Top 10 Most Feel-Good Friends Episodes
#10: “The One Where Rachel Quits”
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Have you ever had a job you hate? Maybe you thought about quitting and doing something else, but — for one reason or another — didn’t go through with it. Rachel is in a similar place, feeling unhappy at her Central Perk gig. In the appropriately-titled season three episode “The One Where Rachel Quits,” she’s encouraged by Chandler and Joey to go after her dreams. Although her new job is less than exciting at first, seeing Rachel take that scary leap makes us all feel good. The side plots also bring a smile to our face, with Ross and the guys creating a space-themed adventure for a little girl and Monica and Joey saving the Christmas trees for Phoebe.
#9: The Pilot
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Rachel makes some pretty risky moves throughout “Friends,” but let’s go back to where it all started — when she basically quits her old life. In the pilot episode, Rachel leaves her fiancé at the altar, moves in with Monica, and cuts up the credit cards her father pays for. She takes a leap to try and find herself — and you gotta respect that. And of course, the episode represents the very beginning of Ross and Rachel. While audiences didn’t know at the time how important their relationship would be, just seeing Ross take those first steps and “grab a spoon” made us smile.
#8: “The One with the Holiday Armadillo”
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Many fathers will tell you there’s almost nothing they wouldn’t do for their kids. Even if that means dressing up in a ridiculous armadillo costume during the holidays — because all of the Christmas ones are taken — and making up a story about being Santa’s pal from the South. Seeing Ross trying to do the best for Ben is heartwarming. In the same episode, Phoebe worries about losing Rachel as a roommate. But her fears are allayed when Rachel tells her that of course she wants to live with her. It’s a total feel good moment — even though they later find out that the apartment has been transformed into a single bedroom place.
#7: “The One with the Blackout”
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Normally, we wouldn’t feel good about seeing one of our favorite characters trapped in a confined space. But when Chandler gets trapped in an ATM vestibule with the beautiful Jill Goodacre, we sure don’t feel bad for him. His awkwardness and inability to say the right thing is embarrassing, but also provides us with plenty of laughs — and gets him a kiss on the cheek in the end. Back at the apartment, the friends talk about all the places they’ve done the deed, Ross tries not to fall into the friend zone, and Paolo is introduced.
#6: “The One with Phoebe's Wedding”
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From annoying friends and unavailable stepfathers to an oncoming blizzard, everything leading up to Phoebe and Mike’s wedding seems to be going wrong. But when push comes to shove, the friends are always there for each other. This wedding is no exception. The gang pulls together to give Phoebe a perfectly imperfect wedding on the street outside Central Perk. It’s a simple — and chilly — gathering, but we see Phoebe with the man and friends she loves. If that doesn’t bring a happy tear to your eye, we don’t know what will.
#5: “The One with the Football”
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Ah, the Geller Cup. Never has a Troll doll nailed to a 2x4 brought us so much joy. Given their intense sibling rivalry, Ross and Monica squaring off in a friendly football game mostly led to pain and heartache for them. But we just got to enjoy loads of laughs. “Friends” gave us plenty of great Thanksgiving episodes and “The One with the Football” is right up there with the best of them. The football game is a blast. And while he ruins it with his gloating, we have to admit seeing a beautiful girl choose Chandler over Joey made us feel good for Mr. Bing. And of course Ross and Monica refusing to give up the ball makes for a perfect ending.
#4: “The One with the Prom Video”
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We love the ending of “The One Where Ross Finds Out” when Ross and Rachel finally kiss. But “The One with the Prom Video” stands out in terms of feel good moments in the saga of the tumultuous couple. Besides getting to see the funny younger versions of Monica, Rachel, and Ross, we also witness the love Ross has had for Rachel going back many years. And Rachel got to see it as well, which leads to one of the most heartfelt kisses the two share and the true beginning of one of the most talked about TV romances of all time.
#3: “The One Where Everybody Finds Out”
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We’d been feeling good about Monica and Chandler’s relationship since they hooked up in London at the end of the fourth season. However, those feelings get turned up multiple notches when watching “The One Where Everybody Finds Out.” The game of flirting chicken that Phoebe and Chandler play is great. However, the part that truly makes us smile is when Chandler declares his love for Monica. Seeing her come out of the bathroom and reveal she’s in love with Chandler too, as the studio audience goes wild — it gets us every time.
#2: “The One with the Embryos”
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The trivia contest. That’s all you have to say to make “Friends” fans feel good. The contest brings us Miss Chanandler Bong and Big Fat Goalie. It reveals that Rachel’s favorite movie is “Weekend at Bernie's” and Monica divides her towels into 11 categories. And the episode isn’t just a fan favorite — both Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc called it their favorite as well. If the apartment-switching competition doesn’t leave you grinning, “The One with the Embryos” is also the episode when Phoebe — acting as the surrogate for her brother and his wife — finds out she’s pregnant.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“The One with the Routine”
Never Underestimate the Feel-Good Power of Dance
“The One with the Late Thanksgiving”
Who Cares About Mess? Monica & Chandler Are Going to Get a Baby
“The Last One”
We Were Sad the Show Was Ending, but It Was Nice to See Them One Last Time
“The One with All the Resolutions”
It Feels Good Not Being the One Struggling with Leather Pants in the Bathroom
“The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath”
Chandler Definitely Felt Good This Episode — Look at Him in That Bath
#1: “The One with the Proposal”
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Weddings and proposals are typically crowd pleasers on long-running sitcoms. So it only makes sense that “The One with the Proposal” warms our hearts so much. Although Ross and Rachel were the first couple we fell in love with on the show, for many of us, the greatest pairing of all was Chandler and Monica. It seemed for a moment like the proposal wouldn’t happen when Richard came back into the picture. But every “Friends” fan can probably remember how amazing it felt watching Chandler walk into the candle-filled apartment and seeing Monica standing there waiting for him.
Which “Friends” episode leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy? Let us know in the comments.
