Recap / Friends S 3 E 8 The One With The Giant Poking Device

Joey tells Chandler that he saw Janice kissing her ex-husband, and Chandler confronts her. Phoebe thinks someone she knows is going to die. Monica and Rachel take care of Ben, who bumps his head when they are playing.

Tropes

• Armor-Piercing Question: A back-and-forth, with Chandler asking the tough questions and Janice providing the tough responses (albeit mainly by shaking her head or nodding until the last exchange).
  Chandler: I'm gonna need an actual answer here, so which is it: him or me?
  Janice: [beat] I don't know.
• Babysitting Episode: Monica and Rachel are tasked by Ross to take care of Ben for a bit. Things go a bit awry when Monica accidentally causes Ben to hit his head.
• Big "OMG!":
  • Played for laughs by Monica when Ben starts saying, "Monica bang," in response to what happened. She does it again when Ross tricks her into thinking Ben sustained brain damage.
  • Played for drama by (ironically enough) Janice when Chandler confronts her about kissing her ex-husband.
• Clothing-Concealed Injury: Monica accidentally causes Ben to bump his head. She and Rachel attempt to conceal it from Ross by putting a hat on Ben. It doesn't really work as the first thing Ross asks when he gets home is why his son is wearing rain clothes. He eventually finds the bump when he puts his son down for a nap.
• Everyone Has Standards: Joey says that if he was in Chandler's position, he'd step back and give a couple with a child the chance to mend their relationship.
• The Faceless: This is the first of only two times the audience gets a glimpse of Ugly Naked Guy; here, only his belly and hand are shown through the window.
• False Cause: The reason Phoebe doesn't want to go to the dentist is because every time she has, someone she knows has died. When she finally goes and everyone is still alive, Phoebe thinks the curse is broken... and then they glance across the street and notice that Ugly Naked Guy isn't moving.
  Ross: Pheebs, come on, you didn't kill anybody, these people just happened to die when you went to the dentist. It's just a coincidence.
  Phoebe: Well tell that to them. Oh! You can't, they're dead.
• Flat "What": Chandler's reaction to Joey telling him about seeing Janice kiss her ex-husband.
• The Gadfly: Upon hearing from Rachel that Ben bumped his head, Ross messes with Monica by suggesting that Ben seems to have sustained brain damage, causing Monica to have a near breakdown.
• Harmful to Minors: Parodied. To keep Ross from seeing the bump on Ben's head, Monica thinks to cover it up with a hat from one of the kid's toys. In trying to remove the hat, though, she rips the toy's head right off and in front of a clearly confused child.
  Rachel: Ohhh, it's like a bloodbath in here today!
• Hyperventilation Bag: When apologizing to Chandler, Janice starts hyperventilating, so he gets her a bag. While peppered with questions, she ends up having to shake or nod her head while breathing into the bag.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Ross pays for his prank on Monica when she chases him around the living room and he hits his own head on another beam.
  Rachel: (heading into her room) I'll get the hat!
• Mood Whiplash:
  • The scene of Chandler confronting Janice ends with Phoebe (having been calling to check on her loved ones) rushing in and then yelling at him to answer his phone next time.
  • Chandler offers a dignified speech about backing off, and Janice gives him an emotional goodbye by describing him as like a soulmate. Chandler immediately backtracks on what he said, as well as makes a scene by refusing to let go of her and claiming she can't leave because he stole one of her shoes.
• Not Helping Your Case: When Chandler confronts Janice about what Joey seeing her with her ex-husband.
  Janice: At the park?
  Chandler: No, in his office. How many kisses were there?!
• Parent with New Paramour: The concern over this is what ultimately convinces Chandler to break it off with Janice. After his parents got divorced, Chandler's father eventually got together with another man, who Chandler says was a generally Nice Guy but still someone he deeply resented and blamed for his parents not being together.
• Poking Dead Things with a Stick: The friends think their neighbor, Ugly Naked Guy, is dead, so they construct a "giant poking device" (really, just a very long stick) to poke him from their window.
• Shoot the Messenger: When pressed about what he would do in Chandler's position, Joey says he'd back off. As Chandler is angrily playing darts at the moment, Joey immediately hits the floor in response to his shocked reaction.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Rachel does not approve of Ross putting Monica through emotional duress regarding Ben.
    Rachel: I hope it's still funny when you're in hell.
  • It's off-screen, but based on the group's reactions, Ugly Naked Guy did not appreciate them waking him with a giant poking device.
    Rachel: Hey, hey, now he's showin' us his poking device.
    Joey: Hey, that's never gonna make it all the way over here, buddy!