The 10 Seasons of ‘Friends,’ Ranked, Plus Where to Watch Them All
Plus, learn which episode is Lisa Kudrow's favorite.
Each season of Friends has its own iconic, memorable moments. From the hilarious “Pivot” scene in season 5 to Monica and Chandler’s wedding at the end of season 7, there is always something that makes each one feel so different and fun. Which is why we have decided to take a look back at all ten Friends seasons and rank them based on which ones made us laugh (or even cry) the most.
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10. Season 9 (2002 – 2003)
Coming in at number 10 is season 9, where a lot happened: Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross (David Schwimmer) tackle co-parenting their daughter, Emma; Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) try to have a child, Chandler quits his job, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) meets her future husband Mike (Paul Rudd) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) continues to pursue his acting career.
It was a fun season and had iconic episodes like “The One with Rachel’s Other Sister,” where viewers meet Amy (Christina Applegate) during a laugh-out-loud Thanksgiving themed show; and “The One in Barbados” that left everyone wondering who in the gang was going to end up with whom. But compared to the other seasons, it just doesn’t shine as brightly.
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9. Season 8 (2001 – 2002): Friends seasons
Season 8 of Friends opened with episodes like “The One After ‘I Do'” and “The One with the Red Sweater,” which captured viewers’ attention right off the bat by making them wonder who the father of Rachel’s baby was. And while it also had incredible guest stars like Brad Pitt and Alec Baldwin, much of the season gets glossed over.
That being said, it does have Rachel and Ross dealing with her pregnancy, Monica and Chandler adjusting to their newlywed status, Joey fighting his feelings for a certain someone and Phoebe trying and failing to find her soulmate.
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8. Season 10 (2003 – 2004)
Has there ever been a series finale as heartwrenching and well done as the last episode in this season? We say no! Rachel gets off the plane to be with Ross, Monica and Chandler get their twins, Phoebe ends up happily married to Mike and Joey is finally the soap actor star he always aspired to be.
However, for the rest of the season, it is clearly designed to get the gang their happily ever afters. There are some unforgettable moments, though, like when Ross keeps drunkenly saying he’s okay in “The One Where Ross is Fine,” or when Phoebe legally changes her name in “The One with Princess Consuela.” These moments have certainly withstood the test of time, but the rest of the season did not.
7. Season 1 (1994 – 1995): Friends seasons
This season marked the start of what would become one of the most well-known and watched shows of all time. It has the early 1990s nostalgia we all love and introduced us to the six friends for the very first time. We also get Rachel working at Central Perk, Chandler and Joey living together, Ross being hopelessly in love with Rachel — while trying to come to terms with becoming a father — and Phoebe providing the aloofness we didn’t know we needed until we saw it.
Season 1 also has the hilarious episode entitled “The One with the Blackout,” the introduction of Marcel the Monkey and Ross’s first child Ben. And let’s not forget the ending that had all of us needing to know what happened next.
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6. Season 4 (1997 – 1998)
Season 4 opens with Ross trying to decide whether to get back together with Rachel and ends with him saying the wrong name at his wedding. It also features a love triangle between Joey, Chandler, and Kathy (Paget Brewster), Phoebe becoming the surrogate for her brother’s triplets, Monica living in the guys’ apartment, and so many more shenanigans that it’s hard to keep them all straight.
Episodes like “The One with the Embryos,” “The One with Chandler in a Box” and “The One With Ross’ Wedding” took most of the gang across the pond to London, England. It was fun, fresh and everything Friends should be.
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5. Season 7 (2000 – 2001): Friends seasons
Season 7 could be ranked number one just for Monica and Chandler’s wedding alone. Not to mention the shocking reveal at the end, which had everyone wondering who the father of Rachel’s baby is. And when you throw in the hilarious wedding preparations (like “The One with the Nap Partners” and “The One with the Cheap Wedding Dress”), there were nonstop laughs for 24 episodes straight.
Stars like Winona Ryder, Kathleen Turner and Gary Oldman also appeared in this season, with Oldman, Lisa Kudrow, and Jennifer Aniston being nominated for Emmys for their work during this season.
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4. Season 6 (1999 – 2000)
After leaving the chapel married and blacked-out drunk, Ross and Rachel are stuck trying to figure out where they go from here. Monica decides to move in with Chandler, leaving Joey crushed and Rachel with no choice but to move in with Phoebe. This season also marked the start of David Schwimmer’s directing career, “The One on the Last Night” being the first of 10 episodes he helmed.
Season 6 also ended with what could only be described as the most romantic and moving proposals of all time. We know it had us in tears.
3. Season 3 (1996 – 1997): Friends seasons
Coming in third place is none other than season 3. Monica is still depressed after her breakup with Richard (Tom Selleck), Ross and Rachel are still going strong and Chandler is happily dating Janice (Maggie Wheeler). Elsewhere, Joey and Phoebe continue to provide the comic relief as only they can.
Season 3 also brought us the iconic phrase, “We were on a break,” the start of Rachel’s fashion career, everyone’s favorite pets, The Chick and The Duck; and a very funny cameo by Emmy nominee Jon Favreau.
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2. Season 5 (1998 – 1999)
The show’s fifth season marked the start of Monica and Chandler’s relationship, giving us unforgettable episodes like “The One Where Everyone Finds Out” and “The One with All the Thanksgivings.” It also included the show’s 100th episode, which Lisa Kudrow claims is her favorite.
And if all of that wasn’t enough, Ross is dealing with his second divorce while Rachel is trying and failing to get over him. Joey, on the other hand, is still dating up a storm and ends up with a man bag and gig on a PBS telethon.
1. Season 2 (1995 – 1996): Friends seasons
Coming in at number one is none other than season 2. This one is perfect from start to finish and has everything Friends fans love: hilarious drama, unforgettable love stories and 90’s nostalgia that makes Friends a step above the rest.
Ross and Rachel finally get together this season. Monica gets together with Richard, and Phoebe tells the world what it means to be someone’s lobster. With unforgettable moments like these and so much more, it’s no surprise this season is at the top of the list.
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Where to watch all seasons of ‘Friends’?
Every season of Friends is streaming on MAX .
For all things Friends, click here!
