25,000 research grant and discovers the administrator is Charlie's ex-boyfriend, who still wants her and makes the money conditional on Ross giving her up.

What happens

• Phoebe arrives at the coffee house engaged to Mike and hands Rachel the book of phone numbers she no longer needs.
• Chandler tells Joey that his agency has landed its first national commercial, then turns Joey down for the part.
• Ross tells Charlie he is a finalist for the grant, and Charlie explains that her ex-boyfriend Benjamin runs it and offers to introduce them over dinner.
• Phoebe says Mike wants her hideous painting Gladys gone, and Monica, desperate not to inherit it, urges Phoebe to fight to keep it.
• Joey leaves his commercial reel with Chandler, and Rachel coaches Chandler to claim his bosses rejected it.
• Over dinner Benjamin fawns over Charlie and then asks Ross outright to end the relationship.
• Phoebe surrenders the painting, and after Monica and Rachel each try to force it on the other, a coin toss leaves Monica with it.
• Chandler tells Joey the tape was rejected, and Joey works out that Chandler never watched it at all.
• At the grant interview Benjamin skips paleontology entirely and quizzes Ross on his own birthday, a pop song and an invented dinosaur name.
• Benjamin offers Ross the grant on the condition that he break up with Charlie, and Ross throws him out.
• Confronted in front of Ross, Benjamin declares his love for Charlie, she says it back, and Ross ends their relationship.