Updated July 29, 2020 49.2K votes 8.8K voters 357.4K views
Voting Rules
Vote up the fan theories that make the most sense.
No one told you life was going to be this way: your job’s a joke, you’re broke, and you’re sitting alone at home watching Friends reruns like there’s no tomorrow. Maybe you’re even reading up on insane Friends fan-theories to keep the characters’ memories alive? Whatever it is, we’re not judging. Years after going off the air, Friends continues to be a major pop-culture phenomenon. And since it seems that there won’t be any kind of reunion down the line, all we can do is rewatch, rehash, and reminisce.
The show still has a solid fan base, so there’s been no shortage of Friends fan theories to choose from since the finale aired in 2004. Some being more plausible than others, as is usually the case when it comes to TV show fan theories, these speculations and assumptions sometimes help viewers see the show in an entirely new light. And while they're no doubt entertaining, they also get your imagination going about what was really going on with our favorite TV buddies. Was Phoebe on drugs? Was the whole thing a shared psychosis? Did Ross lose custody of Ben at some point? Unlike the overall tone of the series, some of the Friends theories out there get really dark, so tread lightly.
WTF TV fan theories are nothing new, but these Friends scenarios really take the cake. Here are some of the best ones that you can analyze and, ultimately, decide for yourself if they’re totally absurd...or not.
1
4,476 VOTES
The One Where Gunther Always Reserves The Central Perk Table For Rachel
Back in the day, there was a lot of confusion over how the six friends always seemed to be able to sit on the Central Perk couch. Until Friends hit Netflix, that is, and someone noticed the "Reserved"sign that had been sitting on the table all along. But one Redditor takes things a step further, suggesting that Gunther was the one who had always reserved the spot for them, due to his infatuation with Rachel. The Redditor writes:
“At Central Perk, he always left the 'Reserved' sign on the table in front of the couch for the gang to hangout so that he could see Rachel often. Since it’s a busy neighborhood, Rachel might not always get a table so he left the couch open all the time for her and her friends.”
Slightly better than the theory about the show being part of Phoebe’s imagination, this one claims that Phoebe was actually a laid back genius. One Redditor writes:
“In one episode, Phoebe almost convinces Ross that evolution is flawed. When he goes away befuddled, she laughingly says 'That was fun. Who's hungry?' My wife watches a lot of Friends. I started watching episodes I'd seen a million times already with the assumption that Phoebe was a laid back genius with almost zero ambition. She amuses herself by playing one off the other, not unkindly, but for her own amusement. It works in many of the situation she is in.”
Phoebe may be portrayed as ditzy, but she’s often much smarter than the others give her credit for. After Rachel gives birth, she even admits to thinking of herself as the puppet master of the group. Plus, she often tries to manipulate the others. For instance, she and Joey come up with a plan to get Ross and Rachel back together by setting them up on horrible dates. Or, how about when she and Rachel trick Chandler into admitting he’s seeing Monica? And let’s not forget that she can apparently speak Italian (even though she claims she never learned it) and French, but she never went to college or anything. She’s an enigmatic character for sure.
4,874 votes
3
4,321 VOTES
The One Where Monica Develops OCD After Struggling With Weight Issues
This fan theory, composed by one Reddit user, claims that Monica developed OCD tendencies after high school, when she struggled with weight problems:
“During flashbacks when Monica was overweight, it was never shown that she was obsessed with cleanliness and organizing everything. When Ross and Rachel talk about the past they have mentioned how fat and competitive Monica was but never said anything about her obsession with cleanliness. Maybe at the fat camp she was experimented [on with] a drug that helped her lose weight but it messed up her hormones [and] resulted in OCD (Google hormones + OCD) and infertility. Maybe that’s why she wanted kids so badly & even considered artificial insemination."
This one could also hold up, although it’s very sad to think that she traded one addiction/compulsion for another. We’re glad she got her happy ending.
4,321 votes
4
3,634 VOTES
The One Where Phoebe’s Sister-In-Law Is A Convicted Sex Offender
Remember Alice, Frank Jr.’s wife? While their relationship was always a bit off due to the fact that she used to be his teacher, one fan suggests that she was actually a convicted sex offender to boot - and of course they have an argument to prove it:
“We first meet Alice in Season 3, and then see her a year later in Season 4 when Phoebe agrees to be a surrogate for her. We know that Alice was Frank's teacher. Even if Frank was 17 (the age of consent in New York), in New York one can still be convicted of a sex-related criminal offense if the relationship arose from an abuse of power (like a teacher and a much-younger student). Alice and Frank Jr, jump to surrogacy as the option they discuss with Phoebe, without ever bringing up adoption. Adoption would be impossible if Alice was a convicted sex-offender. As well, Alice and Frank Jr. allude to having gotten the idea to get married when they were already at the courthouse. When Phoebe asks why they were there, Frank simply says that they went to the courthouse for lunch, which isn't very believable.”
While Ross was portrayed as being a good father in earlier seasons, at one point in the show Ben pretty much disappears. And he’s barely mentioned in later installments, particularly after Emma is born. So, what if Ross actually lost custody of his son? One Redditor found proof to back up this claim:
“Friends was on for ten seasons, but Ben doesn’t show up in person after episode twelve of Season 8... Not only does Ben never meet his new half-sister on screen, but a meeting between the two of them is never even mentioned... Sure, he mentions Ben in the last two and a half seasons, but does he have any role in Ben’s life? When he references Ben, is he referencing something that once was, a child he no longer sees or knows? Did Ross’s insanity hit a breaking point with his ex-wife? Could she no longer handle his nice guy syndrome and homophobic snickering? Did she decide to take full custody of her son? Did Ross even fight her for Ben, or just let him go, shifting his focus to the new baby he had with the woman of his obsession? He couldn’t even handle his daughter having a male caregiver.”
All in all, Ben's lack of presence is pretty evident.
One Redditor seems to have a pretty dirty mind. According to him, there are a number of hints hidden throughout the series that suggest Rachel has a foot fetish. He writes:
“There are a couple of hints throughout the series that Rachel loves dirty stuff with feet. In Season 4 when Monica is telling Chandler about erogenous zones Rachel bursts out saying 'ooh toes!' and Chandler and Monica look at her weirdly and she backs down saying 'for some people.' In Season 1, she talks to Ross about if you can ever have 'someone who could be your best friend but can also make your toes curl,' [and] in Season 3 she tries painting Ross's toenails and she says he let her do it to him before. Clearly Rachel associates feet/toes with sex and love.”
