Top 10 Unanswered Questions on Friends

Ah, the purple apartment, where so many wonderful, emotional, and hilarious memories were formed— for the characters and the fans. So, it’s hard to imagine anyone outside of our core group members living there. But someone’s got to! And we can’t help but wonder who it might be. Two twenty-something-year-olds embarking on a new chapter in the big city? A young professional who moved to New York for work? A couple setting out on their own? They’d have to be able to afford it! It’s unlikely they’ll get as good a deal as Monica did. Whoever they are, we can only hope they went on to make the most of it like our friends did.

Okay, so we’ve got Chandler Muriel Bing, Joey Francis Tribbiani Jr., and Rachel Karen Green. And although it’s never explicitly said, various sources claim that Ross’ middle name is Eustace. Phoebe doesn’t get to find hers out since Ursula sold her birth certificate. That just leaves Monica. Well, what is Monica’s middle name? We know that, like her big bro, it starts with an E. So although Phoebe’s stand-in is certainly unique, it’s definitely not it. What does the E stand for, then? Elsie, Evelyn, Eleanor? Perhaps Jack and Judy Geller weren’t particularly creative and went with Eustacia? We guess we’ll never know.

In "The One Where Paul's the Man," the ladies visit the Morgan Chase Museum. They’re struck by its beauty, and convince Monica to add her name to the two-year-long wedding venue waitlist. We later find out this was all orchestrated by Chandler, who intended to propose. But fast-forward to their wedding day, and well, that doesn’t look like the Morgan Chase Museum. So, what exactly happened? Was it not in their budget? Did they prefer the other place? Or, like Monica’s dream dress, did they have to give it up to another bride-to-be? It seemed like the perfect place, so we want to know what made them change their minds.

Yes, this question applies to several characters, but Phoebe’s living situation is arguably the greatest enigma. After her grandma dies, she continues to live in their apartment, seemingly alone, for most of the series. Sure, there’s the time her and Rachel live together, and Mike eventually moves in, but we’re talking about the bulk of the show. Given her work history and likely unstable income, we have to wonder how she can afford it? Did her grandmother buy the place? At one point, she mentions having a roommate. But how did no one else know about Denise, and did she ever come back? Although, since this is Phoebe we’re talking about, we wouldn’t be surprised if Denise was a spirit who’d temporarily inhabited a lamp.

Chandler helps his buddy with the cost of everything from meals to headshots and even rent. So we hope he was keeping a tab! After all, housing and kids aren’t cheap! So did Joey ever reimburse him in full? Did they ever work out some sort of serious payment plan? We imagine he’d amassed quite a sum! Of course, folks over on Reddit once pieced together Chandler’s expenditures and worked it out. And while we can’t confidently give an exact total, it seems it would be a minimum of $100 000. We hope Joey’s L.A. success lasted, otherwise, we imagine he’d be repaying his debt for a long, long time.

Phoebe didn’t have the easiest past, so it makes sense that she’d want a different life for her future family. In fact, in one episode, she even tells her friends about her dream of becoming a “soccer mom.” And we couldn’t think of a better person for Phoebe to go through life’s journey with than Mike Hannigan. In fact, the couple discuss starting a family of their own at the end of the show. And the “Joey” spin-off suggests they may have. So what we want to know for certain is, did they? How many kids did they have? Does soccer mom life suit Phoebe? And who got what harmonies on “Smelly Cat?” Well, she did say she wanted to be like the von Trapps.

Season five gets pretty rough for Ross. His second marriage basically ends before it can really begin, he gets evicted, and after his sandwich gets eaten by someone else at work, he’s advised to take some time off. But as far as we can tell, this is only meant to be temporary. So what exactly happened between then and when he started working at NYU? Last thing we remember is Ross’ boss considering reinstating him after seeing that he’s in a much better place. But then he witnesses Ross’ reaction when he sees Chandler and Monica getting it on. Is it fossil-be that Ross’ temper cost him his job for good? That seems to be what’s suggested, but we’d like more details.

Even before Ben is born, Ross is determined to be a hands-on, involved father. Indeed, Ben makes several notable appearances throughout the earlier seasons, but soon they become few and far between, and eventually, he basically vanishes. Even his grandpa forgets about him! He’s last seen about halfway through season eight. Emma enters the world not too long after, which begs the question: does he know his younger half-sister? There’s been endless speculation about his absence. Carol and Susan actors Jane Sibbett and Jessica Hecht, for instance, reportedly said that he enrolled at a boarding school in the UK. But seriously, where is Ben? Did Ross still see him? Did Carol and Susan simply move away? Perhaps Janice was right all along.

Throughout the series, Phoebe shares details about her difficult childhood. Although if you piece them together, they raise more questions than answers. Firstly, where was Phoebe’s grandmother all those years she was unhoused? And why does Phoebe say her dad Frank left before she was born? That’s not how he remembers it. Also, did father and daughter keep in touch after their reunion? And where did her biological mom go? We last see her when Phoebe turns to her for advice about surrogacy, although she’s alluded to in later episodes. Neither even attend their daughter’s wedding! Honestly, we need a spin-off to iron out the details of Phoebe’s life.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

What Happened to Monica’s Ex-Boyfriend, Pete?
Did He Make It in the UFC?

Does Rachel Wear Glasses?
She Told Ross She Does, but We Never Saw Them…

What Happened to Joey’s Pregnant Sister, Dina?
She Did Say She Wanted Uncle Joey in the Kid’s Life, so, Was He?

What Happened to Phoebe’s Central Perk Gig?
Her Playing at the Coffee House Eventually Stopped Being a Regular Occurrence, & We Want Justice for “Smelly Cat”!

What’s with the Potato in the Cake Stand?
If Anyone Knows the Answer, Please Share it with the Group!

We all cheered when we realized she got off the plane. But let’s not forget that Rachel gave up a job at Louis Vuitton in one of the most fashionable places in the world to be with Ross. It was hard enough for her to get her foot in the door of the industry to begin with. And after working hard to climb the ladder, we doubt she’d willingly throw it all away. So what next? Perhaps Louis Vuitton had a local opening? Did Ross convince Ralph Lauren to take her back again? Maybe she started her own line? Given the countless iconic looks she served throughout the series, we can definitely see her as a successful fashionista.