Liz begins to feel like a third wheel in her own relationship after her boyfriend Floyd hits it off with Jack. Meanwhile, Jack himself is reeling after being taken off of the microwave department by Don Geiss, and Tracy tries to get his movie, Jefferson, off the ground.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- The Anticipator: Jack greets Liz at Christie's without turning around to look at her, although he tried that on a few people who turned out to not be Liz before she came along.
- Call-Back: GE executive Don Geiss (played by Rip Torn) returns from "The C Word" to punish Jack for his fireworks stunt ("Fireworks") by removing him from the microwave division (pointing to a picture of the trivection oven, Jack's pride and joy, from "Pilot").
- Chekhov's Gun: Jack mentions that he sold his engagement ring from Bianca to an "anonymous Arab". Later in the episode, he proposes to Phoebe with that same ring, saying he bought it back from the anonymous Arab.
- Department of Redundancy Department: One of the films showing at the movie theater is called "Moonquest: Quest for the Moon"
- Forgotten First Meeting: Played with. Liz does not forget about Phoebe, but Phoebe always introduces herself as though she has.Phoebe: Hi, I'm Phoebe, you probably don't remember me...
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Jack impulsively proposes to Phoebe after knowing her for a short time.
- Friend Versus Lover: Liz and Jack compete for Floyd's attention throughout the episode.
- In-Series Nickname: Jack takes to calling Floyd "The Floydster".
- Method Acting: In-Universe, Tracy stays in character as Thomas Jefferson off-camera.
- Shrinking Violet: Phoebe is exceedingly soft-spoken and demure.
- Stylistic Suck: The trailer for Jefferson, Tracy's passion project movie, is a mess of terrible acting and lazy effects. They don't even bother to hide that it's being shot in modern-day New York.
- The Calls Are Coming from Inside the House: Liz uses this stock phrase when Jack is bombarding her and Floyd with messages and phone calls while standing at their door.
- Third Wheel: Jack ends up tagging along on a lot of Liz and Floyd's activities, to the point where Liz starts to feel like the third wheel.
- Ye Olde Butchered English: Tracy speaks this way when he's in character as Thomas Jefferson.
