It's hard to believe, but it's been over 14 years since Friends aired its final episode. 14 years! Back then, George W. Bush was still in the first term of his presidency, there was no such thing as an iPhone, and the year's highest grossing film was Shrek 2. In other words, it's been a long time since Friends aired a new episode. So with so much time having elapsed since "The Last One," how does the Friends series finale hold up today? Does it still serve as a strong sendoff for one of the greatest sitcoms of all time?
Oh yeah, it does. The two-part episode did what series finales are supposed to do and wrapped up the show with a serious sense of finality that perfectly showed how each character was transitioning to the next chapter of their lives (that is, if you just pretend that Joey never happened, which is easy enough to do). The titular friends were getting older, raising families, and settling into married life; and they had all outgrown the old apartment and coffee shop where they had spent the last decade hanging out in their more carefree younger days. But since this is still Friends we're talking about here, the finale got all this across in a way that was both hilarious and heartwarming.
So to honor this classic episode, here are 11 Friends series finale moments that were seriously the best.
1Monica & Chandler Have Twins
I'm not entirely sure how neither Monica nor Chandler nor Erica knew they were having twins, but it sure made for one great finale reveal.
2Gunther’s Confession
Just as Ross is about to tell Rachel he loves her to try and keep her from leaving for Paris, Gunther beats him to the punch. Anyone else think she should've picked Gunther?
3Joey & Mike’s Competing Signs
Joey's welcoming sign for Monica and Chandler's baby was ineptly adorable, while Mike's was a legit piece of art. Good luck choosing between the two of them.
4The Gang Meets The Twins
Do you think Joey ever figured out what the big surprise was?
5Toll Booth!
When you need to get to the airport in a hurry... don't call Phoebe Buffay. At least not if you'd like to maintain your sanity.
6Goodbye To The Foosball Table
Who knew that saying goodbye to a piece of recreational furniture could be both so emotional and hilarious?
7Chandler Lets Joey Keep The Duck & Chick
One of the episode's many heartwarming moments, Joey receiving his own housewarming gift of a new chick and duck was good enough to make us forget that he was the only character to not get any kind of new beginning.
8Phoebe’s Final Phalange
Phoebe's random use of the word "phalange" was one of the series' longest-running jokes, and it received a perfect sendoff here with its most epic utilization ever.
9Rachel Gets Off The Plane
Even Ross-haters have to admit that the moment when Rachel announces to Ross that she got off the plane to Paris remains one of the series' most memorable scenes.
10Monica’s Tip To The Movers
The porcelain dog that Joey gifted to Chandler when he moved out was long the bane of Monica's existence, but she gets the last laugh (not to mention the biggest laugh of the episode) when she tips the movers as they take it out in case it "falls of the truck."
11Chandler’s Last Joke
The final line spoken in the series was, fittingly, a joke from Chandler. As the gang leaves their apartment for the final time, Rachel asks if they should all grab some coffee before they go their separate ways. Obviously they'll go to Central Perk, but Chandler jokingly asks, "Where?"
These moments all serve as reminders that the Friends series finale was just about perfect 14 years ago, and that's still the case today.
