The Friends Multiverse Theory That'll Change How You Watch The Series
"Friends" is undoubtedly one of the most popular TV sitcoms of all time. The series sees six young adults get into some pretty hilarious antics while living in New York City. It took off when it premiered back in 1994 and has since grown into a bonafide phenomenon with a massive fanbase that remains loyal even today. In fact, in a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of YouTube TV, 43% out of 2,000 participants chose "Friends" as the greatest TV show of all time (via New York Daily News). Additionally, "Friends" success led its cast members, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer, to be launched into fame.
But although it may be well-loved, "Friends" has a ton of continuity errors eagle-eyed fans have spotted over the years. For one, Monica's apartment number changed from 5 in Season 1 to 20 in Season 2. Also, there's the fact that Chandler said he was 25 years old in the Season 1 episode "The One with the Birth," making him the youngest of the group, but then later in Season 7, the gang celebrates Rachel's 30th birthday and it's said that she's the last of the group to hit the milestone. Some things just don't add up, but one fan pointed out a theory that could explain the show's inconsistencies.
Each Friends episode is set in a different reality with different character versions
Plenty of "Friends" fans have shared their bizarre theories in the past, which may change the way you watch the show, but none more than what Reddit user friendszonepod suggested. In the Reddit thread, the fan pointed out several inconsistent details from the show that are hard to ignore, such as changed names, birthdays, and apartments. But friendszonepod explained that the inconsistencies are a result of how each episode of "Friends" supposedly takes place in a different reality. They wrote, "The characters also seem to have no persistent memory of the events of some recent episodes. It was almost as if they had different memories, different relationships, different names every time they appeared."
The user also mentioned the fact that the show has already entertained the idea of separate realities in the Season 6 two-part episode, "The One That Could Have Been." They went on to note that aside from Monica's changing appearance and the pre-credits scene set in the "normal" timeline, the inconsistencies are a major clue that the characters are different versions of themselves. So the next time you're wondering why Ross is eating ice cream despite his hatred for it or why Rachel's name was spelled wrong on Ross and Emily's wedding invitation, they could just be different versions of the characters.