When it comes to picking the funniest episode of Friends, there's a wide variety to choose from as the sitcom ran for 10 years and boasts 234 installments. Friends followed an ensemble cast of six 20-somethings as they went through career changes, romances, and other relatable life events while living in New York City. There were siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica Gellar (Courteney Cox), an awkward thrice-divorced paleontologist and the neat-obsessed chef, respectively, the free-spirited and kooky singer Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), the caustic Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), the dim yet good-natured Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), and the rich girl finding her autonomy Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston).
While the cast of Friends shot to stardom following the series' end, many can't help but remember their roots in the funniest Friends episodes. All of these dissimilar yet likable characters when together in close quarters brought out incomparable hilarity in ordinary situations, cementing the series as a beloved sitcom classic. Friends, though a product of its time, even managed to resurface its popularity for a new generation when the TV show became available on Netflix. There's no question that series creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane struck comedy gold, and the difficulty in choosing the funniest episode of Friends proves that.
"The One With The Prom Video" — Season 2, Episode 14
Home videos are sure to disclose some embarrassing and hilarious memories that anyone would be sure are long-buried, and this concept was explored in the funniest episode of Friends when Monica, Rachel, and Ross' prom video resurfaces. Ross was on tenterhooks because he knew they'd see the moment he thought he'd be able to take Rachel prom, a particular highlight in the Ross and Rachel relationship timeline.
Whilst the episode is definitely emotional, audiences can't help but giggle at the character's outdated hairdos and outfits. Seeing Monica excitedly whisper to Rachel that her date had accidentally grazed her chest while putting on her corsage, along with Rachel's "original" nose (and the adults' reaction to it) brought doubled-over laughter from audiences. It was great for viewers to see the characters as their younger, less-mature selves, making it one of the funniest Friends episodes.
"The One Where Everybody Finds Out" — Season 5, Episode 14
Monica and Chandler's friendship developed into something a lot more, but they chose to keep it under wraps for as long as possible. Although Joey found out, he didn't tell anyone else, which only added to his plethora of quotes that prove Joey's loyalty in Friends. Shortly after, Rachel and Phoebe learned of the relationship, and they attempted to get them to confess in the funniest episode of Friends.
Hilarity ensues when both Chandler and Phoebe continually try to up the flirting ante. In her quest to get the truth, Phoebe has no qualms about getting closer to Chandler, while Chandler obviously has his limits because of his commitment to Monica. In fact, Phoebe's "seductive" dance moves deserve a special mention, simply because of how funny they are in contributing to one of Friend's most humorous episodes.
"The One With The Girl From Poughkeepsie" — Season 4, Episode 10
As vocal as Monica can be, working at Allesandro's left her feeling miserable and unwanted, whilst the rest of the staff took to bullying her. Hiring Joey as a waiter allowed her to 'fake fire' him so that others could see she wasn't to be messed with in one of the funniest Friends episodes. However, what makes this installment so hilarious, as with many other episodes, is that Monica's plan backfires on her.
When Monica tries to fire him, it doesn't work, and she's no better off. The episode is so funny because of Monica's expectant expression and Joey's unwillingness to go along with it, even seeming to make friends with Monica's enemies. To brilliantly round off the episode, Phoebe sings the Christmas song she wrote about her friends, and as any viewer will know, Phoebe Buffay's songs on Friends are always a comedic gem.
"The One In Vegas: Parts 1 & 2" — Season 5, Episodes 23 & 24
The phrase "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," doesn't apply to the core group of the sitcom, resulting in the funniest episode of Friends — albeit a two-parter. When the group decides to go to Vegas to visit Joey while he's shooting a movie, chaos ensues. The arc saw Joey trying to convince a croupier that they were hand twins, Phoebe getting escorted out of the casino, and Chandler and Monica nearly getting married.
However, it's Rachel and Ross' drunken marriage that really got viewers howling with laughter. The pair stumbled through Vegas with permanent marker on their faces and married each other. The next morning, neither of them are aware of what the previous night entailed, making their alarming discovery extremely funny to watch and eventually leading to Ross getting divorced for a third time.
"The One With Ross' Tan" — Season 10, Episode 3
Sometimes, Ross finds himself in sticky situations in Friends that wouldn't have happened to anyone else. After he becomes envious of Monica's spray tan, he decides to go get one himself, but he ends up with a ludicrously dark tan on one side, which is uproariously hilarious in one of the funniest Friends episodes.
A further plot line to the installment finds Phoebe and Monica's old roommate paying a visit, much to their dismay. The pair can't stand her, and it's pretty clear to see why as she constantly tries to prove herself to be staggeringly brilliant. Whilst the writing of the episode is fantastic, Jennifer Coolidge's portrayal of Amanda is a strong factor in what makes the episode one of the best.
"The One With Ross's Wedding: Parts 1 & 2" — Season 4, Episodes 23 & 24
"The One With Ross's Wedding" fell over two episodes, dedicated to the main event, and it turned out to be the funniest episode of Friends. The first part depicts the build-up to the wedding, with Chandler finding Joey way too hard to manage because of his excitement about being in London. Chandler and Joey work as the perfect comedic double act because of their differences, which are exacerbated in the London scenes.
When it comes to the big day in part two, it couldn't have gone more wrong for the 'happy' couple as Ross says Rachel's name during his vows to Emily. The episode was as shocking as it was funny, which was helped along by Emily's father and eccentric step mum who doesn't seem fazed by any of it. Naturally, audiences felt sorry for Ross and Emily, but it was still one of the most comical two-parters in Friends history.
"The One With The Cop" — Season 5, Episode 16
It's no secret that Phoebe tends to think very differently from the rest of her friends, but that's what makes her so intriguing and funny to watch, with Phoebe's most iconic moments often being a highlight of the funniest Friends episodes. When she finds a police officer's badge, she doesn't hand it into a station, rather she uses it to her own advantage — until she tries to use it on an actual cop.
However, the reason this episode is one of the funniest is Ross, Rachel, and Chandler trying to get Ross' couch up a staircase. Even though Chandler is a TV character audiences want to be friends with, he lost his cool with Ross, who keeps exclaiming the word "pivot." Ross' instruction is utterly useless (and ridiculously funny because of the way he keeps saying it) and of no help to the other two carrying the furniture. Chandler's response quickly shuts him down, but only livens audiences up in fits of laughter.
"The One Where Ross Got High" — Season 6, Episode 9
The main plot line of the funniest episode of Friends is Jack and Judy Geller coming over for dinner and mistakenly believing Chandler to have been smoking marijuana at their house when he was younger. Monica tries to rectify this situation, but the whole debacle escalated into Monica and Ross revealing secrets about each other. The more outrageous the revelations became, the funnier it got.
The scenes of Rachel messing up a dessert trifle was a perfect subplot to the episode. When two pages of her cookbook get stuck together, Rachel makes a trifle that also contains meat. Watching the others try to stomach what she had made was a little heartwarming, but Ross's response of "it tastes like feet," is a classic humorous line that could be seen as one of the most iconic quotes in Friends.
"The One Where No One's Ready" — Season 3, Episode 2
Ross simply wanted his friends to be ready on time for a function they were going to in "The One Where No One's Ready." It's a fairly simple concept, but the five he is waiting on seem hellbent on making him late, resulting in the funniest episode of Friends. Whilst they each have funny reasons for not getting ready quickly enough, Joey's makes the episode one of the funniest in the series.
Chandler hid Joey's underwear and Joey decided the correct response was to wear everything that Chandler owned. It's a childish comeback, but to the delight of audiences, a hilarious one. Seeing Joey parade about in an untold amount of clothes not only frustrated Chandler but added to Ross' annoyance, culminating in a relentlessly hilarious episode.
"The One With The Football" — Season 3, Episode 9
There's always a little healthy rivalry between siblings, but Monica and Ross take it to another level, often resulting in the funniest Friends episodes. After seeing a football game on TV, the group decides to go to the park and play a pick-up game of their own. The girls vs. boys match sees each team using any and every tactic they can to stop the other from winning.
The girls try jumping on Joey's back and even getting Phoebe to flash Chandler, which is a particularly funny distraction because it's typical of Phoebe to not be afraid to do such a thing. The game results in Ross and Monica not wanting to let go of the ball, with the hilariousness coming from seeing that the pair have clearly not grown up and are still stuck in their competitive sibling relationship.
"The One With The Holiday Armadillo" — Season 7, Episode 10
Friends is known for having a great batch of holiday episodes, but one of these also couples as the funniest episode of Friends. In "The One with the Holiday Armadillo," Ross learns that he has custody of his young son Ben during the holidays, and intends to spend this time teaching him about the Gellar's Jewish heritage, as Ben has grown accustomed to Susan dressing as Santa and the couple promotes Christmas. Another plot sees Phoebe afraid that Rachel won't want to move back in with her after her apartment has finished renovations, so she gives Joey increasingly obnoxious gifts to drive Rachel away.
Since Ross can't find any holiday costumes so close to Christmas, he invents the "holiday armadillo" to teach Ben about Hannukah. If Ross' oddball scheme wasn't funny enough, as there is zero connection between armadillos and Hannukah, Chandler shows up as Santa Claus, stealing Ross' thunder. Joey just adds to the fiasco by showing up as Superman, and Phoebe's plot doesn't work in her favor as Rachel somehow enjoys all the gifts that were given to Joey. One of the funniest Friends episodes rounds off with Ross lighting the menorah, and Phoebe saying, "I understand why Superman is here, but why is there a porcupine at the Easter Bunny's funeral?".
"The One With The Embryos" — Season 4, Episode 12
Probably the most easily recognized as the "trivia" installment, "The One with the Embryos" is one of the most iconic episodes of the series and easily the funniest episode of Friends. While the main plot focuses on Phoebe's attempts to get pregnant for Frank and Alice, hilarity ensues when Chandler and Joey's chick grows into a rooster and starts crowing in the mornings — and Rachel and Monica have had enough.
When Joey bets Monica and Rachel that he and Chandler know more about them than they do about the boys, a friendly trivia competition ensues. Things get heated, and each successive answer grows funnier and funnier, but things come to a head when the girls wager that if the boys lose they get rid of the chick and duck, and if the girls lose the boys take their apartment. Monica and Rachel lose when they can't remember what Chandler's job is, a running gag on Friends, and audiences roll on the floor with laughter.
"The One With All the Resolutions" — Season 5, Episode 11
Easily one of the funniest Friends episodes, it should've been titled "The One with Ross' Leather Pants." The installment sees each of the friends make their New Year's Resolutions: Ross decides to do something new every day, Phoebe wants to fly a commercial jet, Joey bets Chandler he can't stop making fun of people for a week, Rachel tries to gossip less, and Monica wants to take more pictures of the group.
Each of these resolutions manages to fail spectacularly, but no one gets it worse than Ross. Much to the chagrin of his friends, Ross gets a pair of leather pants for his first date with a woman named Elizabeth. Of course, Ross finds them increasingly uncomfortable during the date and goes to the bathroom to take them off — but can't get them back on. Ross tries a variety of "solutions" to hilarious results, finally culminating with Elizabeth finding him covered in her cosmetic products.
"The One Where Eddie Won’t Go" — Season 2, Episode 19
There was a brief arc on Friends in which Joey and Chandler weren't roommates. Instead, Eddie occupies Joey's place in the apartment, and Chandler soon finds that he's a bit of a loose cannon. One of the funniest Friends episodes sees Chandler trying to kick Eddie out, so Joey can move back in, but Chandler's pleas fall on deaf ears and every time he demands that Eddie leaves, he agrees but somehow manages to stay in the apartment. Meanwhile, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe become obsessed with a self-help book titled Be Your Own Windkeeper.
As the girls espouse strange lingo from the book, their religious following of its teachings eventually culminates in a fight during the "Goddess-Circle" quiz. Meanwhile, Eddie's stability is waning and Chandler finally decides to play into Eddie's delusions by changing the locks and claiming he and Eddie never met. Between the offbeat Eddie continually forgetting that he said he'd move out and the girls' new "religion," this installment is easily the funniest episode of Friends, providing some of the show's most memorable quotes and iconic moments in the Joey/Chandler friendship.
"The One With The Jellyfish" — Season 4, Episode 1
The gang does occasionally leave the confines of New York City, and the funniest episode of Friends sees the group take a beach vacation. The installment marks another upheaval in Ross and Rachel's relationship, picking up directly after Ross chooses Rachel over Bonnie (a cameo featuring Christine Taylor) while the friends are staying in Montauk. Rachel writes him a letter that Ross is too tired to read, but to assuage her he says he agrees with it. However, viewers soon start giggling when Ross reads the letter and is outraged that Rachel wants him to take responsibility for everything that went wrong in their relationship.
The funniest part of the episode, however, has to do with Monica, Chandler, and Joey. While hanging out on the beach, Monica gets stung by a jellyfish, and Joey remembers from a Discovery documentary that urinating on the wound will alleviate the pain. The group comes back, equally traumatized, and the rest of the friends force them to admit what happened. Audiences are on the floor by the time Chandler finishes the story. What's more, the hysterical Friends installment ends with Ross shouting a line that would become synonymous with the series itself, "We were on a break!".