Brad Pitt's Friends character is the old best friend of Ross, and the two of them together began the “I hate Rachel club.” On the surface, "The One with the Rumor" may seem like a Thanksgiving filler episode featuring a future Hollywood superstar, but its significance actually runs much deeper than that.

It promotes all the main ideas and ideologies of what Thanksgiving means in America, while also providing character development and a shift in the narrative. The episode finally allowed Ross to get over his feelings towards Rachel and mature so their friendship and bond could flourish, paving the way for them to begin their co-parenting storyline. This new dynamic was reached with the unintentional help of Brad Pitt’s Will Colbert.

Brad Pitt's Character In "The One With The Rumor" Causes Ross To Change

Ross Realizes That Friendship And Family Is More Important Than Resentment

Brad Pitt in a cameo as Will Colbert in Friends

Throughout the episode, Ross and Rachel begin to fight over some rumors they both started about each other in high school. Ross started the rumor that Rachel was born with both male and female reproductive organs, while Rachel told everyone that Ross made out with the elderly librarian (which happened to be true). This argument and a revisit of the past led to Ross re-ing the “I hate Rachel club with Will. However, it was seeing Will’s resentment and hate towards Rachel that made Ross change his perspective.

Ross realized how unhealthy it was and he realized that he didn’t want to hate Rachel, especially as he was having a child with her.

It had been over ten years since Will had last seen Rachel and he still had all of this pent-up hate and resentment towards her. Ross realized how unhealthy it was and realized that he didn’t want to hate Rachel, especially as he was having a child with her. So he left the club and apologized to her. This was the perfect message for a Thanksgiving episode of Friends, as it showed Ross getting over himself and his ego while putting his friends and family first.

"The One With The Rumor" Strangely Captured The True Spirit Of Thanksgiving

The Group Realizes That They Should Be Happy In Themselves And To Be Thankful For Each Other

This episode of Friends promoted the true spirit of Thanksgiving in the most unorthodox way, which was through the use of Will Colbert. According to Monica, he used to be bigger and put in a lot of work into losing weight. It’s clear in the episode that Will is unhappy and stressed with all the rules and routines he has given himself to keep fit. This helps the show send the message that people should stay true to themselves and do what makes them happy. The bad example set by Will Colbert helped demonstrate to the characters how important it is to appreciate what they already have in their lives.

Friends TV Series Poster

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Friends
Release Date
1994 - 2004-00-00
Network
NBC
Showrunner
Marta Kauffman

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Friends is the popular sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, released back in 1994 and ran for ten seasons. The show follows a group of six twentysomethings through their lives in New York City and their time spent between their two apartments and their local coffee shop. The show features the group navigating tricky relationships with one another and comical misadventures.

Directors
David Crane, Marta Kauffman
Writers
David Crane, Marta Kauffman
Franchise(s)
Friends
Seasons
10