Monica comes to terms with the fact that Chandler sucks up to his boss. Rachel tries to talk with Monica about her relationship with Chandler. Ross dates Janice.
Tropes:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Chandler initially laughs at Ross hooking up with Janice.
- Annoying Laugh: Monica feels this way about Chandler's "work laugh" that he uses for his boss' jokes.
- Bad Liar: Monica explains being in Chandler's room at night as her having been hired to clean it.
- The Bro Code: During the end credit scene, Ross tells Chandler about going out with Janice. Chandler doesn't particularly care, but Ross feels like he betrayed them because of "the rules" between guys, like not going out with a guy's sister. Due to his relationship with Monica, Chandler immediately feigns outrage over what Ross did and makes a show of forgiving him, stressing that he should never forget the latter or how he's crashing in the apartment rent-free.
- Competition Freak: Monica won't show anyone mercy on the tennis court, even Chandler's boss and his wife. Chandler ends up trying to sabotage her efforts to stay on the good side of the boss, and Monica takes her frustration out on his racquet.
- Continuity Nod:
- At the office party Doug's wife greets Chandler by slapping him on the butt and saying "Bing!" the way Doug did back in his first episode.
- Janice is still under the impression that Chandler is off in Yemen.
- Everyone Has Standards: Even Janice can't take how whiny and annoying Ross has become.
- Hard Truth Aesop: Monica realizes that, as annoying as Chandler being a Professional Butt-Kisser is, it's a necessary part of corporate jobs like his and she needs to be supportive of it.
- Jerkass Realization: The revelation that he's become so annoying that even Janice can't stand him helps Ross realise that he needs to stop complaining about his situation.Ross: You're saying that I've become so whiny that I annoy you. Janice.
Janice: Well, yeah.
Ross: Oh. My. God! - Keeping Secrets Sucks: Monica admits to Chandler that she really hates constantly lying to Rachel, someone she used to talk to about everything. Overhearing this is what convinces Rachel to stop trying to get her to admit the truth.
- The Law Firm of Pun, Pun, and Wordplay: Doug cracks a joke about the company supposedly taking on a new law firm called "Dewey, Cheatem and Howe". In the extended cut he uses the even cruder "Dickem, Stickem and Run".
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: Chandler doesn't care that Ross went out with Janice, until Ross mentions The Bro Code and how sisters are off-limits.
- Oblivious Guilt Slinging: Ross off-handedly mentions that sisters are supposed to be off-limits between friends, unaware that Chandler and Monica are secretly dating. Chandler makes a big show of telling Ross how much he forgives him and that Ross should remember exactly how forgiving he was.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Ross initially says he's going to stay home alone but the next morning nobody can find him. Monica is points out that her brother never stays out all night like this. When he arrives home she demands to know where he's been.
- Orphaned Punchline: At the office party, we hear Doug deliver the punchline "Thirty dollars, Father, same as in town".
- Professional Butt-Kisser: Chandler is a suck-up around his boss, losing tennis games on purpose and laughing uproariously at his jokes. This gets on Monica's nerves, but in the end she decides to be supportive of Chandler.
- Secret Relationship: Since they're at a party attended by Chandler's co-workers, he and Monica enjoy the opportunity to be out in the open instead of always hiding in various rooms. Part of Monica's frustration with Chandler being a Professional Butt-Kisser is how it mucks that up. Meanwhile, Rachel keeps dropping hints that she knows about the relationship, but Monica is certain she doesn't have a clue.
- Secret Secret-Keeper: Rachel tries to get across to Monica that she knows about her and Chandler, but Monica refuses to admit it. In the end, Rachel decides to pretend to be in the dark until they are ready to come clean.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Phoebe is seen in deep conversation with the duck and the rooster.
- Throwing the Fight: Chandler and Monica have already beaten Doug and his wife in a game or two of tennis, and being older, the latter two are starting to look worn out. This makes Monica excited that they'll really be able to thrash them next game, but Chandler says they need to lose lest his boss be upset with him for trouncing them too much. Monica can't accept trying to lose, so Chandler starts playing badly on purpose. At first he deliberately misses the ball completely, but Monica sprints over and saves it. The next time the ball comes towards Monica, Chandler runs in front of her to hit the ball so that he can "accidentally" overshoot and send it out of bounds. That's all we see, but after a cut to later that evening, dialogue indicates that Chandler was successful, and Doug and his wife won the final game. Monica is quite upset about it, at least at first.
