Ultimate Controversy Fuel: 5 Divisive Takes Sure To Cause Backlash In Friends Fandom

Can you believe that this year we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the premiere of Friends, and May 6th marked 20 years since its finale aired? Even after all these years and numerous re-watches, fans of the sitcom, new and old, remain just as passionate and invested in the lives of their best on-screen friends, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross.

Friends fans certainly agree on a lot of things (most notably that the show is the greatest sitcom to ever exist and changed the television world forever), but there are some takes that never fail to cause backlash in discussions. No matter how many times fans have argued about them, they never seem to find common ground.

Here are the top five of those opinions. Let's see which side you're on.

1. Surrogate Question

The creators of Friends incorporated Lisa Kudrow's real-life pregnancy into the show. However, they didn't want to give her character a family life so early on, so Phoebe became a surrogate for her younger brother Frank Jr. and his wife Alice.

That's how the incestuous jokes became one of the show's main running gags. Many viewers find the whole situation bizarre and kind of creepy. However, in real life, such a situation is not that uncommon. There are many advantages to using a family member as a surrogate, including both medical and psychological factors.

2. Joey & Rachel

Ask any Friends fan which storyline was too much, and you are sure to hear 'Joey's crush on pregnant Rachel'. The two even tried to be together romantically after the birth of Emma, and many fans still fast-forward through those episodes when they re-watch.

However, there is an opposing opinion. Some fans say that Joey was much better for Rachel than Ross. After all, they were friends first, and such unions tend to last a long time.

3. Mike vs. David

Phoebe had many love interests, but her two main ones were Paul Rudd's Mike and Hank Azaria's David. She ended up marrying Mike (with David crashing their engagement), and half the fandom cheered that development. But the other half still thinks David and Phoebe were perfect for each other and had the chemistry Mike could only dream of.

4. Rachel & Ross

Of course, the most divisive couple on the show is Ross and Rachel. You can find all kinds of opinions about them, from 'they are the best on-screen couple ever' to 'they were toxic and abusive'. The most heated discussions are about who of the two was more horrible in their relationship.

Ross is often called a walking red flag, and for good reason. But when you think about it, Rachel took an active part in creating the mess that was their romance.

5. Were they or weren’t they on a break?

Okay, this is the queen of controversial opinions about Friends. Somehow, the writers managed to create a situation that just doesn't have a consistent resolution. To this day, you can find videos and posts from fans providing overwhelming evidence in favor of one viewpoint or another.

But that's what makes Friends so much fun, right?