The most important ‘Friends’ episodes to stream on Netflix
Here I thought Gilmore Girls dropping on Netflix was the best thing to happen to me. Now, Netflix has announced that it’s going to stream all nine seasons of Friends. They made the announcement on their YouTube page on Wednesday, and as assumed, everyone went nuts. Starting on January 1st, 2015, you’ll be able to visit Central Perk and our favorite overly caffeinated Friends whenever you want. I know how I’m going to be spending New Year’s Day.
Considering that there are 236 episode to choose from, where do you even begin? For anyone who already wants to start strategizing how to re-binge Friends, here are some suggestions for episodes you should check out right away (probably starting at 12:01 PST January 1st).
1. Pilot, or The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate
What better way to restart your Friends binge than at the very beginning? This is the episode that started the phenomenon, and I don’t think anyone realized how big the group of six fiends hanging out would become. Best part of the episode is Rachel Green’s introduction: she’s just run away from her wedding, and is still wearing her wedding dress.
2. All the Ones with Paul Rudd
Joey offered to set Phoebe up with one of his friends. He just kind of forgets to actually find a friend. Instead, he shows up at Central Perk and yelled, “Mike?” Who answers, but Mr. Rudd himself. It’s hard to pinpoint one great Mike episode, so it’s best to watch them all together, almost as like a mini-series in the greater series of Friends. I’m also just always going to have a huge crush on Paul Rudd, so I might be a little biased.
3. The One with the Holiday Armadillo
As someone’s who’s half Jewish, this episode hits so close to home. Ross is trying to explain all the great things about Hanukkah to his son, Ben, and Ben wants nothing to do with it. Ross has the brilliant idea to go rent a Santa suit — to teach Ben all about Hanukkah, naturally — but those are a hot commodity just before Christmas. Instead, he shows up as the Holiday Armadillo, your half Jewish friend. Chandler gets the Santa costume. Joey shows up as Superman. And as Monica points out, it looks like the Easter Bunny’s funeral.
4. The One Where No One’s Ready
Another classic. Another episode that seems to be funnier every time you watch it. Joey and Chandler get into a fight, so Joey puts on all of Chandler’s clothing, while commando, and then decides it’s time to do lunges. Could he be wearing anymore clothes?
5. The One With the Proposal
Yes, this is the episode where Monica proposes to Chandler, flanked by an apartment of lit candles, and everyone cries including myself.
BUT, it’s also the episode where Joey accidentally buys a boat. He’s an an auction, and he manages to “guess” the correct price of the boat! And now Joey owns a boat in New York City! This just set up so many scenarios for Rachel to take Joey out on the water, and teach him how to be a captain.
6. The One with Monica and Chandler’s Wedding
The big overlying romance for friends might be between Ross and Rachel, but Monica and Chandler really have the best love story. Their wedding is a super grade-A affair, with Rachel basically hijacking another wedding, and Joey rushing in — still in his costume because he’s shooting a war movie — to officiate the ceremony. Oh, also we learn that Rachel’s having a baby. A huge cliffhanger for all of us, as we spent the summer trying to figure out who could be the father.
7. The One with the Cop
Sometimes Friends was at its best when the gang was doing incredibly simple things, like trying to move a couch. Trying is the operative word. Maybe one of the best scenes of the whole show is when Ross yells at Chandler and Rachel that they need to PIVOT. It’s a phrase I remember well every time I help a friend move.
8. The one where they all turn 30
The Friends reminisce about turning 30, as Rachel’s the last one to hit the big number. The highlight of this episode is Phoebe, because she wants to bouncy on a hippity-hop ball for an entire mile before she turns 30. On Ross’ 30th birthday, he decides to buy a sports car, and he manages to get it stuck between two other cars, and it’s sort of like the couch PIVOT incident all over again. Also, Joey is pretty devastated that he is getting older, in a way that only Joey could be devastated.
9. The One with the Prom Video
The Friends decide to watch one of their old prom videos, which feature a throwback Monica, Ross and Rachel. The camera has added ten pounds to Monica. Rachel’s date is late, and Monica refuses to leave without her. Ross steps in to go as Rachel’s date, but at the last second the boy shows up. Ross is, clearly, upset, something Rachel notices years later. So touched by the fact that he would have gone with her, she kisses him present day, and we continue ‘shipping Ross and Rachel forever.
10. The One With The Mugging
Two things. First, Chandler starts a new job as an intern at an advertising agency. But more importantly, Ross learns that many years ago he was mugged by a young Phoebe. He was upset at the time, because he had all of his “Science Boy” comics in his backpack. But thankfully, in a box labeled ‘Crap From the Street,’ Phoebe has kept everything, including Ross’ old comics. The two then read them together. Awwww.
(Images via here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.)
