Friends fans were thrilled when they learned that Friends is back, nearly two decades after it ended - with a reunion special as part of the HBO Max launch. The event will feature the original cast, back on the original lot where the show was filmed… although they won’t be in character, they’ll be there as themselves, presumably chatting about life on the show, after the show, and what they think Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey are up to now.
Unsurprisingly, this news has caused fans to think about rewatching the series before the event (although it’s no longer on Netflix, making fans with DVD collections smug!) - but who has time to watch ten whole seasons in only a few months? If you want to catch up on the biggest events of the show, and remember why the Friends are always there for us, these are the top ten episodes to revisit.
The One Where Monica Gets A Roommate
This one should be pretty obvious - where else to start but right back at the beginning? This is the episode where Rachel first burst into Central Perk in a wedding gown and became the final member of the gang, after running out on her wedding. Ross has just been left by Carol (and doesn’t know that she is pregnant!), Monica is a single chef, Chandler is still stuck in a job he hates… it’s amazing to see just how far these guys came over the course of the show.
The One Where Rachel Finds Out
The season one finale, this is a phenomenal reminder of where Ross and Rachel come from - where their whole on-again-off-again relationship really started. Who can forget the end of the episode, when Rachel finally realizes that Ross loves her, and decides to give things with him a try, waiting for him at the airport… before he gets off the plane with his new girlfriend, Julie. There’s a silly side story about Joey and sex, but the meat of the episode is all Ross and Rachel.
The One With The Prom Video
This is another massive moment for Ross and Rachel (and let’s be honest, their big moments are some of the biggest in the series). After a big fight about ’the list’, Ross and Rachel seem to have stalled before they could really start, but when Monica brings out their old prom video, Rachel realizes that she does want to be with Ross and kisses him. This is the episode that brought us that iconic ’lobster’ line! It’s also one that showcases Joey’s career taking off with Days of Our Lives, which is a great look back at one of his biggest career moments.
The One In Barbados
There are plenty of moments in The One In Barbados that we really don’t need to see again - fans as a whole were not thrilled with the whole Rachel/Joey/Ross/Charlie situation, but that’s not why this one made it onto the list. This is on for Phoebe and Mike fans to watch, as the two potential loves of her life both propose to her - and she chooses Mike, of course. While there are definitely David fans out there, this is a huge moment for Phoebs, and one that is worth revisiting (along with Monica’s hair!).
The One With The Routine
Not every episode in this rewatch has to be a major, life changing moment for one of the Friends - some are just classics. The One With The Routine is an amazing episode to showcase Monica and Ross’s strange (but sweet) relationship, and it’s absolutely hilarious.
The dance itself is a classic Friends moment (even if the Joey/Janine side story isn’t that great), and we’d love to see Ross and Monica bust it out for the reunion.
The One Where Everybody Finds Out
Back to big moments with ‘The One Where Everybody Finds Out’, which is a perfect blend of awkward hilarity and real emotion. In this episode, Monica and Chandler have been secretly together for a while, and Rachel and Phoebe have just found out by accident. Joey already knows, but Monica and Chandler don’t know that he knows that they know… which leads to that brilliant exchange. Then, in the course of trying to force Chandler’s hand, Phoebe hits on him in the world’s most awkward seduction… and he ends up telling Monica he loves her. Sweet and silly at the same time!
The One Where They All Turn 30
Although this is clip-show-esque, told mostly in flashbacks, this is a brilliant episodes that shows just how to make that format work. Starting with Rachel’s thirtieth birthday, this episode runs through all of the milestone birthdays of the characters, from funny to dramatic. It’s relatable for every fan who watched the show on TV and is now in their thirties (or beyond!), it’s funny, it’s a reminder of what the show does best, and you just have to ignore some of the birthday inconsistencies in the series.
The One With Monica And Chandler’s Wedding
This is a huge episode, not just because Monica and Chandler get married! It’s also huge because this is the episode that reveals that Rachel is pregnant - a huge revelation that changes everything for the final seasons. It’s got everything - there’s the sweet charm of seeing Monica and Chandler say their vows, the hilarity of Joey dealing with a drunk co-star and officiating in costume, and the high drama of the pregnancy. This is definitely one to watch as a reminder, not just of the big moments, but of how the show blends them so well.
The One Where Rachel Has A Baby (Both Parts)
More big moments - and while there are lots of babies being born throughout the series (Carol’s, Phoebe’s triplets, Erica’s twins), this may be one of the biggest, because it is the only time that a member of the core gang gives birth to a baby that she is going to keep.
More than that, though, this episode touches on some of the incredible dynamics of the gang at this point - when Rachel thinks Joey is proposing, when Ross wanted to, while Monica and Chandler are the silly ones (who are also trying to start a family). And of course, this is a Janice episode, which is always worth a watch!
The Last One (Both Parts)
In the same way that it just makes sense to start with the pilot, we have to end with the two-part finale. So much happens here to bid farewell to the show, from Rachel getting off the plane to Monica and Chandler bringing home their babies. There are hilarious one liners (the final question of ‘where’ is perfect), really big emotional moments, closure, charm, and of course, that final scene of all the keys on the apartment counter. Watching this one is bound to get anyone ready to see what the reunion special is going to offer next.
