On Sunday, September 22nd, everyone’s favorite American sitcom Friends turns 30!  Six legendary characters, 10 amazing seasons, and 236 memorable episodes still stick with millions and millions of fans after three decades.  If you don’t know already, Friends follows six best friends (Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross) as they navigate their lives through the Big Apple.

Directors and writers David Crane and Marta Kauffman were in a group of friends with four other people, thus creating the basis for their new show, Insomnia Cafe.  They presented this idea to director and producer Kevin Bright and drafted a proposal to NBC together.  By May 4th, 1994, Bright, Kauffman, and Crane had created a memorable set, casted loveable actors, and started filming their soon-to-be hit sitcom.  The main cast included Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller.

As I said before, it has 236 episodes, and it’s so hard to pick just one favorite episode – that’s what statistics are for!  I’ve researched the top three best Friends episodes.  Multiple websites, including Variety and MovieWeb, both have “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” (Season 5, Episode 14) as the best and “The One with the Embryos” (Season 4, Episode 12) as the second-best episode.  In the Season 5 episode, two Friends are scrambling to hide their romance, but in this episode (as the title suggests), everyone finds out.  In the season 4 episode, Chandler and Joey challenge Rachel and Monica to a game of “who-knows-who-the-best” and place their apartments on the line.  Variety has “The One Where No One’s Ready” (Season 3, Episode, 2) as number three; Ross tries to hurry the gang to get ready in time for a black-tie event at the museum where he works (this episode also produced one of the most iconic moments in the series).  MovieWeb has “The One After Ross Says Rachel” (Season 5, Episode 1) as the third-best, where Ross says the wrong name at a wedding and has to deal with the chaos left in its wake (it’s such a good episode, I don’t want to spoil it).  However, this episode is nowhere to be found on Variety‘s ranked list of the top 30 episodes.

I sent a Google Forum to the teachers of Winthrop High School and got their opinions on Friends:

Mr. Walton:

Favorite episode and why: “The One Where No One’s Ready” | From Mr. Walton: “The interaction between the six.”

Mr. Dixon: 

Favorite episode and why: “The Last One – Part II” (Season 10, Episode 18) | From Mr. Dixon: “…it meant the series was over.”  I’ve never eye-rolled more than when I read his response (sorry, Mr. Dixon).

Dr. Dunn:

Favorite episode and why: “The One Where They’re Up All Night” (Season 7, Episode 12) | From Dr. Dunn: “Joey’s lines are hysterical in this episode. He’s the stereotypical dumb friend, but his lines make him the logical one.”

Señor Nickerson:

Favorite episode and why: “The One with the Embryos” | The line “Big Fat Goalie!” makes Señor laugh “every time.”

Ms. Simpson:

Favorite episode and why: “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” | Ms. Simpson said that the first line that popped up in her mind was “They don’t know what we know they know we know.”  Again, another iconic line from an iconic episode.

As a massive Friends fan since the seventh grade, it’s safe to say that I’ve seen every episode at least three times.  When it comes to favorite episodes,  “The One With George Stephanopoulos” (Season 1, Episode 4) immediately comes to mind.  The girls stay in for a sleepover and accidentally get George Stephanopoulos’ pizza while the guys head to a Rangers game that ends with Ross in the hospital.  One of Phoebe’s most iconic lines is said in this episode, and rumor has it, it was unscripted (if you watch the episode, you can see Aniston and Cox snickering as Kudrow tries not to laugh).  Another episode is “The One Where the Stripper Cries” (Season 10, Episode 11), where Rachel and Monica throw a party for Phoebe, guest starring Danny DeVito.  “The One Where It All Began” (Season 1, Episode 1) is fun to watch after binging the series many times because you get to see it all unfold.  One minute you’re sad when the last line is the series is said, the next you’re laughing when Chandler says, “And I just won a million dollars!” as Rachel tumbles into Central Perk, drenched with rain in her wedding dress.  From there, the rest is history.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary, the New York Post reports that an auction will take place on Monday, September 23rd, at Julien’s Studios in New York City.  Items like Überweiss laundry detergent container, the “Geller Cup,” and some of the clothing that the cast wore will be auctioned off starting anywhere between $200 and $1,500.  As much as Rachel’s grey turtleneck sweater or Phoebe’s long blue coat, I don’t need it that much.  When it comes to a possible reunion, there is nothing to be found.  With the passing of Matthew Perry, the Friends cast and any possible reunion will never be the same.

In honor of this anniversary, you can find me watching “The One Where They All Turn Thirty” (Season 7, Episode 14).  But reflecting on this milestone, it’s clear to see why Friends has had such a lasting impact on pop culture (and no, it’s not just because of “The Rachel” haircut).  Friends depicts a group of six best friends who have known each other for years.  It shows relatable and realistic events that someone in their 20s goes through as they navigate their independent lives.  From the four claps in the “I’ll Be There For You” theme to Rachel’s haircut to Phoebe’s smelly cat, and to “JOEY DOESN’T SHARE FOOD!”,  Friends will never not be a comfort show; a show you can always turn to if you ever need someone to “be there for you.”