Summary

• Friends remains a beloved sitcom with some seasons offering more quality than others, reminding us of Matthew Perry's tremendous work and the iconic ensemble.
• Season 9 usually ranks near the bottom due to lackluster storytelling, while seasons 3 and 4 usually rank near the top, showcasing Friends at its best.
• The series finale of Friends season 10 provides a satisfying conclusion, leaving viewers with a crowd-pleasing happy ending after a decade on the air.

Looking at the Friends seasons ranked from worst to best is a reminder of why the Emmy-winning sitcom is still so beloved. For 10 seasons from 1994-2004, Friends took the simple premise of six close friends navigating love, work, and hilarious misadventures together and turned it into decade-defining TV. Friends remains one of the most rewatchable shows around, though some seasons offer more quality than others. With the tragic death of Matthew Perry, revisiting the series has become a bittersweet idea, but the best Friends seasons offer a bright reminder of Perry's tremendous work along with the rest of the iconic ensemble.

Considering how popular the show was during its decade on the air, it is no surprise that there are still debates over the best season of Friends. There are some general trends when it comes to the Friends seasons ranked — season 9 usually finds its way near the bottom for its lackluster storytelling, for example, whereas the likes of seasons 3 and 4 usually rank near the top, showing Friends at its best. With 236 episodes across its run there's enough variety for even the worst season of Friends has its standout moments, but none that come close to matching the moments in the best season of the show.

Where To Watch Friends Season 1-10

10 Season 9 (2002 - 2003)

24 Episodes

Friends was still providing big laughs and storylines by season 9, but it's also not surprising the show decided to wrap things up after this uneven year. The season kicked off with Rachel and Ross having their baby, which led to an interesting new dynamic for both ehri characters and helped earn Jennifer Aniston another Emmy nomination. Episodes like “The One with Ross’s Inappropriate Song” where he raps “Baby Got Back” embraced the wackier humor while there were memorable Friends guest stars like Christina Applegate as Rachel's other sister Amy which won Applegate an Emmy.

However, some Friends season 9 episodes, plotlines, and jokes did not land, indicating that perhaps the show had run its course. The show circled back to the controversial Rachel and Joey relationship with Rachel now being the one who had feelings for Joey. It felt like there was a lack of ideas, and such unpopular storylines got in the way of the fun of seeing these characters simply hang out together.

9 Season 1 (1994 - 1995)

24 Episodes

Friends season 1 isn't the strongest, though this only serves to show how the show generally improved with time. The first season of a sitcom can be tricky, as the audience is still getting to know the characters and the show hasn't yet found its footing in terms of its humor. Classic sitcoms like The Office and Seinfeld have rough first seasons as well, making it understandable that Friends experiences some growing pains. However, the show fairs better than many freshman comedies with standout episodes like "The One With The Blackout" and the first Friends Thanksgiving episode.

On the other hand, season 1 of Friends had some serious issues regarding characters, specifically Joey, Phoebe, and Rachel, who were a bit too stereotypical at times to actually be relatable. There is also the strange Marcel plotline, with Ross owning a monkey being the subject of jokes in the later seasons. However, the cast quickly gels together with David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow earning Emmy nominations, and the finale with Rachel finding out Ross loves her helped to lay the foundations for the megahit Friends eventually became.

8 Season 7 (2000 - 2001)

24 Episodes

There were a number of Friends wedding episodes, but season 7 features the best of them all. The romance between Monica and Chandler was a risky move for the sitcom, but this season proves it paid off as much of it is dedicated to their upcoming nuptials leading to some standout episodes like "The One with the Engagement Picture" and "The One with the Vows." The season is capped off with its best episode with the funny, sweet and moving wedding that drops the final reveal of Rachel's pregnancy.

However, Friends season 7 also had some of the show’s least memorable episodes like “The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin,” which features the very misguided storyline of Ross developing feelings for his attractive cousin, played by Denise Richards. Awkward filler episodes like that make the season falter overall, but don't diminish its highlights.

7 Season 2 (1995 - 1996)

24 Episodes

Friends season 2 finally gave the audience what they wanted by putting Ross and Rachel together. However, some of the best and worst moments of the season revolve around the aforementioned couple. Jennifer Aniston got to really shine comedically with Rachel as the love-lorn one of the pair, and seeind her persue Ross was an interesting dynamic shift that helped the sitcom stay fresh in its earlier years. The strongest episode was “The One with the Prom Video,” an iconic moment in the Ross and Rachel timeline. Plus, it kicked off the flashback tradition that yielded some priceless moments in future seasons.

That being said, “The One with the List” stands out as one of season 2's weakest and most frustrating episodes, making the male characters in the show the most unlikable they have been for the whole series. The strange addition of Rachel's doppelgänger boyfriend Russ feels like something out of a much goofier show. However, it became clear the series understood what work in the series and was fine-tuning it.

6 Season 10 (2003 - 2004)

18 Episodes

There were elements of the final season of Friends that were frustrating for viewers hoping for a solid ending. Following the season 9 finale, Friends season 10 was left having to deal with the unpopular Rachel and Joey romance. While it was resolved quickly, the rushed resolution cemented how useless the entire storyline had been. However, there were plenty of great moments to make up for the rocky start, including the much more successful growing romance of Phoebe and Mike which led to their eventual wedding.

However, it was the series finale that is the highlight of Friends season 10. The Friends ending had a lot of pressure to leave audiences with a satisfying conclusion to one of television's most popular shows. Thankfully, the reception was largely positive, with the final episode avoiding too many risks and instead giving audiences a crowd-pleasing happy ending that provided a sweet farewell to Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe after a decade on the air.

5 Season 6 (1999 - 2000)

25 Episodes

Friends excels when it is able to mix big laughs with emotional moments, and Friends season 6 was outstanding at both. The 1999-2000 season had some hilarious character moments in episodes like “The One Where Ross Got High" and "The One with Unagi." However, the season caps off with a two-part finale surrounding the much-anticipated engagement of Chandler and Monica. With both aspects of the show working so well, Friends season 6 is one filled with memorable highlights and pivotal moments.

However, the sixth season of Friends also shows the sitcom being willing to play around with new concepts like in “The One That Could Have Been.” Though Chandler and Monica's relationship is at the center of it, all six friends had some outstanding moments. Phoebe in the Pottery Barn episode, Rachel and her unforgettable beef trifle, and Joey with his “identical” twin provide some of the biggest laughs and show how well the ensemble works.

4 Season 3 (1996 - 1997)

25 Episodes

In season 3, Friends really hit its stride. The third season is where the sit in “The One with the Morning After," one of the show's saddest yet most impactful episodes, adding serious emotional depth to the season. While sitcom romances have been turbulent in the past, the shattering of Ross and Rachel's relationship provided some of the show's best storytelling.

On a comedic level, the season was also hitting its stride with "The One Where No One's Ready" taking a clever and simple premise and turning it into one of the best episodes of the series. It also set up the ongoing reference to "We were on a break!" that would quickly work its way into the pop culture sphere and is still relevant years later.

3 Season 8 (2001 - 2002)

24 Episodes

Other than the misguided plotline that included Joey developing feelings for Rachel, Friends season 8 stands as one of the best in the series. The red sweater storyline that revealed the identity of the father of Rachel’s baby was a fun and hilarious mystery to open the season with and there was plenty more comedy to come from the pregnancy storyline, with episodes like “The One with the Videotape” and “The One with the Baby Shower” standing out.

Friends season 8 also included some terrific holiday-themed episodes like "The One with the Halloween Party" and the Thanksgiving episode which featured Brad Pitt's memorable Friends appearance. It all leads to the finale of Rachel giving birth, which is another great example of the show wonderfully mixing laughter and emotion.

Friends season 8 was the only one in the show to land an Emmy for Best Comedy Series.

2 Season 4 (1997 - 1998)

24 Episodes

Season 4 of Friends had at least one of the show’s best episodes, “The One with the Embryos." Despite what the title might suggest, Phoebe getting impregnated isn’t quite the main event here, as great a moment as it is. The real action takes place in Monica and Rachel’s apartment, where they end up losing in a quiz to Joey and Chandler, once again showing the sitcom's ability to balance comedic and dramatic plots so well.

There are plenty of other hilarious episodes in Friends season 4, like “The One with the Jellyfish,” “The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie,” "The One with Chandler in a Box," and "The One With All The Haste." The two-part finale with Ross’s wedding remains one of the series most memorable moments from its ten-year run — and when Ross shockingly said Rachel's name at the altar instead of Emily's remains one of the most iconic sitcom moments of all time.

1 Season 5 (1998 - 1999)

24 Episodes

Out of all 10 seasons of Friends, the fifth season has the most episodes that are generally considered the best Friends episodes. The show had cemented its comedic voice and established these characters in such ways that they were able to take risks with its entertaining storylines. Ross's fits of rage and downward spiral over his second failed marriage provided a lot of comedic fodder, as did Monica and Chandler’s secret relationship, which proved the couple to be such a powerhouse romance.

With so many solid episodes it's hard to deny that season 5 is the best season of Friends. “The One with All the Thanksgivings” gave the show's best holiday episode while “The One in Vegas: Part 2” delivered the best season finale. Both episodes are prime examples of Friends being hilarious whether all the characters are together or if they're involved in their own storylines. "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" stands out as the best episode of the entire series with the hilarious moments, wonderful interplay from the cast, and genuine sweetness showing Friends at its best.

• 

  Friends

  Cast:

  Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer

  Release Date:

  1994-09-22

  Seasons:

  10

  Genres:

  Comedy, Drama, Sitcom

  Writers:

  David Crane, Marta Kauffman

  Story By:

  Marta Kauffman

  Network:

  NBC

  Franchise(s):

  Friends

  Directors:

  David Crane, Marta Kauffman

  Showrunner:

  Marta Kauffman