It seems hard to believe that sitcoms would hire continuity coordinators, so after ten seasons, it would be challenging to keep track of every gag and tidbit of information from characters. In Friends, sometimes, storylines contradict one-off lines or season-long traits for the sake of shaking things up.
Most of the time, the errors and inconsistencies go unnoticed, but keen fans have quickly pointed out the times where Friends made easily preventable mistakes. Whether it's the ever-changing state of Joey & Phoebe's intelligence, or the numbers on Monica & Rachel's apartment doors, specific details don't add up!
Read on for 15 inconsistencies and plot holes in Friends that you can't unsee!
15 Phoebe's Birth Parents Never Being Mentioned Again
Fans of the series know that Phoebe's life has been hard: Her father abandoned her, her stepfather went to prison, and her mother took her own life. These facts come up repeatedly, which makes it weirder that Phoebe's biological mother, Phoebe Abbott, is introduced in season four only to then vanish. The same happens with Frank Buffet a season later.
14 The One With The Ever-Changing Birthdays
In season one, Ross says his birthday was seven months before (March), but in a later episode cites December, only to settle on October 18th in even later episodes. The same kind of jumping around happens for Phoebe and Rachel. The ages of the characters are also inconsistent throughout the show.
13 Chandler & Rachel Meet For The First Time Three Times
The series shows Rachel and Chandler meeting three times: at the Geller's house for Thanksgiving, at his and Ross' dorm room in the 80s where the pair supposedly kiss, and in the pilot episode when Rachel leaves Barry at the altar and Monica introduces her to the group. Which is it!?!
12 Rachel Is Pregnant With Emma For Way Longer Than Nine Months
Monica and Chandler get married in May. When breaking the news to the gang, Ross and Rachel reveal that they conceived their baby about a month before the wedding. Rachel goes through the major holidays with a bump, and when she should be in her third trimester, Phoebe mentions she is four months along.
11 Ross' Son Ben Isn't At His Wedding To Emily
What kind of parent would get married without his kid? Ross' wedding to Emily was hasty and across the Atlantic, in London. Still, there is no logical reason why Ben wasn't in the audience like Ross was at Carol's second wedding to Susan, despite their complicated history.
10 David Says He Lives In Russia, But Minsk Is In Belarus
Phoebe's most meaningful relationship before marrying Mike, played by the delightful Paul Rudd, is David, played by Hank Azaria. His scientific grant for physics research in Minsk is approved. The only problem, other than him moving thousands of miles away, is the writers saying he lived in Russia when Belarus had been a country since the early 90s.
9 Monica And Rachel's Stand-Ins Show Up On-Screen
In Season 9 Episode 15, 'The One With The Mugging,' viewers spotted that a stand-in replaced Jennifer Aniston as Rachel, and this happened at other points with other characters. These seemingly careless errors are attributable to the changed display ratio in the show's move to streaming platforms.
8 Where Would Phoebe Learn To Speak Fluent French?
In season nine, Phoebe agrees to help Joey learn French, something he lied about and said he could do on his resume. "Ecoutez, je vais vous dire la vérité. C'est mon petit frère. Alors si vous pouviez jouer le jeu avec lui." Is fluent french something she learned on the streets? It's never explained.
7 None Of The Characters Have New York Accents Despite Growing Up In And Around The City
It's nitpicky, and people would probably complain if the actors toted phoney New York accents. Joey is an Italian-American from Queens. Rachel, Ross, and Monica grew up on Long Island. Phoebe lived on the streets of New York City from the time she was at least fourteen, but they all sound like L.A locals.
6 The Spelling Of Rachel's Colorful Surname
The credits list Rachel's father as "Dr. Greene." Rachel has the same spelling on her nameplate at Ralph Lauren and her invitation to Ross' wedding. The episode, "The One With The Cake," lists Rachel's last name "Green" on the box, as they do in the credits and on the Warner Brothers website.
5 How Does Monica Afford Her Rainbow Of Kitchenaid Mixers
Kitchenaid stand mixers have a long time warranty and are super expensive. Throughout ten seasons, Monica's kitchen features at least four of these mixers. While a chef likes their equipment, much like her apartment, fans are left wondering how she afforded the rotation of expensive products.
4 The Status Of Monica And Ross' Maternal Grandparents
The show references Ross and Monica's maternal grandparents twice: Jack Geller tells Chandler in "The One With Phoebe's Cookies" how his in-laws think he is a lawyer and should Chandler ever meet, "play along." Judy Geller says that her parents died very young in "The One With The Cake."
3 The Balcony And Changing Views From The Apartment
In early episodes of the series, the balcony is a spot Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, Ross, and Joey frequent. It's an ample, rectangle space, that doesn't match the exterior shots of the building. In later episodes, the balcony is a much smaller square, and the apartment occupants don't go outside.
2 Chandler Doesn't Cry
In one of the early seasons, Chandler references when Phoebe made him cry like a baby and cries while proposing to Monica. A running gag through the show is that Chandler is "feminine," all contradicted when a later episode centers around Chandler's inability to cry, which makes the episode a moot point.
1 The Need To Use The Buzzer To Get Into The Building And Unexpected Visits
The final straw for Rachel's love interest, Joshua, comes after she answers the door in a wedding dress, saying, "I do." Part of the problem behind the gag is that she would have to buzz him in, so how could he surprise her? The buzzer only comes into play as a plot point.
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