DespiteFriends' mostly light-hearted tone, many episodes include dark storylines and undertones that are out of the norm for the iconic sitcom. When outlining the elements behind the show’s enduring popularity, the manyexcellent characters ofFriendselevate it above its peers. These characters are incredibly realistic and their titular relationships with one another are often at the forefront ofFriends’best-ever episodes. These episodes are spread out across the show’s ten-year run, making it overly difficult torankFriends' best seasonsdistinctly.
Regardless, it is safe to say the series remains one of the most popular sitcoms of all time due to its comedy, interpersonal relationships, heart, and themoments that definedFriendsfor generations. All that being said, there are some darker episodes of the series that may go unnoticed. Darkness in film and TV does not always mean outright sadness, as there are certainly moments of this ilk inFriends, but uncomfortable moments or those with strange undertones. In this regard,Friends'10 seasons include several episodes that are darker than first thought, for one reason or another.
The following list is ranked in accordance with the show’s release order, rather than by their levels of darkness.
10The One with Ross’s New Girlfriend
Season 2, Episode 1
Overall, “The One with Ross’s New Girlfriend” focuses on exactly this: Ross returns from China with Julie, his new girlfriend, upsetting Rachel who discovered her love for him while he was away. This plot itself is somewhat dark from Rachel’s perspective, as the feeling of unrequited love, while someone else is happy, can certainly be described as dark. However, it is in a subplot regarding Joey and Chandler that more worrying revelations come to light.
Naturally, all of these storylines are treated with an air of comedy and humor, but the subject matter in this instance surrounds sexual assault. Chandler visits Joey’s tailor in “The One with Ross’s New Girlfriend,” resulting in theFriends' character being groped. Chandler relays this to Joey, who reveals that he is under the impression that this is simply how tailors take pant measurements.The revelation that Joey thinks this is normal, as does his entire family, is certainly worrying and confirms the dark reality that the Tribbianis have spent years being sexually assaultedby their tailor.
9The One with Russ
Season 2, Episode 10
Again, on the surface, “The One with Russ” involves a funny subplot in which Rachel dates the titular Russ due to his similarities to Ross, but refuses to see the likeness between the two. Like “The One with Ross’s New Girlfriend,” it is in the subplot of “The One with Russ” where a darker story is found. In this episode, Monica reignites her relationship with an old flame, Fun Bobby, who is one of the more memorableminor characters inFriends.
“The One with Russ” also features Joey being coerced into sleeping with a casting agent to get the part of Dr. Drake Ramoray - another dark storyline that is masked by humor.
However, Monica and the gang discover the reason why Bobby is dubbed “Fun”: alcohol. Monica tells Bobby that she thinks he has a drinking problem, convincing him to quit but resulting in him losing the elements that deem him fun to others. Bobby becomes increasingly glum due to acknowledging the elements of his life he is unhappy with. This drives Monica to drink more herself, reinforcing how inherently dark the idea of drinking alcohol to numb the harsh realities of Bobby’s life truly is for such a happy-go-lucky sitcom.
8The One After The Superbowl
Season 2, Episodes 12 & 13
This two-part episode aired after Superbowl XXX in 1996 and featured Ross' attempts to reunite with his pet monkey, Marcel. As a two-parter, “The One After the Superbowl” has several subplots, with the one involving Joey featuring a somewhat darker storyline. This subplot involved his relationship with Erika Ford, played by Brooke Shields in one of the episode’s many celebrity cameos.
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The relationship between Joey and Erika, however, has a distinct twist: Erika cannot differentiate fiction from reality and believes Joey is actually hisDays of Our Livescharacter, Dr. Drake Ramoray. Despite having this unspecified mental health condition, Joey dates Erika anyway. The storyline resolves with the gang tricking Erika into leaving Joey by convincing him he is Drake’s evil twin, which is a dark resolution as opposed to getting Erika the help she may have needed.
7The One Where Eddie Won’t Go
Season 2, Episode 19
A big overarching plot ofFriendsseason 2 involves Joey moving out of Chandler’s apartment, with the latter having to find a replacement roommate. This replacement comes in the form of Eddie, a seemingly regular character initially. However, like Erika, it is revealed that Eddie has an unspecified mental health disorder. He becomes increasingly erratic, accusing Chandler of various inconsequential acts like killing his pet fish before replacing it with a fish cracker.
Chandler tricks Eddie by manipulating the latter’s mental health conditions…
This evolves into Eddie accusing Chandler of sleeping with his girlfriend, making up scenarios that the two went to Las Vegas together, and watching Chandler sleep. Eddie begins forgetting that these events happened, also forgetting that Chandler repeatedly asks him to move out. Eventually, Chandler tricks Eddie by manipulating the latter’s mental health conditions by moving his belongings out of the apartment, changing the locks, and pretending that Eddie never lived with him. Eddie’s character is, of course, played for humor and works in this regard, but when removing the comedic elements, his brief character arc is a dark one.
6The One Where Rachel Quits
Season 3, Episode 10
“The One Where Rachel Quits” has three ongoing storylines like mostFriendsepisodes do; Rachel worries about her career after quitting her job, Joey gets a temporary holiday position selling Christmas trees, and Ross tries to sell Girl Scout cookies to win a young girl a trip to Space Camp after inadvertently breaking her leg. It is thanks to the latter storyline that “The One Where Rachel Quits” is considered one ofFriends' darker episodes. While Ross' attempts at selling the cookies garner big laughs, it is the life of Sarah, the young girl, that raises the episode’s darker elements.
Joey’s storyline highlights the Earth’s environmental issues, which can also be perceived as a dark story.
Sarah reveals that her father is a gambling addict who uses Sarah’s college fund on slot machines. Sarah also states she does not want to win the prize for selling the second-most amount of Girl Scout cookies - a bike - as she would prefer something her father could not sell. Sarah makes comments that she has to watch TV by looking through her neighbor’s window, as her father also sold their TV. Finally, Sarah reveals her father makes her clean apartments to earn money to fund his gambling. Overall, Sarah’s life is incredibly tragic, with the understated exploration making it even darker.
5The One with Ross’s Wedding
Season 4, Episodes 23 & 24
Friendsseason 4’s finale focuses on Ross’s marriage to Emily in a surprisingly dark story. From Emily’s perspective, the plot twist of Ross saying Rachel’s name at the altar is an overly sad moment and ruins a day she likely has dreamed about for years. Moreover, Rachel’s journey to London has an undertone of dread as it’s expected she will ruin the wedding. To top it off, Joey is not his usual self in “The One with Ross’s Wedding” as he suffers from homesickness and argues with Chandler, making each story thread of these two episodes devoid of much happiness.
4The One with All the Thanksgivings
Season 5, Episode 8
Friendshas many Thanksgiving episodes, with season 5’s containing the darkest subtext. This episode features flashbacks to several different Thanksgiving dinners, hence its title. The main focus is placed on Monica and Chandler, with several flashbacks detailing early meetings between the two, exploring why Monica lost weight and why Chandler lost a toe.
8.1/10
“The One with the List”
8.3/10
“The One with the Football”
8.9/10
“The One with Chandler in a Box”
9/10
“The One with All the Thanksgivings”
9.1/10
8/10
“The One with the Rumor”
9.2/10
8.7/10
“The One with the Late Thanksgiving”
8.8/10
This episode’s darkness stems from the fact thatMonica and Chandler areFriends’best couple. The two are so good together that seeing one be hurt by the other is admittedly worrying, and “The One with All the Thanksgivings” provides this from both sides. Monica losing weight solely because Chandler once called her fat is truly upsetting, as are the ramifications of Chandler losing an appendage.
3The One Where Rosita Dies
Season 7, Episode 13
Admittedly, most of theFriendsepisodes explored on this list thus far do not tackle overtly dark subject matter but have darker undertones. “The One Where Rosita Dies” bucks this trend, primarily through Phoebe’s storyline. Phoebe’s new job as a call salesman leads her into a conversation with Jason Alexander’s Earl, who reveals he does not need the toner she is selling as he intends to kill himself.
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From here on, the episode centers on Phoebe’s attempts to change Earl’s mind about his dark decision. As mentioned, this is one of the fewFriendsepisodes that explicitly explores something as dark as suicide, based on Earl’s loneliness and perceived lack of self-worth. Although the subplot is treated with the same comedic tone as every other, the episode nonetheless centers around a sorrowful character and his mental health.
2The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin
Season 7, Episode 19
“The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin” has another overt exploration of sketchy subject matter. In this episode, Ross tries to kiss his first cousin. The humor and jokes are used endlessly for this subplot, but it does not remove the icky feeling that Ross is essentially auditioning forGame of Thrones. For that reason, this episode is a darker one that many may choose to skip on rewatch.
1The One with the Fertility Test
Season 9, Episode 21
The finalFriendsepisode that explores a darker story than most is “The One with the Fertility Test.” This episode is fairly self-explanatory - it features Chandler and Monica conducting a fertility test as they have been unable to conceive a child up to that point. In somewhat of a shocking twist for a show that usually ties things up nicely, the episode reveals that both Chandler and Monica are unable to conceive a child naturally.
Due to this reveal, the ending sequence of “The One with the Fertility Test” is unnaturally somber forFriends.Monica and Chandler are visibly distraught, and while their resolve to have children regardless is cause for optimism, it is a dark scene that brings a real-life situation to the fore uncomfortably. Given the added, aforementioned fact that Chandler and Monica are the best couple in the show, “The One with the Fertility Test” becomes solidified as one ofFriends' surprisingly dark episodes.
Friends
Cast
Friends is a television sitcom that debuted in 1994, revolving around six young New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood. The series highlights their friendship as they support each other through personal and professional challenges, encapsulating the ups and downs of life in a comedic and relatable manner.
