Friends ran for a lot of episodes, so it's probably understandable that occasionally, across a 10-year run, a couple of minor plot holes snuck in.
But some of these gaffes are so huge, you just have to assume the respective writers of these shows had never seen another episode of the show before.
We've compiled the most baffling examples, throwing in video evidence for good measure.
1. Phoebe's relationship with her dad
"My real Dad ran out on us before I was born," Phoebe tells Rachel. Well, if that's the case, how was he able to inspire 'Smelly Cat' with his 'Sleepy Girl' lullaby? (see below)
Was Phoebe really that desperate to protect the copyright on her most famous song that she'd lie about meeting the man who actually came up with the melody?
2. The Die Hard paradox
Chandler, Joey and Ross are obsessed with Die Hard. So, uh, why don't they recognised Bruce Willis when he starts dating one of their mates? They could have at least said 'Welcome to the party, pal' after they first met him.
This is a surprisingly frequent issue on Friends – Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Sean Penn and Elle McPherson are all mentioned as 'real world' people before they turned up as characters. I guess the pals just assume they're all lookalikes?
3. Joey doesn't share food, unless he does
In 'The One Where Eddie Won't Go', Joey kindly invites the denizens of Central Perk to share his cruller – a kind of sweet pastry. However, in 'The One With The Birth Mother', he ends a potential relationship because his date took some fries from his plate.
As it turns out, he won't share food with anyone – not even grapes with baby Emma. So, what's going on here?
JOEY DOESN'T SHARE FOOD, unless it's a cruller – in which case, help yourselves.
4. Monica's Thanksgiving memories
"This is my first Thanksgiving, and it's all burned," Monica says, sobbing. Except, you know, it really isn't (her first Thanksgiving, that is).
The moment comes from 'The One Where Underdog Gets Away' an episode broadcast in 1994, but in 'The One With All The Thanksgivings', we flashback to 1992, where yet another one of Monica's Thanksgivings has been ruined, this time because Joey's stuck got a big turkey stuck on his head.
Easy thing to forget, we guess?
5. Chander's a loser? What does that make us?!
Chandler has a rep for being a bit of a loser on the show. Apparently, he's unlucky in love.
If that's the case, then why has he dated so many beautiful / interesting / funny women?
Including, just in case you've forgotten, Julia Roberts. OK, she was only doing it to get revenge on him for a childhood prink. But still, Julia Roberts.
6. Just when was Ross born, anyway?
Okay, this is an easy one – Ross was born in December, and he tells Gunther as much in 'The One With George Stephanopoulos.'
But keep watching the above clip. In a later episode, he gets angry that Joey's forgotten that he was actually born in October. So which is it?
We're starting to think Joey's guess 'Maytember' might be closer to the truth...
7. Joey's inconsistent Adam's Apple
In an early episode, Joey describes a previous dating partner who had an Adam's apple. In a later episode, he calls his own Adam's Apple a "Joey's Apple" – under the false belief that the lump in men's throats is named after the man himself.
So… was Joey's date called Adam, then? To be fair, that does make Joey's naivety in the original clip slightly funnier, so maybe this was intentional (it wasn't).
8. Rachel's wild past
When Phoebe finds out that Rachel kissed a girl at college, she refuses to believe it, claiming Rachel's too 'vanilla' for that sort of thing.
Only one problem with that, wasn't Phoebe in the room when Monica and Rachel made out with each other in front of Joey and Chandler to save their apartment? Did she shut her eyes or what?
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Sam is an entertainment writer with NCTJ accreditation and a twenty-year career as a film journalist.
Starting out as a staff writer at Total Film, moving up to Deputy Online Editor, Sam was responsible for Total Film’s YouTube channel, where he revolutionised the magazine’s approach to video junkets, creating influential formats that spread to other outlets.
He’s interviewed a wide range of film icons, including directors such as David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Ridley Scott, Michael Bay and Sam Raimi, as well as actors such as Meryl Streep, Nic Cage, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Anne Hathaway, Margot Robbie, Natalie Portman, Kermit the Frog, all of the Avengers and many more.
Sam has also interviewed several comic creators, including Stan Lee, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and he has a zombie cameo in The Walking Dead comic.
In 2014, Sam went freelance, working directly for film studios including Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Disney, as well as covering red carpet events for film marketing company PMA Productions.
Sam is the co-host, producer and editor of the Arrow Video podcast, which has seen year-on-year growth since its creation in 2017, gaining over half a million listens in that time.
His byline has appeared in outlets such as Yahoo, MTV, Dazed, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Good Housekeeping among others.
In 2012, Sam made it to the final of the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year competition, and went on to become a filmmaker himself, directing three features that have all played major festivals, and secured distribution – starring in two of them.
Jim Carrey once mistook Sam for Johnny Cash, and John Carpenter told him to ‘Keep up the good work.’ He promises to try his best.
