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Friends Ending EXPLAINED: Chandler and Monica welcome kids; How Rachel-Ross sorted their differences?
The beloved sitcom Friends had an impactful ending in 2004 after a decade-long run. Here’s a look back at what happened in the finale episode of Friends.
Friends, the all-time hit sitcom, has an impact like no other. Generations after generations continue to obsess over it and it is still the ultimate comfort show to binge-watch. But like all good things end, one fine day, Friends also ended; it became a historical event instantly. In 2004, when the final episode of Friends was aired, it was viewed by 65.9 million people, making it an iconic event.
Friends had already established itself as an era-defining show long before it ended. The antics of Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Ross (David Schwimmer), Monica (Courteney Cox), and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) captivated audiences. The question of when Ross and Rachel will finally get together was on everyone's mind. This and several other questions were finally answered in The Last One: Parts 1 and 2. Here's a rundown of what happened in the Friends series finale, as well as how the six titular friends got there in the first place.
ALSO READ: Friends: 5 lesser known facts about Chandler Bing portrayed by late actor Matthew Perry
What Happened in the Friends Season Finale?
Friends, created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, was a cultural phenomenon back in the day. It began as a sweet, innocent sitcom about a bunch of friends going about their daily lives in New York. And much of its allure stemmed from the narrative crafted for its cast of unique individuals. The drama featured something for everyone, from Ross' difficult relationship with Emily (Helen Baxendale) in Season 5 to Joey's long stint as a Days of Our Lives cast member. But, with so many important characters and tales to finish up, the finale had to make some tough decisions.
The Last One concluded that there were no stories for Phoebe and Joey. Instead, the two-parter concentrated on the show's tenth and final season's two most pivotal storyline elements. One obviously was on whether Ross and Rachel got back together and sorted out their differences and how successful he was in convincing Rachel not to go to Paris and the other one being around Chandler and Monica welcoming kids into their lives.
Was Ross able to stop Rachel from going to Paris?
The first is, of course, Ross and Rachel's on-again, off-again romance. The Last One began with the two waking up after a night together, just before Rachel traveled to Paris. Ross, who has been in love with Rachel since he was a youngster, believed the night meant much more. His goal is to persuade Rachel to leave her job in Paris and join him in New York.
This last encounter, however, was nothing short of a perfect goodbye for Rachel. Ross, distraught, expresses his rage to Phoebe and Joey, who get him to disclose his genuine feelings for Rachel. As a result, he pursues her through the airport in order to prevent her from boarding the plane.
Ross missed Rachel's flight due to Phoebe's irresponsible driving. Instead of searching for her at Newark, he rushed to JFK. To give him another chance, Phoebe called Rachel and informed her that she suspected something was amiss with the plane: the left phalange wasn't working properly. Rachel laughed. What, after all, is a phalange? However, when she communicated this information with another passenger, there was a panic, and the plane did not take off.
Ross was then allowed to approach Rachel in the boarding area and express his feelings for her. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to persuade her to stay. Ross was distraught when he went home. But he was welcomed by a pleasant surprise in his answering machine: a message from Rachel telling him that she loves him and that she needs to get off the plane.
The message was cut off before she could tell him whether she was successful or not, but the tension was brief: as soon as the message finished, Rachel emerged behind him, and the two kissed, much to the joy of the audience.
Ross and Rachel's happily ever after came after a decade-long on-and-off relationship
Ross and Rachel's will-they-won't-they relationship was as old as Friends itself. Rachel entered the coffee shop in her wedding gown just as Ross was moaning about his divorce in the series' first episode, which aired on February 6, 1994.
What a fantastic setting for an adult relationship! Season 1 already had Ross passionately in love with Rachel, a feeling we would learn he had been harboring since they were in high school. However, it took them some time to come together. First, there was Paolo (Cosimo Fusco), then Ross returned from a trip to China with Julie (Lauren Tom) in his arms, and finally they were together and they were on a break.
Ross Geller and Rachel Green had a rough journey. Fans were sure that this was it at times, such as when Ross accidentally shouted Rachel's name at the altar with Emily in Season 4 and their Vegas wedding in Season 5. Still, most viewers were just waiting for the next stumbling block to appear between Ross and Rachel and their long-awaited happy ending.
Then came a baby. Rachel and Ross had a daughter after a boozy night together in Season 8. Baby Emma became the link that permanently connected these two, but that didn’t imply romance was on the horizon. Instead of marrying, as Rachel's father suggested, Ross and Rachel opted to co-parent Emma as friends. This allowed their love lives to take some unexpected turns throughout the next two seasons, with Rachel even having a brief affair with Joey. And then we know what happened in the season finale, as mentioned above.
Monica and Chandler became parents
Monica and Chandler were Friends' other primary couple. They were also the second primary thread that became entangled in the show's finale. The Last One saw Monica and Chandler finally bringing their two adopted children, Erica and Jack, into the world.
In Season 9, Monica and Chandler decide to become parents. They were devastated to learn that they were both infertile after years of trying. They chose to adopt in Season 10 and met Erica (Anna Faris), a young pregnant woman who gave them their two beautiful children.
How did Monica and Chandler's love story start?
Though Monica and Chandler's relationship didn't have as many ups and downs as Ross and Rachel's, that didn't mean they had it easy. They first met in Season 5 in London, during Ross's failed wedding to Emily. They opted to keep their relationship a secret for fear of damaging something good. In Season 6, however, they were already living together, and in Season 7, they got married.
What did the final scene of Friends signify?
Little Erica and Jack spend only a few days in their parents' New York apartment before transferring to a larger house in the suburbs. The Last One concluded with all six pals departing for a cup of coffee at Central Perk after leaving their keys to Monica's apartment on the counter.
The camera moves across the vacant flat before focusing on the classic yellow photo frame positioned over the peephole. This wasn't the first time we had seen Monica and Chandler's apartment door shut. This moment, however, has a symbolic meaning.
The purple door of Monica's New York apartment was never locked throughout the series, allowing her friends and the audience to come and go as they pleased. They didn't require keys. When Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, Joey, Ross, and Rachel placed their keys on the counter, it indicated they would never open that door again. Someone else would come and take the keys, most likely after locking everything up.
The door to the apartment we got to know and love is permanently closed. Today, it may appear that this was for the best. After all, Friends can be a difficult show to watch for modern audiences. But it was agonizing at the time to think that the door that never closed would never open again. It felt like we were saying our final goodbyes to our own houses.
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