Friends: The 10 most forgettable episodes, ranked

For ten seasons, Friends has given viewers numerous memorable moments that have remained in the hearts of the viewers. Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey’s friendship, their catchphrases, and unforgettable romances have been a comfort for many viewers.

However, even amongst the brightest stars, there were dimmer moments that failed to achieve the same level of interest and enthusiasm from the audience. Though the majority of the episodes from this series are cherished for the humor, heart, and quotability, some episodes fall short.

These episodes get overshadowed by the other memorable and remarkable ones as they are less impactful and lack the same level of entertainment.

So, let's delve into the episodes that have faded into the background with time for various reasons. Be it due to the recap moments or the overall lack of proper story building.

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Friends: The 10 most forgettable episodes, ranked

10) Season 10 episode 10 “The One Where Chandler Gets Caught”

Even though the group of friends in the series is not kids, some of their reactions to certain moments are often childish and not suitable for their age. It looks uncomfortable and is often criticised by the viewers of the series.

This episode has one such moment. Especially when we consider the friend group’s reaction to Chandler and Monica buying a new house away from them. One of the main aspects that makes a long-running show further intriguing is character development.

If characters who are middle-aged start to act juvenile, it is neither humorous nor entertaining. Hence, the lack of genuine humor and storytelling makes this episode a forgettable one.

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9) Season 4 episode 21 “The One With The Invitation”

Yet another episode that focuses mainly on prefilmed episodes. Bringing forth old episodes and showing them once again in newer episodes does not make an episode entertaining or memorable.

In this episode, we get to see Ross and Rachel think about the moments they had spent together, especially their happy moments. Ross finally decides to invite Rachel to his wedding.

However, Rachel decides not to go as she still has feelings for him. The whole episode has numerous past moments that make it a filler episode.

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8) Season 8 episode 19 “The One With Joey's Interview”

This episode is yet another example of when Joey is the main focus of the episode, it fails to receive much significance. This episode mainly focuses on Joey’s upcoming interview, for which he is tense.

Though the main source of entertainment is his inability to give a proper interview, it lacks depth. The episode relies on a predictable comedic premise, and the subplots are exceptionally mundane.

It does not leave any lasting impact on the viewers. Hence, making it a prime candidate for one of the most easily overlooked episodes of Friends.

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7) Season 7 episode 21 “The One With The Vows”

This episode relied mainly on showing past events as the friend group reminisces about the years they spent together and the memories they made. This occurs when Monica decides to write her wedding vows and makes Chandler do the same.

Though initially it seemed like Monica was making great progress with her vows, it is revealed that even she is struggling and relies on her friends to help her out. Chandler, too, is taking the help of his friends.

This episode is often criticized for stretching out the season. It did not have a full-fledged script and relied on past clips. Compared to other episodes of this series, this episode is easy to skip.

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6) Season 9 episode 6 “The One With The Male Nanny”

This episode is known to rely on some rather tired sitcom tropes, which often become monotonous for the viewers. Ross and Rachel hire a nanny named Sandy, who is a male nanny.

He is empathetic and skilled with children. Though initially Ross is uncomfortable with him, he warms up to him gradually. However, he eventually decides to fire him. This storyline highlights the exploration of the male stereotype with Ross’s insecurity and discomfort surrounding Sandy.

This episode had potential but quickly fell flat. This is the type of episode that we have seen many times through various other shows, making it forgettable.

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5) Season 5 episode 18 “The One Where Rachel Smokes”

This episode often gets lost while shuffling through the other iconic episodes of the show. In this episode, we see Joey try out for an audition for a commercial. However, he is not the only one.

Ross’s son was the first one to try for the audition. Though neither of them was selected, this plotline went on for the whole episode. On the other hand, we also get to see Rachel try to become close with her colleagues in fear of missing out on the opportunity for a promotion.

As her colleagues were smokers and she was not, she tried to join them by smoking. Overall, this episode is considerably bland and lacks depth. This episode will make you skim through it and eagerly wait for the next one.

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4) Season 1 episode 22 “The One With The Ick Factor”

This episode was truly a chaotic one and not in a good way. Monica’s relationship with Ethan does not leave much of an impression. Initially, Monica thinks that Ethan is a senior in college, however, she finds out that Ethan has been lying. Ethan revealed that he is actually in high school and is just seventeen years old.

Their storyline is neither groundbreaking nor deeply emotional. On the other hand, we see Phoebe and Chandler working together. This episode fails to make a statement. This episode does not leave a lasting impact, unlike some of the other episodes of the series.

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3) Season 8 episode 7 “The One With The Stain”

In this episode, we get to see Monica’s obsession with cleanliness again. However, it reaches a distinct height in this episode that the viewers did not enjoy. Creating an entire episode with the main focus on this was not a suitable idea, according to many viewers.

Though it still has the humor and nitty gritty moments that make this series a fan favorite, this episode in particular was lacking.

This episode serves its purpose in moving minor arcs forward. Though many viewers love to rewatch the whole series as a comfort drama, this one is skippable.

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2) Season 6 episode 19 “The One With Joey's Fridge”

Yet another lacking episode from season 6 of Friends. This episode truly depicts that even though Friends, for most of the show, has captured the hearts of the viewers, there were certain moments that the viewers did not like.

This episode is one of them. Especially if we consider the whole storyline revolving around Joey’s fridge. He wants to make his friends pay for the fridge instead of buying it himself. This episode lacks the hook.

There are no significant plot devices that could add to the intrigue. Hence, this episode falls flat and is easily forgettable.

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1) Season 6 episode 11 “The One With The Apothecary Table”

There are several intriguing episodes in this series, however, it is not easy to maintain the same level of intrigue for every episode. Among the many memorable episodes of Friends lies this episode, which is anything but memorable.

The whole episode feels like a filler episode. In this episode, we see Phoebe’s dislike for Pottery Barn from where Rachel bought them an apothecary table. Even though initially Rachel lies to her, saying that the table was from the flea market, Phoebe eventually finds out the truth.

Phoebe dislikes anything that is mass-produced. The humor mostly comes from Phoebe’s exaggerated aversion to it. Compared to the other episodes, this episode lacks in many aspects.

This episode does not contribute to the overall narrative of the series, hence, many viewers consider this a forgettable episode.

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