9 'Friends' Plot Holes You Didn't Notice

Friends will most likely go down in television history as one of the most beloved sitcoms. The series finale brought in 52.5 million viewers. It ended more than a decade ago, and yet it's still culturally relevant. Fans across the world are still holding out for some kind of reunion, even though there were a lot of Friends plot holes that you notice when you re-watch the show for the 100th time. Friends launched and defined the careers of all the actors involved. I mean, where would we be as a society without the presence of Jennifer Aniston?

In case you're like Kylie Jenner and have somehow managed to never catch an episode (but, like, how? did you grow up in a weird underground cult, like Kimmy Schmidt? Please go to Netflix right now and remedy this situation), the show follows six people living in New York who are, well, friends. It aired for 10 years and became a global phenomenon. It's downright iconic — but it wasn't perfect. Like many great shows, Friends had a little bit of a plot hole problem. These gaps in logic didn't detract from anyone's enjoyment of the sitcom, of course. They're more like funny little things to be aware of that enhance your enjoyment of the amazing show.

1. The Characters' Ages Change

In early episodes, Joey is supposed to be the youngest of the group at 25, but then, in Season 7, Rachel is somehow the last one to turn 30. It's confusing.

2. Chandler Actually Can Cry

There's an entire episode of the show about how Chandler is emotionally stunted and isn't able to cry. It's called "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." The thing is, Chandler does cry later in the series, and no one seems to recall the time they spent discussing his inability to cry.

3. Ross Might Like Ice Cream

Ross makes a big deal about how he doesn't like ice cream because it's too cold in "The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs." But, several times throughout the series, he's seen eating ice cream without any hesitancy.

4. When Did Chandler Meet Rachel?

Rachel went to high school with Monica and Ross, that's firmly established. But the writers play around with when Chandler was introduced to the girls. In the first episode, he and Rachel appear to meet for the first time, with Monica telling Rachel, "This is everybody. This is Chandler." But, in later flashback episodes, it's revealed that Chandler met Rachel several times when she was in high school.

5. How Many Women Has Ross Slept With?

In the early seasons, Ross says that he's only slept with his ex-wife, Carol, and Rachel. That's the story until Season 7, "The One With Rachel's Assistant," when it's revealed that Ross had also slept with a cleaning lady during college. Did he fib about his number all that time?

6. Who Was Rachel Engaged To?

In the pilot episode, Rachel has run away from her wedding to a guy named Barry. Barry's first name stays the same, but his last name changes after that first episode. He was originally Barry Finkel, but, when he's brought up later, his name is Barry Farber.

7. Monica And Ross's Grandparents Are Alive, Right?

In Season 10, Ross and Monica's mom, Judy, says that her parents died when they were young. However, there's an entire episode about her mom dying ("The One Where Nana Dies Twice") in Season 1. A woman with grown-up grandchildren probably wasn't very young.

8. When Did Joey Join The Group?

In "The One With All The Thanksgivings," the group flashes back to Thanksgivings past and one, taking place in 1992, shows that Joey is already a member of the Friends. And yet, in Season 3's "The One With The Flashback," we're shown that Joey didn't move in with Chandler and meet the gang until a year before the series started — in 1993.

9. Phoebe Forgets She's A Vegetarian

In Season 1 there's an episode called "The One With The Dozen Lasagnas" and Phoebe, a known vegetarian, eats meat lasagna. She's a fraud! (JK, we still love her.)

Even though some details were mixed up from time to time, Friends is still a fantastic show, and one of my favorites.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally reported that the Season 5 episode "The One With All The Thanksgivings" showed that Monica had hosted a Thanksgiving before the previously aired Season 1 episode "The One Where Underdog Gets Away," in which hosting her first Thanksgiving is a major plot point. Since Monica was preparing the dinner at her parents' house rather than her own in "All The Thanksgivings," it technically wasn't her first time hosting.

Images: Giphy; Warner Bros. Television