Friends is undeniably one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. Aside from maybe Seinfeld, Friends is the sitcom to end all sitcoms. It ran for 10 seasons and 236 episodes between 1994 and 2004, proving its incredible popularity. But with a show with this many episodes, there are bound to be some divisive opinions within the fanbase.
There are various aspects about Friends that some fans just cannot agree on. And that's OK. Such is the nature of stories. These are 10 unpopular opinions about the show (according to Reddit).
Joey Was "Done Dirty"
Joey was the breakout character of Friends, judging by his incredible popularity and spin-off show (that ittedly didn't do well). But in this first unpopular opinions thread, the top-rated comment claims that the show did Joey dirty.
According to leticx, "The writers did Joey dirty. He never developed like the other characters, got dumbed down in the later seasons and was reduced to comic relief with the intelligence of a toddler." This is something that's known as called "flanderization" and it's an unfortunate aspect of most sitcoms.
Chandler & Monica Shouldn't Have Moved To The Suburbs
It's a part of life - young hotshots looking to "make it" move to New York City, fall in love, have kids, and move to the cheaper and more expansive suburbs. That's exactly what happened with Chandler and Monica, and it greatly upset Serenitybyjan88.
They called it "a really stupid choice" owing primarily to the logistics (how did they afford a house?) and the fact that it "doesn’t seem like a happy ending." There's no way they remained friends with everyone after moving to the burbs.
They're All A**holes
Are the characters of Friends good people? Are they good friends to each other? That's the question at the heart of chickachickabowbow's post, and they answer it with a resounding "no."
According to them, "If it weren't for Joey, the show would've been called "A-*-*-H-O-L-E-S" and it probably wouldn't have been allowed on prime time with that title." The top response is in agreement, saying, "The other 5 are pretty s****y friends to each other when you really think about it."
Fat Monica Isn't Funny
Does Friends seem to suggest that being fat in and of itself is funny? 1cecream4breakfast claims that they were "harassed" on the Friends subreddit for not thinking Fat Monica was funny, which tells us that this is a very controversial opinion.
shellofthemshellf agrees, saying, "I think that the visual of Courteney [Cox] in that suit was an easy way for the writers to get cheap laughs." So, is Fat Monica actually funny, or just a way to generate some cheap laughs at the expense of overweight people?
Joey & Rachel Would Have Been Great Together
Friends has run the gamut on relationships. Chandler & Monica, Ross & Rachel, and of course, Joey & Rachel.
The latter coupling is particularly controversial, as many fans thought that it was a forced and manufactured pairing. But Sassy_Severus_Snape says, "I think Joey and Rachel would have been great together," an opinion which is shared by two others. So yes, there are people out there who love Joey & Rachel together.
Phoebe Was A Lame Character
Phoebe never really "fit in" to the larger Friends group. She never got with anyone in the group, and she was always seen as "the weird one." Unfortunately, some people think that she was a little too weird and sitcom-y.
RadleyCuningham believes that her character was "forced," and a whose name has since been deleted argues that Phoebe "was probably only added to fulfill the weird girl stereotype that seems to be necessary in every sitcom to ever exist."
Ross & Rachel Shouldn't Have Ended Up Together
Moving on to this unpopular opinions thread, the top comment from lafa0306 claims that Ross and Rachel should have never gotten back together owing to their toxic relationship.
According to them, "I didn't like that Ross/Rachel ended up together. They were toxic and didn't really bring the right qualities out in each other." AnnaK22 responded in agreement, saying, "The show made them out to be the IT couple but they did not work. Both are too stubborn and uncompromising."
The Show Became Worse When The Characters Grew Up
Part of the charm of early Friends was that the characters were lost people looking for their place in the world. This theme is mirrored in the show's theme song. However, once the show "grew up" with its characters, the theme song was no longer relevant.
According to anaesthaesia, "The show was at its best when people were still sort of lost." They elaborate by saying, "it was so much more enjoyable and relaxing to watch when everyone was as lost as me. Once they got established and babies were in the picture it just wasn't the same."
Monica & Chandler's Proposal Was Cheesy
Finally, this unpopular opinions thread is a doozy. One of the top-rated comments from onemoreclick reads, "Monica and Chandler's proposal was cheesy and I skip it."
It's worth noting that there are no responses to this post. Either people don't see a point in responding or elaborating, or the opinion is just so controversial that everyone is staying well clear.
Ross Is A Very Problematic Character
Apopi isn't shy about their voicing their displeasure towards Ross as a character. According to them, Ross is "a huge misogynist, an insecure selfish jealous douchebag, and a creep."
They also confidently claim that there is "no way the Ross character could behave like he did in Friends in a sitcom today." Is it time that we look at Ross through a modern lens?