5 Friends Episodes That Have Aged So Badly They’re Hard to Watch Today

Few 1990s sitcoms have remained as culturally durable as “Friends.” More than two decades after its tearful finale, the NBC comedy continues to draw massive global audiences looking for comfort, nostalgia and easy laughs. Whether it’s Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) shouting “pivot,” the gang lingering over coffee at Central Perk, or the long-running “lobster” romance between Ross and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), the series still has an unmistakable hold on pop culture. Could it be any more rewatchable?

Still, “Friends” was made in a very different television era, and some storylines land far differently for modern viewers. Certain jokes and recurring bits now feel dated, particularly those that turn gay characters into punchlines or lean on Joey Tribbiani’s (Matt LeBlanc) womanizing as harmless charm. Other moments are simply uncomfortable, including Ross pursuing his cousin and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) unknowingly sleeping with a teenager. Then there are scenes that carry an added weight because fans now know about the real-life struggles unfolding behind the scenes.

That complicated legacy is part of what makes revisiting “Friends” so revealing. The sitcom remains one of television’s most-streamed and most-syndicated comfort watches, but its flaws are increasingly difficult to ignore. As longtime fans and first-time viewers step back into the six friends’ coffee-fueled Manhattan bubble, there are more than a few moments that may send them reaching for the fast-forward button.

In 1996, “Friends” broke ground by becoming the first primetime TV series to depict a lesbian wedding ceremony — a full 15 years before New York legalized same-sex marriage through the Marriage Equality Act. Season 2, Episode 11, “The One with the Lesbian Wedding,” was undeniably significant for its time. The marriage of Carol Willick (Jane Sibbett) and Susan Bunch (Jessica Hecht) offered rare visibility and, for many LGBTQ+ viewers, a meaningful glimpse of acceptance on mainstream television.

Viewed today, however, the episode’s progressiveness comes with caveats. Carol and Susan’s sexuality is often treated less as a natural part of their lives and more as a setup for jokes. When Monica is hired to cater the wedding, for instance, she creates a lesbian-themed menu that includes chicken breast. The show never gives heterosexual weddings the same identity-based gag treatment, which makes the joke feel especially pointed in hindsight.

The episode also includes a supernatural subplot involving Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), who believes she has been “possessed” by the spirit of her late massage client, Mrs. Adelman. The spirit wants to witness everything life has to offer before moving on. After seeing two women get married, Phoebe declares, “Now I’ve seen everything!” — and Mrs. Adelman finally departs. The joke reflects just how unusual and culturally startling same-sex marriage was presented as being in 1996.

For that reason, the episode remains both historic and uneasy for some modern fans. Its place in LGBTQ+ television representation is important, but its execution has not aged seamlessly. As one Reddit commenter put it, “I just don’t like how often it’s a punchline. If the purpose of including this [plotline] was to be progressive and tolerant, they shouldn’t have framed it as a running joke.”

From the pilot onward, “Friends” positions Joey as the group’s resident ladies’ man, a smooth-talking actor who moves from one romantic conquest to the next with his famous “how you doin’?” catchphrase. The show often softens his misogynistic behavior by emphasizing his loyalty, sweetness and childlike quirks — including his beloved penguin plush toy, Hugsy. Yet while Joey remains one of the sitcom’s most endearing characters, the way his treatment of women is played for laughs is one of the elements that feels far more troubling on a modern rewatch.

However, in Season 10, Episode 7 (“The One with the Home Study”), Joey’s flirty nature isn’t so charming when it transitions into gaslighting. Desperate to become parents, Chandler and Monica invite adoption worker Laura (Maria Pitillo) over to review their options. Much to their dismay, Laura remembers their apartment complex because she previously enjoyed a night across the hall with Joey, who never called her again.

When the two run into each other, Joey gaslights Laura into believing she hurt him instead of owning up to his mistake. “You probably don’t even remember my name,” he tells her. “It’s Joey, by the way, and don’t even bother telling me yours because I totally remember it, lady. I waited weeks for you to call me.” Laura ends up second-guessing herself and even tries to apologize, to which Joey storms out of the apartment, exclaiming, “Too late for apologies, you broke my heart!”

A commenter on Reddit said, “He constantly lies to women to get them in bed, even having a fake name and the backpacking story. He used women to get what he wanted.” While Joey generally boasts a charming demeanor when around his friends, the way he treats women can be a hard watch for anyone who has experienced such manipulation in real life.

Over the course of its 10-season run, Matthew Perry is a comedic force to be reckoned with on “Friends” as Chandler Bing. From his expertly timed one-liners to his iconic inflections and impeccably awkward dance moves, it’s impossible to imagine the show without Perry. However, when watching some of those hilarious scenes back in the present day, it’s difficult. That’s because now, audiences can pinpoint where the late actor was in his addiction from his on-screen transformations.

A particularly hard watch is Season 3, Episode 18 (“The One with the Hypnosis Tape”), which sees Chandler lean into his feminine side after his hypnosis tapes to stop smoking aren’t what he thought. At one point in the episode, he struts out of the shower with just a towel wrapped around his body, looking noticeably thin. In his memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry wrote (via Vanity Fair), “When I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol. When I’m skinny, it’s pills.”

Before his untimely death in October 2023 at the age of 54, Perry admitted that he struggled to watch such episodes. They served as a reminder of his worst days, which saw him taking 55 Vicodin daily and weighing only 128 pounds. “That’s very hard to watch,” he said in an interview with Diane Sawyer (via ET). “Because in this weird way, I feel sorry for that guy. That’s a guy that’s out of control.” Audiences also struggle to watch. “I can’t help but wonder how he was actually feeling in each scene, probably a crazy nauseating hangover or maybe he was in pain,” said one commenter on Reddit.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

When it comes to age-gap relationships on “Friends,” Monica takes the crown. Before her long-term romance with Richard Burke (Tom Selleck), who is 21 years older and a good friend of her father, she dates Ethan (Stan Kirsch), who she believes to be a college senior. In Season 1, Episode 22 (“The One with the Ick Factor”), 26-year-old Monica lies to Ethan about her age, telling him she’s 22. Turns out, Ethan also has a secret of his own — he’s actually a high school senior and only 17.

Though the age of consent in New York is 17, many fans find this episode as icky as its title and don’t think it fits well with the overall tone of the series. “It was really gross. Not really sure why this storyline had to be included,” one commenter on Reddit said. “I think the whole episode is very wacky, also very out of touch from the show,” another wrote.

While Monica is applauded for cutting things off as soon as she finds out Ethan’s real age, the deception involved in this plotline makes fans uncomfortable. Both parties are intimate under false pretenses and it’s likely neither would’ve participated had they known the true age of their partner. Fans also pointed out the impact of gender in this situation; because the woman is older, it’s seen as comedic and not a big deal. “The show would have been canceled if the roles were reversed,” a Reddit user said.

It’s practically impossible to keep track of all the faux pas Ross makes in his love life. From dating one of his students, to sleeping with the copy girl while he and Rachel are “on a break,” to going out with Chandler’s ex Janice (Maggie Wheeler), the list goes on. However, many fans agree that Ross’ most unwatchable moment comes in Season 7, Episode 19 (“The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin”), when he tries to make a move on his cousin Cassie (Denise Richards).

When Cassie visits New York, Ross can’t help but notice how attractive she is — despite her being a blood relative. So, when the two settle on his couch to watch a film, he tries to convince himself that Cassie would be into a hook up. His reasoning? She turned down the lights, opened some wine, and suggested they watch “Logan’s Run,” also known as the “sexiest movie ever.” Yet when Ross leans in to kiss her, Cassie is not having it. She asks Ross what his problem is, to which he responds, “I haven’t had sex in a very long time.”

While Ross is rather helpless when it comes to love, some fans think cousin attraction is too much, even for him. “This just doesn’t feel like Ross,” one commenter on Reddit said. “He’s desperate[,] but not like this.” Another said of the episode, “It’s so creepy and he misreads this [so] wrong because he’s such a lost cause at this point.” A third commented, “I can’t watch this episode with my family[,] it’s so awkward.”