20 Plot Holes and Inconsistencies Only Eagle-Eyed ‘Friends’ Fans Have Caught

Credit: Reisig & Taylor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

20 Plot Holes and Inconsistencies Only Eagle-Eyed 'Friends' Fans Have Caught

No one is perfect — not even Monica Geller! Friends is a fan-favorite series and has been ever since it debuted on September 22, 1994. However, that means that diehard fans have watched it over and over again in the past 25 years ... and noticed the plot holes or lack of continuity throughout the show. The series introduced the world to Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) — and in turn, they became our own friends. The friends lived across from each other (and later, across the street) through the duration of the series. That is where the first mid-series change without explanation occurred: The apartment numbers. In the early episodes, Monica and Rachel lived in apartment 5, while Chandler and Joey across the hall lived in apartment 4. However, the staircase in the hallways and the incredible view outside showed that both apartments were clearly on higher floors and would have higher apartment numbers. So, the apartment numbers were later changed to 19 and 20. Ahead of Tribeca TV Festival's recent 25th anniversary panel, co-creator Marta Kauffman shed light on the series, and while she didn't call out any mistakes made while filming, she did admit things would be very different if the show was on today. "I wish I had my 2019 glasses on when we did a lot of it," she told Us Weekly exclusively at the event when addressing Monica's weight in the flashback scenes. "There are things I look back on and go, 'Yeah if I had known better I would have done things differently,' but I didn't!" Kevin Bright, who was an executive producer on the series, echoed Kauffman, adding that things were very different when the NBC sitcom began. "I think we broke plenty of new ground," Bright told Us. "You'd never seen a gay wedding on television before Friends, you'd never seen blatant sexuality on a sitcom before Friends, so I think we broke our ground." Scroll through the gallery below for inconsistencies and plot holes you may have missed!

Credit: Reisig & Taylor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

20 Plot Holes and Inconsistencies Only Eagle-Eyed 'Friends' Fans Have Caught

No one is perfect — not even Monica Geller! Friends is a fan-favorite series and has been ever since it debuted on September 22, 1994. However, that means that diehard fans have watched it over and over again in the past 25 years ... and noticed the plot holes or lack of continuity throughout the show. The series introduced the world to Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) — and in turn, they became our own friends. The friends lived across from each other (and later, across the street) through the duration of the series. That is where the first mid-series change without explanation occurred: The apartment numbers. In the early episodes, Monica and Rachel lived in apartment 5, while Chandler and Joey across the hall lived in apartment 4. However, the staircase in the hallways and the incredible view outside showed that both apartments were clearly on higher floors and would have higher apartment numbers. So, the apartment numbers were later changed to 19 and 20. Ahead of Tribeca TV Festival's recent 25th anniversary panel, co-creator Marta Kauffman shed light on the series, and while she didn't call out any mistakes made while filming, she did admit things would be very different if the show was on today. "I wish I had my 2019 glasses on when we did a lot of it," she told Us Weekly exclusively at the event when addressing Monica's weight in the flashback scenes. "There are things I look back on and go, 'Yeah if I had known better I would have done things differently,' but I didn't!" Kevin Bright, who was an executive producer on the series, echoed Kauffman, adding that things were very different when the NBC sitcom began. "I think we broke plenty of new ground," Bright told Us. "You'd never seen a gay wedding on television before Friends, you'd never seen blatant sexuality on a sitcom before Friends, so I think we broke our ground." Scroll through the gallery below for inconsistencies and plot holes you may have missed!

Credit:

Soulmates

When Phoebe claims she has found Monica’s soulmate, Monica tells a panicked Chandler she doesn’t believe in soulmates. However, on their wedding day, she calls Chandler her soulmate in her vows.

Credit: NBC/Giphy

Credit:

Rachel's Pregnancy

On Monica's wedding day, May 15, Rachel found out she was pregnant – she had hooked up with Ross about three weeks before. So, she would be due right around January. However, she was pregnant until the FOLLOWING May. In fact, she even complained about how hot it was outside. No wonder she was miserable, she was pregnant for an entire year.

Credit: NBC/Giphy

Credit: Courtesy of NBC Studios/Everett Collection

Yemen!

Did Chandler actually go to Yemen? In season 4, he chooses to buy a ticket and actually get on a plane instead of dumping Janice. He planned to just tell her that he was going but she waited at the airport as he boarded the plane so she could watch him take off. So, did he go? He was back the next episode and it was never spoken about again.

Credit:

Where Was David?

David, Phoebe's boyfriend, was sent to Minsk, the capital of Belarus for work. Later, they refer to him being in Russia. However, Minsk was annexed by Russia in 1793. As a bonus, when he says goodbye to her in season 7, he says a Russian phrase that he learned at work: "Please clean my beakers." However, David is a physicist, not a chemist. ... Why is he cleaning beakers?

Credit: NBC/Giphy

Credit: NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Using Light Speed?

Speaking of travel, in season 9, Chandler is on the phone with Monica in Christmas Eve, working from his office in Tulsa. He decides to come home later in the episode and when he arrives, everyone is still awake. So, he somehow got a last-minute flight to NYC on Christmas Eve, flew to NYC AND got a cab to their apartment in the time between that phone call and say, midnight? (The flight is about 5 hours, BTW.)

Credit:

Pheobe's French

Phoebe teaches Joey French before an audition in season 10. But in season 8, she doesn’t know what a “Sous chef” is.

Credit: NBC/Giphy

Credit: NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Eyebrow Mystery

What happened to Joey’s eyebrows? In season 9, episode 13, he gets them waxed but can only do one, so Chandler makes them even. However, they still look completely different. When the next episode picks up, it’s five days later  — and his brows were back to normal.

Credit:

How Many Sisters?

In season 1, Joey says his mom gave birth to seven kids; in season 3, he has seven sisters.

Credit: NBC/Giphy

Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Photo

Where’s Tag?

Did Tag quit his job after he and Rachel broke up? She never saw him at work again.

Credit: Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

... Or Gavin?

What happened to Gavin after the Rachel kiss? We never saw him at work again. Clearly, Rachel got her job back ...

Credit: Warner Bros. Television/Getty Images

When’s Your Birthday?

In “The One With Joey’s New Girlfriend,” Rachel says her birthday is in May. Later, in season 7, she says she’s an Aquarius.

Ross also tells Gunther in season 4 that his birthday is in December. In season 9, he says it’s October 19.

Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Photo

Musical Chairs

In season 8, episode 3, Joey breaks the chair in Monica and Chandler’s kitchen while on the phone with them. The next episode, it’s back.

Credit:

Gunther's Money

In season 5, Gunther buys Rachel’s cat for $1,500 … how did Gunther afford a $1,500 cat?

Credit: NBC/Giphy

Credit: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Let’s Talk Locks

How exactly did Rachel’s key work on Thanksgiving in season 10, episode 8? She said she still had it from her time living there ... but in season 8, episode 3, their locks were changed.

Credit: Courtesy of NBCU Photo Bank

Hey, Bruce

The guys of Friends are huge fans of the Die Hard franchise — but didn’t recognize Bruce Willis?

Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Photo

How many women has Ross slept with?

In season 1, he tells Joey and Chandler he’s only ever slept with Carol. In season 7, he accuses Chandler of sleeping with their college cleaning lady and Chandler says, “That was you.”

Credit: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Does Chandler have memory loss?

In the one with the prom video, Chandler is shocked at how big Monica was. However, he came over to Ross' house all the time when they were younger.

Credit: Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Also, does Rachel?

In the premiere, Monica introduces Chandler and Rachel and they don’t know each other.

Except … they do. They kissed at a college party.