It has been nearly 18 years since the last episode of “Friends” aired on NBC and the Emmy-winning sitcom is still wildly popular. During the decade the show aired it launched many hairstyles and as many catchphrases — who doesn’t remember “The Rachel” and “How you doin’?” Check out these popular TV quotes that are now part of everyday vocabulary.
When “Friends” premiered back in 1994, no one had an idea whether it would even be picked up for additional episodes. The show about six twenty somethings in New York City may have been just another pilot that went nowhere. Ten years and 235 episodes later, “The Last One” was the fourth most watched TV show finale ever with 52.5 million people tuning in.
To determine the best episodes of “Friends,” 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience rating from the Internet Movie Database. All the episodes of “Friends” were ranked based on average IMDb user rating as of November 2021. In cases of a tie, episodes with more IMDb user votes were given a higher ranking. Supplemental data on the number of IMDb user votes and original airdate also came from IMDb.
Much can change in the span of a decade, and that’s what happened with “Friends.” They fell in and out of love, changed jobs and apartments — and hairstyles. Though they stayed relevant, fans liked some storylines better than others.
Of the 25 best episodes, 17 are from seasons one through five. Only one is from the last season — the series finale. (These are the best series finales in TV history.)
25. The One with the Two Parties (Season 2, Episode 22)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,460
> Original airdate: May 2, 1996
24. The One Where Ross Finds Out (Season 2, Episode 7)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,713
> Original airdate: November 9, 1995
23. The One with the Football (Season 3, Episode 9)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,900
> Original airdate: November 21, 1996
22. The One Where No One’s Ready (Season 3, Episode 2)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
> IMDb user votes: 6,101
> Original airdate: September 26, 1996
21. The One with the Blackout (Season 1, Episode 7)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
> IMDb user votes: 7,099
> Original airdate: November 3, 1994
20. The One with the Red Sweater (Season 8, Episode 2)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 4,656
> Original airdate: October 4, 2001
19. The One in Vegas: Part 2 (Season 5, Episode 24)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 4,875
> Original airdate: May 20, 1999
18. The One with All the Resolutions (Season 5, Episode 11)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 4,932
> Original airdate: January 7, 1999
17. The One with Ross’s Sandwich (Season 5, Episode 9)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,080
> Original airdate: December 10, 1998
16. The One with the Jellyfish (Season 4, Episode 1)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,355
> Original airdate: September 25, 1997
15. The One with Chandler in a Box (Season 4, Episode 8)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,373
> Original airdate: November 20, 1997
14. The One with Unagi (Season 6, Episode 17)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,412
> Original airdate: February 24, 2000
13. The One with All the Thanksgivings (Season 5, Episode 8)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,492
> Original airdate: November 19, 1998
12. The One with the Morning After (Season 3, Episode 16)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,495
> Original airdate: February 20, 1997
11. The One with the Flashback (Season 3, Episode 6)
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,610
> Original airdate: October 31, 1996
10. The One with Monica and Chandler’s Wedding: Part 2 (Season 7, Episode 24)
> IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 4,756
> Original airdate: May 17, 2001
9. The One Where Ross Got High (Season 6, Episode 9)
> IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,467
> Original airdate: November 25, 1999
8. The One with Ross’s Wedding: Part 2 (Season 4, Episode 24)
> IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,478
> Original airdate: May 7, 1998
7. The One with the Videotape (Season 8, Episode 4)
> IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,411
> Original airdate: October 18, 2001
6. The One with the Proposal (Season 6, Episode 25)
> IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 5,511
> Original airdate: May 18, 2000
5. The One with the Rumor (Season 8, Episode 9)
> IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 6,694
> Original airdate: November 22, 2001
4. The One with the Prom Video (Season 2, Episode 14)
> IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 7,336
> Original airdate: February 1, 1996
3. The One with the Embryos (Season 4, Episode 12)
> IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 7,901
> Original airdate: January 15, 1998
2. The One Where Everybody Finds Out (Season 5, Episode 14)
> IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 10,536
> Original airdate: February 11, 1999
1. The Last One (Season 10, Episode 17)
> IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 13,965
> Original airdate: May 6, 2004