The Dark Fan Theory That Changes Everything About Friends
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"Friends" was one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1990s, but was there an underlying, dark concept behind it? For 10 seasons, fans watched the ups and downs of Ross (David Schwimmer), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Monica (Courteney Cox), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) — and they live in infamy in reruns. But was there more to these characters than met the eye?
From Central Perk coffee-sipping to apartment swapping to bed swapping, the "Friends" have shown all sides of their personalities –- the good, the bad, and the totally creepy. (Yes, Ross, we're looking at you for your weird attraction to your hot cousin, played by Denise Richards). Then there was Rachel, who had no problem hopping in the sack with her former fiancé while he was engaged to her onetime best friend. (Although in her defense, said friend, Mindy, did the same to her). Chandler also fat-shamed Monica in a flashback, and Ross seemingly abandoned his son in later seasons of the show.
It's pretty obvious that the friends were not saints, but some fans think they were downright sinful.
A fan theory suggests that the Friends characters represent the seven deadly sins
"Friends" fans love a good fan theory, and this one could be on the money. A Reddit thread suggested a theory that "Friends" is based on the Seven Deadly Sins. Britannica notes that the outline of the sins of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth originated in Christian theology in the 6th century. But do they pertain to the personalities of the "Friends" characters?
Redditor peenerfacer pointed out that a prideful Monica was super competitive, while greedy Rachel's materialistic nature was an ongoing theme on the show. Several of the friends were lustful, but Reddit gave that one to flirtatious Phoebe, who frequently made suggestive remarks about her many boyfriends over the years. Gluttony? Joey was a no-brainer for that title, given his endless appetite. He even downed Rachel's meat and strawberry trifle dessert that the others thought tasted like "feet." Wrath went to the short-tempered Ross — cue up the episode about his "moist-maker" sandwich being stolen from the fridge at work, which resulted in a rage so rampant that he was sent to a psychiatrist on put on a leave of absence. And Sloth? Well, that'd be Chandler, based on his laziness at his seemingly unfulfilling job. (And what did he do for a living, by the way?)
With only six friends but seven sins, Envy went to Central Perk barista Gunther (James Michael Tyler), who spent a full 10 seasons pining for Rachel when Ross had her. Jealous much?
Friends isn't the only show to be linked to the Seven Deadly Sins
"Friends" showrunners David Crane and Marta Kauffman have never confirmed (or denied) that the show's characters were based on the seven sinful vices, but the personalities mirror those of characters from a sitcom that debuted 30 years prior. The 1960s sitcom "Gilligan's Island" was indeed based on the sin list. In the 1994 book "Inside Gilligan's Island: A Three-Hour Tour Through the Making of a Television Classic," series creator Sherwood Schwartz confirmed that the characters Gilligan, Skipper, Ginger, Professor, Mary Ann, Thurston Howell III, and his Lovey were totally based on the seven deadly sins. After successfully pitching the show to CBS, Schwartz wrote that he told his wife. "I'm glad I didn't [tell the network] the Castaways were symbolic of the seven deadly sins."
As for "Friends," this theory is still pretty darn dark even when not shipwrecked on a deserted island. But the good news is the group can overcome their bad raps by showing a little humility, charity, chastity, gratitude, temperance, patience, and diligence. We may need a spinoff for that one!