Even Hardcore Friends Fans Can't Pass This Season 1 Test
- by Ioanna Micha
- – on
- in Movies and TV
The first season of Friends (1994-2004) first appeared on our TVs in 1994! It's been almost 25 years, and yet we still love our favorite gang because they still teach us things about love and friendship!
The first season of Friends (as with any TV series) is full of episodes during which both the creators and the audience try to figure out how this gang works. We learn a few things that become hilarious running gags, (like Monica's cleaning and everything to do with our favorite Phoebe) but we haven't witnessed a lot of different things yet (Joey doesn't say 'How you doin,' for instance, or Ross has only one divorce at this point, so he's not Ross the divorce guy!).
No matter, we still love them even if they haven't grown into the full version of themselves. Actually, it is safe to say that we also love watching them grow into those people! Who doesn't love watching Chandler and Monica fall in love all over again each time he or she starts watching Friends from the beginning? Or who doesn't love watching Rachel become an independent career woman and eventually a responsible mom?
But, before we go into all of that, let us enjoy once again the wonders of season 1! So, let's see, how many real Friends fans are out there now!
What does Phoebe find inside a soda can?
During the third episode of Friends which first aired on October 6, 1994, according to Wikipedia, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) buys a soda and just before she takes a sip, she finds something floating inside it (sure that's an everyday sort of experience!). This becomes one of the main themes of the episode since Phoebe is offered money by the soda's company for the situation. Considering that Phoebe doesn't want the money, she gives them to Chandler (Matthew Perry). Remember what Phoebe found inside that soda can? Was she right to freak out, or perhaps that's how everyone in her position would have reacted?
What is Barry's job?
Although Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) fiancee Barry Farber (Mitchell Whitfield) is mentioned in the pilot episode, he doesn't appear on screen until the season's second episode, which, according to Wikipedia, aired on September 29, 1994. What's interesting about Barry is that during the pilot episode his surname is Finkle, but it is later on changed into Farber! Well, all TV series have some goofs, and let's face it we'll always love Friends no matter how many goofs the series might have over the years! It should be noted that Barry's profession was one of the reasons Rachel almost married him. Remember Barry's job?
Name this character
This character is introduced to us during the second episode of Friends. She is portrayed by Jessica Hecht and she eventually becomes Carol’s (Jane Bibbet) wife. Although this character is not part of the main cast, she has a strong presence in it. During one of their interviews for Lorraine (a weekday TV program) Jessica Hecht and Jane Bibbet reveal that people have told them over the years that they were great role models. They even got a GLAAD award for what both of them represent in the show! Now, even if we don’t see this character a lot throughout the years, she is still one of our favorite characters. Remember her name?
Which one of the gang smokes?
During the third episode of Friends, we find out that one of the gang smokes. Joey (Matt LeBlanc) gets a role and he is very excited, but it turns out that his character is a smoker. For this reason, Joey asks one of his friends to teach him how to smoke in order to get the part. Although this is an issue that Joey has to face, the actor/actress that plays the character who smokes in Friends doesn’t have the same issue since, according to Wikipedia, he or she was a smoker back then. Remember which one of the gang smokes?
Where do Chandler and Joey take Ross to distract him from thinking about Carol?
During the fourth episode of Friends, Ross (David Schwimmer) is not in a great mood. It turns out that he and Carol shared an anniversary on this particular day and he can’t stop thinking about it. Although it is obvious that Joey and Chandler want to take Ross somewhere in order to keep him occupied, they pretend they do it for his birthday. To that, Ross responds that his birthday was 7 months ago, but as we find out later on his birthday was 2 days prior to this event. Yet another small goof uncovered by Wikipedia, but as always we love Friends no matter what! Regardless, remember where the guys went?
How does Chandler break up with Janice (the first time)?
Before Chandler fell in love with Monica (Courtney Cox) he had a few girlfriends, but none of them very serious. Perhaps the only one that could be considered as a serious girlfriend is Janice (Maggie Wheeler). One of our favorite recurring characters, Janice is famous for her nasal voice, her laugh and her catchphrase ‘OH MY GOD!’ It comes as a surprise, therefore, that Maggie Wheeler’s real voice is nothing like Janice’s. Wheeler’s portrayal of Janice is actually “a parody of Fran Drescher, who stars in The Nanny” according to Wikipedia, which makes this character even more hilarious. Remember how Chandler broke up with Janice (the first time)?
Who says: "Gum would be perfection?"
Throughout the years, our favorite gang has said a lot of crazy things. This could be because some of them are awkward and they find flirting to be difficult, but also because most of the characters use sarcasm to communicate their feelings (the King of this being Chandler of course!). This particular quote is included in the 7th episode of Friends, which according to Wikipedia, “aired on November 3, 1994.” As one of the gang tries to flirt with another man or woman, he or she is offered a piece of gum. His or her response is “gum would be perfection.” Remember who said this particular quote?
Why does Rachel break up with Paolo?
During the episode “The One with the Blackout,” Rachel meets one of her neighbors, the Italian guy Paolo (Cosimo Massimo). She starts dating him, and this pairing brings a lot of laughter due to the effect it has on Ross. Ross, desperately in love with Rachel, cannot accept that she is dating another guy. So when she eventually breaks up with him during the 12th episode of the series, which according to Wikipedia “aired on January 12, 1995,” he is very pleased. Remember why Rachel broke up with Paolo? Did something happen to change her mind about her relationship?
Name Phoebe's boyfriend that was a scientist
Before Phoebe settled down with Mike, (Paul Rudd) she almost said yes to another guy! We first meet him in season 1 (he is the scientist guy!) and we immediately see his connection to Phoebe. So thrilled about meeting her, the scientist guy almost abandons his dream to go to Minsk with one his friends to do a research project. For this reason, his friend calls Phoebe ‘Yoko,’ which, according to Wikipedia, “is a reference to John Lennon's wife Yoko Ono who many blame to have come between The Beatles.” The scientist guy, however, decides to go to Minsk, but resurfaces later on. Remember his name?
Which one of the gang has a son?
When we first meet everyone, we know that Ross is married, Joey sleeps around, Phoebe has an obscure past life and Chandler is afraid of commitment. With that in mind, let’s try and see which of these four has a son in the beginning of the series that is not mentioned in the pilot episode. Could it be that any of these four has a child that he or she doesn’t know about or doesn’t want to talk about? A fun fact about this child is that he is often played by twin brothers, namely the Allen twins (thanks Wikipedia!). Remember which one of the gang has a son?
Name Phoebe's boyfriend that was a psychiatrist
In the thirteenth episode of Friends which, according to Wikipedia aired on January 19, 1995, we meet one of Phoebe’s boyfriends (the psychiatrist!). Although he is seen on-screen in one episode alone, this guy is quite memorable because he is hilarious. As a psychiatrist, he is able to read each one of the gang as they truly are (both their good sides and their bad) and unfortunately for him he makes remarks based on what he sees. This leads to Phoebe breaking up with him (which he doesn’t take so well!) and we never see him again. Remember this guy’s name?
Chandler accidentally ends up on a blind date with...?
It’s Valentine’s Day and Chandler goes on a double date with Joey, his girlfriend at the time, and her best friend. It should be noted that February the 14th wasn’t always associated with the celebration of love. According to Wikipedia, “the day first became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.” Although Chandler is not very big on the whole Valentine’s Day concept, he agrees to go out, and perhaps regrets it later on that night. Remember who turned out to be his blind date on Valentine’s?
Which one of the guys falls in love with Phoebe's twin sister?
As the plot progresses, we learn that Phoebe has a twin sister, Ursula, but they are sort of estranged. According to Wikipedia, Ursula's character "comes from the TV series 'Mad About You,' an inept waitress who works at Riff's." To make things more interesting, “Helen Hunt and Leila Kenzle also appear in this episode as their ‘Mad About You’ characters Jamie Buchman and Fran Devanow, and mistake Phoebe for Ursula in Central Perk” which shows us that although Friends are not always consistent, they truly try to be as much as they can. In this episode, Ursula starts dating one of the guys, but, unlike him, she doesn’t develop any romantic feelings. Remember who dates Ursula?
Who loses Marcel?
After his divorce, Ross starts feeling very lonely. He eventually buys Marcel (a “white-headed capuchin monkey” according to Wikipedia) to keep him company. The others are not very fond of Marcel because he keeps messing up their things. Monica, especially, can’t deal with him since she needs her house to be clean, but she lets Ross bring Marcel with him because she loves her brother. There are times that Ross cannot leave Marcel on his own because he will create chaos in Ross’ apartment, so he asks from his friends and his sister to look after his pet. One time, one of the gang loses Marcel. Remember who?
Who was a victim of identity theft?
To begin with, identity theft, according to Wikipedia, is “the deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name, and perhaps to the other person's disadvantage or loss.” As season 1 is coming to an end, one of the gang discovers that someone has been pretending to be him or her. After they meet the impostor, they find that he/she is a very fun and interesting person. Realizing that hanging out with that person isn’t right, the gang eventually confronts him/her. Remember who was a victim of identity theft?
Who believes in cleansing someone's aura?
Cleansing one’s aura has to do with aura balancing. According to The Free Dictionary, aura balancing is “the process of allegedly harmonizing the aura/energy field around a person’s head or body.” There are a lot of things that might affect our mood and therefore our aura. Ross’ divorce, for instance, left him with unresolved and abandonment issues that he has to deal on his own before he can move on. This, of course, also affects his aura and the people around him. One of the gang attempts to cleanse Ross’ aura in order to make him feel better, but he interrupts the process. Remember who believes that cleansing our aura is very therapeutic and necessary in our lives?
Where does Ross travel to at the end of season 1?
During the first season’s finale, Ross has to take a trip overseas for his work. Unfortunately, this business trip overlaps with Rachel’s birthday and he has to miss it. No longer with Paolo, or with anyone for that matter, Ross believes that he has a shot with Rachel even if Chandler and Joey don’t agree with him. It should be noted that, according to Wikipedia, “the original finale for Season 1 was supposed to be the previous episode with the birth of Ross & Carol's son” but then it was obvious that “the viewers' interest lay with the fate of Ross's feelings for Rachel,” so the included one more episode. Remember the destination of Ross’ business trip?
How does Rachel find out that Ross is in love with her?
Since we’re talking about Rachel’s birthday party and Ross’ feelings for Rachel, let’s focus on that for a bit! Ross has been in love with Rachel since he was a teenager. She, on the other hand, was not. Her feelings for Ross came to the surface many years later, and became crystal clear when she learned that Ross is in love with her. Fun fact about the whole scene: it turns out that “the concept of the episode (regarding Rachel and Ross) was inspired by the writing of Jane Austen” (let’s thank Wikipedia!). Remember how Rachel becomes aware of Ross’ feelings for her?
What type of clinical trial does Joey participate in?
But the developments regarding Ross and Rachel are not the only thing worth mentioning in this episode! Joey is dating a new woman, (classic Joey!) but he can’t sleep with her because he is participating in a clinical trial. To be more exact, clinical trials are “research studies performed in people that are aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention” as it is defined by the National Institute of Aging. This conflict brings a lot of hilarious scenes into the episode’s plot, so that it may retain its comedic atmosphere even when more serious things are happening. Remember the clinical trial Joey is in?
Who is locked in an ATM vestibule due to a blackout?
During the aforementioned blackout, one of the gang is locked inside an ATM vestibule. First of all, an ATM vestibule, according to Wikipedia, is “an enclosed area with automated teller machines that is accessible from the outside of a building, but typically features no further entrance beyond the vestibule. There may be a secure entrance to the vestibule which requires a card to open.” That being said, one can easily be trapped inside a building like this if the power is out. Lucky for one of our favorite characters, he or she was not locked in on his/her own! Remember who was enclosed inside an ATM vestibule?
Where was Rachel going to go for Thanksgiving?
Here we have the first (of many!) legendary Thanksgiving episodes on Friends! The 9th episode of the series which, according to Wikipedia, aired on “November 17, 1994” gives us a lot of information about our favorite gang! We learn that Chandler is not a fan of Thanksgiving. We get to see yet one more day Phoebe’s weirdness and awesomeness! We get another glimpse on Rachel’s family. This year, Rachel has to pay her tickets for the annual Thanksgiving family vacation on her own and she is short on cash. Her friends pitch in, and buy her a ticket to cheer her up. Although she misses her family vacation, she gets to create a new tradition! Remember the destination of Rachel’s Thanksgiving vacation?
Name Chandler's mom
Chandler's mom is a very successful author. Although she isn’t that much older than her son, they do not have a very close relationship. Interestingly enough, the actress that plays Chandler’s mom, Morgan Fairchild, has said in one of her interviews that she was hesitant about taking the role. According to Wikipedia she said: “Oh my God, I'm too young to play this guy's mother. But I had seen the show and it's such a good show, so I thought it would be fun to do.” Lucky for us Morgan Fairchild decided to give the role a go and we were given an awesome performance! Remember the name of Chandler’s mom?
Name Joey's dad
Joey’s dad is the only parent of the gang that appears only once throughout the series. That being said, it’s interesting that the actor who plays him, Robert Costanzo, “is the only actor besides Matt LeBlanc to appear on both Friends and Joey as the same character” (thanks again Wikipedia!). Joey’s dad is included only in the 13th episode of the series, during which he and Joey try to resolve an issue between them. It turns out that Joey’s dad has a girlfriend (even if he’s still married to Joey’s mom) and Joey isn’t very pleased with the whole thing. Remember the name of Joey’s dad?
What do Joey and Chandler buy instead of a kitchen table?
During the 12th episode of Friends, (it’s not coincidental that it’s named ‘The one with the Dozen Lasagnas’ according to Wikipedia!) Joey accidentally breaks Chandler’s table. As they decide what to do about this new purchase, we see one of the greatest running gags in the series: Chandler and Joey behaving like a couple! Full of great remarks and hilarious moments (either in their apartment or at the store) Chandler and Joey eventually agree! Everyone likes the new table (well at least almost everyone) even if it isn’t the most practical choice! Remember what they ended up buying at the store instead of a kitchen table?
What do the girls do on Valentine's?
While the guys are on dates, the gals have different plans! It’s the 14th episode and we’re going to have some fun! According to Wikipedia, the episode aired on “February 9, 1995,” so that it may be close to Valentine’s Day in real life. Even if they’re not in a serious relationship at the moment, (Rachel did just break up with Paolo) they decided to do their own thing and have some fun. Perhaps their plans weren’t exactly successful, or perhaps they were (it depends on how one sees it after all!). Regardless, remember Rachel, Monica and Phoebe’s plans on Valentine’s Day?
Why did Monica break up with Ethan?
In the 22nd episode of Friends which, according to Wikipedia aired on May 4, 1995, Monica has a new boyfriend named Ethan (Stan Kirsch). Although Monica seems to really like him, she feels a bit guilty because she told him she was 22 years old, when in fact she’s 26. They get along pretty well, even if the gang makes fun of her for reasons that are quite obvious between friends. After they spend a night together, Monica tells Ethan the truth about what she’s thinking and they break up. Remember why Monica breaks up with Ethan? Was she on the right or not?
Chandler's suggestion for Joey's new name is?
In the 21st episode of Friends which, according to Wikipedia, aired on April 27, 1995, Joey is advised to change his last name, so that he may get more acting roles. As he discusses this with Chandler, our favorite sarcastic guy suggests that Joey should choose a very famous name (as a joke of course!). Joey, unable to understand the joke because he doesn’t know that famous person thinks that this suggestion is great! After an audition gone wrong, Joey finally understands Chandler’s comment, but it costs him a job. Remember the famous name that Chandler suggested to Joey?
Who said: "and I just want a million dollars?"
This particular quote is included into the pilot episode (the one that started it all!). An awesome episode for an awesome TV show, the pilot episode aired on “September 22, 1994,” according to Wikipedia, and it was “watched by approximately 22 million viewers, making it the fifteenth-most-watched television show of the week” (we totally understand why!). As Rachel enters Central Perk with her wedding gown still on and drenched by the rain, one of the gang (besides Rachel of course!) says this quote (which can go down in history as one of the most perfectly timed comments of all time!). Remember which member of our favorite gang said it?
Name Monica's boyfriend
Before Monica ends up with Chandler, she has several boyfriends (the most serious one being Richard of course). Her first on-screen boyfriend is the guy on this photo! Fun fact: according to Wikipedia, Monica “utters the first line in the show: ‘There's nothing to tell. He's just some guy I work with’” which refers to this particular boyfriend! It should also be noted, that the gang doesn’t really like Monica’s boyfriends, with the only exception being this guy! Ironically, when Monica breaks up with him, he tells her that he loved hanging out with her, but didn’t like her friends! Remember this guy’s name?
Name Ross and Monica's parents
When the show starts, Monica and Ross are very close! It wasn’t always like that, however, and perhaps this was because their parents always favored Ross over her. Despite that, we like Ross and Monica’s parents because they are essentially good people who tried to raise their children as best they could! An interesting and fun fact about Ross and Monica’s parents is that they “were the only parents of any of the main characters to appear in all 10 seasons of the show” (thanks Wikipedia!). Considering that both of them are hilarious and that they inspire us about love, we are glad that they were with us all this time! Remember the names of Ross and Monica’s parents?
Where do Ross and Rachel kiss for the first time?
We know that Ross has been in love with Rachel for many years. However, that doesn’t mean that he expressed those feelings when he was a teenager. For this reason, they kiss for the first time in their 20s. Although Ross and Rachel were clearly meant to be together, they had to go through many things before they realized that. Even if their second wedding (the first one being in Vegas) doesn’t happen on-screen, we know that it happens off-screen. According to Wikipedia, Jennifer Aniston “confirmed that Ross and Rachel got remarried after the series ended and had at least one more child” and we couldn’t be happier for them! Remember their first kiss? Where did it happen?
Why does Chandler break up with Aurora?
As we all know, Chandler has a problem with commitment. Before falling in love with Monica, he didn’t have a long-term serious relationship. In fact, according to Wikipedia, “Chandler has had the fewest relationships out of all the Friends; ten in total.” One of his temporary girlfriends was Aurora, (Sofia Milos) who appears only in the 6th episode of Friends. Although Chandler finds Aurora to be perfect in the beginning of their relationship, he eventually decides to break up with her. Remember why Chandler came to that decision? Was he right to break up with Aurora or maybe not?
Name Ross' son
Before he and Rachel had Emma, Ross had a child with his first wife Carol. Although Ross doesn’t want to know if he’s having a boy or a girl, he eventually finds out that Carol is carrying his son (Rachel accidentally tells him!). A fun fact about Ross’ son: according to Wikipedia, he is “John Travolta's favorite character” (didn’t see that one coming!). Significantly, Ross’ son has been played by many actors, and he eventually just stops resurfacing. We don’t see him even when Emma is born (his grandpa Jack even forgets he has a grandson!). Remember the name of Ross’ son?
What does Phoebe do for a living?
Isn’t Phoebe just the greatest? We love her because she loves everyone fiercely and because she has an innocence that allows her to be carefree and happy. Even if Phoebe is one of the main characters of the show, it turns out that “in the show's original script, Phoebe and Chandler were secondary characters, but this was changed due to rewrites” (once again Wikipedia renders us speechless!). There is no gang without Chandler and Phoebe, so let’s be thankful that the writers changed their minds! Since we get to know a lot about Phoebe after all, remember what she does for a living?
Why do Monica and Rachel switch identities for a day?
In the 17th episode of Friends which, according to Wikipedia, aired on February 23, 1995, Rachel and Monica exchange identities for a day. As they pretend to be each other, they somehow end up on a date with two cute doctors. During the date, which took place in Monica and Rachel’s apartment, a lot of past incidents are revealed which are quite hilarious. Although the doctors, Dr. Michael Mitchell (George Clooney) and Dr. Jeffrey Rosen (Noah Wyle) really like them, Rachel and Monica have swapped identities, so they cannot actually go out with them. Remember Why Monica and Rachel exchange identities?