Top 10 Friends Details You Only Notice If You've Watched It Before
#10: Ross’ Name Choice for His Future Daughter “The One Where Old Yeller Dies”
Ross Geller overthinks things – it runs in the family. Early on in his relationship with Rachel, he reveals that he has a lot of their future planned out. This includes what to name their daughter, if they have one. While he doesn’t get it exactly right, it is pretty close – Emily. Of course, that also happens to be the name of another woman that was important to him, his second ex-wife, Emily. Given how the divorce went, it’s probably a good idea that they decided to go with Emma instead!
#9: Phoebe’s Early Run-In with Her Brother “The One with the Baby on the Bus”
Apparently, “Friends” has a habit of recasting actors. June Gable, who first appeared as a nurse in the episode where Carol gave birth, later became Joey’s agent, Estelle. Perhaps more famously, is a similar example with Phoebe’s brother. She meets him, or at least she meets his actor, before she finds out who he is. In season 2, a character played by Giovanni Ribisi asks for a condom that he dropped in Phoebe’s guitar case for “an emergency”. He would later turn out to be Phoebe’s brother, Frank Jr – or, maybe, they just have the exact same face… Frank claims to have never been in the city before, but if we were involved in some sort of “condom emergency”, we probably wouldn’t own up to it either.
#8: Creator Cameos Various
The creators and directors of TV shows and movies often make cameo appearances in the media they create, and “Friends” is no exception. The sitcom was created and executive produced by Marta Kauffman, David Crane, as well as Kevin S. Bright. The trio, funnily enough, actually appear as their real-life professions in an episode. In one episode, Joey goes in for an audition where the three of them are seen as the producers. In another, they’re the directors on a movie set. Marta Kauffman’s voice is also heard on Chandler’s hypnosis tape that he uses to try to quit smoking. She can also be seen sitting behind him on a bus while visiting London. If he heard her speak during that ride, he would’ve probably gotten some killer déjà vu.
#7: Missing Middle Names Various
During the show, we learn several of the main characters’ middle names: Joey Francis Tribbiani, Rachel Karen Greene, and Chandler Muriel Bing… But the other half of the group’s middle names are left unsaid. Phoebe’s is unknown because she doesn’t have her birth certificate. The name Eustace has been theorized as Ross’, with a Friends trivia reportedly listing it as such, but it’s never actually stated that way in the show. And then, there’s Monica. In one episode, she decides to invest in a stock with her initials: MEG. What the “E” stands for, we still don’t know. Hopefully the Geller parents didn’t double up on middle names!
#6: Green or Greene? Various
Top 20 Rachel Green Looks We Would Totally Rock Today
Speaking of names, Rachel’s last name is somewhat contentious. If you look online and in press material, it’s very clearly Green, spelled like the color. However, nearly all the printed material seen with it on the show itself has it spelled “Greene” – with an “E”. Granted, it’s possible that the door to her office, her invitation to Ross’ wedding, and the name on her daughter’s cradle at the hospital are all wrong, but that seems a little far-fetched. Apparently, even the “Friends” universe has the concept of the Mandela Effect!
#5: Gladys Has Been Around a While “The One with Phoebe's Dad”
Phoebe is…unique in many ways, with everything from her personality to her fashion sense defying most conventions. That also includes her home decor. In season 10, Monica and Rachel get into a big argument over which one of them has to keep Gladys, Phoebe’s bizarre 3D puppet/painting hybrid. Although she isn’t named until this episode, Gladys has made occasional appearances throughout the series. She’s first seen in Phoebe’s apartment way back in season 2, when she lived with her grandmother. Gladys’ first chronological appearance, however, comes in a flashback episode, in which she can be spotted in Monica’s apartment while Phoebe was living there (but in the process of secretly moving out). Truly a vintage piece.
#4: Turkey Head Prediction “The One Where Underdog Gets Away”
Thanksgiving is always a special time on “Friends”. If you’re a fan, you without a doubt remember both Joey and Monica putting turkeys on their heads. Whereas Monica puts the turkey on to cheer up Chandler, Joey’s incident comes in a flashback that takes place in 1992, two years before the start of the show. Back in season 1, however, there’s a scene where Ross is unsure how to talk to his baby still growing in his ex-wife’s belly. Phoebe, helpful as ever, suggests he stick the Thanksgiving turkey on his head in order to hear like his baby would. Phoebe may have gotten the idea for this based on Joey’s stunt in ‘92, but the audience would have no idea until season 5!
#3: Celebrity Contradictions Various
Top 20 Celebrity Reactions to Their Snatch Game Impressions
Given how many jokes rely on pop culture references, it’s inevitable that “Friends” refers to a few celebrities during its run. However, this creates some interesting continuity errors, if not outright paradoxes, since some of them also appear on the show. For instance, the guys love “Die Hard” (who doesn’t?), yet they fail to notice that the father of one of Ross’s girlfriends is a dead ringer for John McClane! Another example is when Ross discusses his “hall pass” list of celebrities with Rachel. Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon are brought up, but Rachel fails to mention that Winona Ryder looks just like a former sorority sister of hers, or that Susan Sarandon is a doppelganger of her favorite soap star. Ah, the magic of TV!
#2: Airport Parallels “The One Where Rachel Finds Out” & “The Last One”
Some say that the best stories rhyme, just like songs do. “Friends” also holds true to this saying. It can be easy to miss on your first watch through, but the final episodes of both the first and last seasons of the show see Ross and Rachel rushing to an airport to declare their feelings for one another. In season 1, it’s Rachel and in season 10, it’s Ross. Although both are initially unsuccessful and leave broken-hearted, these airport visits each herald the two of them getting together. Now, that’s a story to tell the kids! Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Changing Apartment Numbers, Various Early in Season 1, the Apartments Are Numbered 4 & 5, But Later Become 19 & 20 Every Episode Has the Word “Friend” in It, All Episodes It’s Like Subliminal Messaging… Ross Is 29 – For 3 Years!, Season 3-5 We Know David Schwimmer Aged Well, But Still! The Disappearing Beam, Various Where’d the Beam Go? Renovations, Maybe? Potato in the Central Perk Cake Stand, “The One with Chandler in a Box” Gunther Must’ve Been Low on Muffins…
#1: Mondler Foreshadowing Various
Although Monica and Chandler getting together shocked many of us, we really shouldn’t have been surprised because the writing was on the wall. Even back in season 1, there were signs! When they’re in the hospital during Ben’s birth, Monica tells Chandler she wants a baby, which is later brought back up after they’re together. She also expresses jealousy that a woman has twins, which is really sweet, seeing as she adopts a pair of her own later on. Though Monica’s reaction is less than positive, Chandler also suggests at this time that they get together if neither of them are married by the time they turn 40. When you pick up on all these little hints from the very beginning, it almost seems inevitable that these two end up together!
