4460 replies to this topic

[Pleasesendpants]

This isn't for nitpicking or inconsistencies, just to discuss storylines and moments that shouldn't have been.

For example:

Identical Hand Twins! I love the Vegas episodes, but I can't stand watching the reruns because I know this story is coming up. It was just the dumbest thing and pains me to watch.

[cjl]

Let me see: the horribly manipulative scheme by Ross to stay married until Rachel fell in love with him again (destroyed whatever affection I had for the character); the entire Joey/Rachel "romance" (especially the mistaken proposal); Phoebe's gay ice skater husband; yes, the identical hand twins (nails on a blackboard bad!); "Yemen"; "PIVOT!"; and Jean-Claude van Damme.

[Phear the Phi]

I HATED the episode when Joey tells Rachel. The lack of funny was awful!!

[Morning Angel]

Identical Hand Twins! I love the Vegas episodes, but I can't stand watching the reruns because I know this story is coming up. It was just the dumbest thing and pains me to watch.

I agree. That was an odd idea, but sometimes, it can go somewhere. Not that one. Ick. That was bad.

cjl, I wholeheartedly agree with the Joey/Rachel romance (which was wrong, wrong, wrong), but I must say I liked pretty much all the other moments you mentioned. While I wasn't thrilled with Jean-Claude Van Damme's acting, I thought Monica and Rachel's fighting was hilarious. I thought spaghetti sauce in a handbag was pretty creative! Hee.

The Yemen story is one of my favourite storylines. It is just the kind of insanity Chandler would put himself through instead of confronting someone.

As for Ross lying to Rachel about the annulment, personally, I could buy into his dispair about not wanting yet another divorce. It was a real stupid thing to do for sure, but I was convinced he was still in love with Rachel and was hoping in a very weird way it might work out. For me, one of the low points for Ross was the whole rage phase that started over a sandwich (he went from normal to really insane in under 10 sec). The hyperactivity from eating too much maple candy also made him seem not quite like a normal individual.

Certainly, everyone has their own thing they can't stand about the show. I was rereading the other day the Friends Episode Guide made by Entertainment Weekly back in 2001. They were criticizing the Thanksgiving episodes, saying they were consistantly the worst episodes of the season. I couldn't believe that. The Thanksgiving episode is always one of my favourite every season. So certainly, everyone is coming to the episodes from a different angle.

[cjl]

Morning Angel, the reason I couldn't tolerate the Yemen plotline was that it reduced the sweet Janice/Chandler romance of seasons past--a plotline I enjoyed--to a one-off joke. It was like the writers said to themselves: "Janice and Chandler? A serious romance? What were we thinking? Let's treat the idea like the farce it really is." I was glad Remarried Janice came back in the waning days, because even though she was still an over-the-top Outer Borough caricature, she was treated with more respect than at any other time since she broke up with Bing.

I'll grant you the M/R catfighting was funny (I'm just skeptical about the object of all that passion), and I'll even go as far as saying I'm just not constructed to find "PIVOT!" amusing, but Ross lying about the annulment was absolutely intolerable. Ross (the one I liked) was all about responsibility and emotional honesty. The gutless loser lying to the woman he loved wasn't Ross.

Edited by cjl, Mar 31, 2006 @ 4:38 PM.

[amikaro]

I hated the R/R breakup in season 3 and everything leading up to it...mainly because for me it was just too sad, I don't think I even watched the entire breakup-episode more than once. And I hated the stuff Ross sent to Rachel's office to remind her she had a boyfriend. Especially the sonogram made me squirm. In Rachel's place I would have been mortified if my boyfriend embarassed me like that at my workplace.

[BlackCorduroy]

The PIVOT! moment is one of my favorite ever. The whole episode was hilarious.

As for the worst moments:

1. Joey being unable to learn French. It would've alright if he actually said a few words right, but the way they handled that was like something out of a Nickelodeon sitcom.

2. Joey's "proposal" to Rachel and the season-ending cliffhanger. Such a contrived crappy moment. I hated the whole Joey/Rachel romance, but that specific instant was the low point.

3. Shark porn. Enough said.

[joanne3482]

I have many (and I think it is because I watch all the reruns so the more I watch some episodes the more that I get annoyed by them.)

1 - I hated the whole 'Rachem' thing. Was Rachel that stupid she couldn't figure out that meant Rachel? I get she was angry about the list of bad things but really... that was bad.

2 - Identical hand twins causes me so much pain. I have to mute that part.

3 - The one where Rachel is throwing herself at Joshua at the fake party for Emily. I just cringe that an adult would do all that just to get a guy.

4 - Although I didn't hate the Joey/Rachel storyline (initially) I did hate when he 'proposed' to her. And I hated where it ended up. When it was Joey unrequitedly crushing on Rachel I liked that, and got it. But when they actually tried to date it was annoying and dumb.

[poster child]

1. Joey being unable to learn French. It would've alright if he actually said a few words right, but the way they handled that was like something out of a Nickelodeon sitcom.

2. Joey's "proposal" to Rachel and the season-ending cliffhanger. Such a contrived crappy moment. I hated the whole Joey/Rachel romance, but that specific instant was the low point.

3. Shark porn. Enough said.

Total agreement. (1) Terrible; (2) Painful[ly Bad]; and (3) Mortifying.

[Imogen]

"You broke my fridge!"

A huge waste of time. I can't even watch that episode; it is just one of the absolute worst.

[jadeddaisy]

I hated the R/R breakup in season 3 and everything leading up to it...mainly because for me it was just too sad, I don't think I even watched the entire breakup-episode more than once.

Oh, I totally agree. I always skip those episodes on the DVDs, I just can't bear to watch them. It's actually not just sadness for me, it's also combined with anger -- directed at both of the characters. At Ross for not letting Rachel enjoy her career, and at Rachel because, well, you were on a break, and what's more, it was a break that you asked for. Whenever I catch their breakup episode I just want to slap them both.

[Firecat]

3 - The one where Rachel is throwing herself at Joshua at the fake party for Emily. I just cringe that an adult would do all that just to get a guy.

I can't watch that episode. It's just unbearable. Definitely my number 1 worst moment is when she comes out in the cheerleader outfit.

[jake99]

I agree with most everyone here.
My least favorite moments include:
- Joey can't speak French - for god's sake, even babies can imitate sounds! They really crossed the threshold from "Joey's kind of dumb" to "Joey has a single-digit IQ"
- Identical hand twin - enough said
- Joey's accidental proposal to Rachel - oh, come on!
- Monica being Phoebe's wedding planner - she was such an utter, complete bitch!
- Phoebe thinking the cat was her mother - I just thought that was really stupid and unrealistic, even for Phoebe
- almost all of season 10

Not sure if this counts as a "moment", but I really, really hated the whole Emma storyline. The show just turned into this big soap opera, and Ross and Rachel come off as looking like the world's worst parents. There were whole episodes where they didn't even mention her (and they all just flitted off to Barbados - yeah, that might happen when you have a baby - believe me, I should know; oh - and the Paris thing - Ross didn't even care about not seeing Emma). Not that I wanted to see the baby 24/7, but that plotline was really not handled well. I got the feeling that the writers had written themselves into a corner with that one. Maybe they should have done some Dallas type thing where that storyline turned out to be all a dream.

Edited by jake99, Apr 1, 2006 @ 7:41 AM.

[amikaro]

A big WORD to most posts. Hated the fridge, hated the hand twins, hated Rachel making a fool of herself for Joshua. jadeddaisy, all the stuff you added also bothered me, they both acted so stupid, I just wanted to shake them. I also hated a lot of Phoebe's storylines like the lurker in Vegas and many others (just can't think of other examples right now).

ETA: jake99, thank you! Phoebe thinking the cat was her mother was one of the many Phoebe-SLs I hated.

Edited by amikaro, Apr 1, 2006 @ 7:49 AM.

[Crazyrach]

Season 8 Monica and Chandler. It was just boring. It seemed like the writers didn't know what to do with two of the main characters just because they got married, so they threw them in all these crazy and stupid plots that we'ren't funny. It's a shame because Chandler was one of the funniest characters back in the day (Seasons 1-4) and then he became half-of-unfunny-Mondler, and it was really sad.

[Morning Angel]

Season 8 Monica and Chandler. It was just boring. It seemed like the writers didn't know what to do with two of the main characters just because they got married, so they threw them in all these crazy and stupid plots that we'ren't funny. It's a shame because Chandler was one of the funniest characters back in the day (Seasons 1-4) and then he became half-of-unfunny-Mondler, and it was really sad.

Yeah, I never understood why they couldn't be just fun anymore. Some episodes were okay like the stripper plotline but then, you had stuff like the clothes-stealing maid, which was not really funny.

One thing I noticed when I watched all the seasons one after the other is really how, in retrospect, Matthew Perry's personal problems were affecting his performance in S7. He really just doesn't sound like he used to (at least in some episodes) and doesn't have the presence he had in previous seasons. In that sense, at least, S8 is much better for Chandler because he had more of that spark back.

[SteveJRogers]

oh - and the Paris thing - Ross didn't even care about not seeing Emma). Not that I wanted to see the baby 24/7,

Good point. Here is a guy who thought of a way for his ex-wife and her partner to come and live in England, just so his son could be near him. Just the fact that the thought entered his mind for a split second tells you how close he is supposed to be to his family.

[Elemmennope]

I hate the episode with Jennifer Coolidge as a guest star, where's she's Monica and Phoebe's old friend who comes back to annoy them with her fake British accent and mannerisms. She really was annoying. I couldn't even watch.

Same episode is where Ross can't figure out how to count to three (or whatever) in the tanning booth and keeps getting sprayed on one side only. So stupid and unbelievable.

Oh and Rachel keeps slapping Joey every time he tries to make a move on her, so they decide to "power through."

The whole episode was awful.

[SteveJRogers]

I know in a sit-com it's better to lie for the comedy of a scene, but in an episode early on in Ross and Rachel's relationship (mid-way Season 2) Rach drops a piece of pie in the hood of a stranger's jacket, when she notices that the guy is leaving Central Perk she has Ross fish it out. So Ross tries to scoop it out, but in doing so the guy turns around and Ross has to act like he is some excapee from Bellvue!

Was that really neccessary in the grand scheme of things? I could see if Schwimmer wanted to show off his improv skills on a live performance, but in a real situation would you really try to make yourself look bad to cover for a mistake by a restaurant's staff? A simple, "Yeah I'm sure one of the waitressess accidentally dropped it." would have sufficied.

[just liz]

Word on everything that's been mentioned so far.

I have to say that Phoebe has always been my least favorite character and I have found many of her storylines unwatchable. A particular one that comes to mind that hasn't been mentioned yet was the storyline in season nine where Joey gets her a job as an extra on "Days of Our Lives". I can't watch it without wanting to slap her the whole time.

[swestworld]

I was rereading the other day the Friends Episode Guide made by Entertainment Weekly back in 2001. They were criticizing the Thanksgiving episodes, saying they were consistantly the worst episodes of the season.

I agree, that is completely crazy. The Thanksgiving episodes are mostly among the classics. That is just nuts, especially when there are so many other "worst moments" to choose from.

Ross with the spray on tan irritates me to no end. Seriously, the man is a PhD. If you are already too tan and you step into a booth where you don't know what side the spray is coming out of, then step out again! Cheez.

I also agree with everyone who said the whole Joey/Rachel storyline was ridiculous. They made no sense together at all. It was just a contrived obstacle to Ross and Rachel since they couldn't get them together until the very end. I also hated the Dermot Mulroney guest-starrage for the same reason.

Oh god. Danny DeVito as a stripper. Kill me now. Same for shark porn. Augh.

Every time Janice came back they used the same "Chandler's still in love with you" ruse to get rid of her. By the time they were doing it in season 10 where she was thinking of buying the house next door, it was just so old.

I understand why it's painful to watch the Joshua party episode, but I do have to say that JA was really funny in the scene where she chokes on the maraschino cherry stem. I do laugh at that part.

And finally, I have one word: HOOTIE. Oh my god, could the show have dated itself any faster than having an episode in which they are all losing their minds with excitement over a Hootie and the Blowfish concert? In general I think that was a great episode because I liked the Friends having a conflict over something as unromantic and realistic as money, but seriously, HOOTIE?

Edited by swestworld, Apr 1, 2006 @ 11:43 PM.

[Erik B]

2. Joey's "proposal" to Rachel and the season-ending cliffhanger. Such a contrived crappy moment. I hated the whole Joey/Rachel romance, but that specific instant was the low point.

I didn't mind the Joey/Rachel romance until that moment. It was just such a bizarre and contrived cliffhanger. Did anyone really expect them to stay engaged over a misunderstanding? All it did was lead to an appropriately disappointing resolution in the season premiere of what would be a consistently disappointing season.

I also hated the Dermot Mulroney guest-starrage for the same reason.

What irritated me was the character coming out of nowhere to derail a Ross/Rachel reunion and once the inevitable damage was done, the character disappeared and IIRC was never mentioned again. That was a stupid plot device I could have done without.

[cooljammer00]

"Oh COME ON!

HAND TWIN!"

how could you not like that? and "If you leave right now, I will chop off my hands and give them to you"

[mondlerlove]

I hate the entire Rachel pregnancy. B-O-R-I-N-G. Mondler should have had the baby.

I hated the engagement picture storyline, so stupid about Chandler not being able to take a picture.

I hated the bs about Chandler not being able to cry when he's previously cried on several occasions.

I hated that whole thing when Phoebe said that other guy was Monica's soulmate.

I hate TOA I Do and how Mondler had no focus whatsoever on their wedding day.

I hate TOW The Invitation - worst episode E-V-E-R

I hated the reason for the J/R breakup, so fake.

[kat_may]

Oh god. Danny DeVito as a stripper. Kill me now.

Oh god, indeed... I would've been perfectly happy to live the rest of my days and never think of that episode again. Embarassing for everyone involved. And the boring, pointless crap where Rachel's mom is mad at Monica - "my ass is sweaty!" God.

In fact, I think the whole of season 10 was one long horrible moment. IIRC there was precisely one joke or moment per episode that made me smile, while the rest made me cringe. They all just looked so very bored and unhappy. Well, except for Schwimmer, who always made an effort, and poor Matt le Blanc who was trying to keep his career alive.

[ridethemaverick]

you had stuff like the clothes-stealing maid, which was not really funny.

That was number one on my list.

2) George Constanza, the suicidal telemarketer. Yuck
3) Chandler being unable to get out of going to Tulsa. How immature do you have to be to be unable to sit down and talk to your boss? Which brings me to
4) Chandler's job interview. Doodie? Come on.
5) Ross/Rachel driving the Porshe. Officer Handsome. Bleh
6) Monica kicking Rachel out. I know, she really didn't, but it seemed that way to me.
7) Sean Penn
8) Jack helping Mondler conceive. Grody
9) Rachel going to great lengths to hide her Pottery Barn stuff from Phoebe. It's called, "I pay half the rent up in here, so I have the right to have my own shit".
10) Phoebe embarassing herself in front of Mike's parents. I know Phoebe's flaky, but she's not that socially inept.

[coopsydaisy]

I was thinking of the Barbados episode(s) and a couple of things bugged me:

1) The horribly dismissive way Phoebe treated David. I don't know if it's my adoration for Hank Azaria or that they created this sweet, soul-matish (I think Phoebe previously ditched a dinner with Joey citing this feeling) character for Phoebe only to have her unceremoniously dump him in a humiliating way. I like the Mike character but David deserved better treatment.

2) Monica's frizzy hair. Okay, I never noticed this as any kind of an issue for her before this episode and while I realize Barbados has a lot of humidity, I think NYC has a fair amount as well in the summer (I interned there over a summer and had plenty of frizzies myself) so if this were an actual issue, we might have seen it before (but then maybe I'm just way too nitpicky here). It just seemed like a huge contrivance.

[SteveJRogers]

2) Monica's frizzy hair. Okay, I never noticed this as any kind of an issue for her before this episode and while I realize Barbados has a lot of humidity, I think NYC has a fair amount as well in the summer (I interned there over a summer and had plenty of frizzies myself) so if this were an actual issue, we might have seen it before (but then maybe I'm just way too nitpicky here). It just seemed like a huge contrivance.

We rarely saw the Friends outside during true summer time conditions. We aren't told when TOA The Beach happens, it could have been real time and in May, not too humid, especially off of a beach front property.

The only truely humid conditioned environment IIRC in the series is Monica's and Rachel's tropical Christmas party in Season 2. "Ho ho holy CRAP IT's hot in here!" Monica's hair was not frizzy in that episode though, so your point is actually vaild. Like the vein on Monica's head mentioned in the 10th Thanksgiving episode, something that is brought up late despite never been referred to or seen before!

[mo pie]

Like Joey's freakishly small feet that we're supposed to believe Chandler has never noticed. I mean come on!

[LizDC]

And it's not like Monica wouldn't have known how to deal with frizzy hair. Wash it, slap some hair gel in it (borrow Ross's if you have to) and pull it back in a ponytail. Problem solved.