5 most emotional Friends episodes fans don't like to re-watch (other than The Last One)

Friends has never been about jokes, coffee, or sarcasm in the first place! The constant re-run of the show, humor, and its popularity led to it being a worldwide hit.

However, with all that, Friends still presented moments that were unexpectedly raw and emotionally difficult. These episodes are so different, not by the absence of quality but rather by the fact that they managed to get into the depths of heartbreak, regret, and openness and made such feelings associated with viewers.

For a lot of fans, facing these episodes again is taxing in terms of emotions rather than comforting. Friends have sometimes mixed up the comic aspect with emotional realism, and, at times, the realism did last longer!

There are some episodes that critics and fans occasionally mention, and consider very hard to sit through again due to their heaviness in emotions.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

Besides The Last One, below are five of the most tear-jerking Friends episodes that viewers tend to avoid, not for being disliked but for the feelings they evoke

1. The One with the Morning After (Season 3, Episode 16)

This is rated as one of the moments that turn the emotional intensity up to 10 times in the entire Friends. It directly transitions into the aftermath of the revenge that Ross plans by having sex with another woman after the fight with Rachel.

There is nothing much that is different in this episode of the series from the others, except that the comedy is barely present and the focus is entirely on the long confrontation that is painful for the two characters.

What makes this episode even harder to cope with is the extent to which it is realistic. Fighting is a long process since it is a complete stalemate situation. Communication is non-existent for the couples, which means that the process, even for the start of the healing among them, cannot begin.

Friends do not offer any comfort for this situation, prolonging the unpleasantness. This is another episode that is often referred to when speaking about the episodes that the fans just don’t enjoy. In this installment, the relationship that is being shown begins to fall apart. It appears to happen in ways that feel eerily familiar to reality.

2. The One with the Prom Video (Season 2, Episode 14)

This is a prominent and noticeable episode, but it did not have a central theme of its own other than character themes that occur around Ross's development of his feelings towards Rachel. This serves to build into season events with perceived significance to the series.

Though the ending is uplifting, the episode is still hard for many viewers to watch again since it brings to light years of unexpressed desire and lost chances. The realization that Rachel knows Ross would settle for being with her while being unhappy establishes the conflict of emotions about the imagined realm and reality.

This Friends episode alters the audience perception of the romantic entanglements of 'Ross and Rachel.

3. The One Where Heckles Dies (Season 2, Episode 3)

Mr. Heckles, who had always been a nuisance and a source of comedic relief in the series, passes away, and the gang and Chandler in particular must deal with some harsh realities.

His fear is being lonely and unsatisfied; in that aspect, Chandler is very much like Heckles. This particular episode of the series has a reflective mood that is very rare in popular television programs. It may be an off-turn as viewers will not like to watch as there is pain all through; even the end is not nice.

4. The One with Ross’s Wedding: Part 2 (Season 4, Episode 24)

This particular episode, which has a London setting during a wedding atmosphere, is one of the most emotionally filled Friends episodes. Rachel coming to the wedding even though she still has feelings for Ross, creates the tension of the whole episode.

The emotional height is reached when Ross calls out Rachel’s name at the altar. The best example of this phenomenon of unfinished emotions could be found in the reactions of Emily and Rachel’s silent sorrow. The Friends episode did not ease the pain of this occurrence and offer comedic relief; it put the audience through discomfort and aftereffects.

As the emotional indecision’s damage is captured in this episode, it is also termed as one that is hard to re-watch.

5. The One with the Birth (Season 1, Episodes 23 & 24)

This is a two-part plot, which centers around the conception of Ben, one of the first storylines that explores the potential for emotion in Friends. This is a happy ending for the couple as they conceive a baby boy. However, there is a lot of emotional intricacy around this occurrence.

Ross has to cope with the reality of having a baby in the family, and he has to do it in a very non-traditional way. Rachel has to face her feelings for Ross, and the group has to embark on a new, emotional, and responsible level of adulthood.

Friends seize the opportunity to mark the end of the carefree youth era and the arrival of emotional responsibility. Many fans even consider the episode to be more difficult to digest because it's about life-changing events rather than just pure light-heartedness.

Friends was always placed in the sitcom category; however, it was able to unearth the emotional depths consistently. Such episodes have marked the emergence of humor intermingling with emotional complexities, thus contributing to the long-term significance of the show.

These are some reasons why Friends is still a topic for discussion, even two decades after it ended, and has undergone a lot of analysis. It was more about relationships, personal growth, and dealing with life’s challenges that come with being an adult,coupled with all the emotional drama that entails.