Ep 22. The One With Joey's Big Break

Joey has been auditioning for acting gigs for a while with no success. While at Central Perk, he receives a message from his agent Estelle, telling him that he has landed a lead role in a new TV drama called Nurses. Joey is ecstatic about the news, and his friends are thrilled for him. However, when he goes to the set for his first day of shooting, he learns that his character Dr. Drake Ramoray has been killed off in the first episode. Devastated, Joey tries to find a way to save his character and his job, but the producers are not budging.

Meanwhile, Ross is still trying to win back Rachel's affection, but every time he makes progress, he seems to take two steps back. After realizing that his romantic gestures are not working, he decides to be her friend and support her with her work problems. Rachel is struggling with her boss, who is always criticizing her work and belittling her, so Ross pretends to be her boss and gives her encouraging feedback. This boosts Rachel's confidence, and she becomes more assertive at work, leading to a confrontation with her boss.

Back at the Nurses set, Joey meets his co-star, Kate, a beautiful and talented actress who he is instantly attracted to. They hit it off, and Joey invites her to a picnic with the gang in Central Park. However, things get complicated when Rachel also invites her boss to the picnic to confront her about her behavior. The two events collide when Rachel's boss meets Joey's co-star, and they hit it off. Joey is torn between his loyalty to his friend and his attraction to Kate.

The episode ends with Joey getting fired from Nurses and Ross and Rachel finally sharing a kiss, leaving the audience wondering about the future of their relationship.