Friends
Summary
AlthoughFriendscontinues to be one of the most popular sitcom ever , rewatching the series in 2023 brings out some hard truth , and there are manyFriendsstorylines that are now hard to watch . Friendswas groundbreaking in different ways and its bequest and ethnic impingement ca n’t be denied , but it ’s now one TV series that ca n’t be say has aged well . Friendsdid many thing right and open up track for subsequent television receiver shows , but it also had some weird and even controversial storyline that , while most were brook when the series was airing , are hard to take in now .
Friendstook the audience to New York City to follow a group of six young adult as they did their best to balance all area of their lives while dealing with everything that adulthood threw at them . As a result , Friendssaw its chief character reference go through many ups and downs and give up writer to explore different storyline , but not all of them have get on well . The issue of someFriendsstorylines have arrive to light in late years as more and more mass catch ( and rewatch ) the series , and some of them definitely would n’t have been made hadFriendsbeen done in 2023 . Here are 10Friendsstorylines that are hard to watch in 2023 and why .
10Phoebe Dates Her Twin’s Stalkers
The main characters inFriendsdated a form of people before finding their various lobsters , but in Phoebe ’s case , the serial publication repeated the same creepy swain plot line . First , inFriendsseason 3 , Phoebe run across Malcolm ( David Arquette ) at the subway place when he was following her as he slip her for her duplicate baby , Ursula . Malcolm ’s obsession with Ursula lead her to charge a restraining order against him , but he continued to haunt her . Phoebe offer to facilitate him get over her , but she discover up with him as he continued to stalk her sister .
Later , inFriendsseason 8 , Phoebe forgather Eric ( Sean Penn ) , Ursula ’s fiancé , and after Phoebe exhibit Ursula ’s lies , Eric bring out up with her and immediately localize eyes on Phoebe . Eric go Phoebe ’s earpiece number with the aid of a police friend , which even though is n’t as stalkerish as what Malcolm did , it ’s not a honest sign either . Eric had trouble looking at Phoebe because she evidently remind him of Ursula and that made him angry , but Phoebe was sure she could help oneself him recover . In the remnant , they broke up as Eric had sexual urge with Ursula thinking she was Phoebe , and that was too much for Phoebe .
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Although Phoebe is good - hearted and always uncoerced to help oneself , she ’s also a inviolable woman , and prefer to date hands obsessed with her Gemini , and one of them being a dangerous sneak , was very out - of - persona , and it is n’t a storyline viewers would root for now .
9Ross Dating One Of His Students
Many entries on this listing are storylines from the characters ’ love lives , asFriendsexplored a variety of matter through these . One of the most controversial and hard - to - watch storyline inFriendswas when Ross bug out dating one of his students , Elizabeth . Of course , dating a scholarly person was prohibited and could have develop Ross fired , but or else of put an end to what they had , they continued dating in enigma . The Ross / Elizabeth relationship is uncomfortable to check due to the age spread ( 12 class , approximately ) and how evident it was that they were n’t really connecting , with Elizabeth enjoying a free , careless life sentence , while Ross is have it away for always want to be in mastery .
8Monica Goes Out With Richard’s Son
Before settling down with Chandler , Monica ’s most important kinship was with Richard Burke , which is another controversial pair due to the 21 - year age gap . Richard and Monica broke up as he did n’t want to have more kid , while Monica dreamed of having a family . Some clock time later , inFriendsseason 4 , Monica met Richard ’s Word , Timothy , when she need to see an eye doctor and ended up inviting him for Thanksgiving . Timothy and Monica kiss after dinner party , but both were gross out as she had dated his Father of the Church and he reminded her of his father . Even the rest of the character pointed out how weird the whole matter was , but Monica did n’t heed .
7Rachel’s Relationship With Joshua
InFriendsseason 4 , Rachel met Joshua Burgin while working at Bloomingdale ’s as a personal shopper . Rachel was immediately attract to Joshua , and she did everything she could to ask him out and get him to like her . Everything Rachel did to get Joshua ’s care is painful to watch , specially during the imitation Bon Voyage party she made for Emily , which was actually an alibi to invite Joshua and examine to seduce him . Even after making a fool of herself at the end of the company by apparel up as a cheerleader , Rachel and Joshua set forth date , but it stop because Rachel , once more , try out too intemperately and force the human relationship .
With Ross and Emily getting married , Rachel finger air pressure to take her relationship with Joshua to the next level , and she suggest they got married . Joshua was , clearly , weirded out and left , and though he tried to talk to Rachel again , he freak out when she opened the threshold wearing a wedding dress . Rachel went too far just to get a man to like her and it was very off - character , and no one require to see someone endeavor to force another soul to like them and immediately jump into a serious relationship .
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6Chandler’s Fatphobia
Friendshad a fatphobia problem , mostly seen in its depiction and treatment of Monica ’s past when she was heavy , but Chandler is the one who actually had a trouble with other masses ’s weight . Not only did he call Monica fat when he was in college , which Monica overheard and pushed her to lose weighting , but it was later expose that he once broke up with a lady friend because she advance weighting . Chandler accommodate that what he did was immature and aweless , but that does n’t make it less uncomfortable to watch .
5Joey Tries To Learn French
Joey was never the bright character inFriends , but as the series progressed , it made Joey dumber and dumber , even though he decidedly had some smartness in him . This problem with Joey peaked inFriendsseason 10 , when Joey was preparing for an hearing that demand him to read some contrast in French , and he lie on his résumé about speaking French . Phoebe , who is silver in French , agreed to help him , but Joey was totally incapable of succeed her and ended up speaking gibber , so much so that Phoebe “ defend ” him during the audition by telling the director ( in French , so Joey would n’t interpret ) , that Joey was “ a little retarded ” . This storyline diminish Joey to the point where it was n’t funny , and it was unneeded to make him so dumb .
4The Whole Ross & Emily Storyline
Ross and Emily are one of the most hated couple inFriendsnot just because of how unrealistic it was but because Emily herself was a very unsympathetic character . Ross and Emily got together way too fast and it got too serious in no prison term , with their marriage come as a surprisal to everyone . While it ’s understandable that Emily had confidence issues after Ross said Rachel ’s name at the altar , Emily was forcing Ross to leave behind his spirit behind and not talk or see Rachel again , even though what happened was n’t Rachel ’s fault . Emily become as far as to make Ross sell all his furniture that was once in contact with Rachel , adding even more red flags to their relationship .
3Rachel and Joey Get Together
One of the most divisive dyad inFriendswas Rachel and Joey , who started date in season 10.The Rachel / Joey relationship felt forcedand as if the writers did n’t experience what to do with them , so they just threw them together to keep the series go . Although Joey and Rachel shared a particular bond , it was very clear from the beginning that they were honest off as protagonist , and their prison term together was uncomfortable to watch as there was no existent chemistry between them as a twosome . Luckily , the Rachel / Joey love story did n’t last long and they broke up a duo of sequence later , but it was long enough to keep viewers speak about it years afterFriendsended .
2Monica & Ross’ Hot Cousin
InFriendsseason 7 , viewers met Cassie , Ross and Monica ’s cousin who arrived in the urban center for Monica and Chandler ’s hymeneals . Cassie was young and beautiful , so much so that she unintentionally see Chandler ’s tending , so Monica require Ross to let her quell with him – and that ’s where it got manner too weird . Ross was scandalize at how beautiful Cassie had become , and while watching a movie one night , he tried to snog her . To make it even worse , when question by an angry Cassie , he simply enunciate that he had n’t had sex in a long sentence . Friendstried to use incest as drollery , but the episode is manifestly creepy-crawly and distressful .
1Ross Getting Jealous Over Rachel’s Friendship With Mark
Ross is one of the most detest and criticized character inFriendsfor many reasons , and among the liberal ones is his jealousy over Rachel ’s friendly relationship with Mark . Mark help Rachel get a line at Bloomingdale ’s , which kicked off her calling in way , but instead of see that , Ross receive green-eyed of Mark . Ross went as far as to arrive at Rachel ’s line of work with candles and food on their anniversary even though Rachel secernate him she was busy , just to mark his territory ( which he had already done when he sent a bunch of natural endowment to her office ) .
Although it was later unwrap that Mark was indeed attracted to Rachel , he never made a move while she was with Ross , making Ross ' green-eyed monster even more uncomfortable to watch . Ross was n’t let Rachel have other manlike friends outside of their group , which is never a healthy signboard in a relationship .