Almost twenty years since the finale aired, Friends is still one of the most talked-about sitcoms in pop culture - even if these days, some of that buzz is about the parts that haven't aged well! However, love it or hate it, it definitely had an impact, from the first moment that Rachel burst into Central Perk in the pilot, to the moment they all left the empty apartment in the finale.
Between those two iconic episodes, though, which is the heavier hitter for Friends? Is the pilot, when the gang's lives actually lined up with the 'Your job's a joke, you're broke, Your love life's DOA' of the theme song? Or is the emotional payoff and happy ending of 'The One Where They Say Goodbye' worth so much more?
Pilot: More Relatable
It was amazing to see the gang grow up and find success over the course of the show, but there's no denying that the gang at the start were a whole lot more relatable than at the end. As Phoebe puts it, she doesn't even have a 'pl-', and most of the gang are struggling to find great jobs, single, and still figuring it all out. No one really has their life together, and this isn't just realistic for a group of twenty-something friends, but it's something that most viewers can connect with in some way.
Finale: More Aspirational
On the flip side, the finale is aspirational - and for fans who are still more in the pilot stage of life, seeing how everything works out for the Friends is definitely heartwarming! Rachel goes from waitress to major fashion buyer, Ross becomes a professor, Monica is married with babies and a great job, Chandler has moved into a job he is passionate about, Phoebe has fallen in love, and Joey... is still Joey. It's a phenomenally uplifting end to the series.
Pilot: Characters Are More Realistic
One of the common complaints about Friends is that the characters become caricatures of themselves over time - and the things that were just occasional quirks in the early season end up being overwhelming personality traits, turning them into cartoonish versions of themselves.
However, in the pilot and earliest episodes, this wasn't the case. Phoebe was creative, but she wasn't so totally out there that she would steal a cat because she thought it was her dead mother, for example. Monica doesn't even seem to be slightly Type-A or controlling, and is happy to let an old friend just move in! It's nice to see the characters when they are more realistic.
Finale: Bigger Payoff (& Greater Tension)
Because fans don't yet really know who the Friends are in the pilot, they aren't as connected to them on an emotional level - and it's really just about introducing everyone and setting up the premise. By the finale, though, fans are deeply invested, and that means a much bigger payoff to the finale. And, of course, a huge part of the finale is the tension of wondering if Rachel got off the plane - a kind of dramatic moment that is totally absent from the pilot.
Pilot: Funnier
Because the finale is more focused on wrapping things up and showing fans what will happen to all the characters, there isn't as much room for straight-up comedy as there is in the pilot - and that's something that the pilot definitely has in its favor. Friends came right out of the gate with the laughs, and the pilot is packed with humor, start to finish.
Finale: More Emotional
Going hand in hand with the increased drama and the greater connection to the characters is the emotional punch of the finale. For fans who had been watching it while it aired, especially, this was a huge moment, and seeing everyone say goodbye brought a tear to the eye. Their final goodbye to each other was also a farewell to the fans who had been with them for so long, making this a seriously emotional episode.
Pilot: Sets Up Ross & Rachel
Love them or hate them, Ross and Rachel are definitely the core couple of Friends - or at least, the one that kept fans on their toes right from the moment that Ross 'grabbed a spoon' to the moment Rachel got off the plane. And the pilot is, of course, where it all begins.
The first big joke of the show, when Rachel bursts in in a wedding gown after Ross says he 'just wants to be married again' is the opening in a decade of romance, and that's worth something.
Finale: Sets Up Their Happily Ever Afters
As amazing as it is to see where they all begin, there's no doubting that the finale sets up something even better than Ross and Rachel: the happy endings of all involved. It's clear that this isn't the end for the characters themselves, with Monica and Chandler heading out to the suburbs with their new babies, Pheobe and Mike married, and Ross and Rachel finally giving things a shot. It even set up an actual spin-0ff, in Joey, but the less said about that, the better.
Pilot: The Opening Joke
There's no denying that the writing of the first episode is spot on, and includes some of the best jokes of the show. The opening scenes show the gang in Central Perk, making cracks about Monica's love life, but it's the 'I just want to be married again' line that really sticks in fans' memories as the first big laugh of the series. And it's for good reason - this doesn't just elicit a big laugh, it also sets up several characters, and Chandler's many one-liners to come, when he responds with 'and I just want a million dollars'.
Finale: The Last Line
Chandler brings it home for the final line of the series as well, as the gang are leaving 'the' apartment for the final time. After the deeply emotional moment where they all hug, and as they all leave their keys on the side, they decide to go for coffee, one last time... and Chandler brings it all to a perfect close with a single word: where?