The Top 15 "Friends" Episodes Every Fan Should Know, Definitively Ranked From "Okay" To "Unforgettable"

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    Jackson Weisman
    by Jackson Weisman

    Community Contributor

    BuzzFeed Community Team
    Approved and edited by BuzzFeed Community Team

    15. “The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant” (Season 2, Episode 5)

    Ross sits thinking deeply while Monica and Rachel glare at him from across the dinner table in a restaurant.
    NBC

    When planning birthday festivities for Ross, the group comically discover money is an issue in life, even among friends. Yet they overcome the issue, and their friendships strengthens as a result.

    14. “The One With Ross’s Tan” (Season 10, Episode 3)

    Ross Geller holds up his shirt to reveal, while he's incredibly tanned down his front, his back is still completely pale.
    NBC

    Ross gets a spray tan and turns four shades darker than he had planned to be. Watching his painfully uneven tan is quite enjoyable.

    13. “The One With Chandler in a Box” (Season 4, Episode 8)

    Joey leans his ear down to listen to Chandler who is laying in a long wooden box.
    NBC

    On Thanksgiving, Joey puts Chandler in a box to punish him— not for sleeping with his girlfriend, but for lying about it. Monica has a very awkward moment with her ex-boyfriend’s son, and Ross is mad at Rachel because she always exchanges the gifts she receives. It has everything you want and more.

    12. “The One With All the Thanksgivings” (Season 5, Episode 8)

    Monica stands in the doorway of Chandler's apartment with a turkey with sunglasses and a hat on her head.
    NBC

    This episode contains everything: embarrassing flashbacks, Chandler confessing his love to Monica, and frozen turkeys being put on more than one person's head.

    11. “The One With the Blackout” (Season 1, Episode 7)

    Monica, Phoebe, and Joey sit on Monic's couches surrounded by various lit candles while Phoebe holds her guitar.
    NBC

    This early episode proved this show had the creativity to be a long-lasting phenomenon. During its runtime, Chandler gets stuck in an ATM vestibule with model Jill Goodacre, and Ross gets so close to telling Rachel how he feels. As Chandler says, it is “perfection.”

    10. “The One With the Cop” (Season 5, Episode 16)

    Rachel, Chandler, and Ross struggle to get an oversized couch up the stairs to Ross' apartment.
    NBC

    Ross recruits Rachel and Chandler to help move a new couch into his apartment, but the couch gets stuck in a stairwell. The word “PIVOT” has never been said the same way since.

    9. “The One With All the Resolutions” (Season 5, Episode 11)

    Ross strikes a pose in his new leather pants while usher his son, Ben, into Monica's apartment.
    NBC

    In this episode, the friends make and quickly break their New Year's resolutions: Rachel’s gossiping less and Chandler’s not making fun of anyone. Ross attempts to do one new thing every day, which gets him stuck in a pair of very tight leather pants. The best part? Everyone broke their resolutions within a day!

    8. “The One With Unagi” (Season 6, Episode 17)

    Ross holds his hands out like claws to scare Rachel and Phoebe in the hallway of their apartment.
    NBC

    There are three wild storylines in this one: Chandler’s efforts to make Monica a Valentine’s Day present, Joey pretending to be twins with a look-alike actor, and, of course, Unagi (Ross’s "sense" of danger), which results in getting beating up by Phoebe and Rachel.

    7. “The One With the Football” (Season 3, Episode 9)

    Chandler, Rachel, and Ross huddle together to go over their football game plan.
    NBC

    The gang, specifically siblings Ross and Monica, compete for the Geller Cup in this Thanksgiving special. This episode seems like it was made for me as I'm an avid fan of football, and I'm very competitive with my sibling.

    6. “The One With the Proposal, Part 2” (Season 6, Episode 25)

    Chandler holds an open ring box to a shocked Monica while their kneeling around various candles.
    NBC

    This is arguably the sweetest moment in the entire 10-year run of the show. Monica and Chandler finally propose to each other after a series of wacky event and miscommunications. It's incredibly endearing to watch!

    5. “The One Where No One’s Ready” (Season 3, Episode 2)

    Joey shows off the multiple sweaters, shirts, ties, shorts, and pants of Chandler's he wore all at once.
    NBC / Via friends.fandom.com

    The gang tries, but fails to get ready for Ross’s work event. Joey famously wears ALL of Chandler’s clothes and Phoebe wears a giant Christmas bow to hide a hummus stain, thus annoying Ross and charming viewers.

    4. “The One With the Jellyfish” (Season 4, Episode 1)

    Monica, shell shocked, reaches for her jellyfish stung foot while Chandler waves his arms and water starts to fill the sand hole Joey dug and is standing in.
    NBC

    This episode is such a rollercoaster! Joey and Chandler help Monica with her jellyfish sting by attempting to pee on her, and Ross coins another famous phrase, “We were on a break!"

    3. “The One With the Prom Video” (Season 2, Episode 14)

    Rachel looks into the camera with a scrunched face while Monica looks off into the distance. Both girls are dressed in 1980s prom dresses as this is a flashback.
    NBC

    This episode is significant because it's the first with flashback sequences: a home video of Monica, Rachel, and Ross getting ready for prom. This video leads to the start of Ross and Rachel’s relationship and contains Phoebe’s famous line, “He’s her lobster.”

    2. “The One With the Embryos” (Season 4, Episode 12)

    Joey, Chandler, Rachel, and Monica all sit on Monica's couch with their hands folded and leaning forward expectantly.
    NBC

    This is one of the most fun episodes as it centers around Chandler and Joey facing off against Rachel and Monica in a trivia game led by Ross. The audience learns more about the backstories of the gang ( such as Chandler's mail is addressed to Ms. Chanandler Bong) and is heart-warmed by learning that Phoebe is pregnant.

    1. And finally, “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” (Season 5, Episode 14)

    Phoebe, wearing a long orange fuzzy coat, screams in horror as she looks out a big window.
    NBC

    We finally see Chandler and Monica go public with their relationship in this episode. The general chaos of the pair attempting to convince Joey, Rachel, and Phoebe they are not together perfectly captures the essence of the show, which is why this is my personal all-time favorite episode.

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