It’s easy to point plot holes in the famous 90s sitcom Friends, but there’s actually an explanation behind these so-called mistakes.
Monica’s Apartment
Naturally, the casual viewer of Friends would undoubtedly roll their eyes at the idea of a mid to late twenty-something being able to afford a lovely and spacious apartment like the one Monica Gellar lives in throughout the series. Monica’s grandmother is the actual legal resident of the rent-controlled apartment, and Monica is living there illegally.
The Chick & The Duck
While fans of the pets no doubt wondered about their whereabouts later on in the series, it isn’t revealed till the two-part series finale “The Last One” that the animals passed away a while back, though Joey believes they went to a unique farm that he can’t visit.
Chandler & Rachel
The repeated first-time meetings between Chandler Bing and Rachel Green might seem like the ultimate mystery to Friends fans, but apparently, it isn’t the giant plot hole it appears to be. In the commentary for the show, creator Kevin Bright says that this isn’t a mistake but rather a reflection of Chandler and Rachel’s changing physical appearance.
The Couch
There’s even a Friends’ theory that Gunther reserves the couch because of his crush on Rachel. While that’s never been confirmed (though it seems believable considering his willingness to please Rachel), it is clear that the couch was somehow getting held for the gang.
Phoebe’s Apartment
It’s known that Phoebe is a masseuse and that her work wasn’t always consistent, so how exactly could she afford her apartment? “The One with the Holiday Armadillo” revealed that the apartment was originally a one-bedroom that Phoebe’s grandmother converted into a two-bedroom by putting up a wall.
The Best She Ever Had
Chandler learns the erogenous zones from Monica after he starts going out with Joey’s former girlfriend, Kathy. As Chandler later tells Monica, “If I’m the best, it’s because you made me the best.” While the statement might not have specifically meant to reference her teachings, it still seems to ring pretty accurately in this case.
Ross’s Sensitivity
Ross and Sandy have a heart-to-heart about Ross’s issues, and viewers learn that Ross’s father, Jack, had a problem with Ross being too sensitive and would criticize him for not playing like a “real boy” as a child. While it certainly doesn’t make Ross’s treatment of Sandy alright, it does explain Ross’s issues with masculinity were projected onto Sandy.
Frank Jr.
Viewers first see actor Giovanni Ribisi in season 2’s “The One with the Baby on the Bus,” He briefly appears to retrieve the condom he accidentally dropped in Phoebe’s guitar case. There is also evidence to back up the theory that Frank Jr. and Condom Boy are the same characters.
Denise
In season 6’s “The One with Ross’ Denial,” Phoebe reveals that she has a roommate named Denise, who no one has ever heard of despite Phoebe’s insistence that she talks about Denise all the time. One is that Phoebe made her up to live alone but decided to have Denise “moved out” when she realized it was more important to help out Rachel.
Joey
While most of the characters in the Friends group got happy endings with a special someone, that didn’t seem to be the case for Joey Tribbiani. A reasonable explanation is the short-lived spin-off series Joey followed the popular character after the series finale of Friends. Knowing that Joey would continue with his show made sense to leave his character’s arc on Friends open to give the character more room to grow on his series.
