The friends try to deal with the ramifications of Rachel and Ross' breakup. The five of them (without Ross) try to go on a ski trip but car trouble forces them to call Ross for help.
Tropes
- Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: Naturally, when Ross arrives to bail out the others, Rachel is not happy about being rescued by the guy she just broke up with.
- Crying Indian: When Chandler is caught littering, he says he was hoping for the Crying Indian to show up and help them.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: In some respects, the other friends are like children caught up in a messy divorce, being promised good times by the feuding couple in exchange for their favor.
- Here We Go Again!: After the others leave in Phoebe’s taxi, Ross gets in Carol’s Jeep… and it stalls.
- Hypocritical Humor: Upon learning the full circumstances of the break-up, Carol chides Ross for sleeping with another woman. An indignant Ross remarks that she is so not one to talk. Granted Carol seems more primarily annoyed that he had latched onto her the whole afternoon for comfort while leaving out that key detail.
- Island Help Message: Joey writes "HELP" with sticks for passing airplanes, only he writes it backwards as "PLEH", thinking it works like the backwards lettering on ambulances (which are meant to be read from driver's rear view mirrors).
- Improvised Lockpick: When they accidentally lock themselves out of the car, Joey suggests one of the girls take the underwire off their bra to jimmy the lock open. The girls are naturally not very eager to do so.
- The Key Is Behind the Lock: When the gang stop at a rest stop, the key to the taxi is accidentally left inside and they can't get back inside. They finally manage to open the door using the underwire from Phoebe's bra, but then the car is out of gas.
- "Metaphor" Is My Middle Name: Chandler is asked if he can handle this.Chandler: Handle is my middle name. Actually, it's the middle part of my first name.
- Off the Wagon: The stress of recent events has caused Chandler to start smoking again.Joey: Chandler, you started smoking again?
Chandler: Well, yesterday I started smoking again, so now I'm... I'm smoking still. - Road Trip Plot: The gang minus Ross go to Rachel's sister's cabin for some skiing. Unfortunately, Phoebe's taxi runs out of gas halfway and Ross has to go over and give them gas.
- Shout-Out: Chandler does an imitation of Shelley Winters dancing on The Poseidon Adventure while everyone is arguing.
- Ski-Resort Episode: Defied. As noted in the episode title, they never actually get to go skiing. Well everyone but Ross does, we just don’t see it.
- What the Hell, Hero?: With all the non-stop bickering, Phoebe finally tells Ross and Rachel that they have to be cordial with each other or the rest of the group won't hang out with either one of them. Joey immediately agrees and says they're done being put in the middle.
