There was something about Friends that made it more than just a show, the connection we had with the characters was remarkable for a sitcom, it was really like they were our friends and we followed their ups and downs for 10 glorious years.
It was also a very funny show particularly in the first 5 seasons where the writing was of a consistently high quality and the Ross and Racheal story arc kept us glued to the screen.
Contents
1. The One With the Prom Video
Season 2, Episode 14
Lauded as one of the best Friends episodes of all time, The One With the Prom Video is a trip down memory lane for the Friends when they find a home video of their prom night. Monica was a big girl with a big heart; Chandler had always been a bit of a jerk, and Ross had always loved Rachel.
Best line:
“See, he’s her lobster” – Phoebe.
2. The One With the Football
Season 3, Episode 9
Those competitive Geller’s decide to go head-to-head in a friendly Thanksgiving game of football. But it’s not long before the ‘friendly’ game turns into a sibling rivalry that threatens to ruin Thanksgiving for everyone.
No wonder their parents banned them from ever playing again! Insults are thrown – who can forget ‘Cheater, cheater, compulsive eater!’? And Joey and Chandler develop a rivalry of their own for the heart of a beautiful Dutch girl.
Best joke:
Chandler: Hold on a second, Joe. Where do Dutch people come from?
Joey: Well, the Pennsylvania Dutch come from Pennsylvania.
Chandler: And the other Dutch people? They come from somewhere near the Netherlands, right?
Joey: Nice try. The Netherlands is this make-believe place where Peter Pan and Tinker Bell come from.
3. The One Where Ross Finds Out
Season 2, Episode 7
A very jealous Rachel claims she’s over Ross and goes on a date with another guy, only to get upset (and very drunk) and calls Ross to tell him she’s over him, but it’s clear from the message that she’s anything but.
Funniest moment: Monica gives Chandler some extra motivation to work out after agreeing to flash him her boobs if he does a certain amount of sit ups.
Best joke:
Rachel: Oh, my God. Ross, no. Hang up the phone. Give me the phone! Give me the- [Rachel jumps on Ross’s back and grabs the phone, throwing it in the sink]
Ross: You’re over me?
Rachel: Oh, God.
Ross: You’re-
Rachel: Oh, God.
Ross: You’re over me?
Rachel: Oh, God.
Ross: When were you… when were you under me?
4. The One Where No-One’s Ready
Season 3, Episode 2
Ross just couldn’t hurry his Friends to get ready to go to an important speech of his. This even caused a fight with girlfriend Rachel, who was taking an age to get ready as she couldn’t decide what to wear.
Chandler and Joey decided to inexplicably argue over a chair – a storyline which resolves with Joey wearing every item of Chandler’s clothing – without underwear! 10 out of 10 for grossness.
Best joke:
Joey: Okay, buddy boy, here it is. You hide my clothes, I’m wearing everything you own.
Chandler: Oh, my God! That is so not the opposite of taking somebody’s underwear!
Joey: Look at me! I’m Chandler. Could I be wearing any more clothes? Maybe if I wasn’t going commando.
Chandler: [groans]
Joey: Yeah. I tell you, it’s hot with all this stuff on. I better not do any, I don’t know, lunges.
5. The One Where Eddie Won’t Go
Season 2, Episode 19
Chandler freaks out after he discovers that Eddie has been watching him while he sleeps. Unsurprisingly enough he asks him to leave, only for Eddie to forget he said it! It doesn’t help poor Joey, though, who needs to move back in as he’s struggling to pay his bills.
The girls have struggles of their own after finding a book that empowers them to be ‘Goddesses” that don’t let ‘men steal their wind’. Crazy!
Best joke:
Phoebe: Are you sure this time?
Chandler: Yes, I actually saw him leave this time. I mean right now that guy is… standing in the window holding a human head! He’s standing in the window holding a human head!
Eddie: Check it out, man. I tore it off some mannequin in the alley behind Macy’s.
Monica: There’s no alley behind Macy’s.
Eddie: So I got it in the Junior Miss department. Big diff.
6. The One With Chandler in a Box
Season 4, Episode 8
Joey refuses to forgive Chandler after he kisses Kathy, which prompts him to sentence Chandler to spend six hours confined in a wooden box. Monica goes to the ophthalmologist and is treated by her partner’s son Timothy, who she has the hots for and invites him for Thanksgiving.
Best line:
Monica: Fine. Judge all you want to. But married a lesbian, left a man at the altar, fell in love with a gay ice dancer, threw a girl’s wooden leg in the fire, lives in a box.
7. The One With All the Resolutions
Season 5, Episode 11
All of the gang make their New Year’s resolutions, with Joey asking Phoebe to teach him to play the guitar. As part of his New Year’s resolution, Ross wears leather trousers to a date. What could go wrong?
Ross decides to have a ‘new thing every day’ resolution, which somehow leads to a bet where Chandler can’t make fun of people for a whole week, which is absolute torture for Mr. Bing!
Best joke:
Ross: You know what, I am gonna be happy this year. I am gonna make myself happy.
Chandler: Do you want us to leave the room or …?
8. The One With the Bullies
Season 2, Episode 21
Ross and Chandler meet a couple of bullies in Central Perk after one of them steals Chandler’s cap, so rather than confront them the pair decide to start making coffee at home instead.
Finally, the pair decides they’re not standing for it anymore and go back to the coffee shop, where they get into a fight with pickpockets. Their saviours are an unlikely pair – the bullies stand by their side.
Best joke:
Rachel: How did you make $17?
Monica: Well, my financially challenged friends I split my money and I bought some shares of CHP and ZXY.
Joey: How come those?
Monica: Well, CHP because I used to have a crush on Erik Estrada. And ZXY because I think it sounds “zexy.”
Rachel: What happened to MEG?
Monica: MEG was good for me, but I dumped her. My motto is, “Get out before they go down.”
Joey: That is so not my motto.
9. The One With the Jellyfish
Season 4, Episode 1
You know your friendship is close when you’re comfortable allowing your buddy to pee on you! That’s exactly what happened in this episode after Monica gets stung by a jellyfish and Chandler steps up to the mark and pees on her leg to relieve the pain.
Ross and Rachel also make up and then break up on this show after Ross refuses to say their previous hiatus was all his fault.
Best joke:
Rachel: And hey, just so you know. It’s not that common. It doesn’t happen to every guy. And it is a big deal!
Chandler: I knew it!
10. The One With Ross’s Tan
Season 10, Episode 3
Ross is jealous of Monica’s tan so decides to go to the salon where she got sprayed. Phoebe and Monica try to ignore a woman with a fake British accent who used to live in the apartment block.
Funniest moment: Ross doesn’t turn when he gets spray tanned, meaning his back is white, and his front is deep mahogany.
Best line:
Ross: Hey, I know where that is. It used to be an X-Rated video…florist.
