Decades after the ‘Friends‘ ended, “How you doin’?” is still used widely as a pickup line, and Ross and Rachel’s “we were on a break” is used by gen-Z. Everyone is still looking out for Chandler/Monica while being stuck with their own Janice/Richard. The sitcom is considered to be the greatest of all time and rewatched multiple times even today. From the friends switching their apartments to Janice’s obnoxious laughter, and Ross’ “hi”, the show never failed to make us laugh.
Over ten seasons and 236 episodes, choosing the best 15 episodes is a difficult task since every episode is filled with each character’s quirks, hilarious problems, and of course Chandler’s sarcasm. But still, here are our 15 best ‘Friends‘ episodes.
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The One Where Everyone Finds Out
This episode has got to be on top. While Chandler and Monica were dating in secret, Joey tried his level best to keep it under wraps, until Rachel heard it over a voicemail. The episode was hilarious and iconic to how each character reacted over their best friends dating. Pheobe and Rachel play their game to expose Monica and Chandler. Meanwhile, Monica being competitive levels up the game.
Finally, Chandler breaks under pressure and confesses, the entre built up was soo adorable. Especially in this episode, no one can ever forget Pheobe’s “My eyes, my eyes”.
The One With The Embryos
The Boys – Chandler, and Joey totally owned this episode. While Pheobe was getting implanted with the embryos for her brother, the rest of the gang got into an argument about who knows whom better. And thanks to Ross we got to know little secrets about Joey, Chandler, Monica, and Rachel.
Of course, the boys win the lightning round, beating the girls Rachel and Monica by one point- concluding them to hand over their apartment to the boys. This piece of the story is sped up and a bit unrealistically but Phoebe’s body has always been a little faster than Western medicine. This story arc of Phoebe is touching and also a really clever way to write about Lisa Kudrow’s real-life pregnancy.
The One Where No One’s Ready
Ross should get an award for not killing anyone in this ‘Friends‘ episode. But credits to the writers for creating a near real-time bottle episode in which all of the characters are constantly coming in and out of Monica and Rachel’s living room as they get ready or decide what to wear for the event.
From Monica spinning out over an answering machine message from her ex Richard to Chandler and Joey’s argument over a chair that later turns into Joey wearing all of Chandler’s clothes, and Phoebe’s hideous badge to cover up hummus on her dress, each chaotic incident is outmatched by another.
The One Where Ross Got High
This is one of the most disheveled episodes which handles two storylines simultaneously. The first one is Rachel being entrusted to make a dessert (only dessert), which she accidentally screws up. Two pages of the cookbook get stuck, hence leading everyone to eat an English trifle mixed with Shepherd’s Pie- the most disastrous desert. It is hilarious to see everyone’s reaction after eating it, especially when Ross says, “it tastes like feet”.
And the other storyline follows, Chandler trying to impress Judy and Jack Geller. It turns out Ross threw Chandler under the bus during their college days when the former’s parents walked on him while he was smoking marijuana. Impatient Monica takes matters into her hands and breaks Ross’s secret to her parent – leading to a domino effect with each secret come bubbling to the surface in a hilarious climax.
The One With the Rumor
This season eight episode was a fan-favorite, credited to the cameo appearance of Brad Pitt, featuring as Will, Monica’s ‘fat friend’ from college. From the “I hate Rachel Green club” to Joey’s endearing efforts to consume an entire turkey, this episode went down in history for many deserving reasons.
Meanwhile, Chandler and Phoebe pretend to be gripped by American football in order to avoid helping Monica in the kitchen. This very ‘Friends‘ episode highlights the underrated friendship between Pheobe and Chandler. With each rumor being exposed, but the most memorable one – Rachel being a Hermaphrodite.
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The One With The Video Tap
The eternal question of who came into whom results in a surprising revelation by the end of the episode. The argument between Ross and Rachel gets everyone excited to watch the videotape, instead of destroying it.
Meanwhile, Chandler and Monica are upset that their friends from the honeymoon did not contact them back. Joey and Pheobe mock them, saying that they were given fake names and numbers. Toward the end of the videotape, Rachel uses the ‘Europe Story’, losing the argument and being surprised that Joey invented this story, a.k.a Ken Adams.
The One With All The Thanksgivings
All the thanksgiving episodes from ‘Friends’ are the best episodes of the series. But this particular episode from season five is the best among all of them. The episode delves into a major flashback mode with the gang as they reflect on their worst Thanksgiving experiences.
This episode witnesses two mature humans—Monica and Joey—with a turkey stuck on their heads, Ross and Chandler’s questionable hairstyle choices from college, and a pre-weight-loss Monica trying to seduce a young Chandler but accidentally butchering his toe instead. And finally the cherry on top, Chandler mistakenly says “I love you”, to Monica. This contributed to a monumental development in Chandler’s character growth.
The One With The Proposal: Part 2
Monica skips over the tradition and proposes Chandler – this segment had us sobbing. The finale of the sixth season sees a double proposal by Monica and Chandler after their relationship almost fell apart, courtesy of an interruption by Monica’s ex-boyfriend Richard. Fans witnessed an intense emotional rollercoaster that the couple goes through. Chandler fought so hard not to lose the love of his life after he had spent the majority of the series afraid of commitment which was tear-inducing.
As happy as Rachel and Phoebe are for the newly engaged couple, the fear of loneliness slows creeps up on them. Hence, they turn to their remaining guy friends – Joey and Ross – as their marriage backups. The episode ends with Chandler and Moncie slowly dancing to ‘Wonderful Tonight’ in their candle-lit apartment.
The One With All The Resolutions
This ‘Friends‘ episode from season five is a rare episode where all of the friends have individual moments to shine as they commit to their new year’s resolution. Ross’s idea of trying a new thing every day, while Chandler agrees not to make fun of his friends. Rachel promises not to gossip and Monica wants to capture every moment with her new camera. And as Pheobe being Pheobe, wants to fly a commercial plane. Joey tries to learn a skill that is mentioned in his resume.
But none of their resolutions lasts till the end of the episode. Ross gets stuck in his leather pants and advice from Joey does no good. Rachel cannot stay away from gossip especially when she learns about Monica and Chandler. While attempting to learn to play guitar from Pheobe, he breaks her guitar. And Chandler cannot stop himself from making fun of his friends.
The One With The Blackout
Just when Ross builds up the courage to ask out Rachel, someone interrupts, stealing Rachel from him. The entire city is under Blackout, and the gang is assembled at Monica’s apartment meanwhile Chandler is stuck at an ATM vestibule with a supermodel Jill Goodacre.
The others kill time in Monica’s apartment, lit by the light from a Menorah, telling stories of the weirdest places they ever had sex. While returning the cat to its owner, Rachel bumps into Paolo. She brings Paolo back to the apartment where he outstrips Ross’s flirting, despite not being able to speak English.
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The One With Unagi
‘Friends’ have given us many new lingoes, which are widely used even today. This episode highlights the importance of self-awareness in a hilarious manner. Ross scares Rachel and Pheobe, lecturing them about the art of ‘Unagi’, and to take revenge the girls bust Ross’s ass, as he sneaks into Pheobe’s apartment.
Meanwhile, Monica and Chandler forget to make each other presents for their anniversary. This leads to her feeling so guilty she decides to “cook whatever” he wants in the kitchen and “do whatever” he wants in the bedroom until she pops in the mixed tape he gifted her turned out to be his ex Janice Joey hires another actor to pretend to be his identical twin to earn money from a scientific study.
The One With Ross Wedding: Part 2
This episode serves as one of the biggest cliffhangers of the show, the fourth season finale follows the gang in London for Ross’s wedding to Emily Despite numerous failed attempts by pregnant Pheobe, Rachel decides to fly to London and confess her feelings for Ross.
While the season saw Ross and Rachel dancing around how they still loved each other, despite his quick engagement to another woman, no one saw Monica and Chandler hooking upcoming. Thus when Ross’s wedding ended with Emily, there was something beautiful brewed up between Monica and Chandler.
The One With The Football
This episode from season three is totally relatable to all the sibling duos out there. Every Thanksgiving episode is special because it has been a tradition of this long-running sitcom. The episode brings back renewed energy by diving into the deep sibling rivalry between Monica and Ross through a game of touch football.
It turns into so much more when Phoebe gets to play her first game of football ever while Rachel is constantly underestimated by her best friend and boyfriend. The game ultimately switches to girls vs boys. Meanwhile, Joey and Chandler fighting over the same girl kinda drags this episode down a bit, but that troll doll nailed to a 2×4 block of wood and how hard the Gellers compete to win it.
The One With The Last Night
It is the end of the era! Monica and Chandler take a huge leap in their relationship- moving in together, which means Rachel moving out. The episode deals with all of the ups and downs of the emotions that come with that by seeing Rachel and Monica get into a ridiculous fight over dividing things in the apartment.
Chandler worries over Joey’s ability to pay the bills, so he invents a game, Cups through which Joey can win money without realizing he was being given charity and ends up losing all the money. Meanwhile, to get out of packing and moving things, Ross builds a fake Ben with pumpkin, which later gets hilariously rolled off, forcing Ross to them the girl’s pack.
The One With The Last One: Part 2
The finale episode of the show left the fan with many tear-jerking moments. The end of the series laid a foundation for all the character’s futures. Monica and Chandler enter into parenthood, with baby twins. Pheobe and Mike are all set to move into the suburbs.
The most emotional segment was Rachel getting off the plane and getting back together with Ross. It felt as though the entire gang, except Joey, is moving forward in their lives. Finally, the gang leaves their set of keys on the counter and leaves the apartment to get coffee for the last time.
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