Friends: 25 Greatest Episodes

22. The One With The Red Sweater (S8E2)

Friends The One With The Red Sweater
NBC

The Episode

Joey, Monica, and Phoebe discover a red sweater, realising that it belongs to the mysterious father of Rachel's baby. Chandler and Ross lose the wedding photos, and set about trying to take new ones.

Why It's Great

The series setup the identity of the father to Rachel's baby as a big mystery, and here was our first major clue: a red sweater! The show had a lot of fun with that as they track down who it belongs it, including the misdirect of bringing back Tag.

Chandler and Ross, meanwhile, have a great time trying to recreate the wedding photos. David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry bounce off each other brilliantly, and that's really highlighted in their scenes here. With Monica opening all the wedding gifts, it plays into a sweet moment for the newlyweds, who decide to call it even.

Then, at the very end, we get the big, game-changing revelation: Ross is the father.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.