O ver the course of 10 years and 10 seasons, the writers of Friends delivered no fewer than 236 episodes to their ever-increasing fan base. Look back on the show, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this month , and it feels as though each 20-or-so-minute nugget contributed its own signature phrases and cult moments, which remain firmly embedded in pop culture nowadays. Yet it is interesting to comb through those combined 4,720-ish minutes of television and separate the highs from the lows .
Friends will surely always have a special place among the series that set the standards of the sitcom genre. That’s why the show remains a relevant topic of discussion to this day, and why it has come under renewed scrutiny as some (including this writer) have attempted to dissect the way it broached topics such as gender, sexuality, women’s rights, and body politics. Some of Friends ’s best episodes still stand out for what they contributed to the history of television – an all-too-rare lesbian wedding, a surrogacy storyline, the empowering tale of a young woman finding her footing in the corporate world.
Others are, quite simply, funny in a laugh-out-loud, goofy way, fuelled by the kind of moments that explain why Friends is, for many, the televised equivalent of comfort food. Here it is, then: a full ranking of all 236 episodes of Friends , from worst to best. 236.
The One with Chandler's Dad – Season seven, episode 22 The portrayal of Chandler’s parent – many viewers a.