Joey is to come back to Days of Our Lives, however his return means a long-running actress on the show, Cecilia Monroe (Susan Sarandon), must be dropped to facilitate the plot twist. Cecilia is outraged upon hearing this, but gives Joey advice and the two have an affair. Rachel and Phoebe pick up a cell phone dropped by a cute guy at Central Perk and fight over who gets to call him. Ross gets the idea to play bagpipes at Monica and Chandler's wedding.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Medicine: As a scientific man, Ross takes some issue with the Brain Transplant plot in Days of Our Lives.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Cecilia agrees to help Joey in part because he had the courtesy to tell her she was being dropped from the show and be polite about the whole thing.
- Bitch Slap: Apparently a signature gesture for "Jessica Lockheart". Cecilia is introduced filming a scene where she slaps the other actress so hard that the woman has to ask for ice to put on her cheek. Later in the episode Monica tries to get Cecilia to slap her, but Cecilia refuses and claims her lawyers have advised her not to agree to these requests anymore.
- Brain Transplant: How Joey/Drake Ramoray returns in Days of Our Lives; Jessica Lockheart dies and her brain is placed in Drake's body.Joey/Drake: What's the matter, Dina? Don't you recognize your own... mother?
- Brick Joke: When Chandler and Monica hear Ross practicing the bagpipes, Chandler jokes that it sounds like he's trying to play "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang. Later on, when Ross asks to perform for them to prove he can play better, he confirms that that actually was the song he was practicing.
- Change the Uncomfortable Subject: Ross asks if Chandler and Monica were the ones that called the cops on him for playing the bagpipes so loudly. Chandler tells him that's not important and shifts the conversation back to why Ross can't play at the wedding.
- Chekhov's Gag: In response to criticism of the Brain Transplant twist, Joey remarks it's not as crazy as how Ross has gone several months without sex. Ross's dry spell will ultimately be a factor in him and Rachel having a one-night stand that results in her getting knocked up.
- Daytime Drama Queen: Rachel and Monica are huge fans of Cecilia and her Days of Our Lives character. When Rachel finds her in the apartment she goes screaming across the hall to get Monica so they can Squee at her.
- Dreadful Musician: Ross and his attempts to play the bagpipes. Phoebe is the only one who doesn't hate it and even tries to sing along.
- Everything's Louder with Bagpipes: Chandler and Monica learn what the "surprise" Ross has planned for them is when they hear the bagpipes from across the street.
- Food Slap: Another trademark of the Jessica Lockheart character is throwing her drink on someone's face. Cecilia does it to Joey when she's pissed at being dropped from the show.
- Likes Older Men: When Rachel and Phoebe finally decide to call the cell phone's owner to come pick it up, a much older man than the one they saw at Central Perk comes to them. Phoebe actually finds him more attractive than the cute guy, unlike Rachel who's only too glad to let her have him.
- Likes Older Women: Similarly Joey is very happy to hook up with Cecilia Monroe (the character's age isn't given but Susan Sarandon was 54 at the time).
- Literal-Minded: Cecilia describes her character "owning the room" as a metaphor for her confidence. Joey gets it then but when she later uses it to describe his bedroom prowess he twice thinks she's being literal.
- Noodle Incident: When Ross tells the gang to imagine that he's wearing a kilt as part of his bagpipe performance Rachel flirtatiously replies that she can picture him in a plaid skirt and knee-socks.Ross: You wanna start telling secrets?
Rachel: (backing off) No! - Playing the Victim Card: Phoebe tries to do this to guilt Rachel into giving her the cute guy's cellphone. Rachel is wise to it and shuts her down.Rachel: First name on the speed dial is "Mom".
Phoebe: Ohh, I lost my mom to suicide.
Rachel: Okay no way, you cannot use that to get the cute guy and the last blueberry muffin.
Phoebe: Did I use that already today? I'm sorry. - Tsundere: Cecilia is Type A. She begins this episode getting mad at Joey when she finds out that she is leaving the show. But eventually while giving Joey tips about being her, she warms up to him.
