Monica gets a bad review and sets out to change the critic's mind; she and Joey end up involved in a cooking class. Rachel and Ross buy things for the baby and Rachel gets jealous when the cashier flirts with Ross. Chandler is going to a job interview, but practices with Phoebe first.
Tropes:
- Big Brother Instinct: Ross bought all the newspapers he could to stop Monica from seeing the bad review. She sees it anyway since he brought them to Central Perk for the rest of the friends to see.
- Book Ends: At the start of the episode, Rachel stops Ross from going to the bathroom because she wants to talk about their relationship, but then says she was just psyching him out. Ross does the same thing to Rachel at the end of the episode.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: The stint in cooking class demonstrates that Joey actually has enough raw talent to rival Monica as a chef. He gets an A on his first try.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Holding a couple stuffed animals, Rachel walks in on Ross and the cashier talking and sees them agree to get a cup of coffee. Rachel blurts out, "Horny bitch," which prompts Ross to glare at her. Rachel tries to cover by claiming she's just doing a back-and-forth bit with the stuffed animals.
- Extra! Extra! Read All About It!: When Ross brings the newspapers, he announces he has bad news. Phoebe thinks that he should have said "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" instead.
- The Friends Who Never Hang: Joey and Monica's cooking class subplot is a very rare occasion where they have a story together that doesn't also involve Chandler or someone else in the group. The same can be said of Chandler and Phoebe's subplot, as such a pairing was very rare by this point in the show's run (as opposed to earlier seasons, which had them more frequently interact outside the larger group).
- Go-to Alias: Phoebe uses her Regina Phalange alias while pretending to be an employer for Chandler to practice with.
- Green-Eyed Monster:
- Rachel is livid about another woman expressing interest in Ross.
- Monica doesn't take it well when Joey starts getting praise for his food.
- Heh Heh, You Said "X": Chandler can barely contain his amusement when the employer conducting the interview repeatedly uses the word "duties". When the interview finishes and they are more casual, Chandler makes the mistake of pointing it out.
- No Sympathy: Phoebe is rather incredulous about Rachel's jealousy, due to the cashier knowing she and Ross weren't a couple before making any moves.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After Phoebe admits she didn't actually like him when they first met, Chandler asks Rachel if she felt the same way. Rachel responds by getting up and leaving.
