Friends is one of the most exceptional, most beloved, and most successful sitcoms of all time. It’s writing, characters, actors, and the time of its setting all combined to make it a unique piece of television. Every year from 1994-2004, a new season of the show began and ended, leaving fans desperately clamoring for more.
Each finale of the show provided something new. Something waiting to be resolved in the next season, right until the very end, when the show had its heartbreaking and brilliant conclusion. Most season finales of the show are episodes to be fondly remembered, IMDb is a good gauge of how fondly they fans remember the show. Here are all ten of Friends’ season finales, ranked according to IMDb.
The One with Barry and Mindy’s Wedding (Season 2) - 8.2
The season 2 finale of the show sees Ross and Rachel attend Rachel’s ex-fiancée Barry’s wedding. Meanwhile, Joey desperately attempts to get Ross or Chandler to kiss him so he can practice for a role in a Warren Beatty movie, and Monica and Richard have some difficulties in their relationship.
The episode gained its 8.2 from 3,245 reviews. It was a good episode, with a load of laughs, some heartbreak, and some heartwarming moments.
The One in Barbados (Season 9) - 8.6
The finale of the show’s penultimate season sees the gang in Barbados for Ross’ keynote speech. To their annoyance, it is continuously raining. It also sees Joey and Charlie break up, Charlie and Ross get together, and Rachel unable to contain her feelings about Joey.
From just 2,774 reviews, the episode sits at 8.6. The stuff with Mike, Pheobe, Chandler, and Monica was pretty dull. On the other hand, the Joey and Rachel portion were exciting but very divisive amongst fans. All of it kept together though with good performances.
The One Where Rachel Has a Baby: Part 2 (Season 8) - 8.9
The two-part season 8 finale is a bit of a rollercoaster as Rachel goes into labor to have her and Ross’ baby. The finish mainly follows Rachel as she has to sort out all of the relationship issues in her life regarding Ross and Joey. This happening during her first couple of days of motherhood.
The episode earned 8.9 from 3,074 reviews. Overall, the episode was a solid end of a season by all accounts, that was well-received for its character work, good writing, and the always great performances.
The One at the Beach (Season 3) - 8.9
The season 3 finale sees the gang head for the beach so Phoebe can meet a friend from her family’s past to find out about her past, a meeting with enormous implications for her life. It also sees Rachel reveal to Ross that she still loves him.
With the same score of 8.9, this episode has 3,496 reviews. The episode was seen as a lot of fun, with hilarious moments from the gang alongside the performances. Alongside that, the reveal about Phoebe’s family added more intriguing layers to her life.
The One Where Rachel Finds Out (Season 1) - 8.9
Had the first season of Friends failed, the whole show would never have been what it turned out to be. The finale kept up the high standard of the season as Ross heads off for China, still unable to tell Rachel how he feels. But as Rachels’s birthday hits, she finds out on her own by mistake.
The episodes 8.9 comes from 4.058 reviews. The episode garnered decent reviews similar to the whole season. While not the funniest of episodes overall, it had its moments as well as having substantial story implications for characters and the show moving into its next season.
The One In Vegas: Part 2 (Season 5) - 9.1
The second part of the two-part season 5 finale sees the gang still in Vegas with Chandler and Monica reconciling and quickly deciding they should get married. It also sees Ross and Rachel get insanely drunk and roaming the casino.
Its 9.1 comes from 3,619 reviews. Ross and Rachel are hilarious throughout this episode, with Chandler and Monica’s relationship also having some great moments. The Phoebe story with the lurker is not the best but does not massively take away from the episode.
The One With Monica and Chandler’s Wedding: Part 2 (Season 7) - 9.2
The season 7 finale sees the wedding of Monica and Chandler finally take place, officiated by Joey and all. However, before they get married, Ross, Rachel, and Phoebe do their part attempting to find Chandler, while Joey gets stuck at work.
The episodes high 9.2 comes from 3,464 reviews. The stuff with Joey and drunk Richard is hilarious in this episode. Meanwhile, all of the finding Chandler portions of the episode worked. In the end, a good, funny wedding occurs, with a big twist/reveal in the episodes closing seconds.
The One With Ross’s Wedding (Season 4) - 9.2
Another wedding here, this time that of Ross and Emily as they are in London preparing to become man and wife. While everyone prepares for the wedding, Rachel desperately attempts to get to London to tell Ross how she feels, with pregnant Phoebe trying to warn the rest of the gang about her impending arrival.
With 4,088 reviews, the episode managed a 9.2 rating. It was a brilliantly done episode with the Rachel, Ross, and Emily stuff all being dramatic and well done. The way the showrunners got Phoebe involved was also excellent. Overall, Monica and Chandler’s reveal steals the show of this grand finale.
The One With The Proposal (Season 6) - 9.3
A third and final wedding-related finale in a row comes in one of the shows most emotionally testing episodes of its ten-year run. It mainly revolves around Chandler’s plan to pretend he hates marriage, all while Richard attempts at getting Monica back, with Chandler scrambling to find Monica and tell her the truth, all before the long-awaited proposal finally happens.
The 9.3 rating for the episode comes from 4,057 reviews. The episode was chock full of suspense, tension, emotion, and shock, and it is tough for any fan of the show not to cry, either with fear at the prospect of a bad ending for Monica and Chandler or for happiness in the finish that does happen.
The Last One: Part 2 (Season 10) - 9.7
The second part of the shows final episode ever was another emotional rollercoaster. It sees Monica and Rachel pack up their apartment to move to their new one, while Joey has bought them a new chick and duck. It also sees Phoebe frantically race Ross to the airport in a bid to stop Rachel leaving for Paris. All this building up to the emotional final few minutes of Friends.
The episode earned its rating of 9.7 from relatively huge 10,091 reviews. The series finale manages to showcase each one of its characters and performers brilliantly and to tie up the stories that the finish wanted to tell. It is emotional and satisfying and is all in all a perfect finale for the show for fans.
