8 Things That Make No Sense About ‘Friends’
Friends remains one of the most popular, enduring comedies ever created because it’s managed to withstand the test of time. Sure, there are certain jokes that series creators regret. But overall, the humor on Friends is still just as hilarious today as it was 25 years ago.
The sitcom followed six best friends — Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe — as they attempted to navigate young adulthood in New York City. The group experienced so many relatable situations that fans of all demographics could relate to. However, people can’t help but notice some of the weirdest things that made no sense about Friends.
Monica and Rachel’s apartment on ‘Friends’ was gigantic
One of the most egregious discrepancies on Friends was the vast size of Rachel and Monica’s apartment. Yes, the writers explained it away by claiming Monica was living there illegally under her grandmother’s name, plus it was protected by rent control. But that still doesn’t explain how a coffee shop waitress and a chef could afford a sprawling two-bedroom apartment in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Or that an apartment like that exists in real life (hint: it doesn’t).
Rachel and Monica weren’t the only culprits. Every castmate on the show lived in an apartment that would cost well above what they were able to afford in reality.
The apartment numbers didn’t add up
In one episode, Joey claims there are 97 steps between his apartment and the Central Perk coffee shop where the six Friends hang out. His admission just makes the numbering on the apartments even more confusing.
At first on Friends, Monica and Rachel lived in apartment 4 while Chandler and Joey lived in apartment 5. However, those numbers didn’t make sense with the exterior shots, which led to the apartments being renumbered in the first season. The apartments became 19 and 20.
New York City residents pointed out that the apartments weren’t numbered properly for a typical city building. Usually, units are numbered according to the floor, so Monica and Rachel would be 3A or something similar.
The ‘Friends’ group didn’t treat large age gaps equally
It’s creepy enough that Monica started dating Richard, her father’s friend, in the first place. The couple faced plenty of challenges based on age but one detail that never sat right with fans was the double standard. The group seemed totally fine with Monica and Richard being together.
However, Phoebe was appalled when her brother Frank Jr. was dating a woman who was twice his age.
Rachel and Chandler met for the first time several times
Rachel was introduced to Chandler during the pilot episode of the series. But then in several flashback scenes later, a younger Rachel is seen meeting Chandler again for the first time.
It’s a continuity error that writers on Friends should have noticed.
They had zero boundaries
Not only did the Friends castmates date within their small group, they also had no boundaries with each other’s personal space. They were constantly walking in and out of each other’s apartments without knocking and even hanging out at Monica’s home when she wasn’t there.
It made for some hilarious television, but it wasn’t realistic for how respectful adults behave with their friends.
The couch at Central Perk was always available
There’s a hilarious scene when the group walks into Central Perk only to find their couch occupied by strangers. The scene is memorable because the couch and chairs are usually available for Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe.
It’s more than just the fact that all six adults seem to have endless free time to sit at a coffee shop on weekday mornings. More strangely, a popular coffee shop would be unlikely to have that prime seating available every single day.
Chandler and Joey kept a chick and duck in a city apartment
There’s zero chance Chandler and Joey’s landlord would have allowed farm animals as pets in their apartment, or that they’d get away with it for so long.
Not to mention, wouldn’t someone have seen Ross walking around with Marcel the monkey at some point?
The ‘Friends’ castmates don’t act like typical twenty-somethings
Rachel has an epic birthday party when she turned 30, but leading up to that day and after she didn’t act like a typical New Yorker in their late twenties. She and the rest of the Friends castmates never took the subway and only went to a bar one time.
They spent copious amounts of time hanging out at a coffee shop, not going to work or running errands, seeing their family, or doing typical things that twenty-somethings have to do.
These are only a few of the questionable elements on Friends. However, fans were able to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the show and make it one of the most popular comedies ever made.
