Throwback Thursday: The One Where the Seasons of Friends are Ranked

Love it, hate it, or ambivalent about it there is no denying the impact Friends (1994-2004) had on American pop culture. Few sitcoms, even other juggernauts like Frasier and Cheers, can attribute popular hairstyles (“The Rachel”), catchy ditties (“Smelly Cat”), and widely known expressions (“We were on a break!”) to their show’s success.

Photo by NBC - ©2012 NBC Universal, Inc.

Episodes are commonly ranked on “best of” lists from respected publications; the six lead actors developed a chemistry with one another that has yet to be matched despite numerous attempts like Happy Endings or the ill-fated Joey; and the program continues to rake in viewers in syndication and on Netflix.

Below is a ranking for all ten seasons of Friends from worst to best:

10. Season 10 (September 25, 2003 - May 6, 2004)

The actual content of season 10 is by no means bad. In fact, some very humorous and touching moments emerge from this year including Phoebe’s wedding and Chandler and Monica’s adoption. But the season is Friends’s shortest with only 18 episodes (one of which is a clip show) and often feels like it is rushing to wrap up the storylines in a pretty bow.

After deciding to scrap the potential romance between Rachel and Joey, Matt LeBlanc was unfortunately given the shaft for much of the season. Joey becomes more of a punchline than in the last nine years and is the only character who doesn’t get a solidified happy ending at the series’s conclusion. It’s too bad that the attempt to remedy this with Joey failed so miserably.

Best Episode: “The Last One” still remains one of the best television finales of all time and perfectly wraps up Ross and Rachel’s love story.

Worst Episode: “The One Where Chandler Gets Caught.” With only 18 episodes, it is borderline insulting that one was used as a flashback clip episode to rehash previous moments. Adding insult to injury, the show aired a separate clip show, “The One with All the Other Ones,” prior to the series finale.

9. Season 9 (September 26, 2002 - May 15, 2003)

Season 9 is tonally uneven and the most scattered the Friends would ever get. The foundation is laid for the controversial Rachel and Joey romance during the season’s premiere (“The One Where No One Proposes”) and the resulting tension between Joey and Ross creates an awkward rift in the group.

Thankfully, there are many great guest stars to liven up this season. Paul Rudd is ever the dreamboat as Mike, Freddie Prinz Jr. turns a fairly problematic role as a male nanny into a thoughtful look at masculinity, and Christina Applegate is at her comedic best in her Emmy-winning turn as Rachel’s sister, Amy.

Best Episode: “The One with the Lottery.” Another cost-saving episode a-la season 3’s “The One Where No One’s Ready,” this episode is a testament to how slick Friends could be when the six friends were left alone in a room together.

Worst Episode: “The One with the Sharks.” If I never hear the words “shark porn” again I will be happy.

8. Season 7 (October 12, 2000 - May 17, 2001)

Season 7 screwed Courtney Cox out of her Emmy nomination. Monica and Chandler’s impending wedding was the perfect opportunity to showcase some of Courtney Cox’s best comedic chops. But Monica is sidelined for most of the season, leaving space fo Rachel to date her assistant, Tag and for Joey to rekindle his career on Days of Our Lives.

Monica never gets a juicy arc to really call her own. Rachel has so many from her career to her and Ross to her pregnancy; Phoebe has her own pregnancy arc; Joey has his memorable DOOL fatality; Ross eats up the first few seasons with his failed marriage to Carol; and Chandler is constantly placed in the driver’s seat as far as narration in the Monica/Chandler romance. It’s a shame that Monica never got her moment to shine in a season prime for the opportunity.

Best Episode: “The One with Joey’s New Brain.” Okay, this may not be the best episode of the season but the last moments with Ross playing the bag pipes are unparalleled.

Worst Episode: “The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin” is such a low point for Ross that his love life stops being funny and becomes downright depressing and creepy.

7. Season 1 (September 22, 1994 - May 18, 1995)

Suffering primarily from an unfocused nature common among new shows, the first season of friends is a great deal improved upon season 7. From a writing perspective, however, the staff had yet to discover the power of the friends narrating their experiences to one another. Instead, humorless scenes like Chandler’s first date with Aurora (during “The One with the Butt”) play out firsthand instead of living through humorous stories to the group.

The latter half of the first season feels like a new and reinvigorated show. Once “The One with the Two Parts” hits and George Clooney and Noah Wyle appear on screen it is clear that this was going to be the little show that could.

Best Episode: “The One Where Rachel Finds Out.” It was an inevitable realization, but Rachel’s romantic epiphany shot Friends into a second and third season that redefined would-they won’t-they romances.

Worst Episode: “The One Where Nana Dies Twice” falls flat for most of the episode and, with Chandler’s inquiries about the “quality” that makes him come off as gay, is one of the show’s most tone-deaf by modern standards.

6. Season 6 (September 23, 1999 - May 18, 2000)

There is a lot of meandering in Season 6. Rachel and Ross are divorced while Monica and Chandler move in with one another in the first five or six episodes. The middle of the season lacks direction and is mostly filler as people fight over Playboy jokes, Joey tries to have someone buy him a new fridge, and Pottery Barn tests the limits of product placement.

If it weren’t for “The One with the Proposal” and Tom Selleck’s triumphant return as Richard, this season would rank lower. Another crucial MVP is Bruce Willis who stuns as he flexes his comedy chops (and his muscles) as the overly-protective “love machine” Paul.

Best Episode: “The One Where Ross Got High” is a near-perfect Thanksgiving episode, featuring a wonderful payoff as each character shouts their frustrations to Judy Gellar (Christina Pickles).

Worst Episode: “The One with Joey’s Fridge” is so forgettable that I needed to re-read the plot summary just to remember what happened. To paraphrase Rachel: “I want to say it was about trees… Or a disease…”

5. Season 2 (September 21, 1995 - May 16, 2996)

If anyone thought that Friends was still a little show at the end of their first season, their second season proved them wrong. Ross and Rachel continued their romantic pas de deux with aplomb as they tackled new obstacles including Julie, Russ, and the infamous list. Joey had his chance to shine as his career exploded and Dr. Ramoray became every woman’s new obsession.

From a performance perspective: the cast gels on a whole new level in this second season. Punchlines come faster and guest stars are utilized to much greater effect. When Julia Roberts appears you know your show is huge. Not to mention Tom Selleck wins over the crowd as the ever-charming Richard Burke. If Monica and Chandler weren’t so perfect together, this break up would be Earth shattering.

Best Episode: “The One with the Prom Video” is quintessential Friends. Ross and Rachel are each other’s lobsters after all.

Worst Episode: “The One with the Bullies” is so very odd on multiple level: Monica goes bankrupt from the stock market? Ross and Chandler can’t stand up for themselves? It just doesn’t add up.

4. Season 8 (September 27, 2001 - May 16, 2002)

Winning the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, Season 8 of Friends is most notable for helping the U.S. find laughter again after the tragedy of September 11. Monica and Chandler’s honeymoon was rewritten to have their issues involve another perfect couple stealing their freebies rather than the original plot of spending time in airport jail for joking about carrying on bombs. With Rachel’s pregnancy, the sitcom found their footing with emotional storytelling once again and a season-long arc that never felt slow.

Despite many high points, Season 8 loses some steam thanks to Joey’s newfound crush on Rachel. That plot just feels forced and unnatural both in writing and performance and the timing (during Rachel’s pregnancy) is very questionable.

Best Episode: “The One with the Videotape” narrowly beats out the Thanksgiving episode “The One with the Rumor” thanks in large part to the Western Europe backpacking story guaranteed to get anyone laid.

Worst Episode: “The One with Joey’s Interview.” Clip shows are always a bit of a hassle but this one lacked an engaging frame story in Joey’s ill-advised interview with Soap Opera Digest.

3. Season 4 (September 25, 1997 - May 7, 1998)

Honestly, Season 4 is probably only here because of the various love interests featured. Emily, Kathy, and Joshua are some of the worst and/or most boring significant others throughout the show’s run. Having all appear in Season 4 is just an insult to the prospect of love for any of the six friends.

Phoebe’s pregnancy, however, remains one of the most odd and refreshing storylines. Only Lisa Kudrow can talk about her brother getting her knocked up and still make it incredibly adorable. Ms. Kudrow may have given the writers lemons when she informed them of her pregnancy but they came back and made beautifully comedic lemonade.

Best Episode: “The One with the Embryos” not only kick-started Lisa Kudrow’s Emmy-winning story arc but provided the most memorable group scene with the Ross’s well-researched trivia game.

Worst Episode: “The One Where They’re Going to Party!” A forgettable episode where Ross and Chandler are unable to party like they used to and Monica and Phoebe unsurprisingly don’t open a catering business.

2. Season 5 (September 24, 2998 - May 20, 1999)

Building off of Season 4’s great cliffhangers (Ross said Rachel! Monica and Chandler slept together!) Season 5 had so much promise. And it delivered. Monica and Chandler provided a fun and easy escape from the ever-complicating Ross and Rachel romance. Phoebe finally gave birth to her brother’s triplets in an emotional 100th episode and filled the season with happiness and promise.

What Season 5 does incredibly is include all six friends in the season-long Monica/Chandler romance. Joey is brought in early to give him purpose in the secret-keeping shenanigans. Rachel, Ross, and Phoebe are then added after their personal storylines dissipate enough for Chandler and Monica to properly take center stage.

Best Episode: “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” remains a comedic masterpiece. Phoebe and Rachel watching Chandler and Monica have sex from across the street is a priceless way to unveil the new couple’s secret.

Worst Episode: “The One Where Ross Can’t Flirt” is an awkward half hour. It’s not a terrible episode but the cringe humor doesn’t work.

1. Season 3 (September 19, 1996 - May 15, 1997)

Season 3 is a season of change for Friends. Almost everything at the beginning of this year (Ross and Rachel are together and happy, Monica is alone and unhappy, etc.) is different by season’s end. Breaking up Ross and Rachel was a huge risk considering the amount of toiling it took to bring them together. Their rocky relationship set the stage for the next seven years, however, and rebuilt the show stronger than ever.

Each character opens a new phase in their life for both good and bad: Rachel quits her job at Central Perk, Ross surrenders to his insecurities, Phoebe searches for her loved ones, Chandler overcomes his commitment phobias, Joey begins rebuilding his career, and Monica finds peace with being single. Once the characters began growing up, the show did so as well. This is Friends at it’s truest and most memorable.

Best Episode: “The One with the Morning After” features some of the best dramatic writing and performing and brilliant comedy from the four friends who are unfortunate enough to eat wax.

Worst Episode: “The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion.” Oh Pete, you had such promise. Thankfully you helped show Monica that she was okay being alone.

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