The One Where Joey Moves Out

Thursday, 15 February 1996

Joey decides to move into his own apartment after a fight with Chandler, Monica tells her parents she is dating Richard, and Rachel gets a tattoo while Phoebe backs out of hers.

What happens

• Rachel and Phoebe plan to get tattoos and keep it from Ross, who walks in and says he finds tattoos pointless and permanent.
• Monica refuses to tell her parents about Richard until she knows how serious he is about her.
• Joey's soap opera co-star offers him his large apartment because he is moving somewhere bigger.
• Rachel nearly abandons her tattoo because of Ross, and Phoebe talks her into going through with it.
• Hiding upstairs, Monica overhears her father say that Richard has told a friend he is falling in love with the woman he is seeing.
• Joey admits he wants to live alone at last, the argument turns real, and Chandler tells him to take the apartment.
• Monica reveals to her parents that she is the woman Richard is seeing, and defends the relationship to her furious mother.
• Phoebe shows Rachel a bare shoulder and confesses she was too frightened of the needle to get her lily.
• Joey confirms the move is not just talk, and he and Chandler agree to play foosball for ownership of the table.
• Ross sees Rachel's tattoo and reverses himself, telling her he finds it attractive.