The fuller story
The episode first aired on September 28, 1995. It was written by Adam Chase and Ira Ungerleider and directed by Michael Lembeck. Ross’s ex-wife Carol and her partner Susan have a new baby, Ben, and Carol’s milk becomes the most debated drink in the apartment.
Phoebe tastes it first, a drop on the wrist like a bottle test, and pronounces it fine. Joey tries it and gropes for a comparison: “Yeah, it’s kinda sweet, sorta like, uh…” Susan finishes his sentence: “Cantaloupe juice.” Carol gives Ross the plain version: “Ross, you’re being silly. I’ve tried it, it’s no big deal. Just taste it.” His answer: “That would be no.”
What finally moves him isn’t persuasion; it’s pride. Once Ross realizes Susan has tasted it, his refusal stops looking like principle and starts looking like losing. In the episode’s last scene he finally tries it, washing it down with cookies, and delivers the verdict every sitcom character eventually reaches about the thing they swore they’d never do: “That’s not bad.”
Why it matters
Ross is all of us the first time: curious, squeamish and a little embarrassed to be either. NURturing deSirE has a whole chapter that goes by the motto “no milk shaming here,” and this episode is the reason why. The squeamishness is the only weird part.
As for the taste, ask anyone who has tried it and you’ll hear sweet, creamy, somewhere between almond milk and melted ice cream. Or, if you ask Susan, cantaloupe juice. The book’s FAQ takes the question head-on. The real answer is that it tastes like trust, and Ross was the last one in the room to find out.
