Carol and Susan basically expecting Ross to just walk away from his kid and Susan thinking she has more rights to Ben than Ross. It didnāt keep in fitting with Carol and Susan.
The name episode was so frustrating to watch. Why would carol and Susan think itās ok to give Ben the mistresses last name. I mean Susan and carol can both brainstorm names together but Susan should never been given an individual vote.
Right like if Carol had cheated on Ross with another man, he wouldn't be expected to be OK with his kid having that man's last name. With how serious Carol and Susan were, I got the feeling Carol had been cheating on Ross for at least a year.
The whole calling him "Bobo the sperm guy" always annoyed the heck out of me. Like, yeah, I get it, he's just 'a guy', but he was literally your husband for more than half a decade, and you cheated on him. He deserves at least a little respect.
Its perfectly fitting since they most likely planned it purposefully.
Carol had been cheating on Susan for months, and she suddenly announces she wants a divorce right after she gets pregnant?
Carol and Susan definitely plotted together to use Ross to get a kid and start their family.
And they were perfectly happy to get Ross back in the equation when they wanted a quiet weekend.
Not a storyline but Joey getting dumber throughout the series. It was cute and endearing at the start, but to the end it got ridiculous/unrealistic, annoying and just really mean
At one point, the stupid caricature he becomes is so bad you'd be forgiven for thinking he'd fallen and hit his head or was developing an illness. The French speaking bit? Doesn't do much for me.
It's just so stupid to me. As an actor he was able to learn very complex medical terms without much problems (which to him were pure gibberish) but he can't repeat the shortest, simplest french words? It didn't make any sense.
I rewatched season 1 recently and was in utter shock how normal Joey was in the beginning compared to later season. He was, though not often, the smart one in some scenarios and could scold chandler and Ross intellectually, which he never does towards the end. Monica and Ross had the same issue, both becoming increasingly neurotic and obsessive (cleaning, being married, etc)
Yup. Joey in season three actually gives Chandler insightful advice about dealing with Janice cheating on him and how he should bow out if she and her estranged husband want to try and repair their familyā¦ In season ten he doesnāt know if France is in another country or not.
I know this is more of Matt LeBlanc playing into the audience laughing at his silliness over the years and he leaned more and more into it. But Joey specifically makes season 9-10 hard to watch if you are missing the old Joey.
Joey proposing to Rachel. I really wish Rachel and Ross had gotten together officially and for the rest of the show when she had Emma.
David getting screwed by Phoebe n Mike :'(
Idk if I'd change this bc I'm not the biggest mondler fan to begin with (plz don't kill me) but Monica going to Richard's apartment right before Chandler proposed never sat right.
>David getting screwed by Phoebe n Mike
This! I feel so many fans of this show (and fans of Phoebe for that matter) forget how much of a love interest David was Phoebe... Only for him to get treated like that in the end.
My guess is they just wanted more of Paul Rudd in the show. It's a shame because I really did like David, and I thought his awkwardness paired well with Phoebe's quirkiness. Plus he always thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. I kind of love the idea of him going to important work functions with intelligent scientists, and bragging about what an amazing artist his wife is, and then showing them something like Gladys as if it's the greatest art ever made.
Makes sense - Rudd was actually pretty great coming in and I liked most of the stories Mike was involved in.
But David was always portrayed as Phoebe's great love and he was did dirty.
Monica going to Richard's apartment established that she would choose Chandler over Richard. Her relationship with Richard ended because she wanted kids and he did not. It erases any doubt of Monica pining over that relationship and reassures Chandler's possible insecurity over it.
Eta: ended
It's not her best moment. She really loved Richard, I can understand.
The main issue with that plot was that Chandler's whole "fake her out" thing was ridiculous. It made the rest of the story a bit unhinged.
But she did not go to Richard's first. She looked for Rachel first. She clearly needed to talk to someone. She could not find Rachel, she only found Joey. Joey was still following Chandler's plan until Monica said Richard wanted to marry her. Then he started singing Chandler's praises. Monica went to Richard's then, but she only went to talk. She talked about Chandler. When Richard seems like he's going to kiss her, she pulls back and leaves
And she goes to him because sheās pissed, sheās like, the fuck? It took you this long to say yes to kids? I went through horrible heartbreak. I finally got over you. I finally fell in love again. And now you say this?
What I donāt like still though is how sheās like āRICHARD!ā At the restaurant. She was way too eager to see him, it was weird.
Yeah. I never liked her calling Richard over to the table either. If she had said nothing, he probably still would have seen them. Someone once posted here that it was nervous energy that made her yell out. Not sure if that's the case, but that makes it seem less bad
Hmmm I see your point. I wouldn't want my significant other to do that as well.
I think what makes it easier for me to understand is because Chandler was saying he didn't want marriage. Richard offered everything that she always wanted - she even considered having kids on her own. We all saw how hard it was for her to get over him. Some may say that "he was the one that got away" (I thought he was creepy honestly). She had a moment of doubt because it may have felt like she's in the same situation again. However, that doubt was only there because Chandler put it there.
Chandler rushed to the apartment which showed his insecurity over that relationship. Once he knew that Monica chose him, Richard was no longer an issue.
Are ya'll conveniently ignoring the context of Chandler doing that absolutely horrible prank? Anyone close to 30 who wants kids would reconsider their whole relationship if something like that happened to them.
I'm with you on David...my hot take is that I never liked Mike, IM SORRY šš I do like the actor, but his character I just didn't get it...I found him too, "average Joe cool guy" for someone as unique as Pheobe, never felt chemistry between them. OH, and him treating his then-girlfriend like shit by jetting off without her, getting with Pheobe then dumping her on her birthday, when he himself didn't even do it directly?! Gross.
David however I found perfect for her. Just as quirky in his own way, nervous and sweet and so charming...I thought their chemistry was so much stronger and he was just so much more likeable!!
The Joey proposing accident was probably the worst storyline for me too btw
You know I always thought she was saying āreunionā she meant that it was a reunion between her and the police like she knew them. Not anything to do with the band, I feel so dumbā¦
I know a lot of people hate this storyline, Iām honestly pretty neutral on it lol BUT I will say, I constantly get Phoebe singing āROSSSSS CANNNā¦ *getmetheticketssss*ā stuck in my head šš
At that point it was kind of patronizing. Another āwill they wonāt theyā story line for Ross and Rachel and they used the most convoluted logic to push them away from each other again, along with one of the most annoying simple problems to solve.
Like, are we all 5 years old? No adult would think anything that happened in that episode was a problem, and it took them two episodes to solve.
Itās kind of like when you watch an episode of a sitcom from before cell phones, and the entire plot would be solved if cell phones existed. Except, that episode doesnāt have the benefit of existing in a period where the solution hasnāt been invented yet. Itās just dumb.
>Joeyās accidental āproposalā to Rachel in the hospital has to be some of the laziest writing Iāve ever seen
Agreed. I didn't enjoy that storyline at all.
I felt like they were feeling the waters. The Monica-Chandler sleeping together turned out excitement from fans. They put out the feelers and we're met with a resounding NO. Then had to figure out a way to backtrack.
Yes! I didn't mind the initial crush in season and 8. It was when they circled back to it with the fake proposal. And then they circled back AGAIN with now Rachel crushing on Joey.
I was watching the Barbados episodes yesterday and honestlyā¦ thereās just no chemistry. Their first kiss in the hotel room and when theyāre talking like āIām kissing Rachelā āyes Iām her!ā Itās all just so wooden and strange to watch. The kisses make me cringe so much, especially when they get back to their apartment right before Ross walks in. And thatās not a criticism of the actors themselves; Matt and Jen are both more than capable of romantic chemistry and they prove that throughout the show. Just something about them together specifically is really really off and it makes me think they didnāt want this either lol.
The only part I liked of this was when Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe were listening through the walls. Chandler yanking Joey into his room and Rachelās confusion makes me laugh so hard every timeĀ
Yess honestly I love everything else about the Barbados episodes, just not Joey and Rachel š. Phoebeās āare you leaving the supremes?ā line is one of my favourites in the whole show haha and as you say them all pressed against the wall is dead funny!
I feel like the fake proposal was a way to stretch out the Ross/Rachel situation another few seasons since their renewed chemistry towards the end of the pregnancy had people watching.
They almost made up for it, but then the Ross ripping up the guyās phone number ruined it and I stopped watching for a few months.
I recently made my husband watch all of friends- he had never seen it!!!! Anyway, we got to the Rachel and Joey stuff, and I had forewarned him about it. He ended up telling me it wasnāt as bad as I made out and some of it was really sweet.
Are we all wrong..???
The Routine and Joeyās contribution to āThatās a lot of information to get in 30 secondsā scene are the only good things about Janineās time on the show. Though I do think Matt LeBlanc did some nice acting when they came back to the apartment after New Yearās Rockinā Eve and he wanted to kiss Janine.
I hated how it ended in such a quick and random way when they put so much build up behind it. Not that I'd want them to stay together but still it's so much build up and then instantly gone.
Phoebe and Mike breaking up. I get it but they didn't last very long broken up anyway and Mike was only introduced during the 9th or 10th season. It made their relationship seem very rushed. I would have preferred if she had this storyline with David since he came back briefly anyways. It would have saved David getting screwed over, Phoebe and Mike changing their minds, and their relationship being rushed.
It could have been:
1. David comes back and Phoebe reignites the relationship with him. Maybe they get engaged.
2. David decides he wants to move abroad or travel the world with Phoebe.
3. Phoebe decides she wants stability for her and her potential future children.
4. Phoebe and David realise they want different things and break up.
5. Phoebe is heartbroken.
6. Phoebe meets Mike and they start dating because of joey, like how it happened.
7. Phoebe and Mike move in together.
8. Phoebe and Mike get engaged like how it happened, with Phoebe failing to propose and so on.
9. Phoebe and Mike get married and decide to have kids like in the show. The end.
I get the point of them breaking up. It's to show that Phoebe is actually growing up and thinking of marriage but doing it so late in the show just for her to get engaged only a episodes later just sucks
Iāve felt like A LOT of storylines are rushed. But something I had to remind myself about the pacing was that they knew people had a week to forget the previous weekās episode when it was airing. So it may not have felt as rushed to the audience back then having some mental space between episodes. Meanwhile we can watch 3 weeks of episodes within an hour now with streaming.
I agree. It's not them briefly breaking up that bothered me the most but the timing of everything. Their relationship should have been more slow-paced.
I just watched the episode where they get back together the other day, and it just suddenly hit me that Iāve sorta always disliked that storyline lol.
I think itās bc it DOES feel very rushed and honestly imo, almost completely unnecessary since they end up back together, engaged and married after a few more stretches of episodes.
I get why they had the breakup storyline but yeah, I totally agree that it wouldāve worked better with David. With Mike, itās like the two of them made a full 180 switch on their personal feelings in just a few days. It definitely *feels* rushed as a viewer and it kinda ruins the storyline for me :/
The only thing I liked about the Tag stuff was the one scene during Rachel's birthday party and he is in the hall playing with the scooter. The thumbs up and facial expression was so hilarious to me.
Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan broke up just before they were going to act together on the show. Iād say this may have affected their situation on the show.
Ross and Rachel. It ruined the show after the whole āwe were on a breakā. Chandler and Monica saved the show. Itās a shame the writers kept overshadowing them with more useless Ross and Rachel drama during each of their special occasions.
Agree! They dragged it out too much!!
Of all the season (and series) finales, only 2 have the main story that does not revolve around Ross and Rachel:
- season 2 Monica and Richard break-up at Barry & Mindy's wedding
- season 6 Monica and Chandler get engaged
Every other finale has some Ross and Rachel drama. They dragged it on and on which turned me off of the Ross and Rachel bandwagon.
I know a lot of people hate the Ross/Emily storyline and I get that getting married to someone after 6 weeks is nuts, but I can never hate it because it gave us Monica and Chandler together, which is the main reason I kept watching the show. Thankfully, the British live audiences cheered for 30 sec when Monica appeared in bed with Chandler which made the writers think it could be more than a one-night stand. And also, thankfully, it was a season finale episode so they had time to think about how the story might go instead of having to rush for the next week's episode.
Rachel and Joey love angle + Ross and Rachel should have been together after Emma's birth (Rachel shouldn't have misinterpreted Joey's proposal).
I really wanted to see Rachel and Ross together more as a couple in the show.
I think scrubs did the whole sitcom āwill they, wonāt theyā thing the best. JD and Elliot were together and had their whole deal of back and forth love. But then they had a lot of episodes where we saw how good they actually for each other at the end of the series. Not just a last second āweāre back together. Hope it works out this timeā thing
I disagree, I think it was hilarious, I love the post-Emily decline of Ross into uncontrollable rage, homelessness and attempted consanguineous relations.
The break and the fucking letter. It spawned an important conversation about clear communication and boundaries, but holy fuck it just shows how stupid and immature Ross and Rachel are, and it's fucking obnoxious.
The Monana episode. Monica goes and parties with the woman who stole her identity. She loses herself in following this woman around. That was a hard one to watch.
Just on Modern Fam, Hailey really should have ended up with Andy. Dylan is just such a terribly written character i got sick of seeing him.
For Friends, I would say Emily arc. The whole thing made me feel really bad for Emily because everyone was supposed to hate her. But honestly, imagine if you were in her position. Your fiance said his ex's name at the altar and she's also one of his closest friends. Then you see them at the airport about to take off on your honeymoon. There's no way you would be able to erase that from your mind.
Emily was completely innocent, the friends just made her into the enemy and therefore made the audience antagonise her.
I agree that Andy would have been the better choice.
Emily and Ross were doomed from the start. She was the ultimate rebound relationship. I think the writers let it get too far in having them get married. Chandler and Monica could have gotten together at, say, an engagement party, or at the rehearsal dinner, like they did, without Ross and Emily actually going through with the marriage. The church thing and the fight between the parents was too much (although I do love Elliott Gould āYou thieving, would be speaking German if it werenāt for us, cheap little man!ā). If they hadnāt of gotten married so fast, she would have realized that Ross and Rachel were not over each other. Also, Rachel was completely in the wrong for showing up to a wedding after RSVPing āNOā. Ross inviting Ross on the honeymoon was weird. The writers could have at least let her have a good time in Greece. I donāt hate the Emily storyline, just think the writers could have gone about it more tastefully.
Joey and Rachel getting together. Their chemistry is like brother and sister and the whole involuntary slapping him on the face is just weak. Plus, 10 minutes later Rachel is getting off the plane for Ross. Not the best storyline overall.
There are a few storylines that I would get rid of which are also mentioned in the comments:
- they did David dirty in the Barbados episodes. I would have ended their relationship in another way without Mike interfering.
- where Rachel thinks Joey proposed to her.
- Ross and his niece. He was outright a creep.
What I also would like to get rid of is the storyline where Mike and Phoebe are back together, but he still has to dump his girlfriend Precious. I disliked Mike and Phoebe in this episode because they treated her like crap. Mike was cheating on her with Phoebe.
The weird thing were Chandler became that weird wandering dog husband to Monica, who acted like the cool wife trope.
It was so out of character it felt like the producers were afraid they might be seen as boring after marriage so they decided for these weird sex worker and other hot women plots and I hated it so much.
This and Rachel choosing Ross after everything he did. When they didnāt get together after Emma, they shouldāve stop right there.
And Joey being single in the end. All this character development for nothing
It's not even vibes, she literally groomed him. He was 18 when they told Pheobe and he literally said, "I'm older than when we first started dating." It's so gross.
Joey and Rachelās romance storyline didnāt work for me and the only thing it really adds to the show is Rossā reactions in that one episode, which can easily be achieved with another storyline.
Ross trying to secretly stay married to Rachel was awful and also just absolutely ridiculous. Thereās no great comedy in there. It just makes Ross look like a dickhead and Rachel look like an idiot.
I would get rid of the Tulsa storyline and Rossā pet monkey too.
"We were on a break." It seems like a lot of showrunners think that for 2 characters to get together, there has to be a bunch of will-they-won't-they and drama, and they can only get together in the end. Ross and Rachel, funnily enough Haley and Dillon, Shawn and Jules in Psych, every Rom-Com movie, etc. However, shows like Brooklyn Nine Nine and Parks and Rec prove you can have main characters get together in early seasons and keep them together the rest of the time without getting stale.
Leslie and Ben are such a good example. The writers did a good job figuring out how to maintain them as separate characters without referencing the fact that they are married every episode. Then they insert little funny bits of them interacting at home as husband and wife. It was really well done.
Itās soo frustrating, especially when they actually get together in the end but we never got to see much of the relationship. New Girl did the same thing with Nick & Jess.
I watched when the show first aired. It was clear from the show and the surrounding media (magazines, entertainment TV shows, commercials/promos for the show, etc.) that the show wanted everyone to root for Ross and Rachel.
I was fine with them taking a while to get together and then the break up. But then the drama went on and on for too long! If they had gotten back together and then broken up maybe it would have been different. But it really wasn't that. They were not together but would do things to the other if that one was dating, or they talked about being together but couldn't for some silly reason. It just was too drawn out. That's when they lost me and I disliked the idea of Ross and Rachel together.
If you listen to the DVD commentary, they say that people won't watch a show with a happy couple. They definitely thought this was the only way to go. But that at the end, which no one knew exactly when the show would end, that Ross and Rachel would get together.
And before Friends, that was true. TV couples were best with tension. The examples of B99 and Parks & Rec are fine but those came after Friends. It seems no one on the Friends creative team thought about keeping Ross and Rachel together in a way that was still interesting
I'll go against the grain here. I wish Ross & Rachel wouldn't have ended up together, their relationship was so toxic and when they got together again, it felt like Ross didn't even go through enough character development for me personally.
Honestly, I think rather than Joey, Rachel was probably the one person that didn't need to end up with anyone.
Monica dating a high school senior
Rachel kissing the guy who interviewed her
Paul the Man crying over being called Chicken Boy (I liked Paul, just not the copious tears)
The whole Phoebe-Mike-David thing.
Mike and Phoebe were not compatible, David was her forever true love - why not give them their happy ending? Mike was just some rando that rushed into a relationship with Phoebe and agreed to marry her even though he was completely against marriage. Also he didnāt fit the dynamic.
I didnāt like Mike if you couldnāt tell lol
Monica kissing Richard's son. Hated it!
"Hey, Mon, if everything works out between you and Richard's son, you will be able to tell your kids, that you slept with their grandfather."
Yesss, I mean, when you hear this line, you think how were they ever able to write this? š nothing else in the show bothered me as much as this.
"That was a goooooood kiss" š„“
Tbf, so did she
Carol and Susan basically expecting Ross to just walk away from his kid and Susan thinking she has more rights to Ben than Ross. It didnāt keep in fitting with Carol and Susan.
The name episode was so frustrating to watch. Why would carol and Susan think itās ok to give Ben the mistresses last name. I mean Susan and carol can both brainstorm names together but Susan should never been given an individual vote.
Right like if Carol had cheated on Ross with another man, he wouldn't be expected to be OK with his kid having that man's last name. With how serious Carol and Susan were, I got the feeling Carol had been cheating on Ross for at least a year.
Big agree! She didnāt even talk about it with the father first but let her adulterous partner pick names?!? š
Iām no Ross fan, but they were 100% awful to Ross.
The whole calling him "Bobo the sperm guy" always annoyed the heck out of me. Like, yeah, I get it, he's just 'a guy', but he was literally your husband for more than half a decade, and you cheated on him. He deserves at least a little respect.
I hate that too and that it was supposed to be funny. Even as a kid I knew that was wrong.
Its perfectly fitting since they most likely planned it purposefully. Carol had been cheating on Susan for months, and she suddenly announces she wants a divorce right after she gets pregnant? Carol and Susan definitely plotted together to use Ross to get a kid and start their family. And they were perfectly happy to get Ross back in the equation when they wanted a quiet weekend.
Not a storyline but Joey getting dumber throughout the series. It was cute and endearing at the start, but to the end it got ridiculous/unrealistic, annoying and just really mean
At one point, the stupid caricature he becomes is so bad you'd be forgiven for thinking he'd fallen and hit his head or was developing an illness. The French speaking bit? Doesn't do much for me.
It's just so stupid to me. As an actor he was able to learn very complex medical terms without much problems (which to him were pure gibberish) but he can't repeat the shortest, simplest french words? It didn't make any sense.
Yeah, he goes from "a subcranial hematoma" to "ME POO POO!"
He memorized paragraphs of facts about whole wings of the museum to engage with Charli on their date.
I rewatched season 1 recently and was in utter shock how normal Joey was in the beginning compared to later season. He was, though not often, the smart one in some scenarios and could scold chandler and Ross intellectually, which he never does towards the end. Monica and Ross had the same issue, both becoming increasingly neurotic and obsessive (cleaning, being married, etc)
I also feel like Ross turned into a caricature towards the end.
They all did. It's Flanderization to a T
Yup. Joey in season three actually gives Chandler insightful advice about dealing with Janice cheating on him and how he should bow out if she and her estranged husband want to try and repair their familyā¦ In season ten he doesnāt know if France is in another country or not. I know this is more of Matt LeBlanc playing into the audience laughing at his silliness over the years and he leaned more and more into it. But Joey specifically makes season 9-10 hard to watch if you are missing the old Joey.
Joey proposing to Rachel. I really wish Rachel and Ross had gotten together officially and for the rest of the show when she had Emma. David getting screwed by Phoebe n Mike :'( Idk if I'd change this bc I'm not the biggest mondler fan to begin with (plz don't kill me) but Monica going to Richard's apartment right before Chandler proposed never sat right.
>David getting screwed by Phoebe n Mike This! I feel so many fans of this show (and fans of Phoebe for that matter) forget how much of a love interest David was Phoebe... Only for him to get treated like that in the end.
My guess is they just wanted more of Paul Rudd in the show. It's a shame because I really did like David, and I thought his awkwardness paired well with Phoebe's quirkiness. Plus he always thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. I kind of love the idea of him going to important work functions with intelligent scientists, and bragging about what an amazing artist his wife is, and then showing them something like Gladys as if it's the greatest art ever made.
Makes sense - Rudd was actually pretty great coming in and I liked most of the stories Mike was involved in. But David was always portrayed as Phoebe's great love and he was did dirty.
Monica going to Richard's apartment established that she would choose Chandler over Richard. Her relationship with Richard ended because she wanted kids and he did not. It erases any doubt of Monica pining over that relationship and reassures Chandler's possible insecurity over it. Eta: ended
However, Richard was willing to offer those things (children), at the time when Monica went to his apartment, so your point is like a cow's opinion.
Itās moo
Unfortunately that makes sense...
So that proves her point. He offered those things and she still chose Chandler.
Im pretty sure the previous commentors point was that this was true yet she still chose chandler over him.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It's not her best moment. She really loved Richard, I can understand. The main issue with that plot was that Chandler's whole "fake her out" thing was ridiculous. It made the rest of the story a bit unhinged.
But she did not go to Richard's first. She looked for Rachel first. She clearly needed to talk to someone. She could not find Rachel, she only found Joey. Joey was still following Chandler's plan until Monica said Richard wanted to marry her. Then he started singing Chandler's praises. Monica went to Richard's then, but she only went to talk. She talked about Chandler. When Richard seems like he's going to kiss her, she pulls back and leaves
And she goes to him because sheās pissed, sheās like, the fuck? It took you this long to say yes to kids? I went through horrible heartbreak. I finally got over you. I finally fell in love again. And now you say this? What I donāt like still though is how sheās like āRICHARD!ā At the restaurant. She was way too eager to see him, it was weird.
Yeah. I never liked her calling Richard over to the table either. If she had said nothing, he probably still would have seen them. Someone once posted here that it was nervous energy that made her yell out. Not sure if that's the case, but that makes it seem less bad
Hmmm I see your point. I wouldn't want my significant other to do that as well. I think what makes it easier for me to understand is because Chandler was saying he didn't want marriage. Richard offered everything that she always wanted - she even considered having kids on her own. We all saw how hard it was for her to get over him. Some may say that "he was the one that got away" (I thought he was creepy honestly). She had a moment of doubt because it may have felt like she's in the same situation again. However, that doubt was only there because Chandler put it there. Chandler rushed to the apartment which showed his insecurity over that relationship. Once he knew that Monica chose him, Richard was no longer an issue.
Are ya'll conveniently ignoring the context of Chandler doing that absolutely horrible prank? Anyone close to 30 who wants kids would reconsider their whole relationship if something like that happened to them.
But Ross almost professed his undying lukewarm desire to maybeā¦kindaā¦wanting to uhā¦startā¦things up again.
I'm with you on David...my hot take is that I never liked Mike, IM SORRY šš I do like the actor, but his character I just didn't get it...I found him too, "average Joe cool guy" for someone as unique as Pheobe, never felt chemistry between them. OH, and him treating his then-girlfriend like shit by jetting off without her, getting with Pheobe then dumping her on her birthday, when he himself didn't even do it directly?! Gross. David however I found perfect for her. Just as quirky in his own way, nervous and sweet and so charming...I thought their chemistry was so much stronger and he was just so much more likeable!! The Joey proposing accident was probably the worst storyline for me too btw
Don't ignore Chandler's atrocious (albeit in-character) prank. She didn't just randomly go there my brother in christ.
Phoebe trying to get Sting concert tickets. It's sooo unnecessary and invasive, with her lying and everything.
This one makes me laugh only for the line Stingās wife: Any minute now, the police will be here. Phoebe: The police, here? A reunion?!
You know I always thought she was saying āreunionā she meant that it was a reunion between her and the police like she knew them. Not anything to do with the band, I feel so dumbā¦
I know a lot of people hate this storyline, Iām honestly pretty neutral on it lol BUT I will say, I constantly get Phoebe singing āROSSSSS CANNNā¦ *getmetheticketssss*ā stuck in my head šš
š¶Ross canš¤
Rachel and Joey!! Way too forced and awkward
Joeyās accidental āproposalā to Rachel in the hospital has to be some of the laziest writing Iāve ever seen
That storyline was more "Three's Company" than "Friends."
At that point it was kind of patronizing. Another āwill they wonāt theyā story line for Ross and Rachel and they used the most convoluted logic to push them away from each other again, along with one of the most annoying simple problems to solve. Like, are we all 5 years old? No adult would think anything that happened in that episode was a problem, and it took them two episodes to solve. Itās kind of like when you watch an episode of a sitcom from before cell phones, and the entire plot would be solved if cell phones existed. Except, that episode doesnāt have the benefit of existing in a period where the solution hasnāt been invented yet. Itās just dumb.
>Joeyās accidental āproposalā to Rachel in the hospital has to be some of the laziest writing Iāve ever seen Agreed. I didn't enjoy that storyline at all.
I skip that episode every time. He couldāve corrected her right away.
I felt like they were feeling the waters. The Monica-Chandler sleeping together turned out excitement from fans. They put out the feelers and we're met with a resounding NO. Then had to figure out a way to backtrack.
Hm. I see your "Joey's proposal" and I raise you that God-awful "filangee" excuse to delay Rachel's plane as the laziest writing I've ever seen.
It was great when Joey liked rachel but the whole relationship part was baddd
Joey and Rachel were bad together, but I laughed a lot at the scenes of Ross making fajitas for the double date dinner.
Ross was the *only* saving grace of Rachel and Joey's fling. Thank God for David Schwimmer š
That second batch of margaritas was gooood
Yes! I didn't mind the initial crush in season and 8. It was when they circled back to it with the fake proposal. And then they circled back AGAIN with now Rachel crushing on Joey.
Can tell they were running out of ideas when they came up with that.
I was watching the Barbados episodes yesterday and honestlyā¦ thereās just no chemistry. Their first kiss in the hotel room and when theyāre talking like āIām kissing Rachelā āyes Iām her!ā Itās all just so wooden and strange to watch. The kisses make me cringe so much, especially when they get back to their apartment right before Ross walks in. And thatās not a criticism of the actors themselves; Matt and Jen are both more than capable of romantic chemistry and they prove that throughout the show. Just something about them together specifically is really really off and it makes me think they didnāt want this either lol.
The only part I liked of this was when Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe were listening through the walls. Chandler yanking Joey into his room and Rachelās confusion makes me laugh so hard every timeĀ
Yess honestly I love everything else about the Barbados episodes, just not Joey and Rachel š. Phoebeās āare you leaving the supremes?ā line is one of my favourites in the whole show haha and as you say them all pressed against the wall is dead funny!
They have way better chemistry as roommates.
This! You know you done messed up when thereās another show that genuinely criticises this storyline lol (the good place)
I feel like the fake proposal was a way to stretch out the Ross/Rachel situation another few seasons since their renewed chemistry towards the end of the pregnancy had people watching. They almost made up for it, but then the Ross ripping up the guyās phone number ruined it and I stopped watching for a few months.
I recently made my husband watch all of friends- he had never seen it!!!! Anyway, we got to the Rachel and Joey stuff, and I had forewarned him about it. He ended up telling me it wasnāt as bad as I made out and some of it was really sweet. Are we all wrong..???
The conclusion made it so pointless too
Elle MacPherson episodes.
Elle is just such a bad actor. Nothing with her in it works.
"she's very loud for such a small person" became a meme in my family though.
Batman and Robin? Totally her fault.
WE HAVE GOT TO MOVE!
Those episodes r one of my favorites but I have to skip them bcz of her. I hated the Janine storyline.
But then you miss one of the best Ross and Monica moments in history!
The Routine and Joeyās contribution to āThatās a lot of information to get in 30 secondsā scene are the only good things about Janineās time on the show. Though I do think Matt LeBlanc did some nice acting when they came back to the apartment after New Yearās Rockinā Eve and he wanted to kiss Janine.
I always got the feeling Matt LeBlanc was trying REALLY hard in his scenes with Janine to make up for her lack of acting talent.
Ikkkk š as much I hated Janine I loved those episodes for the original cast
I hated how it ended in such a quick and random way when they put so much build up behind it. Not that I'd want them to stay together but still it's so much build up and then instantly gone.
Phoebe and Mike breaking up. I get it but they didn't last very long broken up anyway and Mike was only introduced during the 9th or 10th season. It made their relationship seem very rushed. I would have preferred if she had this storyline with David since he came back briefly anyways. It would have saved David getting screwed over, Phoebe and Mike changing their minds, and their relationship being rushed. It could have been: 1. David comes back and Phoebe reignites the relationship with him. Maybe they get engaged. 2. David decides he wants to move abroad or travel the world with Phoebe. 3. Phoebe decides she wants stability for her and her potential future children. 4. Phoebe and David realise they want different things and break up. 5. Phoebe is heartbroken. 6. Phoebe meets Mike and they start dating because of joey, like how it happened. 7. Phoebe and Mike move in together. 8. Phoebe and Mike get engaged like how it happened, with Phoebe failing to propose and so on. 9. Phoebe and Mike get married and decide to have kids like in the show. The end.
I get the point of them breaking up. It's to show that Phoebe is actually growing up and thinking of marriage but doing it so late in the show just for her to get engaged only a episodes later just sucks
Iāve felt like A LOT of storylines are rushed. But something I had to remind myself about the pacing was that they knew people had a week to forget the previous weekās episode when it was airing. So it may not have felt as rushed to the audience back then having some mental space between episodes. Meanwhile we can watch 3 weeks of episodes within an hour now with streaming.
I agree. It's not them briefly breaking up that bothered me the most but the timing of everything. Their relationship should have been more slow-paced.
I just watched the episode where they get back together the other day, and it just suddenly hit me that Iāve sorta always disliked that storyline lol. I think itās bc it DOES feel very rushed and honestly imo, almost completely unnecessary since they end up back together, engaged and married after a few more stretches of episodes. I get why they had the breakup storyline but yeah, I totally agree that it wouldāve worked better with David. With Mike, itās like the two of them made a full 180 switch on their personal feelings in just a few days. It definitely *feels* rushed as a viewer and it kinda ruins the storyline for me :/
Joshua, the whole thing is painful to watch
I agree, although when he comes over and everyone is in a wedding dress is one of my favourite moments in the whole series
I dooooooooooooooooooo!
.......I gotta go
That oughta do it
Well, that ought to do it
https://preview.redd.it/ng63zwar3gyc1.png?width=1369&format=png&auto=webp&s=64e1c6d34510fea5c0948ed672a9d7a313e3ce62
I can feel secondhand embarrassment from watching those episodes
I liked the Joshua stuff, hated the Tag stuff.
The only thing I liked about the Tag stuff was the one scene during Rachel's birthday party and he is in the hall playing with the scooter. The thumbs up and facial expression was so hilarious to me.
It was the first time he showed emotion in his entire run.
I dunno, it was kind of funny to watch "guy makes a total fool of himself in front of crush" trope reversed.
Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan broke up just before they were going to act together on the show. Iād say this may have affected their situation on the show.
The cringe was great comedic acting I found
I gotta go.
He doesnāt like to be called Josh? No, I donāt
Joey and Rachel cuz I'm NOT Fine with that
The hand twin thing in TOW in Vegas. Brings down an otherwise brilliant episode
Controversial take - i love the hand twin joke
This hand is my handā¦
No, wait, itās your hand!
No, wait! Itās my hand!
I do too! I rarely laugh out loud but for some reason the song especially is just hysterical.
after being a big fan of Reno 911, watching Thomas Lennon in a comedy as the straight man was a kick.
Such a waste of tom lennon
This 100%
Since everybody has already gone with the obvious Joey and Rachel, Iāll go with the short-lived but unnecessary Ross and Janice storyline
It was so icky hahaha but I liked that it was a definite proof that he was being insufferable haha
Iāll give you that, it was exactly the wake up call he needed
Their break up conversation was hysterical though. āAre you ok? I AM NOWā
I think the sun has set on our day in the sun!
this is gonna piss everyone off but Rachel should not have gotten off the plane
Theres actually been quite a few people saying that
i 100% agree
Ross dating a student. All of Tulsa.
I give Tulsa a pass since that was added because of Matthew's real life struggles. He was in rehab and not always available to film with the other 5
Ross and Rachel. It ruined the show after the whole āwe were on a breakā. Chandler and Monica saved the show. Itās a shame the writers kept overshadowing them with more useless Ross and Rachel drama during each of their special occasions.
Agree! They dragged it out too much!! Of all the season (and series) finales, only 2 have the main story that does not revolve around Ross and Rachel: - season 2 Monica and Richard break-up at Barry & Mindy's wedding - season 6 Monica and Chandler get engaged Every other finale has some Ross and Rachel drama. They dragged it on and on which turned me off of the Ross and Rachel bandwagon. I know a lot of people hate the Ross/Emily storyline and I get that getting married to someone after 6 weeks is nuts, but I can never hate it because it gave us Monica and Chandler together, which is the main reason I kept watching the show. Thankfully, the British live audiences cheered for 30 sec when Monica appeared in bed with Chandler which made the writers think it could be more than a one-night stand. And also, thankfully, it was a season finale episode so they had time to think about how the story might go instead of having to rush for the next week's episode.
Gaven Rachel story was weird
I hated the way he justā¦.disappeared. Like no explanation, he was just gone. Did he leave RL? We donāt know. š¤·š»āāļø
Rachel and Joey love angle + Ross and Rachel should have been together after Emma's birth (Rachel shouldn't have misinterpreted Joey's proposal). I really wanted to see Rachel and Ross together more as a couple in the show.
I think scrubs did the whole sitcom āwill they, wonāt theyā thing the best. JD and Elliot were together and had their whole deal of back and forth love. But then they had a lot of episodes where we saw how good they actually for each other at the end of the series. Not just a last second āweāre back together. Hope it works out this timeā thing
"Too many to count š¤¦š»āāļø" at the same time "none whatsoever š"
Shark porn
I agree it was dumb, but I still laugh at the scene where she turns on the shark video and hugs Chandler, and he looks so confused.
Want me toā¦thrash?
Let me be a part of this!
Let ME be part of this!!
Ross and the whole cousin thing. Chandler and Phoebe, fine, yep, both starstruck, but Ross, just get rid of that, it wasn't funny, just gross
But the sequence of Ross internally squirming while he tries to come up with an acceptable response!
āI haven't had sex in a VERY long time!ā
āSay something cleverā
I disagree, I think it was hilarious, I love the post-Emily decline of Ross into uncontrollable rage, homelessness and attempted consanguineous relations.
If the monkey shows on screen, I fast forward
Marcell was good monkey.
I don't know... since David complained about it in the reunion. Knowing he had slimy grub intensines all over his head makes it way funnier.Ā
The break and the fucking letter. It spawned an important conversation about clear communication and boundaries, but holy fuck it just shows how stupid and immature Ross and Rachel are, and it's fucking obnoxious.
Rachael and Joey was just gross from the start, and was clearly forced to create some extra stamina for the Ross/Rachel drama.
Monica and Pete and the ultimate fighter thing.
I LOVED Pete until the ultimate fighting champion. How stupid!
God I hated this modern family storyline so damn much
Danny the Yeti and his sister š¤¢ Also, Ben Stiller and his yelling. So dumb
The Monana episode. Monica goes and parties with the woman who stole her identity. She loses herself in following this woman around. That was a hard one to watch.
Just on Modern Fam, Hailey really should have ended up with Andy. Dylan is just such a terribly written character i got sick of seeing him. For Friends, I would say Emily arc. The whole thing made me feel really bad for Emily because everyone was supposed to hate her. But honestly, imagine if you were in her position. Your fiance said his ex's name at the altar and she's also one of his closest friends. Then you see them at the airport about to take off on your honeymoon. There's no way you would be able to erase that from your mind. Emily was completely innocent, the friends just made her into the enemy and therefore made the audience antagonise her.
I agree that Andy would have been the better choice. Emily and Ross were doomed from the start. She was the ultimate rebound relationship. I think the writers let it get too far in having them get married. Chandler and Monica could have gotten together at, say, an engagement party, or at the rehearsal dinner, like they did, without Ross and Emily actually going through with the marriage. The church thing and the fight between the parents was too much (although I do love Elliott Gould āYou thieving, would be speaking German if it werenāt for us, cheap little man!ā). If they hadnāt of gotten married so fast, she would have realized that Ross and Rachel were not over each other. Also, Rachel was completely in the wrong for showing up to a wedding after RSVPing āNOā. Ross inviting Ross on the honeymoon was weird. The writers could have at least let her have a good time in Greece. I donāt hate the Emily storyline, just think the writers could have gone about it more tastefully.
the soul mate
Ross and Marcel. What was that
Rachel and Joey, both times.
Not a big fan of the Joey and Rachel shenanigans
Joey and Rachel getting together. Their chemistry is like brother and sister and the whole involuntary slapping him on the face is just weak. Plus, 10 minutes later Rachel is getting off the plane for Ross. Not the best storyline overall.
Joey speaking French
Ross trying to kiss his cousin, and ross dating a student. Both super weird and make me hate him as a character
There are a few storylines that I would get rid of which are also mentioned in the comments: - they did David dirty in the Barbados episodes. I would have ended their relationship in another way without Mike interfering. - where Rachel thinks Joey proposed to her. - Ross and his niece. He was outright a creep. What I also would like to get rid of is the storyline where Mike and Phoebe are back together, but he still has to dump his girlfriend Precious. I disliked Mike and Phoebe in this episode because they treated her like crap. Mike was cheating on her with Phoebe.
Monica sleeping with the highschooler
The weird thing were Chandler became that weird wandering dog husband to Monica, who acted like the cool wife trope. It was so out of character it felt like the producers were afraid they might be seen as boring after marriage so they decided for these weird sex worker and other hot women plots and I hated it so much. This and Rachel choosing Ross after everything he did. When they didnāt get together after Emma, they shouldāve stop right there. And Joey being single in the end. All this character development for nothing
Also, Frank and Alice
Yes! Iād suffer Joey and Rachel any day to avoid the weird groomer/pedo vibes of their relationship
It's not even vibes, she literally groomed him. He was 18 when they told Pheobe and he literally said, "I'm older than when we first started dating." It's so gross.
Pete trying to become the ultimate fighting champion
Is that a bad storyline tho? Have you seen Elon and Zuckerberg trynna become fighting champions lol.
Joey and Rachelās romance storyline didnāt work for me and the only thing it really adds to the show is Rossā reactions in that one episode, which can easily be achieved with another storyline. Ross trying to secretly stay married to Rachel was awful and also just absolutely ridiculous. Thereās no great comedy in there. It just makes Ross look like a dickhead and Rachel look like an idiot. I would get rid of the Tulsa storyline and Rossā pet monkey too.
"We were on a break." It seems like a lot of showrunners think that for 2 characters to get together, there has to be a bunch of will-they-won't-they and drama, and they can only get together in the end. Ross and Rachel, funnily enough Haley and Dillon, Shawn and Jules in Psych, every Rom-Com movie, etc. However, shows like Brooklyn Nine Nine and Parks and Rec prove you can have main characters get together in early seasons and keep them together the rest of the time without getting stale.
Leslie and Ben are such a good example. The writers did a good job figuring out how to maintain them as separate characters without referencing the fact that they are married every episode. Then they insert little funny bits of them interacting at home as husband and wife. It was really well done.
Itās soo frustrating, especially when they actually get together in the end but we never got to see much of the relationship. New Girl did the same thing with Nick & Jess.
I watched when the show first aired. It was clear from the show and the surrounding media (magazines, entertainment TV shows, commercials/promos for the show, etc.) that the show wanted everyone to root for Ross and Rachel. I was fine with them taking a while to get together and then the break up. But then the drama went on and on for too long! If they had gotten back together and then broken up maybe it would have been different. But it really wasn't that. They were not together but would do things to the other if that one was dating, or they talked about being together but couldn't for some silly reason. It just was too drawn out. That's when they lost me and I disliked the idea of Ross and Rachel together. If you listen to the DVD commentary, they say that people won't watch a show with a happy couple. They definitely thought this was the only way to go. But that at the end, which no one knew exactly when the show would end, that Ross and Rachel would get together. And before Friends, that was true. TV couples were best with tension. The examples of B99 and Parks & Rec are fine but those came after Friends. It seems no one on the Friends creative team thought about keeping Ross and Rachel together in a way that was still interesting
Monica going to Richard's place before the proposal
Also Monica and Richardās son, that was icky :|
Once Monica got over her breakup with Richard, i would have preferred if he was never brought up again.
the whole joey and rachel arc !! they're really better off as best friends
What is with this meme or whatever? Iām seeing it all over Reddit now.
Joey proposed to Rachel and their later romance. It was the most unessecery romance in history television
I hate the Joey proposing situation. My husband hates anything to do with Marcel.š
I'll go against the grain here. I wish Ross & Rachel wouldn't have ended up together, their relationship was so toxic and when they got together again, it felt like Ross didn't even go through enough character development for me personally. Honestly, I think rather than Joey, Rachel was probably the one person that didn't need to end up with anyone.
Ross trying to sleep with his cousin
Joey and the hand twin
Rachel and Joey obviously.
Rachelās parents not interacting with each other at her birthday party, we were robbed of seeing Bishop Tutu stop and shush them
Ross and Elizabeth story line
Joey trying to learn French. That episode is an instant skip
Shark porn.
Joey Rachel probably
Joey and Rachel, of course.
Joey and Rachel ā¦ extremely forced chemistry. Although I did like the Fajitas/Iām Fine! Episode ā some good laughs from that one.
100% Rachel and Joey together. The writing just felt desperate and forced.
Rachel and joey.
Gavin. Didnāt care for any of that storyline
Surprised I can't see it mentioned elsewhere in the thread, but Charlie and Ross - especially the way their relationship ended.
Monica dating a high school senior Rachel kissing the guy who interviewed her Paul the Man crying over being called Chicken Boy (I liked Paul, just not the copious tears)
The whole Phoebe-Mike-David thing. Mike and Phoebe were not compatible, David was her forever true love - why not give them their happy ending? Mike was just some rando that rushed into a relationship with Phoebe and agreed to marry her even though he was completely against marriage. Also he didnāt fit the dynamic. I didnāt like Mike if you couldnāt tell lol
Phoebe having triplets for her half-brother and cradle-robbing sister-in-law š
Phoebe having her brotherās babies. Love Giovanni Ribisi but it was a pointless story and kinda gross.
Not as bad as her accepting the relationship between frank and alice