All of the 'Friends' Christmas Episodes Ranked From Worst to Best
All of the 'Friends' Christmas Episodes Ranked From Worst to Best
Brand new holiday shows, specials, and movies are great and all. But if you really want to feel festive and have a good chuckle, we highly recommend rewatching old holiday episodes of Friends. After all, what could be better than Ross (David Schwimmer) dressed up as giant holiday armadillo?
While the show is more famously known for its iconic Thanksgiving-themed episodes, some of the events that went down in the sitcom's Christmas episodes were just as entertaining, if not more so. Remember Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) desperately trying to come up with a Christmas song that rhymes? Or when Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) forget to buy Christmas presents and have to get them at a gas station? So funny.
Now that we have you reminiscing about Friends, it's time to start watching the hit show once again. To help you prioritize your TV marathon, we ranked each Friends holiday episode from worst (meaning, still pretty great) to best. That said, all of the episodes are definitely worth a watch this holiday season if you can find the time in between wrapping presents and cooking up a storm.
8) Season 2, Episode 9: “The One With Phoebe’s Dad”
Holiday chaos is alive and well in this episode. From Ross's Slinky gift to Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) going terribly wrong, to Phoebe learning the truth about her father, to Monica's apartment becoming a sauna when Ross breaks off the radiator knob, there's no shortage of hilarity here.
7) Season 9, Episode 10: “The One With Christmas in Tulsa”
This episode begins with a major bummer. Chandler learns he must stay in Tulsa, Oklahoma for work and can't spend Christmas in New York with Monica (Courteney Cox). Making things worse, Monica worries Chandler is cheating on her when she finds out that one of his female colleagues volunteered to stay after hours to help him at the office. We won't give everything away, but let's just say that all is well by the end of the episode.
6) Season 3, Episode 10: “The One Where Rachel Quits”
Yearning to pursue her fashion career, Rachel quits her job at Central Perk (but soon regrets her decision). Meanwhile, Ross accidentally breaks the leg of a little girl named Sarah Tuttle (Mae Whitman) and helps her sell boxes of Christmas cookies to make up for the accident. Things also get crazy when Phoebe visits Joey at work and discovers what happens to Christmas trees after they "serve their Christmas destiny."
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5) Season 4, Episode 10: “The One With the Girl From Poughkeepsie”
Rachel, Ross, and Monica aren't feeling the Christmas spirit for all sorts of reasons — Rachel struggles with being single around the holidays, Ross has trouble balancing two flings at once, and Monica deals with workplace drama after becoming head chef at Allesandro's. Then there's Phoebe, who, no matter how hard she tries, just can't seem to pen the perfect Christmas song.
4) Season 8, Episode 11: “The One With the Creepy Holiday Card”
The drama is plentiful in this episode (which is why we love it so much). Things get complicated very quickly when Ross's new girlfriend Mona (Bonnie Somerville) suggests sending out holiday cards together. Chandler also makes things messy when he lies to his boss and tells him that he has divorced Monica. As for Rachel, her pregnancy hormones make her want to sleep with both Ross and Joey. Talk about a lot going on!
3) Season 5, Episode 10: “The One With the Inappropriate Sister”
Ross and Chandler owe Joey an apology after a script-writing exercise goes awry. Trying to spread holiday cheer, Phoebe dresses as Santa's elf but soon discovers that her fellow New Yorkers are mistaking her donation bucket as a trash bin. But the real story of this episode revolves around Danny (George Newbern), who, after agreeing to date Rachel, is spotted putting his arms around another woman, a.k.a. his sister Krista (Julie Lauren).
2) Season 7, Episode 10: “The One With the Holiday Armadillo”
Determined to get his son Ben (Cole Sprouse) to learn about his Jewish heritage, Ross goes to great lengths to teach him about Hanukkah ... hence the armadillo costume. Then, hilariously, Chandler appears as Santa and Joey comes over dressed as Superman. Confused by what's happening in Monica's living room, Phoebe asks,"I understand why Superman is here, but why is there a porcupine at the Easter Bunny's funeral?"
1) Season 7, Episode 9: “The One With All the Candy”
Our favorite Christmas episode has to be this one, where Rachel and Tag (Eddie Cahill) try to keep their relationship quiet, Ross buys Phoebe a bike (even though she doesn't know how to ride it), and Monica becomes a famous candy maker in her apartment building. Why do we love this episode so much, you ask? Watch Phoebe learn how to ride a bike and you'll have your answer.
Needless to say, picking a favorite was not easy.