Fans Name the Best and Worst Episodes of Friends
If you’ve never seen the iconic sitcom about Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross, we’re going to assume you’ve been living under a rock. For ten years the friend group kept us entertained. We laughed at some of the most hilarious moments and we cried about the characters’ losses. We got songs about smelly cats stuck in our heads and we thought about Rachel’s trifle every Thanksgiving. Even after the beautiful finale when Rachel got off the plane, we continued to rewatch Friends. Whenever we put on an episode, it feels like we’re catching up with our own friends in a way.
Fans of the series are naming the best and worst episodes of the series, some of these choices are surprising!
WORST: The One Where the Stripper Cries
Rachel and Monica throw Phoebe a bachelorette party for her engagement with Mike (who was played by the ever-charismatic Paul Rudd). When the stripper arrives, it turns out to be Danny Devito. Well, not the actor himself, but he plays the stripper. He ends up getting upset when he sees the women’s reaction to his moves.
They end up having to comfort him and this part of the episode was not the funniest. On the other hand, during the same episode, Joey goes on a game show and Ross and Chandler attend a college reunion. These parts had us crying from laughing. Thankfully with streaming services (which didn’t exist yet when the show came out), we can fast-forward past the less funny parts.
WORST: The One with the Fake Monica
Of course a sitcom will make light of any situation, including something awful such as identity fraud. But some people thought the way Monica reacted to this situation was too weird, especially considering the consequences this crime can have. She even looked at the criminal in question with admiration and was envious of her adventurous nature.
If we’re being honest this really is an odd way to react to someone messing up your credit. We understand people’s frustration with this episode. But thankfully, Ross coming to terms with the fact it’s time to give away his adorable monkey Marcel easily distracted us from the whole identity fraud storyline. Gone, but not forgotten.
WORST: The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin
We’re not going to lie, it is pretty concerning how often we see incest-related stories on TV. Since Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we have really almost become desensitized to it. But Friends had a creepy moment like this as well when the stunning Denise Richards played Ross and Monica’s cousin. In the episode, she stays at Ross’ house.
In a mind-boggling turn of events, Ross tries to make a move on her (his cousin!!!), and thank god she rejects his advances. Hey, writers, respectfully: what the hell?? It’s like they thought if they cast Denise Richards, it would make things less weird. Regardless he was still trying to get with his cousin. Well, it didn’t work, big yikes.
WORST: The One With the Bullies
Ross and Chandler get bullied by two grown men who steal their spot and threaten them. They tell them not to come back to Central Perk. At first, Ross and Chandler are scared, but eventually, they muster up the courage to face them. Many didn’t like this episode, probably because it made the two lovable male characters seem fragile.
Some also felt like the bullies’ behavior wasn’t realistic. Well, if you’ve never encountered people who act like the people in these scenes we can easily say we envy you. Men like this certainly exist, and they suck. They often tend to work together to intimidate anyone who gets in their way.
WORST: The One Where Joey Speaks French
“Je te floop flee’’. This one has divided fans. When Joey bluffs his way into getting an audition where he needs to be able to speak French, Phoebe tries to teach him. But when she tries, he is astoundingly bad at imitating the sounds she makes. Some found it hilarious, and others found it hard to believe Joey is that stupid.
Of course, he is never portrayed as a genius, but in most episodes, his stupidity is more of an endearing attribute. After this episode, many fans were left feeling like Phoebe when she says “I have to go before I put your head through a wall!’’
WORST: The One With the Fake Party
At this point in the show, Rachel and Ross are in a rocky place with their relationship. Ross has started to date Emily, whom he ironically met only because Rachel wanted to go on a date with her work client. This was also on the night she was meant to take Emily to the opera. She does everything in her power to stop Ross and Emily from having an intimate night together before Emily has to go back to London.
Rachel’s behavior is quite desperate and selfish, this is because she doesn’t like to see Ross happy with another woman. It gave us secondhand embarrassment to see her act this way especially since she and Ross aren’t even together anymore.
WORST: The One Where Rachel Smokes
Apparently the show’s creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane themselves actually hated this episode so much that they tried to get NBC to skip one week and not show it. They obviously did end up broadcasting it, because we’ve seen it. We do understand why they weren’t super proud of this one. It wasn’t terrible but also wasn’t their best work. There’s the storyline of Rachel forcing herself to start smoking to bond with her colleagues who constantly go on smoke breaks.
Then there’s the plot about the surprise party Monica and Phoebe decide to throw for Rachel’s birthday even though it was still a month away. Monica only trusts Phoebe with cups and ice, and Phoebe goes above and beyond with this task, proving to Monica that she’s not to be underestimated.
WORST: The One in Barbados Part 1
There are several reasons why this episode pissed off fans. For one, many people don’t like how Phoebe turns down David’s sweet marriage proposal. They’re even more annoyed about how she gets with Mike. Some fans feel like Mike is goofy and David was a heartfelt guy who really cared about her.
Meanwhile, Monica acts in a way that is off-putting to many fans. She tries to control everything and gets super competitive. It’s also at this point Rachel has been developing feelings for Joey. In this episode, she’s trying to find a good time to tell him. This may be one of the least popular pairings on the show.
WORST: The One Where No One Is Ready
If you’re someone who hates waiting for people while you’re in a rush to leave, then this episode is psychological torture. Ross needs to leave for an important event and no one seems to care one bit. Chandler and Joey end up fighting and after Chandler hides Joey’s underwear, Joey wears all of Chandler’s clothes. Imagine your best friends acting like this while you’re waiting for them to get ready and they’re making you late for an important event you invited them to.
We would be pissed, to say the least. While this is happening, Ross and Rachel get into a fight because he hurt her feelings. Then Monica obsesses over a voicemail message from her ex-boyfriend Richard and weaves herself into an awkward mess.
WORST: The One With the Evil Orthodontist
In the first episode when we first meet Rachel, she has run away from her wedding with mediocre orthodontist Barry. While he is not a very important (or interesting) character throughout the show, he does come back a few times. In this episode, he confesses how he still has feelings for Rachel and they end up having sex in his work chair.
While we try not to linger for too long about how uncomfortable that sounds, this is just so messy. Barry at this time is entangled with Rachel’s former best friend, whom he cheated on her with. It’s absolutely painful to see both of these people act so recklessly.
WORST: The One Where No One Proposes
This episode begins after the season finale of season 8 left us with the massive cliffhanger of Joey and Rachel accidentally getting engaged. Joey ducked to pick up Ross’ box with an engagement ring off the ground, and when Rachel saw him on a knee with the open ring box in his hand, she thought he was proposing and said yes. So now, we have to watch all of them deal with the aftermath of the situation, including Ross who was meant to propose.
All of it is such a disaster, and it all starts with how stupid it was for Joey to pick up the ring that way and then not say anything. He let the situation escalate so badly. We were so close to getting Rachel and Ross together in such a beautiful way, but they all had to mess it up! So frustrating.
WORST: The One With Rachel’s Sister
Around this time, there were a lot of episodes we could’ve done without. The jokes were not great and the storylines felt a bit mediocre. We have Joey working at Central Perk and trying to use his job to get with attractive women by offering free things, to Gunther’s annoyance. Monica is ill but won’t admit it so she tries to convince Chandler she’s healthy by luring him into bed.
Then there’s Rachel’s sister Jill, played by Reese Witherspoon. She comes knocking on Rachel’s door because she’s been cut off financially by their dad. And of course, they had to complicate things and give Ross and Jill a spark so they can start dating and upset Rachel.
WORST: The One With the Yeti
At this stage, Ross and Emily are married, but his history with Rachel haunts their marriage. He even said Rachel’s name instead of Emily’s at their wedding. Emily doesn’t want to feel Rachel’s presence everywhere so first she makes Ross get rid of all the furniture Rachel ever touched.Then she even pressures him to move out of his apartment.
All the other friends are trying not to hurt Ross’ feelings, but in the end, they snap because they can’t hold it in any longer. It’s really a big bummer of an episode because this marriage is clearly doomed and in the end, they decide to get divorced.
WORST: The One Where Ross Got High
This one contains Rachel’s infamous Thanksgiving trifle, which is undeniably iconic. However, most of the episode is about Chandler trying to get Monica’s parents’ approval so they can announce they’re dating.The parents seem to hate him so much for no reason. It’s really uncomfortable to watch. Then during this already awkward dinner, in a climactic series of vengeful exclamations, a bunch of secrets come out about everyone.
In an attempt to get out of trouble, Ross and Monica end up digging themselves into a hole. It’s frustrating to watch these grown adults act so immaturely, especially when it turns out to be entirely unnecessary. Joey’s hilariously enthusiastic reaction to Rachel’s trifle definitely makes up for a lot.
WORST: The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad
The whole trope of an intimidating father disapproving of someone who’s dating their innocent daughter, whom he infantilizes, is getting pretty old. Also, a professor dating their student is rarely okay. So when these two things were combined, it made for a pretty icky episode. Of course, the father of Ross’ student/girlfriend had to be played by Bruce Willis so he could seem extra intimidating. Ross naively hopes it’ll go well.
Of course, the meeting goes terribly and the father of Ross’ girlfriend accidentally finds out he’s had three failed marriages. This causes him to make an even worse impression. It’s awkward to watch Ross try so hard, and it’s even worse because their relationship is wildly inappropriate in the first place.
BEST: The One With the Jellyfish
This one has so many memorable moments we actually can’t believe they’re all from one episode. Firstly, Ross decides to end things with Bonnie, and Rachel gives him an 18-page long letter (front and back). First, he pretends to have read it because it is so long he doesn’t have the energy. Then he actually gets around to it and discovers he strongly disagrees with her points.
Rachel wants Ross to take all the responsibility for their relationship’s shortcomings and of course this prompts Ross to famously shout “We were on a break!’’. Whether or not they were in fact “on a break’’ will forever remain a topic of discussion in the Friends fandom. Oh, and Monica gets stung by a jellyfish on the beach so Chandler pees on her leg to try and ease the pain. This was horrifying to both of them and Joey who was also present.
BEST: The One With The Prom Video
“He’s her lobster!’’ Ross is trying to get Rachel to forgive him and Phoebe says she knows they’ll get back together because they’re lobsters. This is because this animal falls in love and mates for life. When Monica finds an old video of her and Rachel on their prom day getting ready, they all decide to watch it together despite Ross’s objection.
The video shows the awkward teenage versions of Monica, Ross, and Rachel, when Rachel gets stood up by her prom date. Ross gets ready to offer to take her instead, but when her date shows up at the last minute, he looks so devastated. Rachel never knew this, so she gets up and kisses him. No, we’re not crying, we only have something in our eyes.
BEST: The One with the Football
There’s something about Thanksgiving episodes of shows which brings out the best in them. In this one, the gang plays football together. Ross and Monica’s competitive nature comes out as they get back into a ruthless game from their childhood where Monica ended up breaking her brother’s nose. We always love the episodes that show us Ross and Monica’s relationship as siblings.
As one of the several references to Dutch people on this show (including Gunther) Chandler and Joey meet a Dutch girl called Margha. When Dutch people watch this episode, it pains them to their core because nothing about this young woman appears to be Dutch, including her name or her accent. But it still made for a hilarious subplot in which Chandler and Joey make fools of themselves while trying to win her over.
BEST: The One With Ross’s Tan
Whenever we hear spray tans mentioned, we can’t help but think of this episode. In this one, David Schwimmer really managed to showcase his brilliant physical comedy. The way he stands in the booth and messes up the very simple instructions, counting too many ‘Mississippis’ and getting sprayed in the eyes will crack us up every single time.
But of course we could never talk about this episode without mentioning the legendary Jennifer Coolidge. She guest starred as Phoebe and Monica’s former roommate who has the most hilarious fake British accent.
BEST: The One With Rachel’s Dream
At this point, Joey and Rachel are still in their weird will-they-won’t-they-phase and after Rachel helps Joey work on his romantic doctor character, she develops confusing feelings. The fancy restaurant where Monica works is so popular there are lines outside every night, and Phoebe gets the idea to entertain them. We’ll never get tired of Phoebe’s music, so naturally, this makes for hilarious scenes.
Monica has to manage this situation and make sure Phoebe doesn’t scare away the fancy customers. Meanwhile, Chandler ends up taking Ross on his trip to Vermont which he originally booked for him and Monica. The hotel can’t find the booking, so they have to book an expensive suite. As a way to make up for this and get revenge, Ross and Chandler steal an insane amount of hotel supplies.
BEST: The One With Unagi
If you’ve watched Friends and ever ordered unagi sushi, were you able to do so without thinking of this episode? We weren’t. Phoebe and Rachel do self-defense training to be able to protect themselves and Ross tells them it’s only worth anything with ‘unagi’. He describes it as a state of full awareness. In order to prove himself, he scares Phoebe and Rachel.
They then go back and forth trying to scare each other. In a frenzy of trying to outdo one another, Ross tries to get help from the women’s trainer. He ends up attacking two women he mistakes for Rachel and Phoebe from behind and making a fool out of himself.
BEST: The One Where Everybody Finds Out
When the iconic recurring Ugly Naked Guy moves out of his apartment, Ross considers moving into it. But when Ross, Rachel, and Phoebe go and take a look, Phoebe and Rachel catch a glimpse from the window of Monica and Chandler having sex. We love the moment when the two of them start jumping around out of excitement and try to distract Ross so he won’t find out.
After this, Rachel and Phoebe try to mess with Monica and Chandler by pretending they don’t know, which Monica discovers and prompts her to mess with them back. Everyone is playing tricks on each other and Phoebe drives Chandler insane by asking him on a romantic date. After she’s made it impossible for him to hide his feelings any longer, he confesses he’s in love with Monica and it’s such a sweet moment when everyone rejoices.
BEST: The One With the Holiday Armadillo
Christmas time comes around in this episode, and Ross wants to teach his son Ben about Hanukkah so he can connect with his Jewish heritage. He comes up with a fun character to replace Santa called The Holiday Armadillo. At this time, Rachel is living with Joey and Phoebe is ready to move back into the apartment she shared with Rachel.
In order to get Rachel to want to move back in with her, she tries to give her reasons to leave Joey’s. She executes this plan by giving Joey a drum set and then a tarantula. Both of these attempts backfire, of course, only scaring Joey and not driving Rachel away at all. In the end, the renovation sadly removed one of the bedrooms, so Rachel has to stay behind after all.
BEST: The One With the Nap Partners
Joey and Ross are one of the more unpredictable pairings in the group. We don’t see only the two of them hanging out very often, and we loved seeing it in this episode. When they fall asleep together on the couch while watching a movie, they realize they both had the most amazing nap. Joey has to convince Ross to recreate the scenario.
Monica’s preparations for her and Chandler’s wedding are in full swing and she has to make the impossible choice between Rachel and Phoebe for her maid of honor. First, they both want this important role, but when they realize they’re dealing with Monica, the position starts to lose its appeal…
BEST: The One With the Two Parties
With Rachel’s birthday coming up, the gang struggles to plan the party, as her parents have recently divorced and can’t both attend one without causing drama. They intend to only invite her mother, but when her father unexpectedly shows up, Joey and Chandler manage to sneak him into their apartment.
As a result, Rachel has two parties she needs to be at and all her friends are trying to manage the uncontrollable situation. Chandler and Joey’s unexpected party turns out to be more fun than Monica’s micromanaged one. To her annoyance, she loses many guests to their party. Everyone’s panic and improvisation make this episode really fun and it’s also heartwarming to see how much they care about protecting Rachel’s feelings.
BEST: The One With the Videotape
“Years ago when I was backpacking through western Europe…’’ This episode was a testament to the brilliant writing on this show. Joey tells his friends about his date story sure to make any woman want to sleep with him. Then there’s a discussion about whether Ross came onto Rachel or the other way around. When Ross reveals he has proof because he has their whole encounter on tape, everyone is creeped out at first.
It turns out that he had been taping himself to see how he would sound if he told Joey’s backpacking story. He forgot he was still recording when Rachel came in. In the end, they all decide to watch the first part of the tape to settle once and for all who came onto whom. In a hilarious twist, we watch how Rachel used the backpacking story on Ross. She tells the others how she heard it from her friend, who, as it turns out, heard it from Joey.
BEST: The One Where They All Turn 30
Pretty much everyone who has turned 30 themselves or who has friends hitting this milestone knows it’s a big deal. Here we get to see how the different characters responded to their own 30th birthday, while they deal with Rachel dealing with this moment. We simultaneously see the different 30th birthday storylines play out and they all contain some great scenes.
Friends as a show has always beautifully captured the struggles and joys of being in your 20s, full of life’s uncertainties and all the insecurities. The feeling of running out of time to achieve your dreams and goals is a huge theme. This episode captured it particularly well because it focussed on such a relatable and inevitable moment in everyone’s life.
BEST: The One With The Proposal
Monica and Chandler are such a strong couple throughout the show, especially compared to the rollercoaster of the on-and-off Ross and Rachel. So of course their engagement had to be a big moment, and it was. Unsurprisingly, Chandler’s original engagement doesn’t go according to his plan whatsoever. This is because Monica’s ex-Richard re-enters the picture. In order to keep her from guessing he’s about to propose, he tells her he’s anti-marriage altogether, confusing and upsetting Monica.
When Chandler realizes his plan is about to terribly backfire, Monica has already packed her things and left to stay with her parents. When he enters the apartment, he is surprised by Monica, surrounded by romantic candles everywhere. She ends up attempting to propose to him, but when she gets too emotional, he takes over and proposes. It’s one of the show’s most heartfelt and genuine moments and we’ll never forget it.
BEST: The One With the Blackout
When all the characters were still in their awkward young phase in one of the earliest episodes of the show, there was a power outage. The moment this happens, Chandler happens to be in an ATM vestibule with a stunning Victoria’s Secret model. In classic Chandler fashion, he tries his very hardest to impress her and ends up making a fool out of himself.
The rest of the characters spend time at the candle-lit apartment, telling each other stories and Ross tries to tell Rachel about his feelings for her at this romantic opportunity. While Ross attempts this on the balcony, he gets attacked by a cat. When Rachel and Phoebe find the cat’s owner, it turns out to be an incredibly handsome Italian man. Rachel is attracted to him and brings him with her. Then Ross’s attempt at confessing his love goes down the drain.
BEST: The One With The Cop
“Pivot!’’ When Ross buys a new couch but is unwilling to pay for the high delivery costs, he asks Chandler and Rachel to help him carry it up the stairs of his apartment. We all remember how the couch gets stuck and their hilariously impossible struggle to make it fit. The actors’ comedic timing really shone in this scene. Phoebe finds a cop’s badge and uses it to intimidate strangers into bettering their behavior.
Then she accidentally threatens a real cop with what turns out to be his own badge, she realizes the spiel is over and runs away. The cop turns out to be called Gary and ends up coming to the apartment to ask her out, how romantic.