Rachel starts smoking to feel more included at work because her boss and her colleague both smoke and discuss work related things during their cigarette breaks. Monica and Phoebe organize a surprise birthday party for Rachel one month in advance. Joey auditions for a soup commercial with Ross's son Ben as 'father and son', but they end up competing against each other with other actors.
Tropes:
- Congruent Memory: Joey blows his final audition due to this. He'd rehearsed the scene using tomato soup and at the audition he's given noodle soup instead. As a result whenever he's supposed to say "Mmm, soup" it comes out as "mmm, noodle soup".
- I Have to Go Iron My Dog: After Joey tells Ross that Chandler agrees he should do the commercial, Ross asks if this is true. Rather than side with Joey or Ross...Chandler: Hey, who's that at the door? (gets up and opens the door) Oh hi, no one! (steps out)
- Last-Second Word Swap: Rachel does this when she's asked whether she smokes.Rachel: Oh no, my dad is a doctor. He used to tell me horror stories abou... (mad look from her boss) ... ghosts and goblins...
- Must Have Nicotine: Rachel convinces Nancy and Kim to quit smoking but they soon take up smoking again because of their addiction.Rachel: Come on you guys! What are doing?! I thought we were the patch sisters!
Kim: Yeah. That didn't work out.
Nancy: Rachel, we tried to quit, but it was too hard!- Chandler reacts to Rachel's story by reminiscing about how much he misses the taste and smell of nicotine. At the end of the episode he steals a drag from Kim's cigarette.
- Of Course I Smoke: Rachel tries to pretend that she smokes too so she won't be left out of Nancy and Kim's conversations. She's not very convincing and admits to Monica and Chandler that it made her feel kind of sick.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story:
- Neither Joey nor Ben get a role in the soup commercial.
- Rachel picking up smoking in order to further her career ends up becoming null and void when she tries to convince her boss and colleague to quit and, after falling off the wagon, they tell her to continue quitting with her boss ordering her not to come back out there. For bonus points her boss then talks to Nancy and tells her she can come on a business meeting with her, presumably because of the time they spend smoking together, which was exactly what Rachel was afraid would happen if she didn't pick up smoking in the first place.
- Sore Loser: Zig-zagged. Joey doesn't take not getting the role in the soup commercial very badly. He is angry for messing up his audition because he got pretty far and thought he would actually get the role. Up until the audition, he was envious of little Ben who might get the role of the son, though cheers up a little when Ross suggests he may have subconsciously sabotaged his own audition to help Ben succeed. He's pleased when he hears that Ben didn't get the part either.
- Surprise Party: Monica and Phoebe agree to throw a surprise birthday party for Rachel one month in advance. She really is surprised and points out that Chandler's birthday is before hers.
- Themed Party: Monica and Phoebe agree to co-host a surprise birthday party for Rachel. Monica takes over everything but allows Phoebe to take care of cups and ice. So Phoebe turns it into a cups-and-ice party. Cups are used to serve drinks and some food, as banners, a chandelier, other decor and party hats. And she brought crushed ice, ice cubes, dry ice and her ice cones are a huge hit as well.
