Episode Synopsis:

The One Where Underdog Gets Away (01.09)

Ross and Monica learn their parents are going on vacation for Thanksgiving, so dinner will not be held at their house. Monica decides she will make the dinner and host her friends at her place. However, Rachel has plans to go to skiing in Colorado with her family, Chandler boycotts Thanksgiving (because his parents announced their divorce on the holiday), and Joey plans to have dinner at his parent's house.

Meanwhile, Joey does a modeling job for the City Free Clinic and winds up on a poster about VD awareness. His family thinks he really has a disease and doesn't want him over, so he (reluctantly) ends up at Monica's.

Monica's guests expect the dishes to be made the way they're used to, so she is guilted into making three types of potatoes: mashed with lumps for Ross, whipped with peas and onions for Phoebe, and Tater Tots for Joey.

As a side story, Ross visits Carol in order to talk to his unborn baby. He is very skeptical about the whole idea, until being reminded that Carol's partner (later wife) Susan does it. Not wanting to be outdone by Susan, he starts having a mundane discussion with the fetus that will eventually be Ben. Carol tells him he doesn't have to talk, he can sing if he wants. He does a parody of the theme song from The Monkees sitcom (a nice fandom collision for me), with lyrics about his promises to the baby. The baby responds by kicking for the first time, to the joy of all three parents.

Back at Monica's, the gang is distracted by the Underdog balloon breaking loose during the Macy's parade (hence the episode title) and they get locked out of the apartment. By the time Joey locates his spare key, dinner is burnt to a crisp and Rachel has missed her flight to Colorado. They wind up splitting the dinner Chandler was planning to have: tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and a bag of Funyuns.