It's been nearly 20 years since Friends aired its finale, yet it's still renowned as one of the best sitcoms of all time. Over the course of its ten-season run, fans fell in love with Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Ross, and Chandler and their lives in New York City.
But fans didn't necessarily love every storyline along the way. Whether they found them cringeworthy, out of character, or just plain unbelievable, these are the plots audiences hated most, according to Reddit.
Ross Dating Elizabeth
Ross' dating life is best described as one disaster after the next. Elizabeth is no exception. Not only is she a student twelve years his junior when they meet, but her father strongly disapproves of their relationship.
So does Redditor femforjustice who says they "cringe every time I watch the storyline." In their opinion, the entire storyline is creepy and Elizabeth's father is totally justified in his overwhelming dislike of Ross. Considering how young and immature Elizabeth proves herself to be at the end of their relationship, they might have a point – the pair were in entirely different places in their lives.
The Charlie, Joey, And Ross Love Triangle
Before he embarks upon his brief relationship with Rachel, Joey is embroiled in a love triangle between himself, Ross, and paleontologist Charlie. Ross yearns for Charlie the entire time she's with Joey, before eventually making a move on her himself in Barbados.
This is exactly why Tryguysfan1995 can't stand the storyline, saying they "just hated how Ross treated Joey during this." Going on to explain that "he kissed Charlie in Barbados [and] acted like he cared about Joey when he didn't." It is a strange move for Ross, someone who usually considers himself to have the moral high ground – and at the end of it all, he doesn't really bother fighting for Charlie.
Sandy The Male Nanny
Sandy only appears in one episode of Friends, but he still makes quite the impression. To Ross's dismay, the male nanny is very effeminate. Ultimately Ross can't cope with the idea of a man who loves baking and puppetry contributing to raising his daughter.
This isn't one of Ross' finest moments – that's why cauliflowerjooce isn't a fan, saying that Ross' behavior really "rubs me the wrong way." In their opinion, Ross is unnecessarily mean to Sandy throughout this episode. They say they "want to scream every time he makes an unnecessarily mean comment directed towards Sandy, who was doing nothing but his job." For a lot of viewers, it's just one example of the more toxic side of Ross' personality, and it just makes him unlikeable rather than funny.
Joey's Accidental Proposal
While some fans think Rachel and Joey are perfect together, it's strange to think that the pair is at one point – very, very briefly – engaged. Not longer after Rachel gives birth to Emma, Joey accidentally discovers the engagement ring given to Ross by his mother. When he goes to pick it up, Rachel gets confused and thinks he's asking her to marry him. Even more surprisingly, she says yes.
The issue push1988 has with the storyline is that it's "so stupid and completely unnecessary." To them, it exists solely to provide a reason for Ross and Rachel to not get together just as they're showing romantic interest again. At this late stage in the show, the reasons for the ultimate will-they-won't-they couple to get together are growing sparse, and this is one of the flimsier obstacles thrown in their path.
Ross And Marcel
Part of what makes Ross such a good character is that he's full of paradoxes. While in some ways he's the most mature, responsible member of the group, he's also prone to intensity and quirkiness.
But even those qualities can't fully explain his pet monkey, Marcel. Redditor pre11yhatemachine describes the storyline as "so out of place," and has a "hard time feeling invested in those episodes" that feature Marcel. Befriending and keeping Marcel is one of Ross' most bizarre choices, and it really doesn't gel with his personality. Even Ross comments in a later season, " when I had a monkey? What was I thinking?"
Rachel's Crush On Joshua
When Rachel meets Joshua, one of Rachel's least likable exes, she falls hard. As a recent divorcee, he isn't looking for anything serious – but Rachel, feeling inferior to Ross' whirlwind engagement to Emily, dives headfirst into trying to get him to commit to something more.
For TheBoulderPooper, the secondhand embarrassment is too much to bear. They describe Rachel as going "off the deep end" in this storyline – something that really doesn't align with her previous years of romantic experience. It could be seen as proof of how deeply she was affected by Ross and Emily's relationship, but it does also feel out of character.
Chandler Moving To Tulsa
Chandler and Monica's relationship is relatively drama-free. One of its biggest obstacles comes in season 9 when Chandler – having fallen asleep in a meeting – accidentally agrees to move to Tulsa, beginning a long period of commuting between the two cities.
Logistically, prettypicture2424 thinks "Chandler moving to Tulsa makes no sense." As they point out, Chandler could easily have argued his way out of relocating. And even if he couldn't, he could've quit sooner than he does. Chandler's always complaining about how much he hates his job, so it wouldn't have been too surprising for viewers to see him walk out.
Joey Learning French
Joey may not be the most intelligent member of the group, but he almost always means well. For proof, just see season 10 when he decides to finally learn French with Phoebe after the lies on his resume catch him an audition where he has to speak the language.
This could've been a sweet storyline. Instead, teacupaloe believes this is a prime example of how the show has a tendency to make Joey "so stupid it doesn't make sense" – especially in later seasons. There are plenty of cheap shots at his actions along the way, and this is one of the worst.
Monica And Ross's Hot Cousin
While Monica and Ross' parents are regular guest stars on the show, providing some of the most wholesome parenting moments in Friends, fans rarely get to see other of the Gellar family. This changed with an entire episode focused on a visit from their cousin, Cassie. Much more attractive than they , both are strangely drawn to her – despite being related.
It's obvious why a deleted Reddit dislikes this storyline: in their own words, it's "just weird." Seeing Ross actually make a move on his own blood relation is deeply uncomfortable, with most of this plot generating awkward laughs more than anything.
Joey And Rachel's Relationship
Rachel and Joey's romance is a late addition to the show. After Joey previously had feelings for Rachel but was rejected, Rachel eventually starts feeling the same way and the pair briefly date after kissing in Barbados. However, their relationship doesn't last long as they realize they're better off as friends.
Plenty of fans felt this way the whole time. As cubbyarts explains, it "doesn’t feel very natural due to Ross and Rachel’s history and the fact that Joey and Rachel have been pals for so long." The pair definitely has one of the best, most wholesome connections out of all the show's duos. Trying to change it – only to realize the obvious pretty much straightaway – just feels unnecessary.