(Photo by Andrew Eccles/TV Guide)
Can there be a decisive list of Friends episodes?
Never. That’s why the show, which debuted 30 years ago, remains so popular in both streaming and physical sales.
Fans of the NBC sitcom are just as loyal to their favorite episodes as they are to their favorite member of the show’s core sextet: Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel, Courteney Cox’s Monica, Lisa Kudrow’s Phoebe, Matthew Perry’s Chandler, Matt LeBlanc’s Joey and David Schwimmer’s Ross.
During the show’s epic 10-season run, each of the Friends had their shining moments, and we’ve curated a list of some of the greats. The one where Monica and Ross’s grandmother died not once, but twice? On here. So are episodes that impacted pop culture vernacular with the popularization of terms like “friend zone” and “commando.”
Don’t agree about the power of the Holiday Armadillo? List your favorite Friends episodes in the comments section.
And if you somehow haven’t seen any of the episodes below, you may be pleased to know that the entire series is now available in 4K on Fandango at Home, so you can pivot right over there to catch up.
Airing midway through the first season, this episode gave Perry a chance to shine with a storyline not directly associated with the other five Friends characters (his Chandler was trapped in an ATM vestibule with guest star Jill Goodacre while the others mostly waited out the titular blackout at Monica and Rachel’s apartment). It also helped popularize the concept of a “friend zone,” as that’s where LeBlanc’s Joey tells the clearly smitten Ross (Schwimmer) that Rachel (Aniston) has put him in her mind as she seeks out other ideal mates — like, say, the attractive Italian ailurophile (Cosimo Fusco) who lives in the building and almost immediately becomes one of the many roadblocks on this long “will they/won’t they” journey.
In saying goodbye to the lady whose good fortune in rent control allowed her granddaughter to afford such an absurdly large apartment, this episode also expands upon the story started in the series’ second episode, “The One With The Sonogram At The End,” by delving more into Monica and Ross’ relationships with their parents Jack and Judy (Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles). It also shows how supportive the group members are to each other, as they all trek out to the cemetery, even if Joey would rather be watching a football game. Audiences also get another glimpse at how fragile a sense of self Chandler has when he’s appalled to learn that his coworker (and many more people) think he’s gay.
Busting out a video cassette of Rachel and Monica getting ready for their high school prom, the friends learn that Ross has always been in love with Rachel and even tried to be her date when it looked like she’d been ghosted. Rachel is so moved by this charm offensive that she walks right up to Ross and kisses him in front of everyone.
Just when we’d given up all hope of a Ross-Rachel pairing, we learn from Kudrow’s Phoebe that they’re each other’s lobster; i.e. they’re meant to be together because lobsters mate for life. Of course, this doesn’t really explain away all the times this couple will get together and break up through the series…
Sitcom great Gail Mancuso’s expert direction of a bottle episode (meaning an episode of TV with one set and mostly just the main characters), these dizzying 20-odd minutes focuws on Ross trying desperately to get his friends and girlfriend (Aniston’s Rachel) out the door for a fancy work event. The couple have an exponential blow-up fight and make up within the span of this episode while the American public is treated to the term “going commando” (as in not wearing any underwear).
The episode is also remembered for Joey and Chandler’s roommate rivalry escalating to such a degree that Joey puts on all of Chandler’s clothes.
How many erogenous zones are there in the female anatomy? Devoted Friends know the answer is… seven.
While Kudrow’s Phoebe agrees to be a surrogate for her brother Frank (Giovanni Ribisi) and his wife Alice (Debra Jo Rupp), Monica is busy teaching Chandler about the complexities of the female orgasm. This will come in handy later when they become a couple.
How well do the characters on Friends know their friends?
Phoebe is dealing with the very serious situation of hoping a fertilized embryo will grow in her uterus to give her brother and sister-in-law their last chance at having a child. Meanwhile, back at the apartment, the stakes are also high, as Monica and Rachel do battle with Chandler and Joey over who knows each other better based on a trivia game of Ross’s invention.
The women lose their apartment to the men, resulting in a glorious clip of Chandler and Joey conquering their new domain by riding in on Joey’s giant white porcelain dog.
Chandler and Monica still want to keep their relationship a secret, but Rachel is onto them — a problem for her, since she’s resolved to give up gossiping in the new year.
Ross also tries to branch out of his comfort zone in the new year and boldly decides to wear leather pants on a date. His attempts to combat the sweat with baby powder fail spectacularly as the combination forms a paste on his legs.
“They don’t know that we know they know we know.”
Chandler and Monica’s attempt to keep their relationship a secret backfires as more of the group learns the truth. Phoebe, Rachel, and (a reluctant) Joey decide to force them to come clean by catering to Monica’s obsession with winning. Phoebe attempts to seduce Chandler, forcing him to break and confess that he can’t be with her because he’s in love with Monica. Everyone is shocked because this is the first time it’s confirmed that Chandler and Monica’s relationship is serious.
But no one is as shocked as Ross is, who was not privy to this game of seduction and only finds out later when he spots Chandler and Monica kissing.
Once upon a time, Ross was home from college and got high in his childhood bedroom. His parents caught him in the act, so he blamed his college roommate, whom he said had covertly jumped out a window. This is only a problem now because Ross’s parents still believe his college roommate to be a stoner, and that roommate is Chandler: a guy in a committed, cohabiting relationship with Ross’s sister Monica. All of this, and more, will come out when Monica and Ross’s parents join the group for a Thanksgiving feast.
The Friends Thanksgiving episodes were notorious for their over-the-top shenanigans (much to the chagrin of Chandler, who hated Thanksgiving). This one came with a lot of dirty laundry-airing that resulted in Ross and Monica’s parents thanking Chandler for helping their kids through such tough times.
It also gave us Rachel’s botched trifle recipe: “Ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard, which [she] made from scratch, then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef sautéed with peas and onions, then a little more custard, and then bananas, and then [she] just put some whipped cream on top.”
Only Joey is happy to eat the concoction.
Step aside, Santa Claus. You’ve had your time.
Ross desperately wants to teach his son about the Jewish side of his family, but who can compete with the Man in Red? Especially when Hanukkah doesn’t have a cuddly mascot? Ross improvises, and the non-denominational Holiday Armadillo (aka Schwimmer in a giant armadillo costume) is born.
78%
Friends
is now available in 4K on Fandango at Home.
