35 Favorite Friends Episodes

Below is the list of my top 35 episodes of Friends. The number is 35 because that is the smallest number I could realistically reduce the list to. I have a hard time narrowing things down, and there are so many great Friends episodes. I tried to pick the same amount from each season. They are listed in chronological order, not in order of favorites. It is listed as Season, Episode, Title, and original air date. Then below that I list each episode in a bit more detail, since the title doesn't always do a good job of indicating all the story lines of the episodes!

1. Season 1, Episode 15 “The One with the Stoned Guy” 2/16/1995
2. Season 1, Episode 16/17 “The One With Two Parts” 2/23/1995
3. Season 1, Episode 20 “The One with the Evil Orthodontist” 4/6/1995
4. Season 1, Episode 23 “The One with the Birth” 5/11/1995
5. Season 2, Episode 7 “The One Where Ross Finds Out” 11/9/1995
6. Season 2, Episode 11 “The One with the Lesbian Wedding” 1/18/1996
7. Season 2, Episode 14 “The One with the Prom Video” 2/1/1996
8. Season 3, Episode 1 “The One With the Princess Leia Fantasy” 9/19/1996
9. Season 3, Episode 2 “The One Where No One’s Ready” 9/26/1996
10. Season 3, Episode 9 “The One The One with all the Football” 11/21/1996
11. Season 4, Episode 8 “The One With Chandler in a Box” 11/20/1997
12. Season 4, Episode 12 “The One with the Embryos” 1/15/1998
13. Season 4, Episode 20 “The One With all the Wedding Dresses” 4/16/1998
14. Season 5, Episode 11 “The One with all the Resolutions” 1/7/1999
15. Season 5, Episode 15 “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” 2/11/1999
16. Season 5, Episode 19 “The One where Ross Can’t Flirt” 4/22/1999
17. Season 5, Episode 20 “The One with the Ride-Along” 4/29/1999
18. Season 6, Episode 4 “The One where Joey Loses his Insurance” 10/14/1999
19. Season 6, Episode 5 “The One with Joey’s Porche” 10/21/1999
20. Season 6, Episode 9 “The One where Ross got High” 11/25/1999
21. Season 7, Episode 6 “The One with the Nap Partners” 11/9/2000
22. Season 7, Episode 12 “The One where They’re Up All Night” 1/11/2001
23. Season 7, Episode 15 “The One with Joey’s New Brain” 2/15/2001
24. Season 8, Episode 2 “The One with the Red Sweater” 10/4/2001
25. Season 8, Episode 4 “The One the Video Tape” 10/18/2001
26. Season 8, Episode 8 “The One the Stripper” 11/15/2001
27. Season 8, Episode 15 “The One the Birthing Video” 2/7/2002
28. Season 8, Episode 22 “The One where Rachel is Late” 5/9/2002
29. Season 8, Episode 23/24 “The One where Rachel has a Baby” 5/16/2002
30. Season 9, Episode 6 “The One with the Male Nanny” 11/7/2002
31. Season 9, Episode 17 “The One with the Memorial Service” 3/13/2003
32. Season 9, Episode 18 “The One with the Lottery” 4/3/2003
33. Season 10, Episode 4 “The One with the Cake” 10/23/2003
34. Season 10, Episode 9 “The One with the Birth Mother” 1/8/2004
35. Season 10, Episode 11 “The One where the Stripper Cries” 2/5/2004

Honorable mention:

• 1.18 "The One With all the Poker"
• 1.19 "The One Where the Monkey Got Away"
• 1.24 "The One Where Rachel Finds Out"
• 2.22 "The One With Two Parties"
• 2.23 "The One With the Chicken Pox"
• 3.18 "The One With the Hypnosis Tape"
• 3.21 "The One With a Chick. And a Duck."
• 4.03 "The One With the Cuffs"
• 4.14 "The One with Joey's Dirty Day"
• 4.23 + 4.24 "The One With Ross's Wedding" (parts 1 & 2)
• 5.1 "The One After Ross Says Rachel"
• 5.3 "The One Hundredth"
• 5.6 "The One With the Yeti"
• 5.23 + 5.24 "The One In Vegas" (parts 1 & 2)
• 6.22 "The One Where Paul's the Man"
• 7.10 "The One With the Holiday Armadillo"
• 7.13 "The One Where Rosita Dies"
• 7.17 "The One With the Cheap Wedding Dress"
• 7.18 "The One With Joey's Award"
• 7.22 "The One With Chandler's Dad"
• 7.23 + 7.24 "The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding" (parts 1 & 2)
• 8.9 "The One With the Rumor"
• 8.18 "The One in Massapegua" 
• 9.3 "The One with the Pediatrician"
• 9.5 "The One with Phoebe's Birthday Dinner"
• 9.7 "The One with Ross's Inappropriate Song"
• 9.8 "The One with Rachel's Other Sister"
• 10.8 "The One with the Late Thanksgiving"
• 10.12 "The One with Phoebe's Wedding"
• 10.17 + 10.18 "The Last One" (parts 1 & 2)

Details

Season 1, Episode 15 “The One with the Stoned Guy” 2/16/1995

• Chandler quits his job and tries to find a new career
• Ross goes on a date with some chick who wants him to talk dirty to her, which he doesn't know how to do
• Phoebe has a massage client looking to hire a chef for his new restaurant, but during Monica's audition, he gets stoned
• Guest star: Jon Lovitz as Steve/Stoned Guy
• Written by: Jeff Greenstein & Jeff Strauss
• Directed by: Alan Myerson

Season 1, Episode 16/17 “The One With Two Parts” 2/23/1995

• Joey dates Phoebe's twin sister, Ursula
• Rachel pretends to be Monica to use her insurance when she sprains her ankle, then they go on a date with doctors who treated them
• Chandler dates a woman who he has to fire
• Ross freaks out about becoming a dad
• Guest Stars: Leila Kenzle & Helen Hunt, George Clooney & Noah Wyle 
• Written by: David Crane & Marta Kauffman
• Directed by: Michael Lembeck 

Season 1, Episode 20 “The One with the Evil Orthodontist” 4/6/1995

• Rachel's ex-fiance is engaged to her best friend, Mindy
• Someone watches them with a telescope from across the street 
• Chandler obsesses over whether or not a girl he went on a date with is going to call him
• Written by: Doty Abrams
• Directed by: Peter Bonerz 

Season 1, Episode 23 “The One with the Birth” 5/11/1995

• Ross, Phoebe, and Susan get stuck in a closet while Carol is in labor
• Guest star: Leah Remini
• Teleplay by: Jeff Greenstein & Jeff Strauss; Story by: David Crane & Marta Kauffman
• Directed by: James Burrows

Season 2, Episode 7 “The One Where Ross Finds Out” 11/9/1995

• Ross finds out Rachel had feelings for him
• Phoebe dates a guy who won't put out
• Monica helps Chandler lose weight
• Written by: Michael Borkow
• Directed by: Peter Bonerz

Season 2, Episode 11 “The One with the Lesbian Wedding” 1/18/1996

• Monica caters Carol & Susan's wedding
• Phoebe is inhabited by the spirit of a massage client who died on her table
• Rachel's mom visits with news she is leaving her father
• Joey's first episode of Days of Our Lives
• Written by: Doty Abrams
• Directed by: Thomas Schlamme

Season 2, Episode 14 “The One with the Prom Video” 2/1/1996

• Ross & Rachel finally get together
• Monica is interviewed for a chef position by a guy with a salad fetish
• Monica & Ross' parents drop off boxes, including an old video tape
• The term "lobsters" for Ross & Rachel is dubbed
• Joey buys Chandler an ugly friendship bracelet
• First appearance of Fat Monica
• Written by: Alexa Junge
• Directed by: James Burrows

Season 3, Episode 1 “The One With the Princess Leia Fantasy” 9/19/1996

• Monica tries to get over breakup with Richard
• Joey tries to get along with Janice
• Ross tells Rachel about a fantasy where she dresses up like Princess Leia
• Written by: Michael Curtis & Gregory S. Malins
• Directed by: Gail Mancuso 

Season 3, Episode 2 “The One Where No One’s Ready” 9/26/1996

• Ross freaks out while everyone takes forever to get ready to go to his work event
• Joey and Chandler fight over a chair
• Monica gets a message from Richard
• Written by: Ira Ungerleider
• Directed by: Gail Mancuso

Season 3, Episode 9 “The One The One with all the Football” 11/21/1996

• Thanksgiving episode
• The 6 play football and battle for the Geller Cup
• Favorite moment: When Chandler asks Joey where Dutch people come from
• Written by: Ira Ungerleider
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 4, Episode 8 “The One With Chandler in a Box” 11/20/1997

• Thanksgiving episode
• Chandler sits in a box so Joey will forgive him for kissing Kathy
• Monica dates Richard's son
• Ross and Rachel fight about her returning gifts
• Written by: Michael Borkow
• Directed by: Peter Bonerz

Season 4, Episode 12 “The One with the Embryos” 1/15/1998

• Ross creates a game in which Monica & Rachel compete against Joey & Chandler to see who knows who better, and the girls lose the apartment
• Phoebe gets Frank & Alice's embryos implanted
• Written by: Jill Codon & Amy Toomin
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 4, Episode 20 “The One With all the Wedding Dresses” 4/16/1998

• Joey starts snoring; Chandler meets a girl at the sleep clinic
• Monica and Phoebe hang out in wedding dresses (Monica in Emily's)
• Rachel scares Joshua away by trying to compete with Ross' engagement
• Teleplay by: Michael Curtis & Gregory S. Malins; Story by: Adam Chase
• Directed by: Gail Mancuso

Season 5, Episode 11 “The One with all the Resolutions” 1/7/1999

• Everyone makes a New Year's Resolution: Ross' is to do something new every day, which includes buying leather pants; Joey's is to learn guitar, which Phoebe teaches him
• Rachel finds out about Monica & Chandler
• Teleplay by: Suzie Villandry; Story by: Brian Boyle
• Directed by: Joe Regalbuto

Season 5, Episode 15 “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” 2/11/1999

• Ross looks to sublet Ugly Naked Guys apartment
• Phoebe finds out about Monica & Chandler; she & Rachel try to mess with them
• Hugsy is introduced
• Written by: Alexa Jung
• Directed by: Michael Lembeck

Season 5, Episode 19 “The One where Ross Can’t Flirt” 4/22/1999

• Everyone & Joey's grandma watch Law & Order, which Joey is supposed to appear on
• Rachel loses Monica's earrings which Phoebe lent her
• Ross tries to flirt with the pizza delivery girl
• It's Chandler & Monica's 10 month anniversary
• Written by: Doty Abrams
• Directed by: Gail Mancuso

Season 5, Episode 20 “The One with the Ride-Along” 4/29/1999

• Phoebe's cop boyfriend takes Joey, Chandler, and Ross on a ride-along
• Rachel & Monica intercept a message from Emily on Ross' answering machine
• Written by: Shana Goldberg-Meehan & Seth Kurland
• Directed by: Gary Halvorson

Season 6, Episode 4 “The One where Joey Loses his Insurance” 10/14/1999

• Joey gets a hernia after losing his insurance so he tries to get an acting job
• Rachel, who is moving in with Ross, finds out that he never got the divorce/annulment
• Ross is a guest lecturer at NYU and begins talking with a British accent
• Written by: Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen
• Directed by: Gary Halvorson 

Season 6, Episode 5 “The One with Joey’s Porche” 10/21/1999

• Joey pretends to be the owner of the Porche he finds keys to in the coffee house
• Rachel & Ross are denied an annulment 
• Phoebe, Monica, & Chandler babysit the triplets for a day
• Favorite scene: Ross & Rachel in the judge's chambers arguing over the forms, which say Ross is a gay, mentally unstable intravenous drug user
• Written by: Perry Rein & Gigi McCreery
• Directed by: Gary Halvorson

Season 6, Episode 9 “The One where Ross got High” 11/25/1999

• Thanksgiving episode
• The Gellers come to Thanksgiving dinner, but don't know Monica & Chandler are living together
• Ross admits he got high in college and told his parents it was Chandler
• Ross & Joey want to go meet Jeanine's dancer friends for drinks
• Rachel tries to make an English trifle for dessert
• Phoebe has a dream about Jack Geller
• Favorite scene: When Monica tells their parents the truth and everyone starts yelling out secrets
• Written by: Greg Malins
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 7, Episode 6 “The One with the Nap Partners” 11/9/2000

• Joey and Ross take a nap together
• Rachel and Phoebe debate who gets to be Monica's maid of honor
• Monica makes Chandler apologize to a girl he dumped for being fat
• Written by: Brian Buckner & Sebastian Jones
• Directed by: Gary Halvorson

Season 7, Episode 12 “The One where They’re Up All Night” 1/11/2001

• Ross & Joey get stuck on the roof
• Monica & Chandler can't fall asleep
• Phoebe's smoke alarm won't stop beeping
• Rachel & Tag argue about work
• Written by: Zack Rosenblatt
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 7, Episode 15 “The One with Joey’s New Brain” 2/15/2001

• Joey works with the actress who his character is replacing on Days of Our Lives
• Chandler & Monica overhear Ross practicing the bagpipes for their wedding
• Phoebe & Rachel argue over who gets to return the cellphone to the cute guy who lost it
• Favorite part: Phoebe singing along to Ross playing the bagpipes 
• Guest Star: Susan Sarandon
• Teleplay by: Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen; Story by: Sherry Bilsing & Ellen Plummer
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 8, Episode 2 “The One with the Red Sweater” 10/4/2001

• Joey, Phoebe, and Monica try to figure out who the father of Rachel's baby is with a red sweater he left behind
• Monica opens all of the wedding gifts without Chandler
• Chandler & Ross try to reenact wedding photos with disposable cameras 
• Written by: Dana Klien Borkow
• Directed by: David Schwimmer

Season 8, Episode 4 “The One the Video Tape” 10/18/2001

• Ross & Rachel argue who came on to who the night they slept together that resulted in her pregnancy
• Joey teaches Ross the story about hiking in Spain that Rachel uses on Ross
• Monica & Chandler are given a fake number by a couple they met on the way home from their honeymoon
• Written by: Scott Silveri
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 8, Episode 8 “The One the Stripper” 11/15/2001

• Monica gets Chandler a stripper to make up for not having a bachelor party, but she turns out to be a prostitute
• Phoebe and Rachel go to dinner with her dad to tell him she's pregnant
• Ross and Mona's date is interrupted by Rachel's dad
• Written by: Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen
• Directed by: David Schwimmer

Season 8, Episode 15 “The One the Birthing Video” 2/7/2002

• Chandler and Monica's Valentine's Day is ruined when they accidentally watch a birthing tape meant for Rachel
• Ross doesn't tell Mona that Rachel has moved in with him
• Phoebe brings Joey a friend's dog to cheer him up
• Written by: Dana Klein Borkow
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 8, Episode 22 “The One where Rachel is Late” 5/9/2002

• Monica and Phoebe bet on when Rachel will have her baby, while she is a week late
• Ross and Rachel try to find ways to induce labor
• Joey takes Chandler to the premiere of his movie
• Written by: Shana Goldberg-Meehan
• Directed by: Gary Halvorson

Season 8, Episode 23/24 “The One where Rachel has a Baby” 5/16/2002

• Rachel is in labor for 2 days in a semi-private room in which multiple women come and go, including Janice
• Monica & Chandler decide to try to have a baby
• Joey help Phoebe talk to a guy with a broken leg
• People try to convince Ross that he and Rachel belong together
• Written by: David Crane & Marta Kauffman
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 9, Episode 6 “The One with the Male Nanny” 11/7/2002

• The 200th episode
• Ross & Rachel hire a male nanny that is too sensitive for Ross
• Chandler is jealous that Monica thinks a guy at her work is funnier than him
• Phoebe & Mike exchange keys, but then David returns from Minsk
• Guest Star: Freddie Prinze Jr. as Sandy the Male Nanny
• Written by: Marta Kauffman & David Crane
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright

Season 9, Episode 17 “The One with the Memorial Service” 3/13/2003

• Ross & Chandler prank each other with updates to the other's alumni page
• Joey doesn't want to give Hugsy up to Emma
• Phoebe recruits Monica to stop her from seeing Mike
• Favorite part: Everything about Ross dying from being hit by a blimp
• Teleplay by: Brian Buckner & Sebastian Jones; Story by: Robert Carlock
• Directed by: Gary Halvorson

Season 9, Episode 18 “The One with the Lottery” 4/3/2003

• All 6 pool money together for the lottery but spend the night fighting over tickets
• Chandler waits to hear about a job in advertising
• Ross & Rachel wait for Emma's first words
• Teleplay by: Sherry Bilsing & Ellen Plummer; Story by: Brian Buckner & Sebastian Jones
• Directed by: Gary Halvorson

Season 10, Episode 4 “The One with the Cake” 10/23/2003

• For Emma's 1st birthday, Rachel orders a cake without realizing it's penis-shaped
• Monica & Chandler are eager to leave the party to spend the weekend away together
• Joey comes up with a present for Emma off the top of his head
• Ross & Rachel make a tape that they want to give to Emma when she turns 18
• Written by: Robert Carlock
• Directed by: Gary Halvorson

Season 10, Episode 9 “The One with the Birth Mother” 1/8/2004

• Chandler & Monica go to Ohio to interview with the birth mother who chose them to adopt, but she thinks they are a different couple
• Joey dates Phoebe's friend who tries to eat food off of his plate
• Rachel & Phoebe help Ross shop for a date
• Written by: Scott Silveri
• Directed by: David Schwimmer

Season 10, Episode 11 “The One where the Stripper Cries” 2/5/2004

• For Phoebe's bachelorette party, Monica & Rachel have to call a stripper last-minute
• Ross & Chandler go to a reunion and flashback to a time when Monica & Rachel visited them at college
• Joey is on the game-show Pyramid
• Favorite moment: Joey trying to guess his clues and repeatedly saying "a ghost!"
• Guest Star: Danny DeVito as the Stripper, Donny Osmond, and Leslie Charleson 
• Teleplay by: Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen; Story by: Sherry Bilsing & Ellen Plummer
• Directed by: Kevin S. Bright