Top 8 Friends Episodes

The top episode on this list has to be The One With The Embryos (Season 4). There are two main plot lines through this episode. The first follows Phoebe undergoing the process of becoming a surrogate mother for her brother Frank Jr and his lover Alice. First off, anytime that Frank Jr. had screen time on the show he absolutely nailed it. His random, jumpy, goofy personality is always hysterical to watch, especially in this high-pressure situation.  

 

The other plot line begins as a result of a simple $10 bet between Joey, Chandler, Monica, and Rachel. The guys win the bet by correctly guessing every item Rachel has in her shopping bag, as Ross hilariously commentates the challenge. Monica, being her insanely competitive self, cannot handle losing and immediately demands a rematch for $100 with more personal questions. This turns into a full-on trivia battle between Joey and Chandler and Monica and Rachel, with Ross making questions about the gang. The wager evolves to the point where if the girls win, the boys must give up their beloved rooster and duck. However, if the boys win, they get the girls apartment. The game is ultimately decided when neither girl can determine what Chandler does for a living. Much to Rachel’s dismay, the guys move in to their apartment.  

 

 

Back to Phoebe, Frank Jr and Alice bring her a pregnancy test and she takes it. Soon after, she comes out of the bathroom, declaring its positive; she is pregnant with her brother’s baby. This ends all the bickering between Monica Chandler Rachel and Joey as they in turn all celebrate the happy news, ending the episode in a rather sweet moment in all of their lives.  

 

 

At this point in the Friends world, Monica and Chandler have been engaging in a secret relationship unbeknownst to any of the friends, aside from Rachel and Joey, for several months. As the title of this episode suggests, that is all about to change.  

At the beginning of the episode we learn that Ugly Naked Guy is moving, so Ross, who is in the hunt for an apartment, decides to go check out his place. As you probably remember, one of the features of the apartment is that it is directly across from Rachel and Monica’s apartment, meaning they can each see into the other person’s apartment. While Ross is viewing the apartment with Rachel and Phoebe, Phoebe sees Monica and Chandler having sex through the window, shocking her to the core.  

 

Rachel tells her how she already knows and the two begin to gossip about their relationship. They then go to Joey, and the three of them decide that instead of confronting their friends about their relationship, they will mess with them.  

The sequence of Rachel and Phoebe messing with Monica and Chandler provide some of the best laughs of the episode. One of the ideas they come up with is for Phoebe to aggressively flirt with Chandler to get him to admit he is loyal to Monica. Yet Monica and Chandler quickly catch on, thanks to Monica saying that it is impossible that Phoebe is flirting with Chandler because she is attracted to him.  

Flip to Ross for a moment. He thinks he is going to be able to bribe Ugly Naked Guy by giving him a muffin basket, only to realize that he has received many gifts from bidders such as a pinball machine.  

Monica and Chandler decide that Chandler will flirt back with Phoebe. She is initially surprised, but then realizes that Chandler and Monica know that she knows about them, and that this is part of their scheme.  

Flip back to Ross for a second. He goes to visit Ugly Naked Guy and one thing leads to another, Ross gets naked as well and the two eat his muffins.  

Phoebe arrives for her date with Chandler. Monica is hiding in the bathroom advising Chandler what to do, while simultaneously, Rachel is hiding outside advising Phoebe what to do. Chandler suggests some music, and Phoebe starts dancing for him.  

During a brief break in which Chandler and Phoebe confer with their respective advisers, Joey rips open Phoebe’s shirt to end all of this, telling Rachel and Phoebe that Chandler is afraid of bras.  

 

The date culminates in Chandler surrendering, telling Phoebe that he’s in love with Monica. This is a touching moment as Monica comes out of the bathroom and Rachel and Joey enter the room as the couple declare their love for each other in front of the gang.  

 

Yet there is still one more member of the gang who does not know. Ross is still in Ugly Naked Guy’s apartment, and as he looks through the window and the end credits begin to show, he sees Chandler and Monica having sex. The episode ends with him furiously screaming for Chandler to get off his sister.  

 

 

This episode, like most Friends episodes, has several different things going on all at once, so it is best to discuss each plot line individually before evaluating the episode as a whole.  

Let’s start with everybody’s favorite bromance, Joey and Chandler. As a thank you for being his financial backbone, Joey gives Chandler an engraved gold bracelet. Chandler hates it but fails to be subtle about it as Joey soon hears him trashing it to Phoebe. Chandler, in his typical clumsiness, loses the bracelet so he panics and buys another one. However, he soon finds the original bracelet. Now having two, he decides to give one of them to Joey, and all is right in Joey and Chandler world again.  

 

Next, we have Ross and Rachel. Previously, Rachel found a list that Ross had created in which he discussed all the reasons he shouldn’t date Rachel. Obviously hurt, Rachel tells him that they will never be a couple much to his devastation. Ross has given up hope, when Monica saves the day with the help of an unlikely ally: her high school prom video.  

The gang plays the video, and we are subjected to some of the best quality from Friends flashbacks. The video, taking place at the Gellers house, shows Monica and Rachel getting ready for their senior prom. One of the more humorous aspects of the video is Rachel’s nose. It is almost as large as Monica was.  

 

Disaster strikes as Rachel’s date seems to have stood her up! Yet unknown to Rachel, Ross tries to step in and save the day, even putting on his father’s tux and grabbing a flower bouquet, all for her. However just as Ross is coming down the stairs, we see Rachel’s date show up and her and Monica leave with their dates. The camera then pans to a depressing (yet goofy) shot of Ross. It is hard to laugh at his despair but c’mon look at that hair and that stache.  

 

Flash forward to real time as the gang sees the dramatic ending play out, Rachel is deeply moved by Ross’ gesture. This culminates in a touching moment as she walks over to Ross and kisses him, launching the Ross and Rachel era.  

This episode is amazing, not just because we get to see fat Monica, big-nose Rachel, and afro-stache Ross, but because Ross and Rachel finally can begin their relationship. We have watched Ross’ heart break over Rachel time and time again, and we have seen how Rachel was devastated when he was dating Julie, so this moment is what every Friends fan was dying for.
 

Another season 6 episode on our list and another episode featuring the gang celebrating a Holiday, this time it is Thanksgiving.  

The episode begins with Monica revealing to Chandler that her parents, who are both coming to Thanksgiving dislike Chandler. As Chandler makes every effort to woo the Geller parents, it becomes evident that they dislike him very very much, yet he still does not know why.  

Rachel is given the task of making dessert for everybody, yet because the cook book pages get stuck together, she accidentally makes ½ of a trifle and ½ of a Shepherd’s pie. The result is a disgusting combination of ladyfingers, jam, custard, raspberries, beef sautéed with peas and onions, a little more custard, bananas, then whipped cream. Aside from being terrible, this creates other problems for Ross and Joey.  

 

To understand why this was problematic for Ross and Joey, let’s talk about Joey’s sexy dancer roommate Janine. She invites Ross and Joey to spend Thanksgiving with her and her hot friends, leaving the boys very conflicted. They are obligated to stay at Monica’s apartment, but are dying to go drink and party with Janine and her friends. Because of their rush to go, they choose not to tell anybody about Rachel’s mix-up, causing everybody to choke down the disgusting dessert. Everybody that is, except Joey, who likes it.  

Now, back to Chandler versus the Geller parents. Ross figures out why his and Monica’s parents hate Chandler. Essentially, one day when Ross and Chandler were roommates in college, Ross smoked pot in their room. This would not be a big deal (many people experiment with recreational drugs in college) however, Ross’ parents walked in immediately after, so Ross blamed it on Chandler, saying he smoked pot then jumped out the window. So since then, the Gellers have hated Chandler, believing him to be a bad influence on Ross.  

Monica forces Ross to tell his parents the truth, which spirals into an all-out war between Monica and Ross in which they tell their parents secrets about each other. Some of the most memorable include: Ross was fired from the museum, Ross married Rachel and got a third divorce, and ultimately Ross blurts out that Monica and Chandler live together.  

 

However, this culminates in a nice moment, as the Gellers end up thanking Chandler for supporting Ross through all his troubles and show gratitude that he is now taking care of Monica as well. As a Friends fan, it is nice to see Chandler win one.  

 

It is an all-around entertaining episode, highlighted by both classic Friends comedy as well as the advancement of Chandler and Monica’s relationship.

Like all Friends episodes, The One With Unagi is an instant classic. There is a lot going on in this episode, so let’s first look at each character’s unique situation.  

Since Chandler has moved in with Monica, Joey is no longer able to mooch off him. Given his sub-par acting skills, he is broke. To fix this, he decides to participate in medical experiments. In all his wisdom, he decides to take part in an identical win study, hiring an actor friend named Carl to play his twin. The two might’ve gotten away with it if not for the fact that it was a stupid plan and they look nothing alike. They are pictured below for reference.  

Let’s move on to Monica and Chandler. Because Monica was working during Valentine’s Day, they decided to celebrate the romantic holiday late. They also decide to make each other presents this year but they both have forgotten to do so. In the 11th hour, Chandler finds a mixed tape in his closet and gives it to Monica. Monica gives him a sock monkey that Phoebe made. Monica feels guilty because she believes that Chandler worked hard to make her the tape, so she tells Chandler she will cook him anything he wants in the kitchen and do anything he wants in the bedroom. Chandler seems to be getting away with his white lie nicely, until the couple listens to the tape at dinner and hears Janice’s nasally voice telling Chandler she loves him. It becomes clear the Janice made Chandler the tape while they were dating, and Monica banishes him to the couch.  

Lastly, we have Rachel, Phoebe, and Ross. After taking a self-defense class, Rachel and Phoebe brag about their fighting abilities. As usual, Ross feels the need to assert his dominance, telling them that during his years of Karate (he pronounces it karatayy) he learned a concept called Unagi, which is a total state of awareness.  

Rachel and Phoebe make fun of him, telling him there is no such thing, causing him to jump scare them later in their apartment. Rachel and Phoebe later get him back by scaring him in his apartment.  

 

This prompts him to attend the same self-defense class they took and ask the instructor how to fight off women from the point of view of the attacker. Because its Ross, this comes out extremely wrong and he leads the instructor to believe he enjoys attacking women, including his ex-wife (Rachel).  

In the closing credits, Ross sees two women resembling Rachel and Phoebe on the street. Thinking he has them cornered, he attacks them unsuccessfully. The episode closes as Phoebe and Rachel watch Ross get chased down the street by two women. Classic Geller.  

This season 2 episode has two main plot lines: The first is Ross and Chandler being bullied by two men at Central Perk (hence the title). The other is Phoebe making the decision to go meet her estranged father. 

Another thing to mention is that this episode takes place while Monica is in between jobs, causing her to invest in a stock with her initials (MEG) while watching the business channel. As you may of expect of somebody as driven as Monica, she quickly becomes obsessed and loses all the money she invested.  

All the bullying begins at Central Perk, when Ross and Chandler accidentally sit in two men’s seats on the couch. The men turn out to be “actual bullies”, as Ross calls them, and one of them steals Chandler’s hat. Ross, trying to be reasonable, tells the men to give the hat back because it is a “special hat”, citing how Chandler bought it to cheer himself up on a day he was feeling down. As you can imagine, this story does nothing to get the hat back, and instead (if you can believe it) makes Ross and Chandler seem even more weak and wimpy than before. 

 

Phoebe, accompanied by Joey and Rachel, drives out to her father’s house so she can finally meet him. However, when they get there they find themselves blocked from the house by a little dog who Phoebe frantically describes as a “yippity piece of crap”. The scene is funny not just because of the hilarious juxtaposition between the dog’s tininess and its aggression, but also because even the dog has no interest in a questionable sandwich Joey brought along, allowing for Rachel to deliver a classic line, “Joey, the dog will lick himself but he will not touch your sandwich, what does that say? 

 Back at Central Perk, it’s a new day and Ross and Chandler are relaxing on the couch when who walks in but the two bullies from the other day. They demand Ross and Chandler get out of “their seats” which prompts Ross to tell on them to Gunther. It is textbook Ross Geller not understanding how the things he says often reflect poorly. The bullies threaten to beat them up, so Ross and Chandler again leave the coffee house and retreat to the apartment. 

Meanwhile, Phoebe finally makes it pass the dog, only to learn that her father has left the home four years ago, leaving behind Phoebe’s younger brother, Frank Jr. Phoebe and Frank Jr. begin talking and decide to get together again in the future. It’s a touching moment for Phoebe, because even though Frank Jr gives off some weird vibes, the disappointment of not meeting her father is reduced by the excitement of potentially building a relationship with her little brother.  

 

Finally deciding to stand their ground, Ross and Chandler return to Central Perk. Despite their cowardliness throughout the episode, it is respectable that they even went back. However, it becomes less and less respectable as they swallow down their coffee in a matter of seconds in a race to leave Central Perk and continue avoiding the bullies.  

Yet inevitably the bullies arrive, and the four men retire to the street to fight. Chandler asks if he can use his watch as a weapon, which causes the four men to put all their keys and watches in a hat to the side so nobody can use them as weapons. Then Ross hilariously asks, “are we hitting faces?”, because he is worried about a big presentation he has on Monday. One bully berates him but the other likes the “no face idea”, because he too must work the next day. So, the men establish no faces, and no hitting from the waist down, (because of course one of the bully’s wives is ovulating).

As the men are about to fight, they ironically notice that two other guys have stolen the hat containing their keys and watches, and they chase after them. 

 Soon after, the four men return to Central Perk congratulating each other on beating those other guys up. We soon learn that Chandler, true to form, tripped over a little girls jump-rope and missed the entire fight. The bullies and Ross and Chandler realize that they are fine with each other, so Chandler asks for his hat back, but the bully says no. So then, Chandler grabs the hat and sprints for the door, but trips and falls down.  

 There are two things that solidify this episode’s place on the list. The first is the hysterical relationship arc between Ross, Chandler, and the two bullies. What starts as a hostile relationship, slowly shifts to them collaborating to establish the rules for their fight (which is probably the funniest scene of the episode), to ultimately teaming up against a shared enemy. The other great part of this episode is Phoebe meeting her brother, as he has the potential to be the only positive familial relationship in Phoebe’s life, so it is very sweet to see.  

 

I have said it many times before and I will say it many times again. Season 5 of Friends has the funniest moments of the show. Our 7th spot on the list certainly supports that claim.  

It begins with Phoebe and the gang rushing to the hospital to deliver triplets for her brother Frank. Joey is documenting the day with a video camera, resulting in some crude moments, such as when he attempts to film under Phoebe’s dress to “get the before shot” or when he creates a video message for the boy baby to watch in the future, during which he flips through a Playboy magazine.  

Phoebe panics as her doctor has a weird obsession with Fonzie. Her concern seems rational, and she brings up a good point: would you want a grown man telling you that you are “dilated a-mundo”? However, the only other option is a doctor who Phoebe deems too young, so she is stuck with the Fonzie obessed one.  

Rachel gets Monica and herself dates with two male nurses, putting pressure on Chandler and Monica’s secret “relationship”. Chandler finds out about the dates, causing him to freak out and become defensive, telling Monica that he and her were just “goofing around”. When Chandler eventually meets the nurse, he is visibly shaken, even calling him girly for being a nurse, not a doctor. Dan the nurse proceeds to shut him up by explaining that he is simply doing it so he can put himself through medical school, and that being a nurse didn’t feel so girly during the Gulf War. Chandler is left with no comeback except to awkwardly thank him. (seen below)

At this point, Joey learns that he has kidney stones. Refusing to let the doctor remove the stones by going through a procedure, he is left with no option but to pass them naturally. Phoebe pregnancy and Joey’s ordeal mirror each other, with Ross coaching Joey through the procedure as any supporting father/husband should. (seen below) Phoebe gives birth to three healthy babies, and Joey passes three kidney stones.

Soon after, Chandler and Monica have a nice moment in which Chandler says that he defines “goofing around” as “two friends who care a lot about each other, and have amazing sex, and just want to spend more time together.” (seen below) This makes it clear to Monica that they are in fact in a defined romantic relationship after all. 

The episode ends with a touching moment between Phoebe and the triplets, as she holds all three, telling them she will miss them greatly, but is excited to be their favorite aunt. (seen below) I would venture a guess that Phoebe and the babies are not the only people crying from this interaction.  

This episode makes the list for three reasons. The first is because it is the first time that viewers can see that Monica and Chandler are serious about each other, which paves the way for a beautiful future. The second is the genius parallels between Phoebe’s pregnancy and Joey’s kidney stones. Ross and Joey share an entertaining interaction as Joey is overwhelmed with pain, begging Ross for drugs as Ross attempts to help him through the process. The third reason this episode makes the list is because we get to see a unique side of Phoebe. She is rarely sensitive throughout the series, often portrayed as a kooky badass, but as she holds the triplets in her arms, realizing she can’t keep them, she is overcome with emotion and Friends fans love to see it. 

#8 The One With All the Resolutions:  

Ahh, New Year’s Eve the best time to relax with friends and family and make resolutions that you will inevitable abandon before January is over. This is certainly the case for several members of the gang in this hilarious season 5 episode. Ross begins the declarations by making the resolution to do something new every single day. Phoebe then makes the resolution to pilot a commercial jet, Chandler’s resolution is to not make fun of any of his friends, Joey’s resolution is to learn the guitar, Rachel’s is to not gossip, and Monica’s is to take more pictures of the group. Asides from Phoebe’s, these are all pretty realistic resolutions, however as the episode continues, those same resolutions become seemingly impossible.  

When Phoebe volunteers to help Joey with his resolution by teaching him the guitar, Joey was expecting standard guitar lessons. He was certainly not expecting her bizarre methods. I mean seriously when he knew Phoebe was teaching him, why would he have expected to learn the actual cords when he could instead learn the made-up names Phoebe made for the way her hand looks while she is playing? As it can be seen in the image below, Chandler desperately attempts to keep his resolution and not make fun of her as she lists the ridiculous names, including “Bear claw” and “Old Lady”.  

Later, Ross shows up to the apartment wearing extremely tight leather pants, which is hysterical enough on its own, I mean c’mon man, look at these pants.   

As if that isn’t enough, he then makes the brilliant decision to wear his new pants on a date, resulting in the comedic peak of this episode. The pants make him very hot, so like any well minded adult, he takes them off in the bathroom and tries to cool himself with water. The pants shrink due to the sweat, so Ross panickily enlists Joey’s help, who suggests powdering his legs, then “throwing” some Vaseline on his legs. It creates a gross white paste (see below) and of course does not help his situation at all. David Schwimmer’s performance is perfect, complete with moans and typical awkward Ross noises, and as audience you cannot help but laugh as you can literally feel his hysteria mounting.  

 

 In other news, Phoebe becomes upset when Joey secretly studies the real cords and insults her teaching methods. However, he later apologizes, and she forgives him, telling him that he is finally ready to touch a guitar. As he plays his first chord, he drops her guitar on the floor in typical clumsy Joey fashion.  

The episode ends in a post credits scene where Chandler finally gives in and berates the group for all the things they have said or done in the last day including Phoebe’s desire to fly a plane, and Ross’ leather pants. By the time he is finished he acts as if he has just run a marathon, showing how exhausting it was for him not to make fun of the group.  

This episode makes the list almost entirely based on Ross’ plot line. Some of the greatest moments on the show come from Ross’ awkward antics, so watching him tearfully struggling to pull on leather pants while covered in paste? That is comedic gold. Another reason that this episode makes the list is Phoebe. Phoebe is obviously a very quirky and random character, and that is on full display throughout this episode. She provides countless laughs ranging from her logic that if she hangs around the airport long enough then somebody will leave a plane unattended for her to fly, to her absolutely absurd methods of teaching Joey the guitar. These two characters’ plot lines help land this episode at #8 on the Top 8 Friends episodes.