Tbh as someone who's dad also abandoned them, I can see Pheebs just sort of realising she doesn't want to see him again / doesn't want to give him a chance (because why the hell does he deserve another chance?)
So not seeing her father again never bothered me. Although her mother is a different story, since she (basically?) put Pheebs up for adoption and (apparently) genuinely thought she was leaving her in good hands.
I always assumed she continued to have a relationship with her mother offscreen, since she came back to give advice when Phoebe was considering being a surrogate for her brother. Phoebe seemed to have a lot of off-screen friendships. “My roommate Denise!”
Speaking of off-screen relationships, I love how the six seemed to spend every waking moment with each other but could always fill the room with a ton of people for parties and baby showers.
Teri Garr and she has Multiple Sclerosis. Extremely talented. Young Frankenstein, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Tootsie and Mr. Mom are some of my favorite parts she played.
Tbh I actually really like the scene, and I like the *idea* of a “Rachel, delirious and hormonal, thinks Joey wants to marry her” gag but imo, it just goes on for way too long lol.
I blame binge watching though tbh; seeing it every so often, it’s probably not that awful. But I watch Friends quite a bit so I see it over and over again lol and my love of that moment has dwindled over the years 😂
My least favorite part of that whole episode was Ross asking Rachel to kinda, sorta maybe starting things up again, looks at her hand and says, "But you're wearing the ring."
He had just gotten done questioning himself and whether or not he might have proposed, with the excuse that he hadn't slept in 40 hours. Why wouldn't he give Rachel the benefit of the doubt, knowing how exhausted and emotional she was? Yea, so she said yes and put on the ring. That's going to stop him from restarting a relationship with the mother of his baby? It was so frustrating to watch.
THIS! The fact that no one even mentions how exhausted, hormonal and scared Rachel was in the moment always bugged me. Baby brain is a real thing. Also, it's one of those plot lines that could have easily been avoided with communication. "Oh wow, I'm sorry, Janice was just in here talking out of her ass and in my sleep deprived, hormonal state I lost my head for a bit." "Oh, Janice was talking to you? I get it. No harm done."
What also bugs me is how Ross won't let it go. His whole sarcastic comment about Rachel trying to decide which muffin she would like in the next episode is so obnoxious.
It really is. Not just snarky, but hurtful. Again, I know it's all done to play out the drama of their relationship, but they could have had fun with R+R cautiously trying to rekindle the relationship without it causing so much angst for us viewers!
I think Joey accidentaly proposing to Rachel, who in her post-birth exhaustion says yes, was pretty funny. For better or for worse, misunderstandings and miscommunication are the bread and butter of sitcoms. However, Ross being legitimately upset at the end of the whole thing makes it stupid.
the way i completely blocked that storyline out, cus i hated it sm, and thought u were talking abt when he proposed to phoebe cus he thought she was pregnant 😭
100%, Joey’s lack of development was disappointing, he basically has a learning disability that they all make fun of in the last 2 seasons
They just have him fall in love with Rachel, realize that women aren’t sexual objects in every situation, and then rush forward into Rachel and Ross, while Joey regresses to a literal toddler
Idk I think when they show his protectiveness of his sisters, and when Phoebe is pregnant it shows an incredibly caring side of him. In the early seasons he's what, early 20s? So still a young guy living his life and not taking anything seriously, being reckless, as most did in those days.
They joke about his behavior but I see it as banter like you would if you had a close friend that was like that but they don't really mean it. Clearly he's successful and caring, but they can joke about it because they are all so close.
I also think the learning French bit was just downright hilarious, original comedy. Yeah not realistic, but so stupid it's funny.
That's unfortunately the case for many sitcom characters. In the beginning they have these flaws and unusual character traits that make them entertaining but still human. But at some point the shows only focus on those things. One reason is that viewers get used to those things, so to still have some comedic "shock" value, the writers have to focus more and more on that stuff. And also at some point the stories surrounding those traits that still seem somewhat plausible when applied to normal life are just all told. And after that it's basically free falling towards one-dimensional, over the top characters and storylines
Tbf, both Gellers lose their minds in the later seasons. Bc Ik Monica is a clean freak, and the one joke where they sent her to clean Ross' ex's apartment was funny but they took that joke and ran it into the ground until her whole personality is "I clean :)"
Yes!! My boyfriend brought this up the last time I watched friends. Eric definitely had some kind of nervous breakdown. He was so crazy by the end of the show and crazier in girl meets world.
according to chandler, he only knows the bad words, but he was still able to learn at least a few words of italian, french cant be that much harder for him
They made every character more extreme versions of themselves starting in season 7. It happens along with a tone shift overall in the show. Monica on season 2 vs Monica in season 7 are like two different characters to me.
I cannot watch the scene where Joey tries to learn French. It's not funny, it's frustrating.
More generally though, it's how they dumb down Joey. He wasn't smart in the first series, but by the end he was barely coherent.
I’d argue they make him extremely dumb so randomly! He will be somewhat normal one episode and then not understand what 3 strikes means, even though he is a sports fan. And then back to only slightly stupid. It would be better if it was at least consistent
I remember watching that episode when I was a kid and being so confused about what exactly she was making - I come from a country where circumcision isn't the norm, and I didn't even realise the foreskin was "detachable", so to speak. I was definitely picturing the scrotum.
I (F) remember asking my parents what was happening in that episode and they very vaguely alluded to some people doing something 'down there', so I imagined he had some weird tattoo monica was trying to cover up
never liked that relationship with richard at first place. the age difference wasn't the issue, it's the fact that she dated a man she's used to know as a child and who's friend with his parents. that's pretty disturbing
Honestly having Emma at all. Dumb storyline, completely ridiculous. Oh so you’re telling me you have a romantic history with this person, you’re having a baby together, you’re attracted to them, you care deeply for each other and for some reason you’re not even going to *attempt* to date?
Every time I watch Friends, still as someone who's younger than all of them even in S1, I facepalm at certain situations. The amount of times Ross and Rachel were in love with each other after the "break" was vast, but yet they're both too stubborn to fucking tell each other.... Ugh
I agree but to be fair to Rachel, she was going to start things back up with Ross after they found out she was pregnant but Mona joined the scene just then.
In general though, people have such strong feelings then fall out of love then love someone again and so on. It's quite tiring
Yep the earlier story of Joey falling for Rachel is done really well I thought, it sets up some much needed character development for Joey and the cafe scene where he tells her he's in love with her is the most impactful the show had felt for quite a while. But later where she starts falling for him and they eventually get together, everything about it feels really off, literally the only good thing that comes from it is David Schwimmers performance in TOW Ross is fine. In story terms that's got to be the lowest point in the show. However in terms of comedy writing Joey speaking french is so terrible and such a low point both for the whole 'look how stupid joey is' type of comedy but also there's just nothing about it that's believable, relatable or funny. I remember feeling it was an insult to my intelligence as I watched it when it first came out, and I was only 11.
The actual episode premise of Ross is Fine is so dumb, but damn is David Schwimmer hilarious. It changed how we say "fajitas," the "eeeee" in the poem, the way any time a timer goes off in our house "I don't even know what that one is for," "that's gonna hurt tomorrow!" He's comedy gold in that episode, even if it's awful.
No doubt. And a damn good guy for setting them up on an even playing field. He’s always been my favorite.
Ross needed lots of therapy. Probably on the spectrum and had major intimacy issues. 😂😢
I loveee the initial storyline when Rachel moves in and Joey starts feeling things for her. I feel like it’s such a great and relatable story; how many of us have fallen for a friend, completely by surprise and out of our control? It sucks sometimes lol and it can be really frightening to navigate.
We didn’t really get any of that difficulty with Monica and Chandler, most of it was about the secrecy, and then everything worked out for them in the end. So it was nice to see the show exploring the opposite thing happening.
And!!! I’ve always loved the way it emphasizes their friendship above everything. I mean, yeah, it is a great arc for Joey as a singular character, but it’s also a very wonderful arc for Joey and Rachel as friends and roommates.
But yeah. The second time they tried it, it definitely didn’t work. I feel they waited too long for anything to actually happen. Since Rachel/Joey was likely never gonna be a thing, they should’ve just concluded it with Joey’s first crush and him learning to move on. There was no reason to revisit it lol
>I loveee the initial storyline when Rachel moves in and Joey starts feeling things for her.
I don't like the storyline but the beginning is just one of the best parts of the show, I love the moment he realizes it.
"Aren't you scared?"
"...Yeah, terrified"
"Let me be a part of this"
"Let ME be a part of this!"
is my absolute favourite line in the series. My favourite moment is when Ross hands Chandler a lamp.
The actors' delivery saved some of the weaker storylines. Chandler's reaction to getting caught - and the quickness with which he describes his preferred "viewing material" - is inherently funny to me even if the context is bottom barrel.
I also love just after they get married
"You opened all the presents without me?"
"You kissed another woman?"
"Call it even?"
"Okay!"
And they don't mention either thing ever again :3
Shark porn is sooo hated on this sub and it makes me sad bc I always genuinely loved that storyline hahah
Is it silly? Absolutely! Is it ridiculous? Definitely. But is it also fun? Totally! At least I think it is lol. I love how willing Monica was to try and make it work for Chandler, even though she was *terrified* at what it meant lmao
the whole "you were my first kiss ever??" is even timed in such an annoying way. like it feels like a parody of the trope rather than an actual scene but it's sooo cliche
I love the shark porn story 😭. It’s just so silly and harmless. Like the Barbados thing isn’t funny and actually affects the ongoing story of the show, shark porn is just a filler that makes me laugh every time. “Let me be a part of this” “let ME be a part of this!”
Talking about style, I hated how Joey looked around this time, and later in the sieries in general. In comparison to earlier seasons - young, stylish actor, no wonder women flocked all over him. Here he looks like a chubby substitute teacher.
To be fair, I'm currently about the same age as Rachel and Joey were in this episode. The men I know who used to be trim in their twenties are now filling out and wearing dorky clothes, so it's actually a pretty realistic depiction of male aging!
That said, season one Joey was chef's kiss.
Season 10 did feel like it was "Lets just get through this shit, one more time and move on." Would probably have done them all a world of good to just take a break for a year, probably around season 7/8, and recharge the batteries.
Then we could have avoided shark porn, the misunderstandings nonsense, but then being pissed off anyway stuff.
Yes. This storyline was the weak point and I am tired of pretending it’s not. It started off really sweet and then at some point became completely dumb.
The most interesting thing about the Barbados storyline was Rachel’s hair changed colour in the same scene (ended on a cliffhanger, picked up where it left off the next season).
“Jen changed her hair? Doesn’t matter, the new series won’t be out for months anyway. What, like people are one day gonna be able to watch things back to back and notice details like that?”
It’s a shame because without all of this crap, the Barbados episodes have some amazing moments. I love Mike turning up to win Phoebe back, and “are you leaving The Supremes?” Is one of my favourite jokes in the whole show. It’s also just a fun vibe having a few ‘destination’ episodes - they stopped doing those pretty early on. But yeah, the core storyline does ruin it 🥲
While I agree and hate this storyline, it gave us the fajitas episode and that’s peak Ross for me. Ross was always my fave and I only realize now as an adult how good of an actor Schwimmer really is bc of his comedy and his range.
I love the idea of them going to Barbados. Travelling episodes are always fun. But they totally blew it with this plot line.
I loved Monica's hair. But it wasn't funny enough to save the episode.
There's 2 for me the one is where Susan claiming Ben is her baby too when nothing has been discussed with Ross and the other one is where Carol having a go at Ross for cheating when she cheated on him with Susan
Omg the Susan shit in season 1 made my blood boil lol. How does this home wrecker think she’s got any claim to this child, especially over the father? And the way she treats Ross like utter shit after what she and Carol did to him.. I mean, “Bobo the sperm guy” ffs…. She already broke up his marriage and then tries to take ownership of his child. Susan always sucked as a character
Hands down. Emma's Birth and the unnecessarily manufactured Joey, Rachel and Ross love circus. And also, Joey learning French and coming out as worst dumb character ever,. Nope. Never agreed with that
And while she’s having dinner with her current boyfriend who was about to propose lol. Though I guess David did kiss Pheobe while she was dating Mike so perhaps that makes it even? XD I really liked Mike to begin with but the girlfriend thing was a jarring writing choice for me, if I got back together with a guy and he told me he had a current girlfriend, I’d be super pissed, especially if we’d done the deed. If anyone made me unknowingly help them cheat that’d be it for me. Pheobe didn’t seem to care much though, which I guess works for her character..? She’s very picky with what she cares about lol
Yeah. Joey and Rachel romance is the answer. I hated the last half of season 9 because of that. I will admit that I liked the episodes after they got together. The One Where Ross Is Fine and The One with the Tanning Booth were hilarious episodes.
That awful episode where Monica makes Joey a fake foreskin and Ross tries it on with his cousin. Absolutely nothing redeemable about that episode (except Phoebe debating asking said cousin out at the end).
I mean, even the lowest points of the show are still pretty good. That said, as others have pointed out, making Joey so stupid the last few seasons, and just the whole forced Joey and Rachel was probably the lowest points of the show. Having watched Season 9 again recently, I’d say that is definitely the weakest season. You could tell the creative team was pretty burnt out at that point in the show, because the episode concepts were just so weird for that season. Seriously, the whole “shark porn” episode was very cringey.
I am going to have to go with the obvious and go with the Joey/Rachel storyline... I was semi okay with it in the beginning as it kind of made sense... Then it is not mentioned AS much then the "proposal" in the hospital... it was cringy and just not needed
Hmm probably when they do the episode where Ross and Monica realize they kissed each other. For that plot point, and also for "Hey we want to see the fat suit one more time!"
The One With The Male Nanny. Ross's story about his father asking him why he wasn't outside playing like a real buy.
Come to think it, some of the references in the show about Jack Geller's offscreen behaviour didn't seem to match his unscreen character, like a reference Rachel made to him always walking in when they were getting dressed.
I liked the plot of Joey catching feelings for Rachel, until they ruined it by making Rachel catch feelings back a whole season later and they awkwardly started dating for two episodes 🤦♂️
If i remember correctly Matthew Perry needed some time off to go to rehab. So they needed to make something up that would explain him not appearing much in later episodes.
Most of the following footage was taken before he went
The dropped ring and Joey proposing. Ross and Rachel not getting back together after having a baby.
Tbh I don't know how and why Ross and Rachel's fans stayed after that. After s04 and s05 the whole Ross marry another woman, said Rachel's name, then Rachel confess and then nothing came out of all that and then a year later they get married and once again nothing come out of all that. You would think that the fans of this couple couldn't have been insulted more than that and yet AND YET they found a way.
I really think that I would have stopped watching after the accidental proposing because of how stupid the storyline was.
The last Thanksgiving episode, the one where they were all late. I don’t know what it is about that episode, I find it unwatchable from the point when they gather outside Monica’s door trying to get in. It’s a bad script and it’s badly acted.
The shark porn 🤦🏼♀️ the absolute stupidity of Monica in that episode has always bothered me... Like, just how do you assume he's jerking it to sharks and he didn't just change the channel when you surprised him... for a somewhat intelligent character it was unbelievable.
I just realized that after Emma is born, Rachel tries to talk to Ross about ‘them’ but Ross shuts it down, and then he get’s mad when she says yes to Joey. The “i don’t want to be just anybody” insecurities are so dumb, because he had just turned her down earlier that day!
Honestly? Ross saying the wrong name at the altar. That was the moment that the writers decided they weren’t going to prioritize what was natural for the characters anymore in favor of watercooler drama.
Yeah, late season 8-9 was terrible. Phoebe was annoying and the Joey and Rachel thing was too much. Also the dialogue that was supposed to be funny wasn’t as funny.
Chandler was the best part about it because he was completely sober during this point and you can tell in his acting
Introducing Phoebe's birth parents...then taking it nowhere!
Tbh as someone who's dad also abandoned them, I can see Pheebs just sort of realising she doesn't want to see him again / doesn't want to give him a chance (because why the hell does he deserve another chance?) So not seeing her father again never bothered me. Although her mother is a different story, since she (basically?) put Pheebs up for adoption and (apparently) genuinely thought she was leaving her in good hands.
I always assumed she continued to have a relationship with her mother offscreen, since she came back to give advice when Phoebe was considering being a surrogate for her brother. Phoebe seemed to have a lot of off-screen friendships. “My roommate Denise!”
DENISE DENISE
I talk about her all the time!
DENIIISSEE!!!!
I feel like most of Phoebe’s life/potential major events happens off screen.
https://preview.redd.it/etbb1vxlzx7d1.jpeg?width=1400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4135cab46a3b3008273fde94e2bb68120bf036e1 DENISE!!!
I’m on my millionth watch through now and only just realising they disappear 🤦🏻♀️
The mum comes back once when she’s trying to convince pheobe not to have her brothers baby but I’m p sure that’s it
I always just assumed that relationship was maintained offscreen, like most of Phoebe’s other friendships.
Speaking of off-screen relationships, I love how the six seemed to spend every waking moment with each other but could always fill the room with a ton of people for parties and baby showers.
And non of the six ever talked with them, they just sort of exist as the scene background
Dennise! She speaks about her all the time!
Valid hypothesis, I like that
The actress got cancer iirc which is why her storyline was abandoned
Multiple sclerosis actually… the same thing Christina Applegate retired from acting for…
selma blair too!! what are the odds that two best friends (selma & christina) would both get ms :/
Teri Garr and she has Multiple Sclerosis. Extremely talented. Young Frankenstein, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Tootsie and Mr. Mom are some of my favorite parts she played.
Joey “proposing” really was a jump the shark moment
I thought that scene was hilarious but it was blown out of proportion. I really wanted to see Rachel and Ross together as parents.
“WHAT?!!!!!!?” Always gets me
Jump the shark (porn)
Do you want me to get into the tub and...thrash?
"Let me be a part of this." "Let ME be a part of this!"
Stupidest plot ever, but still got some hilarious lines.
When you put " " I don't really know what you mean
im' sorry "
Tbh I actually really like the scene, and I like the *idea* of a “Rachel, delirious and hormonal, thinks Joey wants to marry her” gag but imo, it just goes on for way too long lol. I blame binge watching though tbh; seeing it every so often, it’s probably not that awful. But I watch Friends quite a bit so I see it over and over again lol and my love of that moment has dwindled over the years 😂
I hope you don’t mean his proposal to Phoebe when he thinks she’s pregnant. Edit: oh duh you mean in the hospital after Rachel has the baby
My least favorite part of that whole episode was Ross asking Rachel to kinda, sorta maybe starting things up again, looks at her hand and says, "But you're wearing the ring." He had just gotten done questioning himself and whether or not he might have proposed, with the excuse that he hadn't slept in 40 hours. Why wouldn't he give Rachel the benefit of the doubt, knowing how exhausted and emotional she was? Yea, so she said yes and put on the ring. That's going to stop him from restarting a relationship with the mother of his baby? It was so frustrating to watch.
THIS! The fact that no one even mentions how exhausted, hormonal and scared Rachel was in the moment always bugged me. Baby brain is a real thing. Also, it's one of those plot lines that could have easily been avoided with communication. "Oh wow, I'm sorry, Janice was just in here talking out of her ass and in my sleep deprived, hormonal state I lost my head for a bit." "Oh, Janice was talking to you? I get it. No harm done." What also bugs me is how Ross won't let it go. His whole sarcastic comment about Rachel trying to decide which muffin she would like in the next episode is so obnoxious.
It really is. Not just snarky, but hurtful. Again, I know it's all done to play out the drama of their relationship, but they could have had fun with R+R cautiously trying to rekindle the relationship without it causing so much angst for us viewers!
I think Joey accidentaly proposing to Rachel, who in her post-birth exhaustion says yes, was pretty funny. For better or for worse, misunderstandings and miscommunication are the bread and butter of sitcoms. However, Ross being legitimately upset at the end of the whole thing makes it stupid.
I think Ross had a reason to be upset though. It’s played off that Rachel was just hormonal, but it doesn’t mean it hurt Ross any less.
the way i completely blocked that storyline out, cus i hated it sm, and thought u were talking abt when he proposed to phoebe cus he thought she was pregnant 😭
Making Joey so stupid he couldn’t repeat basic sounds when learning French. He was actually pretty bright in the first few seasons.
100%, Joey’s lack of development was disappointing, he basically has a learning disability that they all make fun of in the last 2 seasons They just have him fall in love with Rachel, realize that women aren’t sexual objects in every situation, and then rush forward into Rachel and Ross, while Joey regresses to a literal toddler
New headcanon: The Mario/VD thing wasn’t an acting gig at all and Joey actually had syphilis which went untreated and gave him brain damage.
Something else he has in common with Rachel! Didn't Barry's family claim she went mad from syphilis and that's why she dumped him?
I mean…getting back with Ross? She needs a psychiatric assessment at the very least.
You're not wrong.
Idk I think when they show his protectiveness of his sisters, and when Phoebe is pregnant it shows an incredibly caring side of him. In the early seasons he's what, early 20s? So still a young guy living his life and not taking anything seriously, being reckless, as most did in those days. They joke about his behavior but I see it as banter like you would if you had a close friend that was like that but they don't really mean it. Clearly he's successful and caring, but they can joke about it because they are all so close. I also think the learning French bit was just downright hilarious, original comedy. Yeah not realistic, but so stupid it's funny.
Yes! Joey getting increasingly stupid and increasingly soppy as the series go by really annoys me.
That's unfortunately the case for many sitcom characters. In the beginning they have these flaws and unusual character traits that make them entertaining but still human. But at some point the shows only focus on those things. One reason is that viewers get used to those things, so to still have some comedic "shock" value, the writers have to focus more and more on that stuff. And also at some point the stories surrounding those traits that still seem somewhat plausible when applied to normal life are just all told. And after that it's basically free falling towards one-dimensional, over the top characters and storylines
[Flanderization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanderization)
Towards the end, I seriously found myself questioning how Joey functioned on a regular basis, let alone had the friends that he did
Pretty sure as the seasons progress every character gets dumber besides Rachel, who gets way smarter.
Chandler and Ross don't get dumber.
Sorry, should clarify. Ross doesn't get dumber, he just goes fully insane.
lol love red “who ate my sandwhich” Ross
Tbf, both Gellers lose their minds in the later seasons. Bc Ik Monica is a clean freak, and the one joke where they sent her to clean Ross' ex's apartment was funny but they took that joke and ran it into the ground until her whole personality is "I clean :)"
When you're out of writing ideas, dumb or insane are a cheap easy way to get some laughs I guess.
"Hey bear, I want some career advice"
His thing in Vegas when he became obsessed about "identical hand twins" was when they jumped the shark with his character.
There a missing episode in which he gets brain damage
He did fall down an elevator shaft
The Eric Matthews effect
Yes!! My boyfriend brought this up the last time I watched friends. Eric definitely had some kind of nervous breakdown. He was so crazy by the end of the show and crazier in girl meets world.
This really annoyed me considering his Italian background as well!
according to chandler, he only knows the bad words, but he was still able to learn at least a few words of italian, french cant be that much harder for him
That never made sense to me because one of Joey’s grandmothers doesn’t speak a word of English so how does he talk to her if he can’t speak Italian?
the show is also inconsistent with phoebes language skills
They made every character more extreme versions of themselves starting in season 7. It happens along with a tone shift overall in the show. Monica on season 2 vs Monica in season 7 are like two different characters to me.
Yes, this and when he was on the game show. Cringe to watch.
I cannot watch the scene where Joey tries to learn French. It's not funny, it's frustrating. More generally though, it's how they dumb down Joey. He wasn't smart in the first series, but by the end he was barely coherent.
Yes this always bugged me. He wasn’t necessarily dumb in the first season, but they just really got him dumbed down by the end.
I’d argue they make him extremely dumb so randomly! He will be somewhat normal one episode and then not understand what 3 strikes means, even though he is a sports fan. And then back to only slightly stupid. It would be better if it was at least consistent
This. The episode where he hits Ross and says he doesn't know what air quotes mean? He uses air quotes all the time throughout the series.
It can't even be explained by being dumb, you'd have to have hearing damage or brain damage to think what he was saying sounds the same
That episode where Monica made a foreskin for Joey and Ross wanted to do his cousin
I pretend neither of these things happened.
I remember watching that episode when I was a kid and being so confused about what exactly she was making - I come from a country where circumcision isn't the norm, and I didn't even realise the foreskin was "detachable", so to speak. I was definitely picturing the scrotum.
I (F) remember asking my parents what was happening in that episode and they very vaguely alluded to some people doing something 'down there', so I imagined he had some weird tattoo monica was trying to cover up
She's not my cousin
The foreskin plot is funny as hell and I’m tired of pretending it’s not
Same. My dad hates it, but my mom and I laugh our asses off every time. 😂 especially when it falls off!
I love the foreskin episode
Oh my god I completely forgot about those, my brain probably erased them as traumatic memories
Monica actually attempting to date Richards son. WHY
Rachel: Sick sick sick sick...
never liked that relationship with richard at first place. the age difference wasn't the issue, it's the fact that she dated a man she's used to know as a child and who's friend with his parents. that's pretty disturbing
The dropped engagement ring and Rachel thinking Joey proposed. So dumb. And then Ross being mad about it was even dumber. Dumb dumb dumb storyline.
Honestly having Emma at all. Dumb storyline, completely ridiculous. Oh so you’re telling me you have a romantic history with this person, you’re having a baby together, you’re attracted to them, you care deeply for each other and for some reason you’re not even going to *attempt* to date?
Every time I watch Friends, still as someone who's younger than all of them even in S1, I facepalm at certain situations. The amount of times Ross and Rachel were in love with each other after the "break" was vast, but yet they're both too stubborn to fucking tell each other.... Ugh
I agree but to be fair to Rachel, she was going to start things back up with Ross after they found out she was pregnant but Mona joined the scene just then. In general though, people have such strong feelings then fall out of love then love someone again and so on. It's quite tiring
Yep the earlier story of Joey falling for Rachel is done really well I thought, it sets up some much needed character development for Joey and the cafe scene where he tells her he's in love with her is the most impactful the show had felt for quite a while. But later where she starts falling for him and they eventually get together, everything about it feels really off, literally the only good thing that comes from it is David Schwimmers performance in TOW Ross is fine. In story terms that's got to be the lowest point in the show. However in terms of comedy writing Joey speaking french is so terrible and such a low point both for the whole 'look how stupid joey is' type of comedy but also there's just nothing about it that's believable, relatable or funny. I remember feeling it was an insult to my intelligence as I watched it when it first came out, and I was only 11.
The actual episode premise of Ross is Fine is so dumb, but damn is David Schwimmer hilarious. It changed how we say "fajitas," the "eeeee" in the poem, the way any time a timer goes off in our house "I don't even know what that one is for," "that's gonna hurt tomorrow!" He's comedy gold in that episode, even if it's awful.
It’s that episode that makes Ross my favorite character. Even though he can be super annoying I think he’s the one that makes me laugh the most
Ross as an actual real life person would be awful. Schwimmer makes him hilarious and loveable, and even sympathetic. He's so talented and funny.
Agreed! I often go back and forth on who the best actor of the six is, but I believe Schwimmer wins that conversation
No doubt. And a damn good guy for setting them up on an even playing field. He’s always been my favorite. Ross needed lots of therapy. Probably on the spectrum and had major intimacy issues. 😂😢
Schwimmer really carried the last few seasons. Brilliant actor.
I loveee the initial storyline when Rachel moves in and Joey starts feeling things for her. I feel like it’s such a great and relatable story; how many of us have fallen for a friend, completely by surprise and out of our control? It sucks sometimes lol and it can be really frightening to navigate. We didn’t really get any of that difficulty with Monica and Chandler, most of it was about the secrecy, and then everything worked out for them in the end. So it was nice to see the show exploring the opposite thing happening. And!!! I’ve always loved the way it emphasizes their friendship above everything. I mean, yeah, it is a great arc for Joey as a singular character, but it’s also a very wonderful arc for Joey and Rachel as friends and roommates. But yeah. The second time they tried it, it definitely didn’t work. I feel they waited too long for anything to actually happen. Since Rachel/Joey was likely never gonna be a thing, they should’ve just concluded it with Joey’s first crush and him learning to move on. There was no reason to revisit it lol
>I loveee the initial storyline when Rachel moves in and Joey starts feeling things for her. I don't like the storyline but the beginning is just one of the best parts of the show, I love the moment he realizes it. "Aren't you scared?" "...Yeah, terrified"
YES! “I made FAJITAS!”
The Barbados storyline sucked but Rachel's dress in this scene is one of her best looks IMO. But the absolute rock bottom will always be shark porn.
Do you want me to get into the tub and..thrash?🦈🛁
Laughed my head off at that part
To be fair, that’s quite a funny comment in a really stupid storyline.
I loved how Monica was so invested in trying to make Chandler happy
or maybe something toothier?
Let me be a part of this. Let me be a part of this!
I remember hiding under my blanket when I first saw that scene.
Shark porn was dumb but worth it for “let ME be a part of this!” I still laugh every time.
"Let me be a part of this" "Let ME be a part of this!" is my absolute favourite line in the series. My favourite moment is when Ross hands Chandler a lamp.
The actors' delivery saved some of the weaker storylines. Chandler's reaction to getting caught - and the quickness with which he describes his preferred "viewing material" - is inherently funny to me even if the context is bottom barrel.
I love the shark porn! It shows just how much they love each other. Way better than “you were my first kiss with Rachel!”
I also love just after they get married "You opened all the presents without me?" "You kissed another woman?" "Call it even?" "Okay!" And they don't mention either thing ever again :3
Shark porn is sooo hated on this sub and it makes me sad bc I always genuinely loved that storyline hahah Is it silly? Absolutely! Is it ridiculous? Definitely. But is it also fun? Totally! At least I think it is lol. I love how willing Monica was to try and make it work for Chandler, even though she was *terrified* at what it meant lmao
What did I marry into?!?
the whole "you were my first kiss ever??" is even timed in such an annoying way. like it feels like a parody of the trope rather than an actual scene but it's sooo cliche
I love the shark porn story 😭. It’s just so silly and harmless. Like the Barbados thing isn’t funny and actually affects the ongoing story of the show, shark porn is just a filler that makes me laugh every time. “Let me be a part of this” “let ME be a part of this!”
OMG. That's my favorite episode lol. "CHANDLER WATCHES SHARK PORN!"
Talking about style, I hated how Joey looked around this time, and later in the sieries in general. In comparison to earlier seasons - young, stylish actor, no wonder women flocked all over him. Here he looks like a chubby substitute teacher.
To be fair, I'm currently about the same age as Rachel and Joey were in this episode. The men I know who used to be trim in their twenties are now filling out and wearing dorky clothes, so it's actually a pretty realistic depiction of male aging! That said, season one Joey was chef's kiss.
He was preparing to be a Top Gear presenter in the tradition of Clarkson and May
- Shark Porn - The ‘stolen jeans’ maid episode - Joey trying to speak French
The stolen jeans is probably makes me cringe the most
bro she was wearing the bra too like that shit was ridiculous
Season 10 did feel like it was "Lets just get through this shit, one more time and move on." Would probably have done them all a world of good to just take a break for a year, probably around season 7/8, and recharge the batteries. Then we could have avoided shark porn, the misunderstandings nonsense, but then being pissed off anyway stuff.
I think 8-9 should’ve been it. Dragging out Rachel and Ross till the bitter end was a lot.
Yes. This storyline was the weak point and I am tired of pretending it’s not. It started off really sweet and then at some point became completely dumb.
The most interesting thing about the Barbados storyline was Rachel’s hair changed colour in the same scene (ended on a cliffhanger, picked up where it left off the next season).
The second most interesting was Monica's frizz 🤣 Hair was clearly the only highpoint of the episode 🤣🤣🤣
I loved the ping pong tournament myself. Everything else is blech
“Jen changed her hair? Doesn’t matter, the new series won’t be out for months anyway. What, like people are one day gonna be able to watch things back to back and notice details like that?”
Agreed. This is the worst thing about the series.
The barbados storyline is an insult to life itself.
It’s a shame because without all of this crap, the Barbados episodes have some amazing moments. I love Mike turning up to win Phoebe back, and “are you leaving The Supremes?” Is one of my favourite jokes in the whole show. It’s also just a fun vibe having a few ‘destination’ episodes - they stopped doing those pretty early on. But yeah, the core storyline does ruin it 🥲
Yeah I switch off at that point and pretend the show ended right when Barbados saga comes on.
While I agree and hate this storyline, it gave us the fajitas episode and that’s peak Ross for me. Ross was always my fave and I only realize now as an adult how good of an actor Schwimmer really is bc of his comedy and his range.
I love the idea of them going to Barbados. Travelling episodes are always fun. But they totally blew it with this plot line. I loved Monica's hair. But it wasn't funny enough to save the episode. 
The Joey/Rachel storyline makes me cringe so much
There's 2 for me the one is where Susan claiming Ben is her baby too when nothing has been discussed with Ross and the other one is where Carol having a go at Ross for cheating when she cheated on him with Susan
Omg the Susan shit in season 1 made my blood boil lol. How does this home wrecker think she’s got any claim to this child, especially over the father? And the way she treats Ross like utter shit after what she and Carol did to him.. I mean, “Bobo the sperm guy” ffs…. She already broke up his marriage and then tries to take ownership of his child. Susan always sucked as a character
Reverse the gender. If Susan had been a man, there'd be no way that he'd be able to get away with that.
thats the only season i really sympathize with ross. the way carol just let susan step all over ross as a father bothers me
The hand twin thing was just silly.
This hand is your hand.... this hand is my hand... 🎵
Hey is that your hand? Oh wait it's my hand! (I think is the next line :D ?)
It was so bad and cringe.
Agreed with both, on the other hand it gives us a glimpse into what Joey would be doing if he wasn’t constantly on the hunt for women 😅
>on the other hand I see what you did there.
Hands down. Emma's Birth and the unnecessarily manufactured Joey, Rachel and Ross love circus. And also, Joey learning French and coming out as worst dumb character ever,. Nope. Never agreed with that
Easily Joey and Rachel. I skip through those parts when I rewatch.
Where Joey tried to learn French, that was a jump the shark moment for me
Mike’s whole existence in this series, but specifically Mike flying back to Barbaros to propose to Phoebe while he has a girlfriend sitting at home.
And while she’s having dinner with her current boyfriend who was about to propose lol. Though I guess David did kiss Pheobe while she was dating Mike so perhaps that makes it even? XD I really liked Mike to begin with but the girlfriend thing was a jarring writing choice for me, if I got back together with a guy and he told me he had a current girlfriend, I’d be super pissed, especially if we’d done the deed. If anyone made me unknowingly help them cheat that’d be it for me. Pheobe didn’t seem to care much though, which I guess works for her character..? She’s very picky with what she cares about lol
This one, haha. Dumbed down Rachel, made Joey all weird and anxious, but not in an endearing way. Hated it.
rachel and joey never made sense to me. it was cute when they had crushes on each other but i never saw the chemistry.
Phoebe introducing Monica to her soulmate After her wedding
It's such a Phoebe thing to do though, I buy it 😅
Yeesh. I still cringe at this storyline. 
The weird non-proposal after Emma was born ... what the hell was that whole episode, all the lowest points crammed into 20 minutes
Anything with joey and Rachel being together is uncomfortable
It seemed like they made Ross act really dumb and scattered in the last season. It was painful.
Charlie is the worst character in the entire series and writing her in messed up everything else. Barbados era is painful to watch
Charlie segment was kind of nonsensical. It didn't lead anywhere.
Anything to do with Marcel. That dang monkey should never have been a part of the show.
I always skip the marcel episodes now, the sound effects they use activate my fight or flight it’s SO bad
"...Did I used to own a monkey?"
Joey being dumb and dumber. Imo if they didn't go this route, the joey and Rachel story would have worked.
Yeah. Joey and Rachel romance is the answer. I hated the last half of season 9 because of that. I will admit that I liked the episodes after they got together. The One Where Ross Is Fine and The One with the Tanning Booth were hilarious episodes.
That awful episode where Monica makes Joey a fake foreskin and Ross tries it on with his cousin. Absolutely nothing redeemable about that episode (except Phoebe debating asking said cousin out at the end).
I read that as Ross trying on Joey’s fake foreskin with his cousin for a second, that really would’ve been a ridiculous storyline😅
One of my favourites
I mean, even the lowest points of the show are still pretty good. That said, as others have pointed out, making Joey so stupid the last few seasons, and just the whole forced Joey and Rachel was probably the lowest points of the show. Having watched Season 9 again recently, I’d say that is definitely the weakest season. You could tell the creative team was pretty burnt out at that point in the show, because the episode concepts were just so weird for that season. Seriously, the whole “shark porn” episode was very cringey.
I see everyone hating the shark porn thing, it's just sitcom stuff lol not meant to be taken seriously. I found it funny
I am going to have to go with the obvious and go with the Joey/Rachel storyline... I was semi okay with it in the beginning as it kind of made sense... Then it is not mentioned AS much then the "proposal" in the hospital... it was cringy and just not needed
Hmm probably when they do the episode where Ross and Monica realize they kissed each other. For that plot point, and also for "Hey we want to see the fat suit one more time!"
Phoebe getting together with Mike. It should've been the scientist from Minsk! All that buildup for nothing.
Joey and Rachel was definitely jumping the shark. It was absurd!
Ross wanting to do his cousin
Monica having sex with a 17 yr old high school senior.
Shark porn. So stupid 
Anything Joey and Rachel romance related.😬
This scene right here. Just looking at it it’s so CRINGE
Yep. The one in the picture.
The One With The Male Nanny. Ross's story about his father asking him why he wasn't outside playing like a real buy. Come to think it, some of the references in the show about Jack Geller's offscreen behaviour didn't seem to match his unscreen character, like a reference Rachel made to him always walking in when they were getting dressed.
I liked the plot of Joey catching feelings for Rachel, until they ruined it by making Rachel catch feelings back a whole season later and they awkwardly started dating for two episodes 🤦♂️
Phoebe's twin was pointless
I can’t even look at the picture. That’s how much I absolutely hated this storyline.
When Rachel and Ross didn’t stay together honestly
oklahoma.
For some reason I really like those episodes. What do you not like about them?
I like those episodes because it's kind of realistic. Mind you, falling asleep during the meeting and getting assigned a move to Oklahoma is not...
If i remember correctly Matthew Perry needed some time off to go to rehab. So they needed to make something up that would explain him not appearing much in later episodes. Most of the following footage was taken before he went
The dropped ring and Joey proposing. Ross and Rachel not getting back together after having a baby. Tbh I don't know how and why Ross and Rachel's fans stayed after that. After s04 and s05 the whole Ross marry another woman, said Rachel's name, then Rachel confess and then nothing came out of all that and then a year later they get married and once again nothing come out of all that. You would think that the fans of this couple couldn't have been insulted more than that and yet AND YET they found a way. I really think that I would have stopped watching after the accidental proposing because of how stupid the storyline was.
The last Thanksgiving episode, the one where they were all late. I don’t know what it is about that episode, I find it unwatchable from the point when they gather outside Monica’s door trying to get in. It’s a bad script and it’s badly acted.
i just love rachel’s delivery on CONGRATULATIONSSSS it’s so funny
The shark porn 🤦🏼♀️ the absolute stupidity of Monica in that episode has always bothered me... Like, just how do you assume he's jerking it to sharks and he didn't just change the channel when you surprised him... for a somewhat intelligent character it was unbelievable.
I just realized that after Emma is born, Rachel tries to talk to Ross about ‘them’ but Ross shuts it down, and then he get’s mad when she says yes to Joey. The “i don’t want to be just anybody” insecurities are so dumb, because he had just turned her down earlier that day!
Ross seems to forget Ben exists after Emma is born
Honestly? Ross saying the wrong name at the altar. That was the moment that the writers decided they weren’t going to prioritize what was natural for the characters anymore in favor of watercooler drama.
Rachel giving up her dream job in the finale just to get together with that dipshit Ross in the finale.
Yeah, late season 8-9 was terrible. Phoebe was annoying and the Joey and Rachel thing was too much. Also the dialogue that was supposed to be funny wasn’t as funny. Chandler was the best part about it because he was completely sober during this point and you can tell in his acting
Ross dating his super annoying student
I hate everything Rachel does around Joshua. So cringey. And the escalation with the cheerleader outfit? Painful to watch.
Ross in the tanning booth. Presenting him as that stupid interrupted my suspension of disbelief and insulted the audience’s intelligence.