Out of all the Friends, Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) is the one who stands out the most. She’s funny, quirky and the most supportive member of the group. She is also the only member who gives the great advice. So why don’t they give her the same courtesy?
There have been many instances where the gang has let Phoebe down. Sometimes they have failed to be supportive friends and turn up at special events. Other times they have hurt Phoebe by constantly questioning her spiritual beliefs. Keep reading to discover the 10 worst things the gang did to her, ranked.
The Dollhouse
In “The One With The Dollhouse”, Monica gets excited when a family member’s will bequeaths a dollhouse to her. Monica tells them how this dollhouse was an integral part of her childhood, where you could only look rather than play with it. She then invites Phoebe to play with it once she sees hears how she never had one.
However, Monica becomes all-controlling and possessive when Phoebe brings her toys. She doesn’t let her use the dinosaur figures, the dog statue, or the ghost because they are not Victorian and don’t match anything. Fans know Monica likes things to be a certain way but she didn’t need to ruin the fun by controlling everything. All she had to do was watch until she got bored.
Interest in Ursula
There was a time when Joey and Phoebe’s relationship was strained as the actor began to date her twin sister. From the beginning of the show, it was clear that Phoebe and Ursula did not get along. Where Phoebe is kind and considerate, Ursula is rude and thoughtless. Why Joey was attracted to her was anyone’s guess.
However, Phoebe didn’t like that Joey had begun to neglect their friendship, putting more effort into his gifts for Ursula than he did her. He also decides to spend her birthday with Ursula, choosing to put his desires ahead of his friendship with Phoebe. She has a right to be hurt when he doesn’t make an appearance at her party.
The weird run
Although they are opposites, Rachel and Phoebe are the best of friends. However, there have been many times where Rachel has let Phoebe down, allowing her self-esteem to get in the way.
In the episode ‘The One Where Phoebe Runs’, fans may recall how Rachel avoids Phoebe because she is embarrassed about the way she runs. She tells Phoebe that she wouldn’t be able to join her on her morning jog as she has ’twisted her ankle’. However, Phoebe gets mad at Rachel when she spots her in the park. It’s a little strange that Rachel is embarrassed by Phoebe’s run when the songs she performs are much worse.
Constant talk about London
With Ross and Emily set to get married, the gang all headed off to London. However, Phoebe was unable to attend the nuptials as she was heavily pregnant with the triplets. As a result, she was forced to stay in New York and listen to the wedding on the phone.
When they returned, the gang failed to realize that their constant talk about London made Phoebe feel left out. When Phoebe tries to tell them a funny story about a taxi driver, they interrupt her with tales of London. They show group photos, sans her, which makes her feel even more disappointed that she couldn’t be there. You can’t help but feel sympathetic as they don’t talk about anything else.
Ross always disagrees her
There was always an issue that irked fans about Ross and Phoebe’s relationship. Whenever Phoebe had a belief about something he disagreed with, Ross would go out of his way to try and prove her wrong. The first instance came in “The One Where Mr Heckles Dies” when she says she doesn’t believe in Evolution.
Another argument enthuses when Ross protests against the belief that her mother is in a cat (“The One With The Cat”). No one knows why he has an innate need to do this but at least Phoebe has pulled him up on this when he can’t let it go.
First to be excluded
In season 5, there was an underlying tension between the group after Ross said Rachel’s name at the altar. As Ross attempted to convince Emily to move to New York, she makes a big request. He cannot see Rachel anymore. Ross struggles with the ultimatum but eventually agrees.
Rachel gets upset by the thought of losing a friend in Ross. She tells them that if anyone was going to be cut off, she thought it would be Phoebe because she lived across the city. Phoebe gets offended by the assumption, but what makes it worse is that none of the group disagrees with her. She had a right to be upset with Rachel after this.
Late to her Birthday Party
In the episode “The One With Phoebe’s Birthday Dinner”, the gang let themselves down when they fail to turn up on time to Phoebe’s dinner. Already feeling disappointed that her boyfriend had to work, Phoebe wants to celebrate with her friends. She arranges to meet them at the restaurant, where Joey arrives first.
However, the rest of the group still hasn’t turned up an hour later, meaning Phoebe is forced to give up the table. When they do arrive, they continue to ruin Phoebe’s celebration by letting their distractions and vendettas get in the way of the meal. No one can blame her for ditching them in the end.
Burnt down her apartment
In the episode “The One Where Ross Dates A Student”, Rachel and Phoebe are forced to move in with their friends after a fire breaks out in their apartment. Initially, Phoebe allows Rachel to stay at Monica’s after they believe her candles are the cause.
However, the fire brigade reveals the actual cause was Rachel’s hair straighteners. This causes the two to switch apartments, with Rachel now staying at Joey’s. Rachel then tries to get Phoebe kicked out of the apartment because it lacks Monica’s hospitality. Considering she was responsible, it was only fair that Phoebe got to stay at the better apartment.
The erotic video
In the episode “The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry”, the gang is surprised to find that Phoebe has starred in many adult movies. This all starts when a customer approaches Phoebe in Central Perk and asks for her autograph. When the guy reveals he has watched all her ‘movies’, Joey and Ross track them down.
This is where it begins to get weird. Instead of getting rid of the videos and telling Phoebe, the gang insists on watching it. Joey is the only one to protest, saying it’s weird because Phoebe is their friend. No one else seems to care about this so Joey refuses to watch. Who would have believed Joey would be the one to talk the most sense.
Hooked up with Paulo
In season 2, Rachel was disheartened to realize that Ross had a new girlfriend. Just as she was about to reveal her feelings for the paleontologist, Ross has already begun a relationship with Julia, who he met whilst in China.
Rachel didn’t adjust to the relationship very well and began acting out of character. The worst thing she did was hook-up with Paolo. Paolo was Rachel’s Italian boyfriend, who she met during the city’s blackout. However, the couple split up after Paolo sexually assaults Phoebe while she is giving him a massage. So why does Rachel invite him back to the apartment in season 2? Phoebe is quite disgusted to see him back. It’s so disrespectful to her.
