Episode 1.11- The One with Mrs. Bing

The TV.com Summary
This is the one where Chandler's romance novelist mom comes to New York to visit him and he's not sure how he feels about it, especially after Joey catches Mrs. Bing and Ross kissing and meanwhile, Monica and Phoebe compete for the "attention" of Coma Guy, who gets hit by an ambulance after Monica woo-woo's at him on the street.

The Guest Stars
special guest star
Morgan Fairchild as Nora Bing
guest starring
Cosimo Fusco as Paolo

The Ratings
Creativity- 8.8
Humor- 8.8
Emotion- 8.5
Fun- 8.6
Overall- 8.7

Chandler- 9.1 (Chandler slides back into hilarious vulnerability but he also becomes disciplinarian, as a whole slew of emotions are unearthed when his mother comes to town)
Joey- 8.6 (Joey is funny, but doesn't have much to say or do in this episode)
Monica- 8.6 (Monica slips into her crazy pants and does it well. Funny but not the Monica I've come to love in recent episodes)
Phoebe- 8.5 (Although Phoebe does have a semi-main storyline, she seems not to be too present in this episode)
Rachel- 8.4 (She's still funny, but I don't like her obliviousness to Ross's feelings)
Ross- 9.0 (Ross is stellar again, he is funny, desperate, and totally hitting his stride as a character)

The Best Lines
Ross (talking about the guy in the coma Phoebe and Monica like): I don't get it. You don't even know this guy.
Chandler: Yeah, are there no conscious guys in the city for you?

Ross (upon Paolo's arrival): When did Rigatoni get back from Rome?

Nora (on Jay Leno): Oh no, I am a fabulous mom. I bought my son his first condoms.
Chandler: ...And then he burst into flames.

Ross (holding an empty shot glass up to his eye): Anyone want me to appraise anything?

Joey: I'll have you know that Gloria Tribbiani was a handsome woman in her day. You think it's easy giving birth to seven children?
Ross: (Pause) Okay, I think we're getting into a weird area.

Monica: What are you guys doing here?
Joey: He's not even wearing a jockstrap!
Monica: What did I ask?

Chandler (when he finds out Joey knew about Ross and his mom's kiss): You knew about this?
Joey: You know, knowledge is a tricky thing...

Ross (sees Joey leaning against his door): Ah, the forbidden love of a man and his door.

The Moments
Chandler's mom is on Jay Leno.
Ross and Chandler's mom kiss.

The Romances
Monica and Phoebe crush on a guy in a coma.
Paolo licks Rachel's hand at a restaurant.
Ross and Chandler's mom kiss.

The Verdict
A good episode with many a moment that made me laugh out loud, but still I can't overlook the fact that this episode was somehow lacking a spark. It was exciting, emotional, humorous, and fun, but it was missing something. I can't put my finger on what that was exactly. Maybe, since I love Phoebe so much, it had something to do with the fact that I felt Phoebe wasn't really present in this episode. This was not a misstep though, in fact it was quite a good episode. Morgan Fairchild was marvelous as Chandler's mom, and even though I am typically against stunt casting, she was hilarious and a great character.