The One With Chandler in a Box

Thursday, 20 November 1997

Joey refuses to speak to Chandler for kissing Kathy, so Chandler spends Thanksgiving inside a wooden box to prove the friendship matters, while Monica dates Richard's son and Ross learns Rachel exchanges his gifts.

What happens

• Phoebe suggests a secret Santa to save money, and Chandler trades to get Rachel before learning that she exchanges every present she is given.
• Monica gets ice in her eye and has to call Richard's practice, where she is offered the on-call doctor instead.
• Joey tells Ross he intends to punish Chandler for five years and offers Ross the vacant best-friend position, which Ross immediately uses to push Joey toward talking to Chandler.
• The on-call doctor turns out to be Tim Burke, Richard's son.
• Joey packs to move out, and Chandler offers to shut himself in a wooden box for six hours to prove what the friendship means to him.
• Tim tells Monica her cornea is scratched and that his girlfriend has left him, and Monica invites him to Thanksgiving dinner.
• Ross catches Rachel having traded his gold necklace for store credit, and she answers by showing him a box of keepsakes she has saved from their relationship.
• Monica and Tim kiss on the balcony, and both admit the kiss reminded them of Richard.
• Kathy arrives and ends the relationship through the closed box, telling Chandler she is leaving for her mother's in Chicago.
• Joey opens the box, forgives Chandler, and sends him out to catch Kathy.