The 'Friends' Cast In Their First Episodes Vs. Their Final Episodes

She got off the plane!

Gunther shows up in the background of the second episode ever and his bleach-blonde hair continues to be an important fixture at Central Perk throughout the series.

In the first part of the two-part series finale, Gunther finally professes his love to Rachel. Gunther's story couldn't have ended any other way.

Rachel's ex-fiancé is also in the second episode like Gunther, rocking new hair and a tan.

Barry returns in Season 6 in the "The One that Could Have Been" — where even in an alternate future, he still cheats on Rachel.

Rachel and Ross' baby has her first moment on screen in the Season 8 finale, "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby."

Little Emma is looking as chic as her mom in her last TV moment in Episode 15 of Season 10, "The One Where Estelle Dies."

Ross kicks off the pilot with tears over Carol, but is re-enamored by Rachel by the end of the episode.

And Ross ends the series with happy tears over Rachel — so his story really comes full circle.

Ross' first child makes his appearance in a labor scene just like his half-sister Emma, but Ben's occurs in Episode 23 of Season 1, "The One with the Birth."

Ben never appears again once Emma hits the scene, so the last fans see of him is in the Season 8 episode "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel" when Phoebe unleashes a slew of curse words at her failed game of Ms. Pac-Man.

It makes sense that Ross' ex-wife appears so early on in the series, showing up in the second episode, "The One with the Sonogram at the End." What doesn't make sense is that she is portrayed by Anita Barone in her very first appearance. That's not the face of Carol that Friends fans know and love.

After that first appearance, Carol is played by Jane Sibbett — ah yes, that feels more right. Unlike her son, she doesn't make it to Season 8 with her last episode being Episode 16 of Season 7, "The One with the Truth about London."

Carol's future wife shows up in Episode 2 of Season 1 to accompany Carol to her ultrasound.

Like Barry, Susan is last seen in the "The One that Could Have Been" — where even in an alternate future, she still ends up with Carol.

The second Friends episode is packed with recurring characters, including Ross and Monica's parents.

The Gellers hang on until Episode 4 of Season 10, "The One with the Cake," as they celebrate their granddaughter's birthday with a morose message from the future.

Monica is responsible for completing the friend group in the pilot episode.

Monica struggles to say bye to her apartment in the finale, while fans stuggled to say bye to her.

Monica hits it off with her parents' friend in Episode 15 of Season 2, "The One Where Ross and Rachel ... You Know."

Tom Selleck returns seasons later to confess his love for Monica, but it doesn't stop her from accepting Chandler's proposal in the Season 6 finale, "The One with the Proposal."

The building superintendent first shows up when their neighbor Heckles dies in the appropriately-titled third episode of Season 2, "The One Where Heckles Dies."

Possibly the only difference between early seasons Treeger and later seasons Treeger is that instead of ballroom dancing with Joey, he's ends his run doing yoga with Ross in Season 8's "The One Where Rachel Tells ..."

Chandler's self-deprecating humor and snark were always intact as he proves in his first scene.

Although Matthew Perry's appearance changed a lot throughout the series, he ends up looking a lot like his younger self by the final episode.

Janice is the only recurring characters on Friends (not including Gunther) to appear in every season and her reign begins in Episode 5 of Season 1, "The One with the East German Laundry Detergent," when Chandler struggles to break up with her. Yep, Chandler never wanted poor Janice around.

Chandler averts disaster when he stops Janice from buying the house next door to his new home with Monica in Season 10's "The One Where Estelle Dies."

Chandler's mom takes the gang out for drinks after appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Episode 11 of Season 1, "The One with Mrs. Bing."

Morgan Fairchild returns for Chandler and Monica's wedding in the Season 8 premiere, "The One After 'I Do.'"

Although Phoebe's twin had appeared on Mad About You before Friends existed, she first shows up in Episode 16 of Season 1, "The One with Two Parts, Part 1."

Ursula may be evil in her last appearance in Episode 6 of Season 8, "The One with the Halloween Party," but at least she unintentionally sets Phoebe up with Sean Penn.

Phoebe's offbrand humor is completely intact in the first episode.

Although it isn't as quirky, Phoebe's style evolved for the better by the end of the series.

Phoebe's scienctist boyfriend who spent more time in Minsk than in New York City is enamored by her early on in Episode 10 of Season 1, "The One with the Monkey."

David's science guy glasses are still around in the Season 9 finale, but Phoebe is finally ready to let him go by the time they get to "The One in Barbados."

Although Giovanni Ribisi is in the Season 2 episode "The One with the Baby on the Bus" (he was "condom boy"), it's unclear if he was supposed to be Frank. His first true appearance as the character is in Episode 21 of Season 2, "The One with the Bullies."

Frank is last shown when he comes to Phoebe for help with the triplets in Episode 2 of Season 10, "The One Where Ross Is Fine."

Alice and Frank Jr.'s kids — Frank Jr. Jr., Leslie, and Chandler — all make their appearance in Episode 3 of Season 5, "The One Hundreth."

When Frank returns in Season 10, so do his kids, and the episode gives a glimpse at how the triplets that Phoebe carried grew up.

Paul Rudd's Mike doesn't span many seasons, but it didn't seem right not to include Phoebe's future husband, who first showed up in Episode 3 of Season 9, "The One with the Pediatrician."

Mike's importance to Phoebe meant he is special enough to show up in the series finale.

Although Joey's agent was in a deleted scene in Season 1, her first true time on screen is in Episode 10 of Season 2, "The One with Russ."

Estelle appears to be pretty ageless in Episode 4 of Season 10, "The One with the Cake," so who would have known that she'd die later that season?

Joey's hair is a thing of '90s glory in the first episode.

Not only is Joey's hair not as epic in the series finale, but he must have lost some of his brains with it since he's much more stupid than he originally was by the end of the show.

Monica's apartment was always the hot spot (sorry, Central Perk) as this pilot episode photo shows.

The apartment is so empty, but the friends are the same.

A decade is a long time of friendship and these photos show how much — and how little — can change for Friends over 10 years.