Chandler acts aloof towards the idea of marriage in order to surprise Monica with his proposal. It backfires as it makes Monica seriously consider going back to Richard. Rachel and Phoebe discuss their backup marriage plans, ending up fighting over Ross and Joey.
Tropes:
- Being Good Sucks: Richard feels this when he steps aside for Chandler.Chandler: You know you really are a good guy.Richard: I know. I hate that.
- Cock Fight: Played for Laughs with Ross and Joey fighting over who is Phoebe's true backup fiancee.
- Dance of Romance: The end credits scene is of Chandler and Monica slowdancing together to Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight". This makes it one of the few finales in the series that doesn't end on a Cliffhanger.
- Fallback Marriage Pact: Phoebe tells Rachel that she has Joey as her backup if she isn't married by age forty. This gives Rachel the idea of asking Ross to be her backup, only for him to reveal that he already made that deal with Phoebe. Phoebe justifies it as needing a backup for her backup (she already lost Chandler after all), but agrees to give Ross to Rachel in the end.
- Gone Horribly Right: Chandler, planning to surprise Monica, starts behaving like he hates the idea of getting married. This ends up making Monica consider going back to Richard.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Rachel and Phoebe, who are both still single, admit to each other they're a little jealous of the fact that Monica's about to be proposed to. At the end of the episode, after Chandler and Monica finally make the engagement official, Rachel joyously declares that she's not jealous and is completely happy for them.Rachel: I mean I'm probably 98% happy, maybe 2% jealous. And I mean what's 2%? That's nothing.
Phoebe: Totally. (beat) I'm like 90/10.
Rachel: Yeah me too. - Group Hug: The gang celebrate Chandler and Monica's engagement this way. After a few seconds they break apart when they remember Ross isn't there. They decide he'll catch up eventually and go back to hugging.
- Implausible Deniability: Rachel and Phoebe discuss Monica getting married and assure each other that they are not jealous of her at all. They clearly are, which leads to the whole backup marriage discussion.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Once Richard finds out that Chandler is planning to propose he regretfully but gracefully steps aside.
- Lampshade Hanging: Phoebe points out that Ross isn't present for the Group Hug. Rachel points out a guy who's been married three times already knows what this moment is like.
- Life Isn't Fair: Between the break-up with Richard in Season 2 over wanting to have children and how Chandler is doing a really good job of pretending he hates the idea of marriage, Monica bemoans how unfair it is that she keeps getting jerked around.
- Love Triangle: Monica and Chandler's relationship is thrown through the wringer when Richard tells Monica he still loves her and Chandler's behavior throughout the episode gives her second thoughts about being with him.
- Mood Whiplash: The tender moment of Monica and Chandler getting engaged is followed by an off-screen Joey shouting, "Can we come in?! We're dying out here!"
- Series Fauxnale: One of only three season finalesnote to not end on a Cliffhanger, and it cleanly resolves a long-standing major storyline (whether or not Chandler will get over his commitment issues with Monica) and there are no threads Left Hanging (Ross having ended his relationship with Elizabeth). This is because the episode was scripted as a series finale (since the actors were holding out for more money), only for the show to get renewed in the eleventh hour, too late to do any major re-writes.
- Trademark Favorite Drink: Chandler works out that Monica was at Richard's apartment because there's a glass with her favorite drink, scotch on the rocks with a twist, on a coaster on the coffee table.
- Trespassing to Talk: Richard lampshades this when Chandler barges in demanding to know where Monica is.Richard: She's not here and please come in.
- Wham Line: Monica to Chandler: "You said you wanted it to be a surprise."
- Wham Shot: When Chandler believes Monica has packed a bag and left to her parent's house, he goes inside the apartment — only to find it adorned with candles and Monica waiting to propose to him.
- Written-In Absence: Ross isn't present when the gang celebrate Chandler and Monica's engagement because David Schwimmer had to leave production early to work on Band of Brothers. His other scenes in this episode were filmed in advance.Phoebe: Oh no wait no, this is wrong! Ross isn't here!
Rachel: Oh hell, he's done this three times! He knows what its about!
