Monica has a new boyfriend, Alan. Unusually, her friends love him. However, she decides to break up with him, and when she does, he admits that he can't stand her friends.
Phoebe's bank accidentally gives her too much money. She can't accept it so she informs the bank, which gives her more money. She decides to give the money to her homeless friend, who buys her a soda. When Phoebe opens the soda, there is a thumb in it. When she complains to the soda company, they give her money, which she gives to Chandler, to convince him to stop smoking.
Tropes
- Bank Toaster: Phoebe's bank sends her a novelty telephone shaped like an American football as an apology gift for depositing money in her account by mistake.
- Bigger Is Better in Bed: At one point the episode cuts to Monica explaining a theory she's heard to the guys. Nobody ever says exactly what they're talking about, but based on the guys' reactions it's a way to guessing how well-endowed a man is.Monica: They say it's the same as the distance from the tip of a guy's thumb to the tip of his index finger.
(the three guys all stretch their fingers out and glance at each other's hands)
Joey: (defensively) That's ridiculous!
Ross: Can I use either thumb?- This becomes a Brick Joke after the gang's first meeting with Alan. When they're discussing him afterwards, Rachel asks everyone "Did you notice?" while copying the thumb-to-index-finger gesture.
- Brief Accent Imitation: Chandler makes fun of Monica's former boyfriend, who had a lisp.Chandler: We loved Schteve! Schteve was schexy.
- Compressed Vice: When Chandler is defending his smoking he points out that everyone in the group has flaws of their own. Joey's knuckle-cracking, Monica's snort when she laughs and Phoebe chewing on her hair are all unique to this episode and none of them ever happen again. Ross' over-pronouncing words and Rachel mixing up orders from customers are aversions, as both remain character traits outside of this episode.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: When Monica tells her friends about her breakup with Alan, the conversation sounds like parents telling their children they are getting divorced or at points like she's breaking up with them.
- Dog Got Sent to a Farm: Apparently Ross still believes that this is what happened to Chi Chi, his and Monica's childhood dog. Monica obviously worked out the truth a while ago.Monica: Uh, Ross?
Ross: What? Wh..hello? The Millners' farm in Connecticut? The Millners, they had this unbelievable farm, they had horses, and, and rabbits that he could chase and it was... it was... Oh my God, Chi Chi! - Early-Installment Weirdness:
- Never has the common (and usually inaccurate) accusation that Friends is a Seinfeld clone been more justified than it is here, complete with the Seinfeldian Conversation (on the meaning of "we should do this another time"), the subplots dovetailing together at the end (Phoebe's repeated plagues of good fortune are what finally convinces Chandler to quit smoking when she bribes him), and the episode's capping punchline (that Alan actually hates Monica's friends) — it's one freeze-frame, "Executive Producer Larry David" and slap bass sting away from the perfect ending to a Seinfeld episode.
- The segregation of Monica from the other five friends, grouped as an entity unto themselves, is unique to this episode.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Monica's oh so perfect boyfriend Alan:Ross: If only he were a woman.Rachel: Yeah... (they awkwardly look at each other and walk away)
- Fingore: The titular thumb that Phoebe finds in her soda can. Thankfully the audience is spared the sight of it.
- Heartbreak and Ice Cream: Monica comes home from breaking up with Alan and finds the rest of the gang morosely eating ice-cream and reminiscing about all the times they hung out with him.
- Hidden Disdain Reveal: It's revealed at the end Alan hated the rest of the group and only tolerated them for Monica's sake.
- It's Not You, It's Me: Mentioned when the gang are explaining "Dating Language" (a.k.a. the lies you tell someone to spare their feelings) to Rachel.Joey: Y'know, like "It's not you" means "It is you".
- Irony: The other friends (previously very judgmental about and disapproving of Monica's relationships) are more interested in the relationship than she is, but Alan admits to her than he can't stand them.
- Of Course I Smoke: Joey's audition involves his character asking for a cigraette while being interrogated. He drops the lighter and starts coughing after a single puff.Chandler: I think this is probably why Damone smokes in his cell alone.
- Off the Wagon: Chandler is revealed to be smoking again, after three years of having quit.
- Nice Guy: Alan's a friendly and funny guy that the gang all love. Too bad the feeling isn't mutual.
- No Sparks: Monica eventually admits that she "doesn't feel the thing" with Alan and breaks up with him.
- Plague of Good Fortune: Phoebe runs into this as she attempts to rectify the bank giving her too much money. She finally resolves the situation by offering the $7,000 she's acquired to Chandler if he promises to never smoke again.
- Shout-Out:
- Ross likens Alan's baseball prowess to Bugs Bunny playing all the positions at once.
- Chandler talks about Alan's David Hasselhoff impression and mimes running in slow motion.
- The gang watch Lambchops Playalong and Chandler snarks about "How old is that sock?"
- Take Our Word for It: We never see what makes Alan so great, just the friends listing off stuff that happened offscreen like his baseball prowess and his impersonations. We're also spared the sight of the severed thumb in Phoebe's soda can.
- Unnecessary Time Precision: Joey asks Monica when the gang get to meet Alan. She toys with him about potentially planning a date only to tell him a flat never.Joey: So when do we get to meet the guy?
Monica: Let's see, today's Monday... never.
