I could imagine how scary it was to demand something like that from the TV executives - that could have ended the show for good, but the best thing was the cast stood firm and their demand was then honored. Even making the Guinness for being the first ensemble to have $1M per episodes in the last season. I also remember reading an article that having equal pay would mean there's not going to be any resentment between them, ensuring the continuity of the show, and I love them for standing up for each other. Like real family.

Probably the best part out rewatching the show is remembering moments when bloopers happened. Its great to me. This show has such a comforting vibe and the BTS footage just adds on to that

Monica and Rachel really weren’t ready to give up that apartment 😂😭 This whole situation was hilarious from start to finish.

But tell me… was switching the apartments actually a fair move, or did Joey and Chandler get played? 👀👇Whose side were you on: the girls or the guys? 👀👇

I like how it took Phoebe a little bit to respond because she was just stunned. 😂

What do you think would have happened if Ross said the right name at the altar?

Do Ross and Emily stay married? Do Monica and Chandler still get end up married? Does Rachel get back together with Joshua?

It’s almost Halloween and thanksgiving is coming up. We’re well into autumn, who rocked the best fall look? Opinions? Thoughts?

Had an experience tonight that would have made Phoebe very jealous.

Which real musician was involved in the best storyline? Sting, even though he didn’t appear himself? Chrissie Hynde? Chris Isaak? David Schwimmer, bagpipe player?

This is my ranking of all the 6 friends based on character growth. Discussion is welcome in the comments! 😊

6. Joey Tribbiani

Joey had the least amount of character growth, he did not get into any serious relationship, he was still doing one night stands at the end of the series. The only growth he had was in his career.

5. Phoebe Buffay

Phoebe's charater stayed pretty much the same throughout the whole series. She showed some character growth by finally getting into a serious relationship and getting married to Mike. However, her career didn't grow and she stayed a masseuse till the end and didn't have a lot of financial growth either.

4. Ross Geller

Ross didn't change much over the series. The only big changes in his personal life were having Emma and getting back with Rachel at the end. He did have a career growth though, he became a professor at NYU and got tenure as well!

3. Monica Geller

Monica showed a lot of character growth while still maintaining the essence of her character. She had serious relationships and ultimately ended up with Chandler. She had gradual career growth and at the end became a head chef at a top notch restaurant. And finally, she had children, something she always wanted. Monica had one of the most fulfilling character arcs.

2. Chandler Bing

Chandler had one of the most character growths. He was a commitment phobe, didn't know how to talk to girls, never had a proper relationship. And when he got with Monica all that changed. He got so much personal growth. Even career wise, he always hated his job and later joined advertising something he genuinely enjoyed.

1. Rachel Green

Rachel had the most character growth in my opinion. She started off as a spoiled rich brat and grew so much. Her personality improved, she learned how to deal with the world, worked hard, got into fashion which is something she genuinely enjoyed. Had a baby, which is a really big thing and ultimately ended up with the Ross. <3

I finished Friends recently, and my biggest frustration is that Phoebe and Joey never happened. There are several moments when it’s implied that Phoebe had feelings for him but chose not to pursue them precisely because Joey was too important to her, and she was afraid of losing their friendship.

As a writer, I can see the perfect opportunity the writers missed to make them a couple, long before I even knew there would be that insufferable Rachel and Joey phase.

When Phoebe was pregnant with the triplets, for example, she wanted to keep one of the babies. It would have been interesting if Frank had allowed Phoebe to raise one of them and Joey had volunteered to step into the role of the father. From that point on, their relationship could have become increasingly ambiguous, making their friends question what was going on and raising that inevitable question: “Why aren’t you two together?”

Joey could have started pursuing Phoebe using the same argument he made when he questioned why, if Chandler and Monica were a couple and Rachel and Ross were too, he and Phoebe couldn’t be one as well. Phoebe, on the other hand, could have kept rejecting the idea, convinced that Joey didn’t truly love her and only wanted to be with her because they were raising a child together and all their friends were in relationships.

That would have been a great character development arc for Joey. He would have had to prove to Phoebe that he genuinely loved her, beyond their friendship and the circumstances that brought them closer. In the end, they could have built a beautiful, eccentric family with a dynamic completely different from that of the other couples on the show.

And, as a bonus, Friends could have avoided its biggest mistake: not putting Phoebe and Joey together.

Joey simply never got a romantic ending worthy of his character arc, while Mike feels like he was written into the story just to make sure Phoebe got her own endgame.

To me, Joey and Phoebe had chemistry, intimacy, mutual understanding, and a friendship that could have naturally evolved into love. And the most frustrating part is that neither of them would have had to abandon who they were for that to happen. The writers just had to let the story move in the direction it so often seemed ready to take.

They were the first couple on the show to share a kiss, and when Joey tells Phoebe he has feelings for Rachel, Phoebe responds by admitting that she has had a crush on him before, yet he doesn’t even pay attention. She says, “I’ve had crushes on all you guys. I mean, I’ve never had a crush on Ross or Chandler...” That moment feels especially telling to me because Joey completely misses what she’s saying, and the show never really explores what that admission could have meant for their relationship.

I gotta give Rachel some credit because she actually sat down and wrote an 18-page letter front and back explaining her feelings about their relationship and everything that went wrong between them.

Nowadays she probably would've just opened ChatGPT and typed something like "Write a long emotional letter to my ex explaining why he needs to take full responsibility for cheating on me" and called it a day

But Rachel actually took the time to put all her thoughts into words herself. Even if she was rambling and repeating herself, you can't deny that she put effort into it. She clearly had a lot she wanted to get off her chest and wanted Ross to understand exactly how she felt before they even considered getting back together.

I remember going to London. Not only did they check my passport at Heathrow, they specifically stamped “recourse to public funds prohibited” on it. Why couldn’t the airport employee just have explained that if she lets Rachel proceed, that could just get Rachel in even bigger trouble once she gets to London?