Friends: An Episode Roadmap for Beginners

Editor’s note: Since part of the aim of these articles is to encourage new viewers, spoilers will be kept to a minimum. However, be aware that due to the nature of the piece, certain elements of world-building, bad guy-revelation, late character arrivals etc. will be spoiled, and looking at the details of one suggested ‘route’ may spoil another. This article was originally published on Den of Geek UK. 

There was a time when it felt as though Friends was more air than sitcom. It was ambient. Omnipresent. It would always be there as part of the TV scenery. And then all of a sudden, it went away. We learned a valuable lesson that day: don’t take sitcoms for granted. Treasure them and keep them close to your heart.

In the interests of cherishing the show that coined a hundred phrases and made Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Monica, and Phoebe fixtures in our lives, here are a few suggested routes through its 200-plus episodes, either for newcomers or anyone wanting to revisit a few old favorites.

Route One: He’s Her Lobster (aka Ross and Rachel)

Ross and Rachel’s is the oldest story there is: boy meets girl, boy harbors crush on girl for over a decade, girl leaves fiancé at the altar and becomes flatmate of boy’s sister, boy pines after girl, gets girl, ruins everything with jealousy, boy and girl were—or were not, depending on your perspective—on a break… You no doubt know the rest.

“Ross and Rachel” are now a sitcom couple archetype. After stealing the crown from Maddie and David and Sam and Diane, their relationship and its vagaries became embedded in television history and provided yet more proof that TV couples are more interesting apart than together.

If you want to relive the whole thing, these forty-five episodes (c’mon, that’s only sixteen and a bit hours) are the most efficient way to catch all the major Ross and Rachel events.

Season One

The Pilot

The One With The East German Laundry Detergent

The One With The Blackout

The One With All The Poker

The One Where The Monkey Gets Away

The One Where Rachel Finds Out

The significance of the words “crystal duck” will be lost on no Friends fan, heralding as they do the moment everything changed. Season one was the pining season for David Schwimmer’s Friends character, the one where Ross grabbed a spoon and then waited something like 26 episodes to actually dig in. This selection takes us from secret infatuation to cliff-hanger in six episodes.

Season Two

The One With Ross’ New Girlfriend

The One Where Ross Finds Out

The One With The List

The One With The Prom Video

The One Where Ross And Rachel… You Know

Season two is where it really got going for Ross and Rachel. Once a certain petite palaeontologist with the haircut of Roddy McDowall was out of the way, the pair could get down to business. And they did, to the tune of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”

Season Three

The One With The Princess Leia Fantasy

The One Where No-One’s Ready

The One With The Race-Car Bed

The One With All The Jealousy

The One Where Ross And Rachel Take A Break

The One With The Morning After

The One At The Beach

Expect drama from seven episodes that hold the key to Ross and Rachel. “The One With The Princess Leia Fantasy” sows the seeds of Ross’ destructive jealousy, which leads to “The One Where Ross And Rachel Take A Break,” which leads to pretty much everything hence. Add “The One Without The Ski Trip” and “The One With The Tiny T-Shirt” if you want to flesh things out.

Season Four

The One With The Jellyfish

The One With The Fake Party

The One With Ross’ Wedding Parts 1 & 2

After spending a season sniping at each other and trying to make each other jealous by jumping headlong into unwise relationships, things get very messy for Ross and Rachel at the end of season four. The cliff-hanger to “The One With Ross’ Wedding Part 2″ was a national event when broadcast, not just for Friends’ main couple, but also for a new pairing that livened things up considerably at the start of season five.

Season Five

The One After Ross Says Rachel

The One With All The Thanksgivings

The One Where Ross Can’t Flirt

The One In Vegas

Things don’t go well for Ross in season five, much of which is devoted to his failing marriage and bubbling rage (culminating in “The One With Ross’ Sandwich,” an otherwise unmissable episode that doesn’t have much on him and Rachel). David Schwimmer pulls some comedy magic out of Ross’ downward spiral, while his and Jennifer Aniston’s storylines are bittersweet. “The One Where Ross Can’t Flirt” isn’t only very funny (“a lot of other gas smells…”), but it also proves how much Rachel still cares about her “lobster,” evident by the drunken events in Vegas, baby.

Season Six

The One After Vegas

The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel

The One With Ross’ Denial

The One With Rachel’s Sister

The One With Joey’s Porsche

Did we say things got messy for David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston’s characters in season four? By the start of season six, Ross “three divorces” Geller is practically manic. These five episodes pretty much sum up where the pair stand at this point, while the end of series arc is overtaken by Friends’ other major couple. Add “The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad” and “The One Where Paul’s The Man” not just for Bruce Willis, but an awkward dad-daughter-exes love quadrilateral.

Season Seven

The One With Monica’s Thunder

Boiling down the pertinent Ross and Rachel stuff from season seven really only comes down to the series opener, also known as “the one with bonus night.” Not at all vital but perhaps worth adding are “The One With The Truth About London” for some knockabout Ross/Rachel fun with Ben and season finale “The One With Monica And Chandler’s Wedding” if only for the cliff-hanger.

Season Eight

The One Where Rachel Tells…

The One With The Videotape

The One With The Rumor

The One With The Secret Closet

The One With The Birthing Video

The One Where Joey Tells Rachel

The One Where Rachel Has A Baby

As these episode titles indicate, season eight holds some major events for Ross and Rachel, and equally for Rachel and another of the Friends in a pairing on the top of nobody’s must-see list. As a bonus, “The One With The Rumor” features the then Mr. Aniston, Brad Pitt, as an old school friend of Ross. These seven episodes should just about do it as far as this run is concerned.

Season Nine

The One Where No One Proposes

The One Where Monica Sings

After the season premiere, there’s very little Ross and Rachel action in Friends’ ninth run, aside from some simmering awkwardness resulting from their parental commitment rubbing up against their single lives. Feel free to add “The One With Ross’ Inappropriate Song” for some laughs and the bonus of Phoebe’s disastrous first meeting with Mike’s parents.

Season Ten

The One Where Ross Is Fine

The One Where Joey Speaks French

The One Where Estelle Dies

The One With Rachel’s Going-Away Party

The Last One

“Did she get off the plane?” Everything important happens for Ross and Rachel at the end of season ten, making “The One With Rachel’s Going-Away Party” and “The Last One” unmissable.

Route Two: Family Matters

The Greens, Gellers, Buffays, Tribbianis and Bings all bring their own laughs to Friends while adding a bit of background to the main characters’ various neuroses. Ross and Monica are rarely funnier than when thrown back to sibling rivalry in the presence of their parents (the brilliant Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles), Rachel’s waspy family, including sisters played by Reese Witherspoon and Christina Applegate, are always good for a laugh, and you can’t go wrong with any episode featuring Frank Buffay Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi). Chandler and Joey’s families are a rarer sight in Friends (thankfully perhaps in the case of Joey’s stereotypical Italian sisters), but however brief, Kathleen Turner’s cameo is unforgettable. A personal favourite though? Nonnie, aka Grandma Tribbiani in “The One Where Ross Can’t Flirt,” played by acclaimed actor-director, Lilyan Chauvin.

Season One

The One With The Sonogram At The End

The One Where Nana Dies Twice

The One With Mrs Bing

The One With The Boobies

The One With Two Parts

Judy and Jack Geller make an early appearance in “The One With The Sonogram At The End” as Monica and Ross’ judgmental parents. We meet Chandler’s glamorous, erotica-writing mother in “The One With Mrs Bing.” Joey’s mom and dad are introduced in “The One With The Boobies,” and Phoebe’s twin sister Ursula is revealed in “The One With Two Parts.” Crucial introductions all.

Season Two

The One With Phoebe’s Dad

The One With The Lesbian Wedding

The One Where Joey Moves Out

The One With The Bullies

The One With The Two Parties

We don’t actually meet Phoebe’s Dad until season five, but “The One With Phoebe’s Dad” is still a useful watch for Buffay family background, as is “The One With The Bullies,” which introduces Phoebe’s half-brother, Frank Jr. The Greens are the stars of classic episode, “The One With Two Parties,” in which Rachel and Ross attempt to keep her recently separated parents away from one another at her birthday celebration. 

Season Three

The One With The Jam

The One With Frank Jr.

The One With The Hypnosis Tape

The One With The Race Car Bed

The One Where Chandler Can’t Remember Which Sister

The One At The Beach

More from Ursula comes in “The One With The Jam,” while a mystery surrounding Phoebe’s mother is resolved in “The One At The Beach.” A real classic arrives in “The One With The Hypnosis Tape” when Frank Jr. introduces Phoebe to his fiancé, Mrs Knight.

There’s a rare appearance from the Tribbiani women in “The One Where Chandler Can’t Remember Which Sister” (but you’ll have to wait for season eight for Dina Tribbiani to show up, pregnant, and for er, Joey to properly meet Gina).

Season Four

The One With Phoebe’s Uterus

The One With The Free Porn

The One With Ross’ Wedding Parts 1 & 2

Alongside a lusty Jennifer Saunders, Tom Conti as Emily’s dad is the parent who steals the show in “The One With Ross’ Wedding.” More fun arrives from Frank and Mrs Alice Knight-Buffay in “The One With Phoebe’s Uterus,” followed up by “The One With The Free Porn” (“you know how, when you’re walking down the street and you see three people in a row and you say, oh, that’s nice?”, “YES!”).

Season Five

The One With Joey’s Bag

The One Where Ross Can’t Flirt

Enter, Frank Buffay Sr., Bob Balaban, for the funeral of Phoebe’s dastardly but unseen grandmother in “The One With Joey’s Bag.” As well as the aforementioned Nonnie in “The One Where Ross Can’t Flirt,” there’s also Chandler’s rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” to enjoy.

Season Six

The One Where Ross Got High

The One With Rachel’s Sister

The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry

A round of applause for Christina Pickles as Judy Geller, who steals “The One Where Ross Got High” with her closing monologue (“No, Rachel, you weren’t supposed to put beef in the trifle. It did not taste good.”) It’s fun to see Reese Witherspoon as the spoiled rich girl Jill Green, only bested by Christina Applegate’s equally venal Amy in seasons nine and ten. Watch “The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry” for a glimpse of Ursula Buffay in erotic movie “Buffay The Vampire Layer.”

Season Seven

The One With Rachel’s Book

The One With Ross And Monica’s Cousin

The One With Chandler’s Dad

If you’re only going to go for one of these, it has to be “The One With Chandler’s Dad,” in which Kathleen Turner puts in an unforgettable performance.

Season Eight

The One With The Halloween Party/The One With The Stain

The One With The Stripper

The One With Monica’s Boots

The One With The Baby Shower

Ursula returns with Sean Penn in tow for a two-parter in season eight, while Joey’s little sister Dina makes her only appearance in “The One With Monica’s Boots.” There’s more great stuff from Marlo Thomas as Rachel’s mother Sandra in “The One With The Baby Shower.” (“Have you no control, Ross?”)

Season Nine

The One With Ross’ Inappropriate Song

The One With Rachel’s Other Sister

Welcome to Christina Applegate as selfish gold-digger, Amy in season nine. The best of these two family-themed episodes though, has to be “The One With Ross’ Inappropriate Song,” which shows Phoebe’s disastrous meeting with Mike’s wealthy parents (“How could you know? Why wouldn’t you punch me?”)

Season Ten

The One Where Rachel’s Sister Babysits

The One Where Joey Speaks French

There’s a wee bit of Dr. Leonard Green (Ron Leibman) in season ten, which is otherwise low on family matters.

Route Three: Celebrity Cameos

Friends really went to town when it came to wedging in celebrity cameos, whether from channel-mate NBC shows (ER, Mad About You…) or further afield (Robin Williams and Billy Crystal turned up for a few memorable seconds). Partners of the main cast also added some star power to the ensemble, with Brad Pitt and David Arquette each making appearances. That’s not to mention the returning roles of Tom Selleck, Paul Rudd, Jon Favreau, Elliott Gould, Hank Azaria, Christina Applegate and more.

Less famous players, but still interesting to know about, include: David Schwimmer’s long-time friend (and star of Rachel Green’s favorite film, Weekend At Bernie’s) Jonathan Silverman played the doctor Rachel flirts with in “The One With The Birth.” The employee that Chandler was unable to fire in “The One With Two Parts” was played by Jennifer Grant, daughter of one Cary Grant. Ginger, the women whose wooden leg Joey accidentally into a fire was played by Twin Peaks’ Sherilyn Fenn. And Katie, the woman who keeps hitting Joey, was played by Soleil Moon Frye, recognizable for having played Punky Brewster as a child.

Season One

The One With The Blackout (Victoria’s Secret model, Jill Goodacre)

The One With The Stoned Guy (Jon Lovitz)

The One With Two Parts (Helen Hunt, Leila Kenzie, George Clooney, Noah Wyle)

Season Two

The One After The Superbowl (Brooke Shields, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julia Roberts, Chris Isaak, Dan Castellaneta)

The One With The Chicken Pox (Charlie Sheen)

The One With The Baby On The Bus (Chrissie Hynde)

Season Three

The One With The Hypnosis Tape (Jon Favreau)

The One With The Screamer (Ben Stiller)

The One With The Ultimate Fighting Champion (Robin Williams and Billy Crystal)

The One With Frank Jr (Isabella Rossellini)

Season Four

The One With Ross’ Wedding (Hugh Laurie, Jennifer Saunders, Tom Conti, June Whitfield, Olivia Williams, Sarah Ferguson)

Season Five

The One With Joey’s Bag (Frank Balaban)

Season Six

The One Where Phoebe Runs (Elle Macpherson)

The One With Rachel’s Sister (Reese Witherspoon)

The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad/The One Where Paul’s The Man (Bruce Willis)

Season Seven

The One With Joey’s New Brain (Susan Sarandon)

The One With Ross And Monica’s Cousin (Denise Richards)

The One With Rachel’s Big Kiss (Winona Ryder)

The One With Monica And Chandler’s Wedding (Gary Oldman)

Season Eight

The One With The Halloween Party/The One With The Stain (Sean Penn)

The One With The Rumour (Brad Pitt)

The One In Massapequa (Alec Baldwin)

Season Nine

The One With Rachel’s Other Sister (Christina Applegate)

The One With The Manny (Freddie Prinze Jr)

The One With The Mugging (Jeff Goldblum)

Season Ten

The One With The Birth Mother (Anna Faris)

The One Where The Stripper Cries (Danny DeVito, Donny Osmond)

The One With Princess Consuela (Brent Spiner, Dakota Fanning)

 

Route Four: The funniest moments

Forget character arcs, ongoing stories and will-they-won’t-they relationships, this route through Friends episodes is just for laughs. They may not all be out-and-out classics, but if you want a quick pick-me-up, then each of the choices below has at least one scene or storyline that will do the trick.

Season Two

The One After The Superbowl 1 & 2

The One Where Eddie Won’t Go

Friends isn’t the most sensitive show when it comes to the depiction of mental illness, as these episodes illustrate, but brush that aside and the story of Joey’s glamorous stalker and Chandler’s unstable roommate, Eddie, are good for some laughs.

Season Three

The One Where No-One’s Ready

The One With All The Jealousy

“Could I be wearing any more clothes?”. Phoebe’s stain, Rachel’s fat calves, the escalating argument between Chandler and Joey… “The One Where No-One’s Ready” is a well-crafted half-hour packed with jokes. As to “The One With All The Jealousy,” four words recommend it: Joey teaching dance class.

Season Four

The One With The Jellyfish

The One With The Cat

The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line

The One With Phoebe’s Uterus

The One With The Fake Party

Remember when Monica got stung? Stung bad? “The One With The Jellyfish” is a compact marvel. Later, poor, dumb Joey learns why betting strangers he can fit inside an entertainment centre isn’t a good idea the hard way in “The One With The Cat.” The rest of this selection features the inimitable experience of hearing Ross’ “wordless poems” on the keyboard, Monica getting herself er, excited via a diagram, and Rachel as a 27-year-old cheerleader with a fat lip. Gems.

Season Five

The One With All The Thanksgivings

The One With Ross’ Sandwich

The One With All The Resolutions

The One Where Everybody Finds Out

The One With The Cop

Season five had some Friends comedy classics, from “pivot” to “paste pants” to “they don’t know that we know that they know…” and Monica plus fez and turkey shimmying Chandler’s blues away. This bunch contains some of the best.

Season Six

The One Where Phoebe Runs

The One With Ross’ Teeth

The One With The Routine

The One That Could Have Been

The One With Unagi

The One Where Paul’s The Man

Season six is another trove of gems, from the joys of Phoebe running to Ross’ luminous teeth, karate, the Geller siblings’ unforgettable dance routine (which won honorable mention in the brother/sister dance category), and the sight of Phoebe as a hard-nosed stock broker in fantasy episode, “The One That Could Have Been.” Bruce Willis singing “Love Machine” to himself is just the icing on the cake.

Season Seven

The One With The Holiday Armadillo

Worth it for Ross’ costume alone.

Season Eight

The One With The Stain

Ross’ unscrupulous attempts to get a dying woman’s apartment bring the chuckles in this one. Bloemen indeed…

Season Nine

The One With The Mugging

An appearance by Jeff Goldblum at one of Joey’s castings makes “The One With The Mugging” always worth a watch.

Season Ten

The One Where Ross Is Fine

The One With Ross’ Tan

The One Where The Stripper Cries

The One Where Joey Speaks French

A surprising number of funny moments come late into Friends history, with two Ross classics (the tan and “I’m fine!”), an appearance by Danny DeVito, and the most imitable French-speaking on TV since ‘Allo ‘Allo, courtesy of Joey. 

Route Five: Harmonica and Chanberries

When a certain someone emerges from underneath some certain bedclothes and says “Do you think he knew I was here?” in “The One With Ross’ Wedding Part 2,” that audience shriek expresses it all. Few can say that they expected this pair to get together, but unlike the Joey and Rachel abomination a few seasons later, this pairing made total sense, both romantically and comically. Here are the episodes to catch if you want to follow Friends’ other major couple.

Season Three

The One At The Beach

If only to hear the reasons Monica would only go out with Chandler if he was the last man on earth.

Season Four

The One With The Jellyfish

The One With Ross’ Wedding Part 2

In the season four premiere, Monica told Chandler she thinks he’s sweet, smart and she loves him, but to her, he will always be the guy that peed on her. Give her twenty-two more episodes though, and that’s all out of the window.

Season Five

The One After Ross Says Rachel

The One With All The Kissing

The One With The Triplets

The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS

The One With The Kips

The One With All The Thanksgivings

The One With Ross’ Sandwich

The One Where Everybody Finds Out

The One With Rachel’s Inadvertent Kiss

The One In Vegas

That’s a lot of episodes for a list that’s trying to pick a streamlined route through things, but season five is all about Monica and Chandler. The absolute musts are “The One After Ross Says Rachel,” “The One With All The Kissing,” “The One With All The Thanksgivings” and “The One Where Everybody Finds Out.”

Season Six

The One After Vegas

The One Where Ross Got High

The One That Could Have Been

The One With The Ring

The One With The Proposal

See an alternate version of Monica and Chandler in fun fantasy episode, “The One That Could Have Been,” and follow their route from almost getting hitched in Vegas to a very weepy, romantic proposal.

Season Seven

The One With Monica’s Thunder

The One With Rachel’s Books

The One With The Engagement Picture

The One With Ross’ Library Book

The One With The Truth About London

The One With The Cheap Wedding Dress

The One With Monica And Chandler’s Wedding

The run-up to the Bing nuptials provides many of the plotlines for season seven, from the engagement party to Chandler’s inability to take an announcement picture to the wedding dress to the band.

Season Eight

The One With The Secret Closet

The One With The Birthing Video

The One Where Rachel Has A Baby

Make the most of these episodes, as season nine is about to spoil it all by sending Chandler to another state.

Season Nine

The One With Rachel’s Phone Number

The One With The Sharks

The One With The Fertility Test

The One With The Donor

The Tulsa storyline, in which Chandler leaves New York for work, isn’t one of Friends’ best, but Monica and Chandler’s problems conceiving a baby provides some real laughs and a surprising amount of heart.

Season Ten

The One With The Home Study

The One With The Late Thanksgiving

The One With The Birth Mother

The One Where Chandler Gets Caught

The One With Rachel’s Going-Away Party

The Last One

Season ten is all about Monica and Chandler moving on from their city life and starting a family. The introduction of Anna Faris in this run is a joy.

Route Six: Working 9 to 5

As Joey points out at Central Perk in season six episode, “The One With Ross’ Teeth,” perhaps the reason the Friends’ bosses aren’t all that keen on them “is because [they’re] all hanging around here at 11:30 on a Wednesday.” This lot spend less time at work than they do in the company of their magically disappearing new-born infants.

That said, there have been a few great Friends episodes that revolve around the workplace, from Chandler’s WENUS to Joey’s smell-the-fart acting tips. These are the best episodes that focus on the group’s work lives.

Season One

The One With The Sonogram

The One With The Butt

The One With The Stoned Guy

The One With All The Poker

The One With Two Parts

The One With The Ick Factor

This season one selection introduces us to all of the Friends at work: there’s Ross at the museum, Joey playing Al Pacino’s butt in a movie, Chandler doing something so dull nobody can remember what it is, Monica attempting to impress a restaurateur (Jon Lovitz), Phoebe temping as Chandler’s secretary, and Rachel being frustrated at her dead-end Central Perk waitressing job.

Season Two

The One Where Ross And Rachel…You Know

The One With The Bullies

The One With The Chicken Pox

Monica’s money issues force her to swallow her pride and take a job at a novelty 1950s diner, while Ross’ workplace is the site of a relationship milestone for Ross and Rachel. Working at Chandler’s office threatens to fracture Joey and Chandler’s friendship in “The One With The Chicken Pox.”

Season Three

The One With The Race Car Bed

The One Where Rachel Quits

The One Where Chandler Can’t Remember Which Sister

The One Where Ross And Rachel Take A Break

The One With The Ultimate Fighting Champion

Joey’s season three stint as an acting coach is brief but memorable. Meanwhile, Chandler is still sucking up to his garrulous boss’ antics. Rachel continues to feel stymied as a waitress, leading her to finally quit Central Perk and make her way to Bloomingdales, where Ross fails to show respect for her career.

Season Four

The One With The Cuffs

The One With The Girl From Poughkeepsie

The One With Phoebe’s Uterus 

The One With Rachel’s Crush 

The One With Joey’s Dirty Day 

Joey continues to mix business with pleasure by taking a tour guide job at Ross’ museum and joining the hostile staff at Monica’s restaurant (“Looks like it’s going to be a lean Christmas at the Dragon house this year. Lean, lean, lean.”) It’s not long before he’s back on set though, and struggling with his personal hygiene. Meanwhile in season four, Chandler dates Rachel’s boss and Rachel develops a crush on customer, Joshua.

Season Five

The One With Chandler’s Work Laugh

The One With Ross’ Sandwich

The One Where Ross Moves In

The One With Rachel’s Inadvertent Kiss

The One Where Rachel Smokes

More sucking up to his boss comes for Chandler in season five, while Ross’ career takes a nosedive when his “rage” forces him to take a sabbatical from the museum. Rachel’s job interview for Ralph Lauren goes awry when she misinterprets things.

Season Six

The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance 

The One With Mac And C.H.E.E.S.E.

The One With Ross’s Teeth

The One With The Joke

Ross’ English accent is almost as funny as Joey’s creepy hernia ad in “The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance.” Joey’s work travails continue as his ego gets in the way on the set of a new detective show and he’s forced to take a job at Central Perk. At Ralph Lauren, meanwhile, Phoebe’s dalliance with Kenny the copy guy starts a rumour about Rachel.

Season Seven

The One With Rachel’s Assistant

The One With All The Candy

The One With Joey’s New Brain

The One With Joey’s Award

The One With Monica And Chandler’s Wedding

Joey and Rachel’s jobs get the most exposure in season seven, but “The One With Joey’s Award” also features a Ross work gem when a student declares his love for Professor Geller, and Joey dealing with the plosive anunciation of a co-star (Gary Oldman) can’t be missed.

Season Eight

The One Where Joey Dates Rachel 

The One With The Tea Leaves 

Joey teaches Mr. Zelner a lesson in “The One With The Tea Leaves,” while Ross struggles to get across town to teach a new class.

Season Nine

The One Where Rachel Goes Back To Work

The One With Rachel’s Dream 

The One In Barbados

After working with Chandler in season one and Monica in season two, Phoebe goes to work with Joey in season nine as an extra on Days Of Our Lives. Hijinks, as you can imagine, ensue. We’re introduced to more of Ross’ palaeontology colleagues at the Barbados-set conference two-parter.

Season Ten

The One With Ross’ Grant

The One With Princess Consuela

The One Where Estelle Dies

Greg Kinnear guest-stars as Charlie’s ex, the man holding the keys to Ross’ research grant in season ten. Meanwhile, Rachel’s career gets an unexpected hand after a disastrous interview, paving the way for the series climax.

Route Seven: J-Man and Channy

We’ve done the will-they-won’t-they Ross and Rachel, we’ve done Johnny-come-latelies Monica and Chandler, but there’s one twosome who stayed the course from episode one: the true Friends relationship – Joey and Chandler.

Season One

The One With The Boobies

Joey and Chandler’s closeness was established in “The One With The Boobies,” where the pair bunk up together on the sofa bed and have a heart-to-heart about Joey’s dad.

Season Two

The One With The Baby On A Bus

The One With The Prom Video

The One Where Joey Moves Out

The One Where Eddie Moves In

The One With The Chicken Pox

Some classic Joey and Chandler moments here, from babysitting to bracelet buddies to when Joey is replaced by Eddie and Chandler finds himself without a Baywatch and foosball partner.

Season Three

The One Where No-One’s Ready

The One With The Race-Car Bed

The One With A Chick And A Duck

A classic spat, followed by Joey showing how upstanding a friend he is, followed by the one where the pair become ersatz parents to a chick and a duck. Crucial character development, all of it.

Season Four

The One With The Cat

The One With The Embryos

The One With The Free Porn

The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line

The One With Chandler In A Box

Joey’s new-found wealth and ego aside, Kathy is the one thing that threatens to come between Joey and Chandler. Season four shows Chandler’s growing infatuation with Joey’s girlfriend and the resultant punishment he has to take at Thanksgiving for crossing that line.

Season Five

The One With The Ride-Along

The One With Joey’s Big Break

Joey proves himself the kind of friend who’d take a bullet for you, as long as you were a foot-long pastrami sub in “The One With The Ride-Along.” More tension comes between the pair when Chandler fails to support his pal’s career in “The One With Joey’s Big Break.”

Season Six

The One On The Last Night

It’s the end of an era. No more J-Man and Channy’s

Season Eight

The One Where Rachel Is Late

The One With The Stripper

“I miss this” says Joey of the pair’s attempts to oust a prostitute from the apartment in “The One With The Stripper,” looking back fondly on their old adventures. Us too.

Season Ten

The One With Ross’ Grant

The Last One

A bit of silliness involving Joey, a Japanese TV ad, and some blue lipstick first, then skip straight to The Last One. It’s difficult to know what to feel more emotional about in the Friends finale, the fates of the characters, or of that symbolic foosball table.

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