Some "Friends" episodes are more timeless than others. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the episodes of “Friends” that we constantly revisit as well as those that don’t quite hold up all these years later.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the episodes of Friends
00:10that we consistently revisit, as well as those that don't quite hold up all these years
00:15later.
00:16You got a man who's a nanny?
00:17You got a manny?
00:23Number 5.
00:24Want to forget.
00:25The one where Ross dates a student.
00:27Yes, we know that she technically isn't Ross' student anymore by the time they start dating,
00:32but their relationship still feels inappropriate.
00:35Like she asks him out in the hallway of school right after the semester's end.
00:39I'm a little embarrassed about calling you a hottie on my evaluation.
00:43That was you?
00:44Yeah.
00:45I felt a little weird about it.
00:46You're a teacher, I'm a student, but would you maybe want to go out with me sometime?
00:52Given the unpleasantness of the ensuing storyline, it only makes sense that we'd want to skip
00:56the episode that started it all.
00:58Did you have any cream for me?
01:00Oh, no.
01:01No.
01:02Yes, you did.
01:03What was it?
01:04Um, it's Cutie McPretty.
01:08We do still want to remember that it provided one bright spot, though, and that was in the
01:12form of a Bruce Willis cameo.
01:14We love that love machine.
01:15I'm just a love machine.
01:16I'm just a love machine, for the love of what you have, baby.
01:27Number five, Timeless.
01:28The one with the videotape.
01:30When we found out that Rachel was pregnant, the first thing we wanted to know was who
01:33the father was.
01:34Oh, wait a minute.
01:35Who's the father?
01:36Oh, no.
01:37She won't tell us.
01:38Come on.
01:39It's my wedding.
01:40That could be my present.
01:41Wait.
01:42Hey, I just gave you peeing on a stick.
01:44See, this is why you registered.
01:47And when we found out it was Ross, the next question we all had was, how did it happen?
01:50Well, in the one with the videotape, we found out.
01:53Maybe I need to be more careful.
01:54I mean, am I sending you these signals right now?
01:56You know what?
01:57You know what?
01:58Rachel, just drop it.
01:59No, please show me how I begged you.
02:02I can show you.
02:03I have it on videotape.
02:04While the appearance of a videotape isn't timeless, and probably looks weird to anyone
02:08born since the episode first aired, the episode itself is still a classic.
02:13There are so many great scenes.
02:15But the moment that Rachel starts telling Ross the backpacking through Europe story
02:18is amazing.
02:19Ross, did I ever tell you about the time that I went backpacking through Western Europe?
02:31The collective gasp from the other friends, the look of pure satisfaction on Ross' face,
02:36Joey or Ken Adams being the propagator of the story?
02:40Totally priceless.
02:41How do you know about that story?
02:43How do you know about that story?
02:45I heard it from my friend Irene, who heard it from some guy.
02:51Some guy.
02:53Number four.
02:54Want to forget.
02:55The one with Joey's fridge.
02:57The good thing about the one with Joey's fridge is the story arc.
03:00Joey and his quest to make someone else pay for a new fridge.
03:03The ATM only lets you take out 300 at a time, so I'll take a check for the other 100.
03:09You're joking, right?
03:12Of course I'm joking.
03:13I don't take checks.
03:16That's pretty much all we can cling to here.
03:18This episode falls into the Ross dating a college student time frame, and he's jealous
03:22over her going away for spring break.
03:24What is, uh, what's this?
03:29It's a bathing suit.
03:30To wear in front of people?
03:32Is that supportive?
03:35Is this?
03:37The green-eyed monster grabs hold of Ross to such an extent that he ends up following
03:41Elizabeth to Florida to keep an eye on her.
03:45Oh, oh, Professor Geller.
03:54The angle's more ugly than funny, as is the fact that they followed it up with the one
03:58with mac and cheese, which is mostly just a recap of old clips.
04:02You can't even see the line!
04:04The line is a dot to you!
04:07Look, I'm not saying that you should magically forgive me, but you're not perfect.
04:10You've made some errors in judgment, too.
04:13Number four, Timeless, the one with the blackout.
04:16Like Chandler's opinion on chewing gum, this episode of Friends is perfection.
04:20Gum would be perfection?
04:23Gum would be perfection.
04:25Could have said gum would be nice, could have said I'll have a stick, but no, no, no, no.
04:29For me, gum is perfection.
04:33In season one, the show was still finding its footing, but this is one of the episodes
04:37that holds up spectacularly.
04:39When the lights go out in New York, the truth comes out.
04:42Well, almost.
04:44Ross nearly reveals his feelings to Rachel, but is thwarted by a stray cat.
04:48Yes, yes, that's right.
04:50Look at that little girl over there.
04:53What?
04:54Look at me.
04:55Ah!
04:56Top of the world again, down on creation again.
05:02Meanwhile, Chandler almost flirts with Jill Goodacre, but is thwarted by his own nerves
05:07and a piece of gum.
05:09This latter scene has to be one of the funniest in the entire series, and the will-they-won't-they
05:13between Ross and Rachel was still fresh, which makes this episode one for the books.
05:17Okay, guys, I have the definitive one.
05:20Ah!
05:21Ah!
05:22Ah!
05:23Ah!
05:24Ah!
05:25Ah!
05:26Ah!
05:27Number three, Want to Forget, the one where Chandler gets caught.
05:31The whole misunderstanding trope is a classic of the sitcom genre.
05:34However, in the case of this episode from the final season, it just doesn't work.
05:39Well, it's a shame that you'll miss the movie, because we were going to see, you know, either
05:44Liar Liar or Betrayal or An Affair to Remember.
05:51The idea that they'd all be that easily convinced that Chandler's having an affair is ridiculous.
05:57If he was, would he really meet the woman right outside the coffee shop where they all
06:01hang out all the time?
06:02Phoebe and I saw Chandler with a blonde woman today outside on the street, and then we followed
06:08them to a house in Westchester.
06:10They went in together.
06:11When the misunderstanding is finally cleared up, it's only followed by the news that Chandler
06:15and Monica are looking to move out of the city, a change no one reacts especially well
06:20to.
06:21Don't force yourself to watch this one again.
06:22The writing is forced enough as it is.
06:24And now when I look over, who am I going to see?
06:26The Gottliebs?
06:27The Yangs?
06:28They don't make me feel so good.
06:33Number three, Timeless, the one where no one's ready.
06:36In a 2004 NBC poll, the one where no one's ready was voted the third most popular episode.
06:41We have to be out the door at twenty to eight.
06:44Relax, Ross.
06:45We'll be ready.
06:46It only takes us two minutes to get dressed.
06:47But you know, I'd feel a whole lot better if you got dressed now.
06:50Okay.
06:54Almost the entirety of it takes place in Monica and Rachel's apartment, and in real time,
06:59as the gang has 22 minutes to get ready and leave for a function at Ross's museum.
07:03A lot can happen in 22 minutes, and it certainly does here, including that famous bit where
07:08Joey puts on all of Chandler's clothes.
07:10Look at me.
07:11I'm Chandler.
07:12Could I be wearing any more clothes?
07:16Maybe if I wasn't going commando.
07:21While Ross has a lot of admonishable qualities, his seemingly unwavering patience this episode
07:26is not one of them.
07:27It got to the point where we thought he might just never get to his event, at least not
07:31with his friends in tow.
07:33You go get changed.
07:34You, give him back his underwear.
07:35I'm going to go get a cab.
07:36I want everyone downstairs in two minutes.
07:39Monica!
07:40Stop.
07:41Stop it.
07:43Number two, Want to Forget, the one with Chandler's dad.
07:46On some social issues, Friends was ahead of the curve.
07:49Celebrating a lesbian wedding before gay marriage was even legal in the state of New
07:53York.
07:54You know, nothing makes God happier than when two people, any two people, come together
07:59in love.
08:00However, when it comes to Chandler's transgender parent, things don't look as good through
08:04today's lens.
08:05She is pretty much always the butt of jokes, many of which were pretty insensitive at the
08:10time, and seem even more so today.
08:12Trust me, you don't want him there either, okay?
08:14Nobody's going to be staring at the bride when the father of the groom is wearing a
08:17backless dress.
08:18So what?
08:19As long as he's not wearing a white dress and a veil, I don't care.
08:24Even Friends co-creator Marta Kaufman has admitted they didn't go about things the right
08:28way, telling USA Today that constantly referring to the character by male pronouns was wrong.
08:33Oh, I'm getting all misty here.
08:36You'd think I was having my legs waxed or something.
08:41Number two, Timeless, the one with the morning after.
08:44Say it with us.
08:45We were on a break.
08:47We were on a break.
08:49Oh my God, if you say that one more time, I'm going to break up with you.
08:55It's not only one of the most iconic quotes from the series, but from all sitcoms of the
08:5990s and 2000s.
09:01And the one with the morning after is where it all began.
09:03What are they talking about?
09:05Rachel.
09:06Just get away from me.
09:07It was a mistake.
09:08I made a mistake, okay?
09:09A mistake?
09:10What were you trying to put it in, her purse?
09:14Sure it wasn't the happiest of episodes, especially for fans who had waited for Ross
09:18and Rachel to finally get together and, you know, stay together.
09:22As big a deal as Ross and Rachel hooking up was, so too was their breakup.
09:26This episode proved that the show could walk that fine line between drama and comedy, with
09:30the breakup happening in one room while the rest of the gang brought the funny from the
09:34other.
09:35They're going to get through this, aren't they?
09:38Yeah.
09:39Come on, it's Ross and Rachel.
09:40They've got to.
09:42Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:46Want to Forget.
09:47The one with Rachel's assistant.
09:49Hiring the under-qualified assistant because he's good-looking and then dating him?
09:53So you hired yourself a little treat, did ya?
09:55All right, I know, I know how it looks, Phoebs, but I'm telling you…
10:00But you know you cannot get involved with your assistant.
10:02Yes, I know that.
10:03Timeless.
10:04The one where Ross got high.
10:06One word.
10:07Trifle.
10:08It's a trifle.
10:09It's got all of these layers.
10:10First there's a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard, which I made
10:15from scratch, then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef sautéed with peas and onions.
10:22Want to Forget.
10:23The one with the apothecary table, product placement, and a crummy premise.
10:26No, no, no, but I am mad, I am mad because this stuff is everything that is wrong with
10:31the world and it's all setting up in my living room and all I can think about is how I don't
10:36have that lamp!
10:39Timeless.
10:40The one where everybody finds out.
10:42Phoebe and Chandler's game of chicken is always rewatchable.
10:45Okay, okay, okay, okay, you're fine, you win.
10:49I can't have sex with you.
10:51And why not?
10:52Because I'm in love with Monica.
10:53You're…
10:54You're what?
10:55Want to Forget.
10:56The one with Phoebe's rats.
10:58Too much focus on the rats.
11:00What happens when they mate and there are hundreds of them?
11:02Mate?
11:03They're all brothers and sisters.
11:05Yeah, not such a problem with rats.
11:08They're more of a love the one you're with kind of animal.
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11:28Number 1.
11:29Want to Forget.
11:30The one with the male nanny.
11:32Everything about this one is cringeworthy today, and to be honest, Ross being that creeped
11:36out by a male nanny was probably more offensive than funny even during the episode's first
11:40airing in 2002.
11:41What kind of job is that for a man?
11:44A nanny?
11:45I mean, it's like if a woman wanted to be…
11:49Yes?
11:50King?
11:51There's way too much focus and energy spent on the character, and the reaction from Ross
11:57brings out all his worst attributes.
11:59I'm sorry, I'm the only one who isn't in love with Gary Poppins out there.
12:06But I just, I can't, I can't go through with this.
12:11Now have they dropped that and focused more on the storyline where Monica tells Chandler
12:15that some guy at work is the funniest person she's ever met?
12:18This episode might have edged closer to the timeless portion of this list.
12:22Funniest guy she's ever met.
12:24I'm funny, right?
12:26What do you know, you're a door.
12:29You just like knock-knock jokes.
12:34Save it for inside.
12:36Number 1.
12:38Timeless.
12:39The one with the embryos.
12:40Yes, Phoebe being implanted with the embryos is a great story arc, and Lisa Kudrow is in
12:45top form in the scene that has her talking to the petri dish.
12:48I'm hoping to be your uterus for the next nine months.
12:52You should know that we're doing this for Frank and Alice.
12:55Who you know, you've been there.
12:57However, the truth is that the bet and the resulting trivia contest completely steal
13:01the spotlight.
13:02Miss Chandler Bong and Monica's 11 categories of towels are just some of the memorable tidbits
13:07this amazing episode provided.
13:09What name appears on the address label?
13:12Chandler gets it! It's Chandler Bing!
13:15No!
13:16I'm afraid the TV Guide comes to Chandler Bong.
13:21The one with the embryos is also Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc's favorite episode, as
13:25well as a lightning in a bottle gem, according to TV Guide.
13:29We just call it timeless.
13:31Oh gosh! This has something to do with numbers!
13:33And processing!
13:34And it carries a briefcase!
13:35Ten seconds, you need this or you lose the game!
13:37It's, um, it has something to do with transponding!
13:40Oh! Oh! Oh, he's a transpons- transponster!
13:43Which Friends episodes stand the test of time, and which ones do you skip right by?
13:47Let us know in the comments.
13:49What the hell are you doing?
13:53Say something clever.
13:57Okay, doesn't have to be clever, just has to be word.
14:01Do you agree with our picks?
14:03Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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