Ross learns that Carol, his ex-wife, is pregnant. He wants to be involved in the baby's life, but friction between himself and Susan at Carol's sonogram causes him to back out. However, when he hears the baby's heartbeat, he decides to be a part of the baby's life.
Monica has Ross and their parents, Jack and Judy, over for dinner. She is stressed by Judy's criticisms of her life and convinces Ross to tell them about his and Carol's divorce and pregnancy.
When Rachel visits her ex-fiance Barry to return her engagement ring, she finds out that he went on their scheduled honeymoon with her best friend and intended maid of honor, Mindy.
Tropes
- Establishing Character Moment: Judy and Jack Geller quickly establish their favoritism towards Ross and, on Judy's side, her finding fault with everything Monica does. On Jack's side, he stands up for Monica, but his encouragement comes off as Compliment Backfire.
- Foreshadowing: Phoebe mentions her twin sister who's a waitress, setting up the later introduction of Ursula. May also double as an Actor Allusion to Lisa Kudrow originally playing Ursula on Mad About You.
- The Ghost: This marks the first "appearance" of Ugly Naked Guy, the neighbor across the street. Chandler notes that he's using a Thigh Master.
- Neat Freak: Monica's obsession with cleanliness begins here, prompted by a need to make sure her apartment has nothing her mother can criticise.
- The Other Darrin: Carol in this episode is played by a different actress than the one who would portray her for the other couple of dozen times she would show up in the rest of the series.
- Returning the Wedding Ring: Rachel is meeting with Barry to give back her engagement ring. She briefly loses it the night before and it eventually turns up inside the lasagna she helped Monica make.
- Shout-Out:
- The gang is watching Three's Company.Chandler: Oh, I think this is the episode of Three's Company where there's some kind of misunderstanding.
Phoebe: Oh, then I've already seen this one. [turns off TV] - When Carol wants to name the baby Minnie, Ross says "as in Mouse?"
- As Ross shows the others the sonogram of his baby, the guys can't tell what it's supposed to be, and Chandler quips that "I think it's about to attack the Enterprise."
- The gang is watching Three's Company.
- The Unfavorite: Jack and Judy Geller's first appearance quickly establishes that they view Monica as this. Even when Ross reveals why he and Carol broke up, and that she's currently pregnant, Judy gets mad at Monica for not telling them.Monica: They say you can't choose your parents, but boy if you could (points at Ross) I'd want yours.
- Chandler also jokes that he had an Imaginary Friend that his parents preferred over him.
