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I have come across it in the 14th episode of the 8th season of Friends. Here is the context: Joey: Maybe you two should live together.

Rachel: Are you asking me to move out? Do you not want me here?

Joey: Oh no-no, no-no I love living with you. It just seems that…if you’re gonna have a roommate, y’know it might as well be the father.

Rachel: But Joey, I don’t think Ross wants me to move into his apartment and disrupt his life like that. I mean—(Ross turns to her with wishful eyes.)—Or he does.

Ross: No I-I-I would love to be around for you and the baby. And we-we can just try it like on a temporary basis.

Rachel: But Ross, its you and me!

Ross: So? Sure! But it-it wouldn’t be anything romantic. And I’m-I’m dating Mona—Damnit Mona! I was supposed to meet her like an hour ago! What is wrong with me?!

Joey: All right now, so? What do you think?

Rachel: I don’t know. Is it crazy?

Ross: No! No it’s not. Joey, this is a smart idea.

Joey: Well, I was due.

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  • I'd guess that since Joey is typically the dunce in the friend group, the joke is that he was due for a good idea at some point.
    – Wehage
    Jun 25, 2020 at 10:35

2 Answers 2

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Like the other answer said Joey rarely has a smart idea and he himself is aware of that, so it was time for him to finally have one.

If he made the sentence a bit longer, the meaning would be clearer. He could have said "Well, I was due to having a smart idea"

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    That should read: "Well, I was due to have a smart idea", and in any case, more natural would be: "Well, I was due one."
    – MikeB
    Jun 26, 2020 at 8:06
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I don't recall any of the characters in 'Friends' having a particularly good track record where 'good ideas' were concerned, but Joey was specifically written as the stupid one of the group, but also as someone who rather knew he was stupid. Therefore, when he gets complemented for a good idea, he is aware that that is rare, which we would normally describe as: over-due.

I would barely call this a joke, just slightly ironic commentary.

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