Top 20 Times Friends Tackled Serious Issues

Monica dating Dr. Richard Burke may have seemed unconventional at first. But as it turns out, it was one of the best relationships either of them ever had. So why did it all fall apart? “Friends” made a bold decision in showcasing how the desire to have your own kids can derail even the best relationships. Richard had already been there and done that, and was ready to enjoy his golden years. But Monica wanted to experience becoming a new mother herself. Watching her choose that over this love isn’t easy because we see how difficult it is for her. But it does highlight how we all need to be honest with ourselves about what we really want out of life.

Carol and Susan’s wedding stands out for its trailblazing portrayal of gay marriage, but there was a lesser known topic that also got highlighted in the same episode. Rachel learns her mom wants to divorce her dad, which of course is shocking. But what she and the audience learn is that her mother was inspired by her bold choice to leave Barry. Unlike her daughter, Sandra didn’t walk away and ended up married to someone she didn’t love. She finally chooses happiness over convenience and family pressures, which isn’t always easy to do. It’s great to want to settle down and start a family, but it’s important to do so in a way that makes you happy.

Having been divorced three times, Ross knows all about the perils of marital dysfunction. Yet despite his own difficulties, it’s Chandler, and to a lesser degree Rachel, who have had to live through parental divorce. Chandler’s experience when his parents announced their split on Thanksgiving years prior was discussed early on in the show’s run. Watching your parents end things is difficult for kids to see, even if it’s the right and necessary thing. And for Chandler, the situation and its specifics had lasting effects. He’s an example of how coping with divorce is often not simple, and can lead to things like commitment issues or using humor as a defense mechanism.

Over the course of the show’s run, it was common to see two of the “friends” living together. There were several combinations that played out, but the two biggest ones were Monica and Rachel, and Joey and Chandler. In both cases, we got to see how they handled the “end of an era” when life took them in different directions. Regardless of whether it’s a close friend or a romantic interest, changing who you share your home with can have a huge emotional impact, especially if you’ve lived together for a long time. “Friends” showed us how real this separation anxiety can be, especially through the eyes of Joey and Chandler.

For those in monogamous relationships, an act of infidelity is often catastrophic. Regardless of what side of the “we were on a break” debate you’re on, we can all agree that the fallout that results from cheating can be difficult. This was evident when audiences watched as Ross and Rachel’s romance came to an end for a period. They were over, but the group’s friendships weren’t – so how do you navigate that? The episodes that followed highlighted how the bonds between friends can be tested when intimate relationships fail. The ski trip was a perfect example of how awkward and uncomfortable things can get. In spite of that, it also showed how, given the right circumstances, exes can start rebuilding.

Joey inadvertently falling in love with Rachel may have provided some comedic moments, but not everyone was a fan of the storyline as a whole. Though they end up dating for a time later on, when he initially finds the courage to profess his feelings, she doesn’t reciprocate. Admitting you’re falling for someone and risking being turned down by them is scary, to say the least. Joey’s reaction expressed his sadness, while providing a sense of familiarity to those watching. The truth is, no one wants to be rejected, and to see our lovable Joey go through it hits pretty close to home for many.

There will probably always be a debate about whether Ross and Rachel were really on a break. Yet breakups happen all the time in life, and “Friends” have given us plenty of them to ponder. The heartbreak Rachel and Ross experienced, and the ensuing fallout was extremely raw and real. But even the likes of Phoebe and Mike or Monica and Richard gave audiences varying points of view on the topic. And those are just a few examples out of many. Some of these pairings found their way back to each other, while others didn’t. That’s normal. The importance of being true to yourself and trusting your heart is repeatedly enforced by what these characters go through.

This is an age-old question. When a romance dies, can you continue to be friends with your former partner? The answer is as subjective as the parties involved in the relationship. Some people can flip the switch and it’s fine. Others find themselves continuing to try and win back the heart of the one they lost. Characters on this show gave us both sides as well. Monica and Richard failed to draw the line between romance and friendship. But Ross and Rachel did manage to find a place where they could support each other, without romantic entanglement (though they did end up together). There’s no single right answer, so we’re glad the show tackled this in different ways.

We have to give props to “Friends” for tackling this issue, especially since money is a topic many in the real world avoid like the plague. The reality is, it can be fairly common for a group of friends to have a wide difference in their income ranges. Lots of factors play into that. Even for the closest of friends, though, it’s often not something they’ll feel comfortable openly talking about. Instead, unspoken resentment can build up within those who perhaps don’t have the financial freedom others do, especially if their realities aren’t respected. Watching Joey, Rachel, and Phoebe confront the others about money showed audiences that it’s important to be honest about these things with those who matter most to us.

As much as we’d like to say the world has matured, there still seems to be some hesitation from guys when it comes to showing affection with each other. In popular media, men are often portrayed as having to be macho, and show little emotion. But when it comes to the show “Friends”, the opposite seems to be true, especially where Chandler and Joey are concerned. These two best friends were seen hugging it out on countless occasions over the show’s ten year history. It’s a nice illustration of how “Friends” could be willing to go against norms and embrace what true friendship can be about.

One of the more memorable plotlines on “Friends” was Phoebe’s selfless act of carrying Frank Jr. & Alice’s babies. The idea of having Phoebe become pregnant came out of the real-life pregnancy of Lisa Kudrow. Producers wanted to find a way to incorporate her pregnancy into the show and the surrogacy plot made the most sense. Along with touching on the real life struggles of couples trying to conceive, it also speaks to unconventional family beginnings. Surrogacy, adoption, and even one night stands all played roles in kicking off families while this show was on the air.

To the surprise of many, season eight introduced Rachel’s pregnancy. With Ross being the father, there was never any doubt he would be part of Rachel’s journey. However, with no romantic relationship between them at the time, and no prospects in sight, we got a glimpse into the life of a single mother. The first inclination of this was when Janice spoke about her own experience raising a child on her own. From there, the show managed to find a way to convey the difficulties of Rachel’s solo journey, and explored her and Ross co-parenting. Thankfully, she’s surrounded by both friends and family who are more than willing to tell her “We’ll be there for you”.

Three and a half minutes into the pilot of “Friends,” we meet Rachel Green. She’s a woman who’s spent her life living off her parents and had decided to marry into money. When her wedding day finally arrives, a gravy boat triggers an epiphany about her life, and she walks away from it all. Having relied on everyone else to sustain her, Rachel’s decision to abandon all of that and go out on her own is one that many people can relate to. It can be incredibly scary to walk away from all of that in favor of doing what feels right for you. Go Rachel!

The world of 2001 was a considerably different place in terms of how transgender people and issues were discussed and portrayed on screen. We learned early on that Chandler’s parent had left his mom for the pool boy. When we finally meet the character, played by Kathleen Turner, she’s headlining a drag show in Vegas as “Helena Handbasket”. It was arguably an inclusive move for its time. However, the show did tend to poke fun at the character, and co-creator Marta Kauffman has also expressed regret over misgendering her. So it’s safe to say the portrayal has not aged well. We’re glad we’ve come a long way since then!

Back in the second season of Friends, we were introduced to Monica’s younger self when Joey exclaimed: [“Some girl ate Monica”]. Although implied earlier in the series, we finally saw what a younger version of Monica looked like. However, it wasn’t until the Thanksgiving flashback episode that we saw what Monica was put through. Chandler refers to her as “fat”, which badly damages her confidence. “Friends” has been roundly criticized for its “fat” jokes, for good reason. But this episode did show us how hurtful someone’s words could be in relation to body image. Kudos to the writers for showing us this more vulnerable side to Monica.

It’s no secret that Phoebe had a pretty rough childhood. She lost her mother, was unhoused, and even committed petty crime for a while. But despite everything she went through, she was perhaps the happiest, most optimistic character on the show. She was no stranger to tragedy and trauma – but she chose to see life as something amazing and worth treasuring, which is pretty powerful. As a result, she ended up with a fantastic second family among her friends, and even learned about and got to know her half-brother and birth mom. She also found a good job, the perfect partner for all her quirkiness, and more. It’s proof that no matter how difficult things get, there’s still light we can go after.

Years ago, the idea of a family consisted of a husband, a wife, and their kids. As time has passed, the so-called “nuclear family” is no longer the norm. Like many shows from the 90s, Friends also chose to embrace the idea of non-traditional family types. The fact that the six friends themselves are so close makes them more akin to family than many blood relatives. Beyond that, it also gave us a blended family with Ross’s son. Ben became the child of two mothers and a father; something rarely seen on television at the time. Coming from an era that was less accepting of such things, this was a more modern direction to examine the family unit.

Since “Friends” focused so much time on the coffee house, it was rare to see them drinking something other than a latte. Yet, when Monica gets back together with her old boyfriend “Fun Bobby”, somehow they burn through five bottles of wine. It’s here where they discover that Bobby is only fun because of how much he drinks. Once he’s dry, Chandler quips that he’s now [b-roll: “ridiculously dull Bobby”]. But of course, this touches upon the character’s struggles with alcohol use, something many can relate to. Despite his now tamer demeanor, we were glad to see Bobby taking the right steps on the road to becoming sober.

Today, the idea of same-sex marriage is nowhere near as controversial as it would have been in 1996. Surprisingly though, Carol and Susan’s wedding episode didn’t actually make that much of a blip on the blowback radar. Only two network stations prohibited the episode from being aired - one in Texas and the other in Ohio - and NBC received just four complaints via telephone. Regardless, it was still groundbreaking territory at the time. Even so early on in the show’s run, the producers embraced the idea that love is … well, love! Carol and Susan gave us a great example of this.

When Monica and Chandler decided to have a baby, few could have expected the story to turn out as it did. We find out late in the season that due to medical reasons, they may not ever be able to conceive a child. Although there are many couples who could relate to this already, it was also a case of art imitating life. Courteney Cox, who played Monica, had experienced fertility issues with her then husband David Arquette. Thankfully, Monica and Chandler choose to adopt. Meanwhile, Courteney gave birth to her daughter Coco Arquette a year later.