'Friends' Binge Guide: Each Season's Best/Worst Episode

Spending time with the gang on Netflix? Here's our advice on separating the must-sees from the maybe-laters
By Marc Snetiker
January 08, 2015 at 04:00 PM EST

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Season 1: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One With the Ick Factor”
Monica’s accidental date with a high schooler and Rachel?s steamy dreams about Chandler and Joey (but, hilariously, not Ross) solidified the show?s giddy handling of sex.

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2 of 21

Season 1: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One With the Boobies”
Remember Joey’s parents? Yeah, neither do we. And Phoebe’s dating life is possibly at its worst (which really says a lot) with her irritating shrink boyfriend Roger (Fisher Stevens).

3 of 21

Season 2: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One With the Prom Video”
Most fans would agree that this season 2 highlight is an important turning point in Ross and Rachel’s grand arc, when Monica pops in a long-lost video tape revealing Ross’ devotion to Rachel after she was almost ditched at prom. Touched, Rachel kisses Ross and they finally decide to be a couple, lists be damned.

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4 of 21

Season 2: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant”
Truthfully, there are other episodes in season 2 that egregiously bore, but we hate seeing the Friends argue, like when Joey, Phoebe, and Rachel try to form a united front about finances and the group feuds over their incomes.

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5 of 21

Season 3: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One Where No One’s Ready”
Six friends, one room. Everyone delays getting dressed for an event at Ross’ museum and the resultant stubbornness delivers one of the series’ all-time best episodes. Seriously, try to argue that it’s not top five.

6 of 21

Season 3: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One with the Screamer”
Ben Stiller guest-stars as Rachel’s aggressive boyfriend, yelling his way into a truly grating 22 minutes.

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7 of 21

Season 4: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One With the Embryos”
It’s the one with that game-changing quiz competition, in which Monica and Rachel lose the apartment to Joey and Chandler (Chanandler?) and oodles of trivia and inside jokes are revealed. In some ways, it’s the episode that really proved how much we cared about the Friends and the intimate details of their lives.

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8 of 21

Season 4: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One With the Invitation”
Lazily regurgitated Ross-and-Rachel clips play as Ross debates whether to invite Rachel to his wedding. (Um, the answer, obviously, is YES.)

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9 of 21

Season 5: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One Where Everyone Finds Out”
Arguably one of the funniest episodes ever, this season 5 classic is elevated by Chandler and Phoebe’s escalating romantic fake-outs. After the big revelation of Chandler and Monica’s relationship, everything changed.

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10 of 21

Season 5: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One With the Yeti”
Emily’s demand that Ross can’t ever see Rachel again comes to an uncomfortable head, and an aimless plot about Phoebe’s mom’s fur coat leaves us, well, cold. (If you can’t tell, Emily episodes aren’t the greatest.)

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11 of 21

Season 6: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One With Unagi”
Three plot lines—Chandler and Monica’s homemade gifts, Ross’ ka-ra-tay, and Joey’s search for a twin—make for the season’s most consistent episode.

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12 of 21

Season 6: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One That Could Have Been”
An ambitious what-if two-parter (Corporate Phoebe! Married Rachel! Still Fat Monica!) is largely forgettable, despite a few laughs. Just give us the Friends we already like.

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13 of 21

Season 7: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One With All the Cheesecakes”
A rare Rachel-Chandler team-up—in which the two become addicted to treats mistakenly delivered to Chandler—and a touching moment underlining Phoebe and Joey’s friendship makes ”Cheesecakes” an underrated gem.

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14 of 21

Season 7: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One With the Vows”
Another clip show! Monica and Chandler attempt to write their vows, but the gang’s flashbacks to the early days of the duo’s relationship are old news.

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15 of 21

Season 8: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One With the Videotape”
A recording of the night Ross and Rachel slept together reveals who came on to whom on the night Emma was conceived. Come for ”the story,” stay for a glimpse into everyone’s seduction style.

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16 of 21

Season 8: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One Where Joey Tells Rachel”
Perhaps it’s best to pretend that the Joey-loves-Rachel story line never happened, and this episode is the most criminal.

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17 of 21

Season 9: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One With Rachel’s Phone Number”
Joey suspects Monica is having an affair and embarks on a comedy of errors to prove it. Meanwhile, Mike (Paul Rudd) and Ross have the most awkward guys’ night ever.

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18 of 21

Season 9: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One With the Sharks”
Two words: shark porn.

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19 of 21

Season 10: Must-Watch Episode

NBC

”The One Where Ross Is Fine”
David Schwimmer is in fine form as Ross pretends to be okay with Rachel and Joey’s relationship (which, frankly, nobody’s okay with).

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20 of 21

Season 10: Skippable Episode

NBC

”The One After Joey and Rachel Kiss”
The premiere took fans’ clamor into consideration with this clunker that sets up the much-anticipated end of the dating experiment.

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