Top 20 Most Rewatched Friends Moments

Thanksgiving episodes on “Friends” are among their most memorable, and this one is no exception. One of the main subplots (we’ll get to another in more detail later) involves a lie Ross told his parents. He said that Chandler was smoking pot, when it was actually him. In order to correct their negative opinion of her live-in boyfriend, Monica eventually spills the beans to her parents. However, Ross also reveals some of her secrets, prompting a rapid series of hilarious declarations from the rest of the friends. While Monica and Ross' mother is a little overwhelmed by the deluge of information, fans keep coming back for seconds!

Ross has loved Rachel ever since he was a teenager, but her feelings only come around many years later. They have their ups and down, but things start looking up for the couple after the gang watches an old video of Monica and Rachel’s prom preparations. In it, we learn that Ross was prepared to take Rachel to prom when her date seemed to have stood her up, only for him to be devastated when the guy showed up after all. This prompts Rachel to forgive Ross, kicking off their relationship for real. We love to revisit this whenever we need reminding that “lobsters” do exist.

Most of the time we rewatch “Friends” for moments that make us laugh. But sometimes, if we want a good cry, we look to the end. The very final scene of the show features the gang bidding goodbye to the apartment they’ve all lived in at one time or another throughout the years, and where they (and we) have so many fond memories. It’s the end of an era for them and just knowing that there won’t be any more laughs to be had with them there hits us hard even all these years later.

Rachel and Ross get pregnant while they’re not “together.” And thanks to Joey lending Ross a video camera to practice his seduction techniques, the whole act was caught on tape. While the gang are eager to watch it, for varying reasons, the duo are, for once, united in not wanting to view it. Rachel ultimately decides to, in order to prove that Ross came on to her first. However, her self-confidence proves to be short-lived, as she ends up being the one to seduce Ross. The group’s gradual realizations are priceless! Plus, watching Rachel’s sense of superiority crumble is very satisfying. We’re all so happy, Ross.

Joey Tribbiani is a lot of things, but he’s not the sharpest cheddar in his fridge, if you get our meaning. Still, it’s because he’s such a dope that his appearance on the game show “Pyramid” is so entertaining. His complete inability to guess his partner’s clues or to deliver satisfactory clues himself leads to a lot of great comedy, and plenty of frustration for the contestants - even if he manages to do surprisingly well in the final round. Matt LeBlanc’s comedic timing is absolutely perfect throughout, which makes revisiting it just as funny as the first time. [broll: “Paper, snow, a ghost!”]

Although Ross and Rachel’s first big kiss was a definite contender for this list, the build-up to it is arguably more rewatchable. After getting drunk on a date, Rachel leaves a message on Ross' answering machine proclaiming that she’s over him. Hungover the next day, she only realizes what she said as Ross is checking his messages, leading to some great physical comedy. Ross' subsequent freak out at this realization has some classic moments too and David Schwimmer’s delivery throughout is spectacular. This moment combines great character development in moving their relationship forward and some memorable humor too.

Ross tries to do something nice for Chandler and Monica’s wedding by learning to play the bagpipes, due to Chandler’s Scottish heritage. Unfortunately for him, but very fortunately for us, they both hate it, and describe his playing in some creatively funny ways. Even if you share their opinions, the final moment of Ross doing a demonstration for them and Phoebe “singing along” is so hilarious that we have a hard time keeping it together. Watching Jennifer Aniston in this scene, she clearly feels the same way!

Will is an old friend of Ross and Monica’s who shows up for Thanksgiving one year. Oh, and he’s played by Jennifer Aniston’s then-boyfriend, Brad Pitt. The revelation that he hates Aniston’s character, Rachel is hilarious. As is learning that he formed a club about hating Rachel, (ironically enough, with Ross). But the scene we often rewatch is the moment he first appears on screen. The audience absolutely loses their minds upon seeing Brad Pitt and it’s fun to relive the moment of surprise we experienced the first time we watched the episode.

Ross cannot catch a break most of the time, going through more embarrassment than most of the other “friends”. One of his most memorable mishaps happens during a trip to a tanning salon. After being told to count down after getting sprayed, Ross uses the ol’ “Mississippi” method, resulting in him getting sprayed twice on the front. Then, he gets another double dose on top of that! The end result has him looking like a black-and-white cookie when viewed from the side. Ross' hapless bumbling, as well as his friends’ reactions to his “new look” make this moment a treat to revisit. “Was that place…the SUN?!”

Joey may not be articulate or all that bright, but the guy has a way with the ladies. This means that when Chandler dates Joey’s ex, Kathy, Chandler is worried he won’t have the same skill in the bedroom that his roommate does. Monica lends him some assistance by drawing a diagram of women’s various erogenous zones, and giving him some pointers on how to approach them. She gets a little too into her demonstration however! Whether fans are revisiting the scene for its comedy, or if, like Monica, Chandler, and Rachel in the extended version, they need to “leave the room,” this is a fan favorite.

Joey and Chandler may be best friends, but even they have their falling outs. One of their more hilariously juvenile arguments happens when Joey takes Chandler’s seat after he gets up for a minute. Their childish back and forth leads to Joey taking the cushions off the chair and Chandler stealing Joey’s underwear. In retaliation, Joey decides to do the opposite – wear everything Chandler owns! The image of Joey wearing so many clothes (there have got to be a ton of sweater vests under there) will stay with us forever.

Ross’ wedding to Emily in London features a ton of memorable moments, and while Ross saying Rachel’s name at the altar is another hugely rewatchable moment, this one is even bigger! Monica is depressed because of her mom’s nagging, as well as an Englishman mistaking her for Ross’ mother. But Chandler ends up comforting her in her time of need. The next morning, Ross bursts into Chandler’s room to gush about getting married, only for Monica to emerge from underneath the covers. The audience and fans went wild, and it’s wonderful to revisit the surprise of “Mondler”’s beginnings, as well as their awkward pillow talk.

One of the tumultuous Thanksgivings we’ve already discussed features Rachel making a trifle for dessert. However, as Joey and Ross discover, Rachel accidentally mixed the recipe together with a shepherd’s pie. In their haste to leave, the pair don’t tell her she got the recipe wrong, leading to a disastrous sampling of the dish, which sees plenty of unique descriptions of its taste. [broll “It tastes like FEET!”] Joey alone, and true to form, doesn’t mind it at all – liking all its ingredients both separately and together. We’ll take his word for it!

Rachel’s pregnancy is one of the more unexpected developments in the show, especially considering that we initially didn’t have any clue who the father was. While trying to puzzle it out, and after proposing to Phoebe, Joey realizes that Rachel spent the night with a guy with a red sweater. Although Phoebe believes it’s Rachel’s former assistant’s, this proves to be false. It isn’t until the episode’s end that we realize Ross is the father, when he recognizes the sweater as his. While we may know the outcome when we rewatch it, seeing Joey’s delayed reaction alone is worth it!

As the show draws to its close, the friends are preparing to go their separate ways. Rachel is getting ready to move to Paris for a job opportunity in the fashion industry. Ross makes one last declaration of love for Rachel, but she gets on the plane anyway. Upon returning home, Ross hears a message on his machine from Rachel, in which she decides to get off the plane - only for her to be told to remain in her seat and for the message to cut off. Cue Rachel appearing behind Ross and these two crazy kids finally getting together for good…probably! It’s a moment ten seasons in the making, and one fans still look back at frequently…if only to point and shout, “FINALLY!”

While they do eventually end up together, Ross and Rachel actually spend most of the show apart. And all that begins with their first big break-up. While on a break, Ross sleeps with another woman. When Rachel finds out, they have an explosive fight in her and Monica’s apartment. While there are some funny lines, as well as great commentary from the rest of the gang, the actual experience of watching their relationship fall apart is emotional and hard to watch. But it’s still well worth it and makes for some of the pair’s best acting.

Ross can be a little…overzealous, to say the least, when it comes to his interests. After Rachel and Phoebe take a self-defense class, Ross decides to “help” the two of them by sharing a concept from “kuh-rah-tay” that he believes is called “unagi” (pro tip: it’s not). To help them gain “total awareness,” Ross proceeds to scare them repeatedly while yelling “Danger!” However, the girls get him back quite hilariously. Ross’ sushi-based defense system is incredibly fun to rewatch, largely because of the wide variety of facial expressions and physical comedy David Schwimmer manages to deliver.

Chandler and Monica’s relationship is a secret at first, but eventually the rest of their friends find out. When Phoebe discovers them, she proposes to Joey and Rachel that they mess with them. This leads to Phoebe engaging in escalating flirting with Chandler, while both groups exclaim over who knows what in progressively more convoluted knots that make Joey’s head spin. This culminates in Phoebe trying to seduce Chandler in a truly hilarious scene. While it’s hard to nail down exactly one moment that stands out, since it’s all so funny and full of great tension, we’re willing, like Phoebe, to be “very bendy.”

When Ross gets his new place, he also gets a new couch to go with it. However, with no elevator, he’s forced to take it up the stairs, enlisings Chandler and Rachel…even if Joey and Monica were his first and second choices. After his friends mock his diagram, he proceeds to loudly, repeatedly, and increasingly more incoherently yell the word “pivot” at them as they go up the stairs. We always have a hard time keeping it together when we revisit this scene, particularly when Chandler loses his temper. And if you ever help anyone move anything, this is definitely worth a reenactment.

The entire trivia contest between the guys and the girls with their pets and apartment on the line is a ton of fun to rewatch, but the lightning round is where it really shines. A series of rapid-fire questions delivered to both teams leads to the plenty of great jokes delivered one after the other. While the guys have a strong start, the girls need to exceed their score in order to avoid losing their apartment. They make a good show of it, but they’re stumped by what should be a simple question – what does Chandler do for a living? Rachel’s absurd answer of “transponster” may have Monica raging, but it still cracks us up every time!