It’s hard not to enjoy a show like Friends. Witty characters and envious shenanigans, complete with titillating love stories that just warm your heart. The success of Friends is proven by its ten-year run, followed by new generations binge-watching the series on Netflix.
That’s not to say that there aren’t some dull moments featuring Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross. As much as audiences love them, obviously, the ongoing outrageous events in their lives have to mellow out at one point or another. IMDb keeps track of all those hum-drum episodes with their rating system, which has every single one of the two hundred plus episodes ranked from best to worst.
Updates on April, 29th by Matthew Wilkinson: While the show has become a cult classic that audiences the world have loved, that doesn’t mean it is perfect. With so many episodes, not every single one was going to be a hit, with some lacking in the laughs or simply not having engaging storylines.
While many of Friends’ worst episodes are still incredibly entertaining, even the popular sitcom does have a few that fail to hit the mark. Wondering which ones are at the bottom of the barrel? Here are the 15 worst episodes of Friends ever, according to IMDb.
15 The One With Phoebe’s Rats – 8
The fact that one of the 15 lowest-rated episodes of Friends still gained a rating of 8 highlights just how high the quality of the sitcom is. However, this season eight episode is one of the weaker episodes of the show, and the main reason for that is that the focal point is about rats.
Mike is supposed to look after them, but accidentally lets them die. However, the main reason this episode wasn’t that enjoyable is because it accelerates the romance between Gavin and Rachel, which was something audiences never got into straight after she had given birth.
14 The One Where Chandler Gets Caught – 8
This episode is where the revelation came out about Chandler and Monica wanting to buy a new home, away from the city. However, the show turned it into a storyline of Rachel and Phoebe thinking Chandler was having an affair, which wasn’t particularly enjoyable.
It didn’t connect in the same funny way that other storylines did, and the reactions of the group to them moving were quite childish, which was a little odd for people of their age.
13 The One With Ross’ Step Forward – 8
One of the main reasons that fans weren’t too sure about this episode is because this is where the romance began between Joey and Rachel. While he only took Rachel out on a date as friends, the two quickly ended up having fantastic chemistry and Joey begins to start having feelings for her.
This was a storyline that fans weren’t overly sold on at any point, and that is what hurt the episode overall. However, as well as that this was also the episode where the Miss Pacman game arrived, which does lead to some very funny moments.
12 The One Where Rachel Smokes – 8
Next up is “The One Where Rachel Smokes,” which took place in season five of the show. The main focus of this episode is Rachel’s work, as she is forced to take up smoking due to the fact that she is missing out on key information and moments when her boss goes for smoke breaks.
As well as that, Joey ends up auditioning for a soup commercial with Ben, which started out as a great idea but ends up seeing them competing. While this did lead to some funny moments, audiences didn’t really want to see Joey compete against Ben.
11 The One with the Evil Orthodontist – 8
Considering one of their least desirable episodes starts off at an 8-star rating really speaks to the show’s accomplishments. “The One with the Evil Orthodontist” sees Rachel and her ex-fiance (whom she left at the alter) start dating again. The kicker is that Barry still has a girlfriend when this is going on…with the girlfriend being Rachel’s best friend.
It’s hard to say why people didn’t like this episode. Maybe because Rachel and Ross’ looming love story is just too hard to ignore to believe this strained storyline. Or, maybe it’s the bit in the episode when Chandler freaks out because his new crush doesn’t return his calls.
10 The One with the Fake Monica – 7.9
This one seems pretty ordinary considering it’s one of their earlier episodes. These shows that follow the lives of your everyday group of “friends” tend to build stories based on hilarious, albeit, unlikely scenarios. However, this one simply tells about the time when Monica has her credit card stolen.
The “Fake Monica” refers to the woman who steals Monica’s card, who she unexpectedly befriends. In this episode, Joey also tries to find a more fitting stage name for his acting career and Ross has to give away Marcel. Maybe it’s the heartbreaking moment when Ross leaves the monkey at the zoo that audiences didn’t really care for.
9 The One with the Stain – 7.9
As audiences are well aware, Monica is not a fan of messes. To ease her tension, Chandler decides to hire a maid. Of course, it wouldn’t be a sitcom if there isn’t some kind of scandal going on.
Monica convinces herself that the maid is stealing her clothes, which leads to her obsessive-compulsive behavior taking the forefront of the episode. On the other end of the spectrum, Phoebe is now dating her twin sister’s ex-boyfriend, who can’t seem to remember which sister he’s dating.
8 The One Where They’re Going To Party! – 7.9
This episode had a trio of big storylines going on at the same time, and perhaps the episode suffered from how much was happening. Monica is forced to make a tough choice regarding her profession, which brings issues with her friendship with Phoebe.
Rachel also loses out on promotion, but the main story in this episode is all about Chandler and Ross getting overhyped and excited about an old friend coming into town. He is known as a big party man, but the big party moment never comes, which perhaps hurt the episode.
7 The One with Phoebe’s Ex-Partner – 7.9
The central point in this episode happens when Phoebe sees her old singing partner, Leslie, performing at the Central Perk. Still bitter that her friend left her to do commercials, Phoebe isn’t happy to see her old friend. The two eventually come to an understanding and reprise their duo singing careers until Leslie decides to try to sell “Smelly Cat” for commercials.
This is also the one where Chandler dates Joey’s ex-girlfriend, who’s wooden leg he had accidentally thrown into a fire. Ross also joins Rachel to an event in order to out-stage Mark, but he falls asleep during it.
6 The One with the Donor – 7.9
This one has a surprisingly low score of 7.9 stars. Considering John Stamos makes a cameo and Phoebe’s affable former boyfriend, David, reenters the picture, you would think it’s worth a rewatch.
The episode follows Monica and Chandler’s struggles as their doctor informs them that they may not be able to have a baby the natural way. After suggesting a surrogate doner, Chandler invites his peculiar friend over who turns out not to be the right man for the job.
5 The One with Christmas in Tulsa – 7.6
Another episode where Monica’s over-the-top thought process causes unnecessary dilemmas. In this episode, Chandler has to have Christmas in Tulsa. This frustrates Monica, especially once she convinces herself that Chandler is having an affair with an attractive colleague (Selma Blair).
The rest of the show simply highlights former holiday-themed episodes, presumably using this as a clip episode. It ends with Chandler quitting his job so that he can spend Christmas with his friends.
4 The One with Joey’s Interview – 7.5
When Soap Opera Digest wants to interview Joey for his leading role, Joey is frantic that he will mess it up. He previously had an interview with the same magazine when he inherently makes a fool of himself. Joey enlists the help of his friends, who are able to help coach him through the interview without a hitch… that is until Joey let’s slip that he doesn’t even watch soap operas.
With a 7.5 rating, this episode may have earned its stars.
3 The One with Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. – 7.5
This seems to be one of the more memorable episodes, so its a bit surprising that it’s so low on the rating scale. This is the one where Chandler forgets to write down the date and time for Joey’s audition, which causes the actor to miss it. It’s a poignant moment in their friendship because Chandler really screws things up for Joey.
The acting gig is for a show called Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E., with Joey hoping to play the lead opposite a robot. Thankfully this wasn’t his break out role, but it put a noticeable strain on the pair’s friendship nonetheless.
2 The One with the Vows – 7.5
This is another montage-like sequence of events that look back on Monica and Chandler’s relationship. While it’s nice to be reminded of how the two ended up together (in this episode, the precipice of their wedding), audiences apparently wanted a bit more meat to the episode.
In “The One with the Vows,” Monica and Chandler are separately having a hard time figuring out what to write in their vows. The try to use their friends for help who, in turn, recount memories of the two together.
1 The One with the Invitation – 7.3
According to IMDb, the absolutely worst episode of Friends is “The One with the Invitation.” Again, it’s another episode that simply forces the characters to reminisce on pre-filmed episodes. Rachel and Ross examine their past relationship as Ross after Emily send out their wedding invitations.
Emily is surprised that Ross still wants to invite Rachel given their past, while Rachel simultaneously debates on whether or not to fly to London for their wedding. Ultimately, Rachel decides not to once she realizes she still has feelings for Ross and can’t witness him getting married to someone else.
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