It's hard not to enjoy Friends, as the feel-good sitcom always lifts audiences' spirits, but that makes it easy to forget the worst episodes of Friends. With witty characters and envious shenanigans, complete with titillating love stories that just warm your heart, Friends is one of the biggest shows ever, and it only hasn't ever dipped in popularity thanks to streaming syndication. The success of Friends is proven by its ten-year run, followed by new generations binge-watching the series on Netflix, not to mention HBO's Friends reunion hosted by James Corden in 2022.
However, there have still been some dull moments featuring Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross. As loved as the characters are, with over 200 episodes, several episodes didn't land half as well as they could have. While the show has become a classic that doesn't mean it's perfect. Whether it's because some are simply lacking in the laughs, not having engaging storylines, or because they've aged poorly, casting a critical eye on the untouchable series is long overdue. Though many of Friends' worst episodes are still incredibly entertaining, others scrape the bottom of the barrel.
25 The One With Monica's Cousin (S7EP19)
When Ross and Monica's cousin, Cassie, visits them in New York in season 7, episode 19, "The One with Monica's Cousin," she gets the gang into all sorts of trouble. Unfortunately, the uncomfortable and awkward moments the episode leads to when everyone, including Ross, becomes attracted to Cassie aren't funny, They're simply awkward and uncomfortable. "The One with Monica's Cousin" lacks any kind of depth, there's little of the show's trademark banter, and it's by far the strangest episode of the series. Falling for his cousin is the most bizarre thing Ross did in Friends, making it easily one of the worst episodes of Friends.
24 The One With The Apothecary Table (S6E11)
Season 6, episode 11, "The One with the Apothecary Table," has some funny moments, but it's mostly based on promoting upscale furniture store Pottery Barn (and thanks to this flimsy premise is easily one of the worst Friends episodes). The episode features the most transparent product placement ever, as it depicts, Phoebe, a hippie who is against everything the store stands for, will fall for its lavish items. The funniest part of the episode is Phoebe believing Rachel's lies about where she buys the furniture, but the episode is light on laughs too. However, one of the best hidden details about Phoebe's apartment is that she actually kept the table.
23 The One With Phoebe's Rats (S9EP12)
Season 9, episode 12, "The One with Phoebe's Rats" has several funny moments, but it also takes the idea of Phoebe's love of animals, or rodents, to unbelievable lengths. Despite the comedy, the season 9 episode is one of the weaker episodes of the show, and the main reason for that is that the focal point is about rats. Mike is supposed to look after them but accidentally lets them die. However, the main reason this episode wasn't as enjoyable as other episodes is that it accelerates the romance between Gavin and Rachel, which was something audiences never got into straight after she had given birth.
22 The One With Rachel's Assistant (S7EP4)
Rachel has had tons of jobs, but in season 7, she had the career she always wanted as a shopper and personal buyer for Bloomingdale's. That role came with a lot of responsibility and required an assistant, but hiring the assistant she found hottest instead of who was best for the job showed how irresponsible Rachel really was. That decision alone makes season 7, episode 4, "The One with Rachel's Assistant" one of the worst episodes of Friends. What makes it even worse is Tag Jones, the character who was hired as the assistant, and he's one of the worst characters in the entire series.
21 The One With Ross's Inappropriate Song (S9EP7)
The main storyline of season 9, episode 7, "The One with Ross's Inappropriate Song" is actually one of the funnier plots of season 9, as the only way Emma will stop crying is if she's sung Sir Mixalot's "Baby Got Back." Rachel doesn't see the humor in singing a song about "a guy who likes to have sex with women with giant asses" to babies. However, the biggest problem of the episode is the several below-average subplots, such as Phoebe pretending to be posh in front of Mike's parents. Then there's the drama when Chandler tries to inspect a sex tape that Richard and Monica made, which is one of the ickiest moments of the series.
20 The One With Joey's Fridge (S6EP19)
Season 6, episode 19, "The One with Joey's Fridge," has a funny premise, as Joey attempts to have other people pay for his fridge to be fixed because he can't afford it himself. However, when it comes to Friends, in any other episode, that would be the secondary or even tertiary plot and absolutely not the plot that episode would be known after. "The One with Joey's Fridge" might feature some Classic Joey quote from Friends, but there's nothing else to grab onto. As the episode also sees Ross literally follow his college student girlfriend on Spring break, it's easily one of the least funny and worst episodes of Friends.
19 The One With The Thumb (S1EP3)
In season 1, episode 3, "The One with the Thumb," the beloved sitcom was clearly in its infancy and hadn't totally found its footing. The episode sees Phoebe receiving $7000 in compensation when she finds a severed thumb in her drink, but most of the episode is about how the gang all fall in love with Monica's new boyfriend, Alan, except for Monica, who doesn't see a future with him. There's nothing controversial or problematic about the episode, and there's nothing that hasn't aged well, it's just that "The One with the Thumb" simply isn't funny, and it was a filler episode at such an early stage in the series.
18 The One Where Ross Dates A Student (S6EP18)
When it comes to Ross's girlfriends in Friends, the paleontologist hasn't always made the right choices, but season 6, episode 18, "The One Where Ross Dates a Student" sees him make the worst decision yet. While there's a funny gag about Ross's students flirting with him to get higher grades, that's the catalyst for the worst arc in the series and one of the worst episodes of Friends. None of Ross's friends even try to talk him out of it. Though it led to one of the best cameos in Friends, as Bruce Willis played Elizabeth's stoic father, the first episode of Ross's arc with Elizabeth is totally misguided.
17 The One With The Stain (S8EP7)
It has been well-established throughout the series that Monica doesn't like mess. To ease her tension in season 8, episode 7, "The One with the Stain," Chandler decides to hire a maid. Of course, it wouldn't be a sitcom if there isn't some kind of scandal going on. Monica convinces herself that the maid is stealing her clothes, which leads to her obsessive-compulsive behavior taking the forefront of the episode. On the other end of the spectrum, Phoebe is now dating her twin sister's ex-boyfriend, who can't seem to remember which sister he's dating. There's more deviancy than jokes in the episode, which just makes it simply feel unpleasant.
16 The One Where Chandler Gets Caught (S10EP10)
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Season 10, episode 10, "The One Where Chandler Gets Caught," is where the revelation came out about Chandler and Monica wanting to buy a new home, away from the city. However, the show turned it into a storyline of Rachel and Phoebe thinking Chandler was having an affair, which wasn't particularly enjoyable. It didn't connect in the same funny way that other storylines did, and the reactions of the group to them moving were quite childish, which was a little odd for people of their age. Showing Rachel and Phoebe in such an interfering light also helped make this one of the worst Friends episodes.
15 The One With Ross' Step Forward (S8EP11)
One of the main reasons that season 8, episode 11, "The One with Ross' Step Forward" didn't resonate with audiences was because it was where the romance began between Joey and Rachel. While Joey only took Rachel out on a date as friends, the two quickly ended up having fantastic chemistry and Joey began to start having feelings for her. As Ross and Rachel had a baby together and were on the cusp of getting back together, Joey and Rachel's romance is what hurt the episode. However, "The One with Ross' Step Forward" was also the episode where the Miss Pacman game arrived, which does lead to some funny moments.
14 The One With The Ick Factor (S1EP21)
Season 1, episode 21, "The One with the Ick Factor" is another episode that suffers from the series being in its infancy, as not all the jokes land, and the chemistry between the actors isn't at the level it'd be in later years. However, the biggest problem with the episode and what makes it the worst episode of Friends season 1 is the main plot about Monica dating a much younger person. It turns out that dating people half their age runs in the Gellar family. While Ross drew a lot of criticism for dating Elizabeth, Monica did the same thing years earlier when she dated a high school student.
13 The One With The Fake Monica (S1EP21)
This one seems pretty ordinary considering it's one of their earlier episodes. These shows that follow the lives of your everyday group of "friends" tend to build stories based on hilarious, albeit, unlikely scenarios. However, season 1, episode 21, "The One with the Fake Monica," follows Monica as she has her credit card stolen. The "Fake Monica" refers to the woman who steals Monica's card, who Monica unexpectedly befriends. Joey tries to find a more fitting stage name for his acting career, and Ross has to give away Marcel. However, of all the weird relationships in Friends, Ross, and Marcel were by far the least interesting.
12 The One With Christmas In Tulsa (S9EP10)
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Season 9, episode 10, "The One with Christmas In Tulsa" is Another episode where Monica's over-the-top thought process causes unnecessary dilemmas. In this episode, Chandler has to have Christmas in Tulsa after agreeing to work there when he falls asleep in a meeting. This frustrates Monica, especially once she convinces herself that Chandler is having an affair with an attractive colleague (Selma Blair). The rest of the show simply highlights former holiday-themed episodes, presumably using this as a clip episode. It ends with Chandler quitting his job so that he can spend Christmas with his friends, which was such a dumb decision.
11 The One Where Rachel Smokes (S5EP18)
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Season 5, episode 18, "The One Where Rachel Smokes," is easily one of the worst episodes in Friends. The main focus of the episode is Rachel's work, as she is forced to take up smoking due to the fact that she is missing out on key information and moments when her boss goes for smoke breaks. Joey ends up auditioning for a soup commercial with Ben, which started out as a great idea but ends up seeing them competing. While this did lead to some funny moments, seeing Joey compete against Ben really wasn't fun, and it totally went against Joey's kindhearted personality.
10 The One With The Evil Orthodontist (S1EP20)
Considering one of their least desirable episodes starts off at an 8-star rating really speaks to the show's accomplishments. Season 1, episode 20, "The One with the Evil Orthodontist," sees Rachel and her ex-fiance (whom she left at the alter) start dating again. The kicker is that Barry still has a girlfriend when this is going on... with the girlfriend being Rachel's best friend. Once again, the episode strays away from Ross and Rachel getting together due to Rachel making ridiculous choices, and Rachel and Ross' looming love story is just too hard to ignore to believe the strained storyline, making it one of the worst episodes of Friends.
9 The One With The Male Nanny (S9EP6)
There's no doubt that certain aspects of Friends have aged poorly, but season 9, episode 6, "The One with the Male Nanny," is one of the biggest offenders. The entire premise of the episode revolves around Ross being uncomfortable with Emma being looked after by a male nanny, which was problematic even when it aired over two decades ago. Not only that, but the subplot that Phoebe met a person who she thinks is funnier than Chandler plays into Chandler's weakest and most annoying personality trait. Chandler is desperate for Phoebe to find him funny, but it comes off way too uncomfortable.
8 The One Where They're Going To Party! (S4EP9)
Season 4, episode 9, "The One Where They're Going to Party!" had a trio of big storylines going on at the same time, and perhaps the episode suffered from how much was going on. Monica is forced to make a tough choice regarding her profession, which brings issues with her friendship with Phoebe. Rachel also loses out on promotion, but the main story in this episode is all about Chandler and Ross getting overhyped and excited about an old friend coming into town. He is known as a big party man, but the big party moment never comes, which perhaps hurt the episode.
7 The One With The Vows (S7EP21)
Season 7, episode 21, "The One with the Vows" is another montage-like sequence of events that look back on Monica and Chandler's relationship. In "The One with the Vows," Monica and Chandler are separately having a hard time figuring out what to write in their vows. They try to use their friends for help who, in turn, recount memories of the two together. However, a clip show doesn't bring anything new to the series, and it's a filler episode in every sense of the word and one of the worst episodes of Friends.
6 The One With Phoebe's Ex-Partner (S3EP14)
The central point in season 3, episode 14, "The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner" happens when Phoebe sees her old singing partner, Leslie, performing at the Central Perk. The two eventually come to an understanding and reprise their duo singing careers until Leslie decides to try to sell "Smelly Cat" for commercials. This is also the one where Chandler dates Joey's ex-girlfriend, whose wooden leg he had accidentally thrown into a fire. Ross also joins Rachel at an even to out-stage Mark, but he falls asleep during it. The whole episode totally reeks of bitterness, and every character shows their darker sides — and this is one of the worst episodes of Friends as a result.