In a poignant episode of “Friends,” the passing of Mr. Heckles, the irritable neighbor of Monica and Rachel, takes an unexpected turn. Upon his death, Heckles bequeaths all his accumulated possessions, essentially a collection of hoarded items, to the two friends. However, the true impact of Heckles’ passing is felt when Chandler discovers an old yearbook, revealing a surprising parallel between Heckles’ younger self and Chandler’s current persona. This realization serves as a wake-up call for Chandler, prompting him to reevaluate his life choices and behavior, as he fears ending up embittered and alone like Heckles.
Meanwhile, in a subplot that adds a touch of humor, Phoebe sparks a heated debate with Ross by challenging the validity of evolution, insisting that it is merely a myth. This clash of beliefs between Phoebe and Ross showcases the diverse perspectives among the group of friends, highlighting the dynamic and often comedic interactions that define the series.
Did you know?!
• When Phoebe says that she feels that she is not pulled but pushed by gravity, she is actually right. Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity states that what a person feels as gravity is actually the curvature of space-time due to the mass of the earth and this curvature is pushing the body toward the center of the earth.
• First appearance of Mr. Treeger.
• Joey asks if he can have the big magnifying glass in Heckles’ apartment. This is the second time he asks for it. The first time was in The One Where the Monkey Gets Away (1995).
• When Ross is arguing with Phoebe about evolution, he says it’s “scientific fact”. While “theory” may mean a hunch or a guess in nonscientific terms, “theory” means something that can and has been proven to be fact, e.g. the theory of gravity.
• Mr. Heckles lives in apartment No. 8. Monica and Rachel live above Mr. Heckles in apartment No. 20 with Chandler and Joey living directly across the hall in apartment No. 19.
• When Ross is explaining to Phoebe about evolution, he is using a toy giraffe to demonstrate opposable thumbs. David Schwimmer later would go on to play Melman the Giraffe in the animated comedy movie Madagascar (2005).
• Even though Mr. Heckles dies, this isn’t the last he is seen. He reprises his role in The One with the Flashback (1996).
• Joey refers to a date where the woman had a really big Adam’s apple, but in a later episode he thinks it’s called a Joey’s Apple.
• When Mr. Heckles comes upstairs to tell Monica and Rachel that they are being loud, he tells them that their stomping is “disturbing his birds”. Rachel then says, “You don’t have birds”, to which he says, “I could have birds.” Later, when the gang is cleaning his apartment after he dies, there are some bird figurines on the stacked newspaper, next to the door.
• In this episode, Chandler talks to Joey about his fear of ending up alone while the others go off and get married, a topic that comes up again in The One with the Lesbian Wedding (1996). Ironically, Chandler is the first of the Friends to get married and settle down with Monica while none of the others have a successful marriage until Phoebe marries Mike in The One with Phoebe’s Wedding (2004) during season ten. Additionally, in The One Where Monica Sings (2003), Ross talks to Chandler about his fear that he will end up alone until he and Rachel get back together for good in the series finale. By the end of the series, Joey ends up being the one to not get married in the entire show (though he does get engaged to Alex Garrett in the spin-off Joey (2004)).
• Heckles’ cause of death is a heart attack.
