15 Friends Episodes To Skip On A Rewatch

"Friends" is one of the most popular sitcoms in history and remains beloved by audiences today. The series ran on NBC for ten seasons, from 1994 to 2004, and followed six friends living in New York City. The show starred Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller.

The series was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and focused on the core group's daily lives as they navigated romances, career changes, and wacky situations, all while drinking an obscene amount of coffee at their local shop. Throughout the show's decade on air, it earned 62 Emmy nominations, winning six. Despite "Friends" being one of the best sitcoms of the '90s, not every episode is a winner. In fact, some are downright skippable.

Unlike the most essential "Friends" episodes, the series' skip-worthy episodes feature frustrating inconsistencies and out-of-character moments, or have aged poorly for various reasons. The sitcom also started releasing yearly clip shows in Season 4, which are always annoying during a binge-watch. If you're thinking about diving back into "Friends," but want to jump around, here are 15 episodes you can easily skip on your rewatch.

Everyone does regrettable things in their life, but Rachel takes things a little too far in "The One with the Evil Orthodontist." She starts sleeping with her ex-fiancé, Barry (Mitchell Whitfield), whom she left at the altar in the pilot. This is especially bad since she knows Barry is now engaged to her former maid-of-honor, Mindy (Jennifer Grey). While the episode offers some closure for Rachel, closure from Barry is not something she ever seemed to need. She struggled with living without her dad's money, but never seemed to miss Barry until she found out Mindy was marrying him. That only makes the affair worse. 

While Rachel makes some questionable choices in "The One with the Evil Orthodontist," not much of note happens with the other friends. Chandler starts obsessing over a woman who does not call him back, only to immediately be turned off when she finds him in person to explain she had the wrong number. While Chandler's commitment phobia is a throughline throughout the earlier seasons of "Friends," his behavior in this one is just plain obnoxious. The rest of the episode is about how someone in Ugly Naked Guy's building is spying on Monica's apartment, but it does not lead to many laughs and is ultimately forgettable.

There is a lot to dislike about "The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner." While E.G. Daily was a good choice to play Phoebe's former singing partner, Leslie, their storyline is overly predictable and unfunny. It is always nice to hear "Smelly Cat" again, but Leslie's exploitation of the song is hackneyed.

Chandler and Joey's storyline in this episode is even worse. Chandler starts to date Ginger (Sherilyn Fenn), who has a prosthetic leg. Turns out, Joey used to date her and accidentally threw her wooden leg into a fire, and ran off on her in shame. Chandler struggles with her disability, which comes across as ableist. Overall, the jokes about Ginger's fake leg have not aged well.

As if that was not enough, this episode is a rough one for Ross and Rachel fans. Ross falls asleep at a fashion seminar he attends with her, which leads to a fight. Ross spends a chunk of Season 3 acting increasingly insensitive and paranoid, so skipping one of his meltdowns will barely be noticeable.

"The One with the Invitation" marked the first clip show episode on "Friends." Currently, it is the lowest-rated episode on IMDb. The episode sees Ross struggling with whether or not to invite Rachel to his wedding to Emily (Helen Baxendale). Most of the episode features flashbacks of Ross and Rachel's on-again-off-again romance.

If you are binging any series, clip show episodes are typically the most skippable. However, when the episode released in April of 1998, the show was still a few months away from its syndication debut. Since audiences did not have the same access to the series that they do today, there was more of a reason to share old moments. These days, it feels like a waste of time.

While there are not any other clip show episodes on this list, they are all frankly skippable. The other ones to keep an eye out for are "The One With Mac And C.H.E.E.S.E." in Season 6, "The One With The Vows" in Season 7, "The One With Joey's Interview" in Season 8, "The One With Christmas In Tulsa" in Season 9, and "The One Where Chandler Gets Caught" in Season 10.

It is also worth noting that this episode kicks off the mystery of how to spell Rachel's last name. Fans initially thought the "e" at the end of Greene was a mistake made by Emily, but Rachel's name is spelled the same way on her office door at Ralph Lauren in later seasons. It was usually spelled "Green" on Warner Bros. press materials, however, and was how they submitted Aniston during awards season. This feels like a wild oversight!

"The One Where Rachel Smokes" is the definition of skippable. Every storyline is forgettable, and none are packed with the usual amount of jokes. Rachel feels left out at work when her colleagues make big decisions during their smoke break. While her attempts to smoke cigarettes are not unfunny, they pale in comparison to most of the show's comedic moments.

A big portion of the episode also features Joey going out for a commercial audition with, and then against, Ross' son, Ben. Joey's inability to say "mmm, soup" without adding "noodle" is an admittedly delightful bit, but it is overall maddening to watch this man be bad at everything, including his own job. It is also irksome to watch Ross step into the role of a stage parent.

Simultaneously, Monica and Phoebe clash over how to plan Rachel's birthday party, and Phoebe takes her job of "cups and ice" too seriously. Birthdays are a continuity nightmare on the show, and focusing on Rachel's birthday only reminds us that she turned 28 in Season 2, was 29 in Season 5, and turned 30 in Season 7.

"The One with the Apothecary Table" is a misstep for multiple reasons. After Rachel and Phoebe move in together, Rachel starts furnishing their home with items from Pottery Barn. Since Phoebe is against mass-produced items, Rachel lies about where she found the goods. When Ross purchases the same apothecary table as Rachel, she forces him to get in on the lie. Unfortunately, this whole episode feels like an ad for Pottery Barn, and the product placement is a bit crude.

Meanwhile, Joey finally starts dating his roommate Janine (Elle Macpherson), whom he had been pursuing in earlier episodes. They even share a sweet first kiss in the previous episode, "The One with the Routine." Whether or not you were rooting for them as a couple, it is disappointing how "The One with the Apothecary Table" makes Janine instantly unlikable. She does not like Monica and Chandler, which is obviously a dealbreaker for Joey. It is unpleasant watching her be mean to them, and negates the charm of the previous episode. Best to skip this one and make up your own ending for the character.

"The One with the Joke" is a rare "Friends" episode where the A, B, and C plots all fall flat. Ross and Chandler argue over who came up with a joke that gets featured in "Playboy." It's smart of the writers to never share the full joke, but seeing the characters argue over something so trivial is hard to watch.

Ross and Chandler are not the only friends having a tiff in this episode. Monica gets upset when Phoebe says she would rather date Rachel than her. It is no secret that one of "Friends'" biggest flaws is how it deals with the LGBTQ+ community. Gay men are often portrayed as something to be grossed out by, while lesbians are fetishized. Inserting this conversation into this specific friend group is gauche, to say the least.

Finally, Joey starts working at Central Perk, but is not exactly an exemplary employee. While he has some funny moments on the job in the future, they are not featured in this episode. It is enjoyable to watch Rachel scold Gunther (James Michael Tyler), but they have better moments in other episodes. 

While some might argue "The One with the Engagement Picture" is one of Matthew Perry's best episodes, the idea that Chandler does not know how to smile for a photo is a little far-fetched. Perry is undeniably good at making funny faces, but the whole concept is simply too embarrassing. It is also utterly ridiculous that the storyline ends with Monica posing with Joey for the photo instead.

The B-plot of the episode sees Joey befriending Rachel's assistant, Tag (Eddie Cahill), upon her request. Rachel is displeased when it leads to Joey teaching Tag how to pick up women. Everything about this is uncomfortable considering Tag is Rachel's younger employee. Their entire romantic storyline is weird and inappropriate. While it is not quite as bad as Ross dating one of his students, it still gives us the ick.

Over the years, "Friends" became known for its Thanksgiving episodes, and "The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs" is typically considered the worst of the bunch. Not only does the episode contradict previously established ideas, it's also a major letdown for fans who had started looking forward to the holiday-themed outings. The writers considered Thanksgiving episodes to be among their favorites to make, but they dropped the ball in Season 7.

The episode kicks into gear when Phoebe sneaks a dog into Monica and Chandler's apartment. This is how the gang learns that Chandler has been lying about being allergic to dogs. This is inconsistent with the fact that, previously, Phoebe tricked Monica and Chandler into babysitting her brother's triplets by pretending they would be watching puppies. His dislike for dogs was teased earlier in Season 7, but no seeds had been planted about a fake allergy.

Also, the reveal that Chandler isn't a dog fan leads to him telling the group that Ross doesn't like ice cream. Previously, Ross was seen sharing a cone with his monkey, Marcel, in Season 2, and eating ice cream with his girlfriend/student, Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden) in Season 6. 

While many episodes are skippable due to Ross being unbearable, "The One with the Cooking Class" makes the list because of Rachel's behavior. As the birth of their baby grows nearer, Rachel becomes jealous of Ross' dating exploits. This is frustrating since they haven't been in an actual romantic relationship in years. Ross starts seeing Katie (Rena Sofer), who seems like a genuinely good fit for him, but she doesn't last beyond the episode because Rachel asks Ross to stop seeing people.

Monica is also at her worst in this episode. After getting a bad review from a food critic, she decides to take a beginner's cooking class with Joey. Her competitive nature comes out, but it's especially unpleasant since she's basically cheating at the class. The way she clashes with the teacher, Sarah (Molly Hagan), is also tiresome. Chandler also struggles with a job interview, which is odd considering how long he's managed to coast in the corporate world. You would think he could get his act together for a single conversation.

The idiom "jumping the shark" originated from "Happy Days," when Fonzie (Henry Winkler) quite literally jumped over a shark while on water skis. Now, the term is used to mark an outlandish moment in a TV show that signifies its decline. It's fitting that "Friends" has a similar moment that also deals with sharks.

In "The One with the Sharks," Monica walks in on Chandler watching porn. He quickly changes the channel to a nature show, leading to the weirdest misunderstanding in "Friends" history. Monica thinks Chandler was pleasuring himself to shark attacks, and because she's such a loving wife, decides to lean into his new obsession. Sitcoms are all about classic misunderstandings, but this is a low point, even for "Friends."

"The One with the Male Nanny" features guest star Freddie Prinze Jr. as Sandy, a nanny hired by Ross and Rachel. While Prinze Jr. is enjoyable in the role, it marks yet another major miss for Ross. He is uncomfortable with Sandy, despite the fact that Rachel loves him.

Years earlier, Ross was upset over the fact that his son played with dolls, and this episode sees him once again enforcing gender roles on his children. His problems with Sandy come across as homophobic, which has always left viewers feeling uneasy. While this episode could have served as a good lesson to Ross, he ultimately chooses to fire Sandy. He once again learns nothing, and Rachel loses out because of it.

"The One with the Lottery" is a rare example of all six friends being intolerable parodies of themselves. When the group pools their money with the hopes of winning a major jackpot, they all let their greed get the best of them. The thing is, this is uncharacteristic of most of them. The earlier years of the show portrayed money problems in a very realistic way, but as the series neared its end, things became a little too fantastical. Monica is especially unsavory in the episode for buying separate lottery tickets for just her and Chandler.

In addition to each character being nastier than usual, the episode also features one very foolish moment involving Phoebe. In an attempt to get the group to stop arguing about their hypothetical winnings, she threatens to drop the tickets over the balcony. She ends up losing half of them due to a pigeon. It's all pretty preposterous, but at least it didn't lead to the friends getting rich. A lottery win happened to the main characters on "Roseanne," and it was a famously bad decision.

When "Friends" was airing, fans hated the romance between Rachel and Joey. At the time, it felt uncomfortable and forced. Now, many have changed their minds, believing that Joey treated Rachel better than Ross. While the subject divides fans to this day, there's one thing most people can agree on: Ross' bad behavior!

In "The One Where Ross Is Fine," one of TV's most divisive love triangles comes to a head when Ross learns about the romance. He spends the episode pretending he's okay with their relationship, but makes a fool out of himself for the umpteenth time. There's so much to dislike about this arc, but Ross reaches peak insufferability, making it tough to watch.

Meanwhile, this episode features an awkward storyline in which Chandler tells a child he was adopted. It also sees Phoebe's brother, Frank Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi), trying to unload one of his children on her, which is more sad than humorous.

"The One Where the Stripper Cries" features a hilarious, Emmy-nominated performance from Danny DeVito, but it's not enough to save the episode from being skippable. First, Phoebe is uncharacteristically cruel to DeVito's stripper character. At the same time, Ross and Chandler take a trip down memory lane that's both upsetting and inconsistent.

Ross and Chandler attend their college reunion, which leads to a flashback about their time at school. Rachel and Monica come to visit, marking one of many flashbacks that feature Rachel and Chandler interacting, despite them meeting for the first time in the pilot. There's also the utterly bizarre reveal that Ross and Monica kissed, which is more gross than it is funny. None of the fat jokes about Monica have aged well, either, but it's especially mean-spirited in the later seasons.

While all of that nonsense is going on, Joey goes on the game show, "Pyramid," and completely whiffs. Although Joey has never been smart on the show, his inability to play a pretty simple game is beyond cringey. Basically, everything that happens in "The One Where the Stripper Cries" is ludicrous.

Joey isn't exactly the smartest friend in the group, but "The One Where Joey Speaks French" takes his intelligence a step too far. Phoebe tries to teach him French for an audition, but he ends up speaking gibberish. While LeBlanc should be praised for the ridiculousness of his performance, the absurdity crosses a line that becomes an insult to the beloved character. He also ends the episode by "drinking" a gallon of milk to prove he can do it in under ten seconds, which is an embarrassing cap to the storyline.

Elsewhere, the will-they-won't-they saga between Ross and Rachel takes yet another awkward turn. They travel to Long Island to visit her father after he has a heart attack. Feeling vulnerable, she attempts to sleep with Ross, but he rejects her. While some might argue this is the final turn that solidifies their romantic reunion in the series finale, it feels redundant after all they've been through together.

The rest of the episode sees Chandler and Monica showing a pregnant Erica (Anna Faris) around New York, which is ultimately an unmemorable part of their adoption journey.