Friends is one of those shows that never gets old. Even after 25 years since being released, it continues to captivate audiences everywhere. To celebrate this anniversary, we picked 25 scenes that make up the top moments from a show that made us laugh and cry.
“Could I BE wearing any more clothes?”
In this episode, all six friends are getting ready for a function but keep getting increasingly late. Chandler and Joey are fighting, Ross and Rachel are also fighting, Phoebe spills hummus all over her dress and Monica is caught up in love life drama. At one point, Chandler hides all of Joey’s underwear so he has none to wear to the event. Joey promises to do the “exact opposite” of that, which results in this iconic scene.
When they visit Marcel on set
Early in the series, Ross had a pet monkey called Marcel. But at one point, the friends have to send Marcel to a zoo, and he ends up going to San Diego. In season two, Ross learns that he was stolen and sent into an acting career. After that, the gang visits him on set and, to get his attention, break out in this great rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
“He’s her lobster!”
In this one, Rachel is mad that Ross made a list of pros and cons of dating her. But Phoebe still believes they are meant to be because they are each other’s lobster. When everybody is confused, she says that “it’s a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life”. When Monica finds a VHS tape of herself, her brother and Rachel getting ready for prom, they watch together to learn what Phoebe knew all along.
Whenever “Smelly Cat” comes on
Any scene where Phoebe plays Smelly Cat would be a part of the top moments from the show. But this one is special because everyone sings together.
When Chandler and Phoebe Sing
Chandler Bing is heartbroken and pining for his ex-girlfriend, Janet. In this credits scene, he is sadly singing along to Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’s Endless Love. But when Phoebe joins him, it becomes one of the top moments for both of them.
“We were on a break!”
In the middle of a fight, Rachel says she and Ross should take a break from their relationship. To her, it means they’re taking some time apart to figure things out. He thinks they’re over and really messes up. No one ever reaches a conclusion and it becomes an ongoing fight throughout the series.
When Monica bets her apartment
Chandler and Joey’s chick starts turning into a rooster and crows very early in the morning. This makes Rachel and Monica ask them not-so-nicely to get rid of it. They bet high, very high, on a trivia test to see which duo knows more about the other. Spoiler? It ends like this.
When Ross says Rachel’s name at the altar
In season four, Rachel introduces Ross to her boss’s niece, Emily. They get along quickly, get engaged and the big day comes. But because she’s English, Emily wants to have their wedding in London. The friends (minus a very pregnant Phoebe and a jealous Rachel) pack up and travel to the UK. Rachel gives him every excuse to avoid seeing Ross get married, which makes him upset. But then she realizes she still has feelings for him, goes to London and… Things get a little confusing.
When Phoebe has her brother’s triplets
Also in season four, Phoebe becomes a surrogate for her brother and his wife and ends up pregnant with triplets. In this very emotional scene, she gets to have some alone time with them before sending them off with their parents.
When Monica makes a turkey dance
A holiday episode! Everyone reminisces about their worst Thanksgivings ever. Chandler realizes his was not when his parents got divorced, but when he lost the tip of a toe. And it was all Monica’s fault. So she tries to cheer him up with a funny (yet slightly disturbing) turkey dance.
“My sandwich? MY SANDWICH?!”
Every year, Monica makes Ross an amazing sandwich with Thanksgiving leftovers. He looks forward to this the whole year, especially because it has an extra slice of gravy-soaked bread in the middle. He calls it “the moist maker”. But then someone at work eats it.
When Phoebe finds out about Chandler and Monica
Chandler and Monica get together in London and keep it a secret for a long time. Then Joey finds out. Then Rachel. But Phoebe’s reaction is the one that takes the cake.
“PIVOT!”
In one of the top moments of the show, Ross moves into a new apartment and buys a couch. When he refuses to pay for shipping and recruits Rachel and Chandler to help bring it upstairs.
When Ross gets his teeth whitened
Ross gets his teeth whitened to impress a date. His teeth get really, really white.
When they all come clean
In this Thanksgiving episode from season six, Monica is hosting a dinner at her house. While she makes the main courses, Rachel is in charge of the dessert. She doesn’t read the recipe properly and ends up with a very weird trifle. Monica and Ross get into a fight and spill some beans about each other’s past to their parents. And then everyone else starts blurting things out too.
When Ross talks about Unagi
Rachel and Phoebe start taking some self-defense classes and Ross tries to teach them about Unagi. According to him, Unagi is a state of total awareness. According to them, it’s a salmon skin roll.
When Chandler and Monica got engaged
Chandler pretends to never want to get married as a prank to surprise Monica when he proposes. But then they run into Richard, Monica’s ex-boyfriend and former love of her life. And now he wants to marry Monica, which confuses her and sends Chandler into a freakout.
When Chandler and Rachel eat the cheesecake
A cheesecake accidentally gets delivered to Chandler’s apartment and he has no choice but to eat it. Rachel catches him and gets a taste of the dish. But then both become obsessed and it gets a little out of hand.
When Phoebe sings along to the bagpipes
Ross offers to play the bagpipes at Chandler and Monica’s wedding to celebrate the groom’s Scottish heritage. When they say no, he tries to convince him by showing his skills (or lack thereof). And, in what is one of the top moments in the series, Phoebe sings along.
When Chandler and Monica get married
Monica and Chandler are getting married in a sweet, sweet ceremony. Joey is their minister which makes things a little bit unconventional. It’s also when we find out someone is pregnant.
Emma’s first birthday cake
When Ross and Rachel’s baby turns 1, they order a cake for the party. But it’s not quite what they expected. Because Rachel is upset, Ross tries to fix it with some creativity.
When Ross is fine
Being roommates, Rachel and Joey become very close and eventually start dating. But then they tell Ross, who is… Fine with this.
When Joey speaks French
Joey lies on his resume and says he is fluent in French. When he has to go in for an audition, he asks Phoebe to teach him the language. It doesn’t really go well.
When Rachel gets off the plane
Everyone knows that Ross and Rachel date on and off all through the ten seasons. But when Rachel takes a job in Paris, they have to come to terms with the way they really feel. It’s one of the top moments for the couple, and finally gives them the closure they deserve.
When they say goodbye
When Monica and Chandler decide to become parents, they decide to move away from the city. The last scene in the show, the cast says goodbye to the characters and the audience. As they get ready to leave, they struggle to put their keys on the counter and close the door for one last time in an emotionally charged scene.
