Friends, a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004, is widely regarded as one of the most popular TV shows of all time. The show chronicled the lives of six friends, Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), and Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), living in New York City. Over the course of its ten-year run, Friends delivered countless memorable moments and episodes. Here are the best Friends episodes of all time:
“The One with the Blackout” (Season 1, Episode 7)
In “The One with the Blackout,” the seventh episode of the first season of “Friends,” a citywide blackout leads to a series of comedic events. Chandler gets trapped in an ATM vestibule with Victoria’s Secret model Jill Goodacre, where he awkwardly tries to impress her. This leads to a hilarious incident where Chandler accidentally chews someone else’s gum and chokes, only to be saved by Jill. They end up spending the night together, playing games in the vestibule.
“The One Where Ross and Rachel Take A Break” (Season 3, Episode 15)
This episode revolves around the relationship between Ross and Rachel. Ross becomes jealous of Rachel’s new coworker, Mark, and after a heated argument, Rachel suggests that they “take a break”. Ross is devastated by this, and in a moment of weakness, ends up sleeping with another woman. When Rachel finds out, they have a big argument, and the episode ends with them breaking up. The episode is famous for the line “WE WERE ON A BREAK!,” which has become a pop culture reference.
“The One with Ross’s Wedding” (Season 4, Episodes 23-24)
In this two-part episode, Ross travels to London to marry Emily, but chaos ensues when Rachel shows up at the airport to tell him she loves him, which goes terribly awry. Meanwhile, the plot thickens when the rest of the friends travel to London for the wedding, where Chandler has a fling with Joey’s sister, and Phoebe sings at the reception.
“The One After Ross Says Rachel” (Season 5, Episode 1)
In the “Friends” episode “The One After Ross Says Rachel,” the storyline continues from Ross mistakenly saying Rachel’s name instead of Emily’s during their wedding vows. Emily, visibly upset, locks herself in the bathroom at the reception and later escapes through the bathroom window. Ross tries to find her and eventually waits at their hotel room. He convinces Emily’s father to tell her to meet him at the airport for their honeymoon.
“The One with All the Thanksgivings” (Season 5, Episode 8)
In one of the many popular Thanksgiving episodes, the friends reminisce about their worst Thanksgivings, leading to a series of hilarious flashbacks. This episode is also notable for the infamous “Turkey on the head” scene, in which Monica dons a turkey on her head to cheer up Chandler.
“The One With All The Resolutions” (Season 5, Episode 11)
In this episode, Ross faces a challenging situation with his leather pants. While on a date with a woman named Elizabeth, Ross decides to wear his newly purchased leather pants in an attempt to impress her.
However, once in the bathroom, he realizes that he cannot pull them back up due to sweating. As Ross attempts to pull the pants back up, he begins to panic and tries, hilariously, to use lotion and baby powder, ending in disaster. One of the best David Schwimmer episodes for sure.
“The One With the Cop” (Season 5, Episode 16)
In the Friends episode “The One With the Cop,” there’s a famous couch scene involving Ross, Rachel, and Chandler. Ross, after buying a new couch, decides to avoid delivery charges by carrying it himself with Rachel’s help. The couch transportation becomes a comedic struggle, especially when they attempt to move it up a narrow stairwell with Chandler.
The most iconic part of this scene is when Ross repeatedly yells “PIVOT!” while trying to maneuver the couch through a tight corner on the stairs. Despite their efforts, the couch gets stuck between landings and eventually ends up cut in half.
“The One With the Routine” (Season 6, Episode 10)
In this episode, Monica and Ross ring in the New Year at Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve Party. They’re joined by Joey and Janine, played by Elle Macpherson. In order to get noticed by producers and ensuring a spot on the show, they re-enact a dance routine from middle school , ending in hysterics and massive applause. This episode is also memorable for the kiss between Joey and Janine.
“The One with the Proposal” (Season 6, Episodes 24-25)
In this two-part episode, Chandler plans to propose to Monica, but his plans are derailed when Richard, Monica’s ex-boyfriend, shows up. Meanwhile, Joey auditions for a new TV show, and Ross tries to prevent Rachel from discovering that he’s in love with her. This episode is memorable for the emotional proposal scene.
“The One with the Rumor” (Season 8, Episode 9)
In this Thanksgiving-themed episode, Ross invites his high school friend, Will (Brad Pitt), to join the gang for dinner. However, it is revealed that Will and Ross were part of a club in high school that founded a rumor about Rachel, causing tension and hilarity to ensue. This episode is notable for the guest appearance of Brad Pitt (who was married to Jennifer Aniston at the time).
“The Last One” (Season 10, Episodes 17-18)
In the final episode of the series, the friends reflect on their time together and face the prospect of moving on with their lives. Chandler and Monica prepare to move to the suburbs, and Rachel decides to leave New York for a new job in Paris. The episode culminates in a touching final scene in Monica’s apartment where they say goodbye for the last time. This episode became one of the most-watched moments in television history, with 52.5 million viewers tuning in.
Friends delivered countless unforgettable moments over the course of its ten-year run and left fans with tons of great episodes to watch over and over again. These are the best Friends episodes in our opinion, and we sincerely hope you enjoy watching them (Rest in Peace, Matthew Perry!)