Ross and Chandler attend their college reunion. Joey appears as a celebrity guest on Pyramid. Monica and Rachel organise a bachelorette party for Phoebe, but have to last-minute book a stripper.
Tropes:
- 24-Hour Party People: The only familiar faces at Phoebe's bachelorette party are Rachel and Monica, all the other women are not seen before or after.
- '80s Hair: On all the characters in the college flashbacks. Chandler in particular has the infamous haircut of the frontman of A Flock of Seagulls.Chandler: I believe the "foundation of our friendship" was unfortunate hair.
- Air Quotes: Missy refers to Ross and Chandler's "band" this way.
- Art Shift: The Pyramid scenes are filmed at a different resolution to the rest of the episode to make them look like an actual episode of the game show.
- As Himself: Donny Osmond as host of Pyramid.
- Big "NO!": Ross cries a long loud NOOO! when he finds out who he actually kissed that one night. Not Rachel, but it was his sister Monica.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Ross didn't kiss Rachel that night; he kissed Monica.Monica: You were my Midnight Mystery Kisser?!
Ross: You were my first kiss with Rachel?!
Monica: You were my first kiss ever?!
Chandler: What did I marry into?! - Call-Back: The flashback takes place in between the 1987 and 1988 Thanksgivings from "TOW All the Thanksgivings". Monica still has a grudge at Chandler for calling her fat last Thanksgiving, and has begun working on losing her weight, which the audience knows she'll successfully accomplish by the next one.
- Call-Forward: During a flashback, Monica brags that she's starting to lose weight.
- Class Reunion: Ross and Chandler go to their college reunion.
- Fan Disservice: Phoebe isn't impressed when Danny DeVito shows up as the stripper and visibly cringes when he starts dancing for her. After talking to him for a while and encouraging him to finish one last performance she actually starts to enjoy it.
- Flashback: To Ross and Chandler at college, and Monica and Rachel going to visit.
- Game Show Appearance: Joey is the celebrity guest on Pyramid, and it's an unmitigated disaster.Joey: Paper! Snow! A ghost!
- Girls Like Musicians: In the flashback, Chandler makes a move on Rachel. When she questions what he's doing, he responds that he's in college and a band, so she immediately rolls with it.
- Hope Spot: After being completely inept at the game, Joey starts answering questions correctly. Then he loses on the last category.
- Ironic Echo: At the beginning of the episode when Ross and Monica gush over Joey meeting Donny Osmond, Chandler jokes "what did I marry into?" At the end of the episode after learning the two accidentally kissed (and that ended up being Monica's first kiss ever) he repeats in a more disturbed tone "What did I marry into?!"
- Shoddy Shindig: The rather formal and classy tea party that Monica throws as a bachelorette party for Phoebe. She felt it was appropriate for them as grownups, but Phoebe is bored and keeps expecting some action and excitement. So Monica and Rachel try to hire a male stripper at the last minute.
- Special Guest: Danny DeVito as Roy, the male stripper, who failed to realize his stripping career is over.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: During the final round of Pyramid Joey actually manages to get the answers to the questions right. He and his partner seem to be on a roll and about to win... and then he blows the answer to the final question leaving them with nothing.
- You Can Leave Your Hat On: "Officer Goodbody" is hired to perform at Phoebe's party. During his second performance he collapses on Phoebe's lap gasping for breath and Monica later mentions that Phoebe and Rachel had to take him to the hospital.
