Top 10 Most Relatable Friends Moments
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Relatable “Friends” Moments. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most notable times the characters on this sitcom reminded us of ourselves. Here’s your friendly reminder to watch out for spoilers, and let us know if we missed any of your top relatable “Friends” moments in the comments below.
#10: Learning to Do Laundry
“The One with the East German Laundry Detergent”
Not all of us have our first kiss with someone while doing laundry, but most of us have had to brave those communal machines at some point. When Rachel leaves her would-be husband at the altar and moves to Manhattan, she’s a bit behind the curve when it comes to growing up. So Ross helps her figure out how to do her laundry at the laundromat. For the first time in her life, Rachel has to deal with things like separating colors from whites and overly aggressive patrons. While she eventually conquers the laundromat, all of her social faux-pas while learning are more than relatable.
#9: Everyone Dislikes Emily
Top 10 Times Joey was the Most Relatable Character on Friends
"The One with the Yeti"
Listen, we’d be pretty upset if our future spouse said the wrong name at our wedding – enraged, even. Emily has every right to be mad at Ross for saying “Rachel” during their nuptials. But we sort of wish she left him, and left it at that. There are plenty of significant others throughout the course of “Friends” who the core group does not particularly like. Rachel’s undeserved annoyance at Julie comes to mind [xref]. That on its own is pretty relatable – we can’t all always like our friends’ partners, after all. But everyone’s severe dislike of Emily after she tries to make Ross stop hanging out with Rachel is the most relatable of all. In this group, the friends come first.
#8: No One Is Ready
Top 10 Funniest Friends Moments You Forgot About
"The One Where No One's Ready"
We all have that friend who feels a little more like a parent than a pal. You know, the one who’s hustling the rest of the group along, trying to make sure you get to the bar in time for karaoke. Or who’s trying to make sure you get to a fancy event in time. In the famous episode of “Friends” called "The One Where No One's Ready", Ross is that friend. He’s trying to get everyone ready for a work function of his, but unfortunately, no one is taking his rushing very seriously. Instead, they’re chugging chicken fat, changing outfits, infiltrating an old boyfriend’s voicemail, and of course, fighting over a chair. Who among us hasn’t fought for that perfect seat?
#7: “I Wish I Could, But …”
Top 10 Times Chandler Was the Most Relatable Friend
"The Pilot"
Leave it to Phoebe to deliver one of the best lines in all of “Friends” history. And she does it in the very first episode. The sitcom’s pilot is a great introduction to the group of people we’ll be spending ten seasons with. We get to know everyone’s personality, and the different relationships are set up with great ease. And still, Phoebe runs away with the episode. When asked if she wants to help Ross put together furniture for his apartment, she says one of the greatest things ever. It’s simple! It’s so elegant! It's the perfect response to give a close friend when you just can’t be bothered to help.
#6: Conversations About Aging
Top 10 Differences Between Conversations with Friends Book & TV Show
"The One Where They All Turn Thirty"
Thirty, flirty, and thriving? More like thirty, weepy, and crying! The episode where we see our favorite friends turn thirty explores the ways one can respond to this life development with great humor. Phoebe — not yet aware that she actually turned 31 — happily bounces down the street, proudly proclaiming she’s achieved (almost) all the goals she had for the milestone. Rachel slams the door in her friends’ faces, panics, but also makes a big decision. Joey talks to God. And Monica, in perhaps the most relatable move of all, gets wild and embarrasses herself in front of her friends and parents. At least we can take solace in the fact that even though getting older can be tough, our friends will be there for us.
#5: Romantic Anxiety
Top 10 Most Romantic LGBTQ+ Moments in Cartoons
Various
“Friends” is about that time in your life when your friends are your family. But it’s also about the romantic anxiety that only dating in your 20s and early 30s can bring. There are plenty of examples of this very specific feeling and plenty of dating shenanigans featured throughout the show’s run. Rachel and Monica swap identities and go on a double date with some doctors, and Joey and Ross literally pursue the same person at one point. But Monica perhaps captures the feeling best when Rachel asks her why she won’t go tell Jean-Claude Van Damme that she thinks he’s cute. Her manic delivery of the line, not to mention its content, is relatable in every way.
#4: Fertility Issues
“The One with the Fertility Test”
While there are many hilarious moments in “Friends” that make us feel a kinship with the characters, this is one that’s a bit more serious. After Monica and Chandler get married, they quickly decide they want to have kids. However, a visit to the fertility doctor proves to them that it might be more difficult than planned. So many people struggle with fertility issues, and seeing Monica and Chandler go through the same thing is deeply relatable in a really meaningful way. The two eventually decide to adopt, proving there’s no one way to grow your family.
#3: Saying Goodbye
Top 10 Most Wholesome Friends Moments
"The Last One"
There comes a time when we all have to grow up. Whether that means moving away, getting married, having kids, or something else, we can’t stay young forever. While friendship itself can be everlasting, that point when you all live across the hall or close to your besties isn’t. The last episode of “Friends” is a wonderful examination of the moment in your life when you realize it’s time to move on. The show emotionally ends with the friends leaving the beloved purple apartment for good, and deciding to take one more trip to Central Perk. It’s the bittersweet end of an era, and it’s portrayed in a very true-to-life way.
#2: Financial Tension
"The One with Five Steaks and an Eggplant"
As you start to grow up, some people in your friend group will inevitably make more money than others. The test comes in how you handle that situation. For the characters of this sitcom, that moment comes in season two. During one episode, Joey, Rachel, and Phoebe feel as though the other three friends don’t realize that they don’t make as much money as the rest of them. Things come to a head when Monica gets a promotion and the group goes to a fancy restaurant to mark the achievement. This is something we all have to deal with at some point, no matter what side of the equation we’re on.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Party?, "The One Where They're Going to Party!"
Realizing You Can’t Hang Like You Used to Is Tough to Take
An Important Sandwich, “The One with Ross’s Sandwich”
Top 10 Monica & Ross Sibling Moments on Friends
Don’t Eat Someone Else’s Food, It Might Be the Thing Holding Them Together
The Trifle, “The One Where Ross Got High”
Top 10 Unforgettable Friends Season 1 Moments
Real Friends Will Lie to You About Your Gross Meal
Friendship Cheating, “The One with the Breast Milk”
It Can Arguably Be Worse Than Romantic Cheating
“Joey Doesn’t Share Food”, “The One with the Birth Mother”
Top 10 Most Relatable How I Met Your Mother Moments
How Many Times Does He Have to Say It?
#1: No Plan
Top 20 Friends Moments That Will Always Make Us Cry
“The One with George Stephanopoulos”
Once again, Phoebe proves she is insanely relatable. During an early episode in season one, the girls in the group have a slumber party. Unfortunately, what should be a night of fun turns a bit depressing as Rachel freaks out about the state of her life and finances. Monica and Phoebe start to think about their own lives and join in her despair. When Monica asks Phoebe if she has a plan for her life, she responds with this devastating yet deeply relatable line. To say we feel that in our bones is an understatement – good one, Pheebs.
