Joey gets a role in an indie film and falls out with Chandler when he is skeptical about its success. Rachel gets an eye infection, but hates the idea of touching her eyes, so Monica is forced to take drastic measures to get Rachel to take her eye drops. Phoebe is mad at Ross for some reason.
Tropes:
- Amusingly Short List: Phoebe's enemies list is just a piece of paper with "Ross" on it.
- Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts: Joey's would-be movie had this as its plot. Joey would play the driver who picks up a beautiful hitchhiker, ends up with an article of her clothing, and ultimately learns she's been dead for years. Chandler is dubious that that could take up an entire movie.
- Chekhov's Gag: To help Joey make decisions about the road trip route, Phoebe teaches him a game of answering rapid questions without thinking. This game is how Chandler blurts out that he thinks Joey's movie won't be his big break and how Ross gets Phoebe to explain why she's mad at him.
- Comically Missing the Point: Joey, when he tries Phoebe's rapid questions game with Ross:Joey: What do you like better action or comedy?Ross: Action.Joey: Who would you rather sleep with Monica or Rachel?Ross: Dude, you are sick.Joey: Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you had that whole Rachel thing.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Chandler remarking that he doesn't think this movie will be Joey's big break.
- Enemies List: Phoebe has one, and threatens to add Monica to it.Phoebe: Has anyone seen my list, by the way? It's a piece of paper, and it says "Ross" on it.
- Girl on Girl Is Hot: Monica resorts to forcing Rachel to the floor and holding her down in order to apply the eye drops, but this fails. Afterwards, as they're both in that position, Rachel observes they could make a fortune if Joey and Chandler were to walk in at this moment.
- How Many Fingers?: When Monica first tries to give the eye drops to Rachel:Monica: Now, open your eyes. (Rachel keeps her eyes closed)Rachel: Okey, they are.Monica: (doesn't hold up fingers) How many fingers am I holding up?Rachel: Four.Monica: Oh, my God, I was thinking four!
- Kirk's Rock: The location of Joey's movie, which is supposed to be outside Las Vegas, is actually Vasquez Rocks.
- Mad at a Dream: Phoebe eventually realizes that she's mad at Ross because he called her boring in a dream she had.
- Muscles Are Meaningless: While Monica forces her down, Rachel remarks she is freakishly strong. This is also Call-Back to The One with the Cop where Chandler said the same thing.
- Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure: Joey and Chandler fall out when they disagree on whether "Shutterspeed", the indie film Joey was cast in, will be Joey's big break. Another plot is Ross trying to figure out why Phoebe is mad at him and trying to make amends, though in this case the reason why Phoebe is mad isn't revealed until the end (she claims that she was so busy being mad at Ross that she forgot why she was mad at him in the first place).
- Post-Treatment Lollipop: At the end of Rachel's appointment Monica shows off by covering one eye and reading the chart. After the doctor tells her to take a lollipop she smugly points out that Rachel didn't get one.
- Primal Fear: Rachel is really scared of doing anything to her eyes and also hates seeing other people so much as touch theirs.
- Real Dreams are Weirder: Turns out that the reason Phoebe is mad at Ross is because he said she was boring... in a dream she had. Said dream also featured the two playing chess on a frozen lake and Ross taking off his "mask" to reveal he's Cameron Diaz. Phoebe doesn't even realize the whole thing was a dream until she describes it to Ross.
- Taught by Experience: Monica's attempt to force Rachel to the floor and apply the eye drops fails because there was too much resistance. During the end credits, Monica demonstrates she learned from this by getting the others to take Rachel by surprise and help restrain her.
