Phoebe was always shown as a quirky gal, often on the outskirts of the gang because of her nutty attitude. This is one dark theory but some claim it makes strange sense. Given how each of those shows had larger connections to others, this means Friends is part of a much wider universe that should have gotten the gang a bit more attention from other characters. Meanwhile, it had already been shown how Mad and Seinfeld were connected which means Friends exists in the same New York City as the acclaimed comedy.Īlso, a second season episode had Monica and Rachel set up with a pair of doctors played by ER stars George Clooney and Noah Wyle. This had some other connections as Chandler was seen talking to Lea Thompson from Caroline in the City. This led to Mad’s Helen Hunt appearing as her character, Jaime, confused as to what “Ursula” was doing at a coffee house.
So, the writers came up with the idea that Phoebe and Ursula were twin sisters and played off that. At the time, NBC had several comedies set in New York such as Mad and Seinfeld and the network pressured writers to do some crossovers. At first, the role seemed forgotten but the Friends writers remembered it. 13 The NBC Universeīefore she landed the role of Phoebe, Lisa Kudrow starred on Mad About You as Ursula, a quirky waitress. It’s interesting to imagine that the seemingly goofball Phoebe may have been smarter than the rest of the gang put together. She had to survive a rough upbringing and the “what if” episode showed a world where she became a successful Wall Street executive, indicating she must have some high intelligence. It could be that Phoebe is a true genius but likes to hide it under her veneer of dumb antics so it doesn’t alienate the rest of the gang.Ĭonversely, Phoebe might be unaware of her genius and thus, her brilliant observations are as much a surprise to her as the others.
She speaks French and Italian and it’s been hinted more than once she may have psychic powers.
In one episode, she and Ross are talking evolution and Phoebe makes arguments that actually make Ross doubt his convictions. However, Phoebe may have actually been smarter than she seemed.
She seemed pretty out of it, not as pure stupid as Joey was but clearly not playing with a full deck. From the start, Phoebe was shown to be a rather scatter-brained woman with bizarre theories and goofy lines. This has been a long-standing theory and one fans enjoy promoting. This is a theory that actually has some evidence as at least one scene has a “reserved” stand on the table itself to show how Gunther went out of his way to make sure the gang had a regular spot and fills in a big plot hole of the show. He knows she’s out of his league but still tries and thus keeping the table open for the gang is a key excuse to keep them around. It’s partly because they’re such good customers (as they never go anywhere else) but also because of Rachel.īecause it was so obvious that Gunther had feelings for Rachel, it's thought that he only put up with her as a poor waitress because of that. But others offer a surprisingly logical explanation for this: that Gunther reserves the table for the gang. It’s been a running gag among fans and shots taken at how it shows what a cliché the show could be. In fact, one episode had the great gag of them entering to see other people sitting there and just staring blankly, not knowing where else they could sit. That somehow, a popular coffee shop like Central Perk had its one major couch only occupied by the gang. It’s been a major long-running joke for years, even before the Internet came into the picture. Here are 15 Friends fan theories that make you rethink the series, making it interesting how fans can see some new meaning in a classic show. Some others are outlandish but still interesting to think about and would have a different take on the series. But some theories are intriguing by how there’s some evidence to indicate they might be true and make you see the show in a different light. Some can be wild (Joey was actually gay and hiding it under the veneer of a womanizer while Chandler and Monica had a rather…risqué bedroom style) and not much to back it up. Like any hit show that’s had such a long run, fans like to talk about various theories regarding the series. For a decade, fans tuned in and loved it and it still retains a massive following with fans watching shows in syndication. It made instant stars of Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry – Aniston and Kudrow even won Emmys for the series. Before anyone knew it, the show became one of the biggest hits on television and a critical favorite. When Friends debuted in 1994, it was pushed by NBC as another of its New York-based sitcoms about a band of buddies hanging out.