Friends: Times Rachel, Monica, And Phoebe Were The Ultimate BFFs
Published on August 21, 2017. Updated April 29, 2020Each character on Friends brought their unique quirkiness and individual brand of humor to the group that fans still love to this day, but sometimes a gal just needs her ladies, and “Rach,” “Mon,” and “Pheebs” were no different. Check out these 11 times that Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe were the ultimate BFFs on Friends.
11. The One With Rachel’s Eyedrops − Season 5 | Episode 22
Some people have no problem at all using eyedrops and then there are those who fully realize that it’s not natural to drop a foreign substance onto your incredibly vulnerable eyeball. When Rachel requires a glaucoma test and ends up needing eyedrops, there’s one tiny problem — she is one of those people who hate putting things in their eye. In fact, she has a total phobia about it. So, it’s up to best friend Monica to save the day. Using trickery, brute force, and finally the entire gang to get the job done, Monica’s methods are as hilarious as they are effective and we’re sure Rachel was totally thankful that she has such a caring best friend on hand.
10. The One Where Rachel Thought She Was Losing Monica to Julie − Season 2 | Episode 2
Rachel and Ross may have endured a roller-coaster ride of romance on their way to happily-ever-after, but Rachel and Monica were true-blue besties from the start, and stayed that way right up until the end of the show’s 10 years on the air. Though that doesn’t mean even these two BFFs didn’t hit a snag every now and then. Specifically, when Julie stepped onto the scene. Not only hooking up with Ross just as Rachel realized she had feelings for him, Julie did her best to become friends with her boyfriend’s sister − which would be totally normal and a nice thing to do, frankly under normal circumstances, but since Monica also happened to be besties with the woman that secretly loved Ross, things were a little more complicated and it’s hard to blame Rachel for feeling like Julie has not only stolen Ross, but was trying to steal Monica too.
9. The One When Monica Let Rachel Use Her Medical Insurance − Season 1 | Episode 17
When our bestie gets hurt, of course we want to do whatever we can to help them out, but we’re not sure that includes breaking the law and that’s exactly what happened when Rachel injures her ankle and heads off to the hospital without proper medical insurance. When she discovers there’s an issue with the fact that she’s not covered, she convinces Monica to swap identities temporarily so that Rachel can get medical care. While the crime leads to a double date with former ER stars George Clooney and Noah Wyle, the gals must also undo their illegal activity before any serious trouble starts brewing. However, the fact that Monica was willing to break the law certainly proves that she is one heck of a dedicated bestie.
8. The One Where Young Rachel Showed Young Monica How to Get Back at Young Chandler − Season 5 | Episode 8
When Chandler makes unkind comments about Monica’s weight back in the day (during one of the show’s epic Thanksgiving flashback episodes), he may not have had any intention of being overheard, but that still didn’t make it right. And Mon’s bestie was right there to help her get revenge on the guy who hurt her feelings. Rachel teaches her super awkward pal some sexy moves and Monica steps in with the intention of seducing her brother’s BFF before brutally rebuffing him. Unfortunately, the plan goes massively awry and Chandler ends up losing a toe. But, if you can manage to forget the severed digit, it’s still pretty nice that Rachel was willing to provide a little (vengeance-driven) advice for her bestie.
7. The One When Rachel and Phoebe Tried to Out Monica’s Relationship With Chandler − Season 5 | Episode 14
Confession: When Monica first popped out from under the covers in Chandler’s bed on the morning of Ross’ wedding, we screamed! The relationship was a quirky twist that fans didn’t expect, but fully loved and we’re pretty sure both Rachel and Phoebe had the exact same reaction when they found out about their friends-turned-lovers. But that doesn’t mean that Rachel and Phoebe weren’t willing to mess with their pals while trying to expose the secret relationship. However, their task also includes keeping Ross from finding out which resulted in some wildly enthusiastic reactions to him possibly snagging the ugly naked guy’s apartment − or, in truth, wildly distracting reactions to keep Ross away from the window where he might spy his sister doing, um, physical things with Chandler. Only a true friend is willing to wail and flail like Rachel and Phoebe do!
6. The One When Monica and Phoebe Team Up for a Catering Biz − Season 4 | Episode 9
When it clues in to the ladies that Monica has the necessarily cooking skills and Phoebe has the required bada– business skills, the two team up to buy a van and start their very own catering company. One funeral, one surely delicious food spread, and one take-no-crap-even-from-widows Pheebs on the case, and we were convinced this venture was bound to be a success. But when Monica gets offered a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity, she bails on Phoebe, initially to her friend’s dismay, but then eventually with her bestie’s blessing because when it comes down to it you always do anything you can to support your friends’ dreams.
5. The One When Rachel Had to Accept That She Was Moving Out and Chandler Was Moving In − Season 6 | Episode 2
When Chandler and Monica decided to take the big step of moving in together, that meant that Rachel, who was Monica’s roommate at the time, would have to move out. You can’t really blame Rachel for not being quite 100 percent believing that finicky Monica and commitment-phobic Chandler would actually go through with it. It may have taken a little (or a lot of) effort to convince Rachel that the move was indeed going to happen, but once she accepted the truth, she was both totally bummed to be ending an era with her live-in bestie while also being completely thrilled for her wildly in-love friends.
4. The One Where Rachel and Phoebe Help Monica Nab the Perfect Discount Wedding Dress − Season 7 | Episode 17
A good friend is willing to stand by your side as a loving bridesmaid while you tie the knot with your significant other. A BEST friend will help you dodge obstacles, risk injury, and tackle competitors in order to score the perfect discounted wedding dress. It takes all of that and more when Monica takes Rachel and Phoebe with her to a super snazzy boutique that’s having a sale on normally expensive, utterly gorgeous gowns. As ruthless as a drill sergeant (even arming her ladies with ear-blasting whistles) and as sly as a super spy, Monica is determined to get what she wants… and she wants the dress.
3. The One Where They ALL Dress Up in Wedding Dresses…Despite Not Being Brides − Season 4 | Episode 20
Speaking of wedding dresses, Monica had a bit of an obsession with them throughout the show’s run. That’s why, when she was asked to pick up her future sister-in-law’s gown (you remember Emily, of course?) Monica couldn’t hold back an enthusiastic “OKAY” when asked if she’d like to try on the dress by the boutique owner who obviously thought Monica was the future bride. But that’s not where the dress-up ended. Unable to resist the gown’s allure as it waits in her apartment for the big wedding day, Monica decides to pretend to be the bride once again while doing the dishes. When Phoebe wants to join in on the fun, she nabs her own dress. When the pair decide to cheer Rachel up after her break-up with Joshua (because, ya know, she proposed to him after dating for just a few weeks), the trio are a sight to see in three wedding dresses, drinking beer, and watching movies. When Joshua shows up to possibly work things out with his ex, Rachel naturally answers the door with a cheeky “I dooooo!” As Josh (er, “JoshUA”) takes off, Rachel assures her friends, “Yeah, that ought to do it.” We have to agree.
2. The One When Phoebe Lies About the Pregnancy Test − Season 8 | Episode 1
When Monica and Chandler tied the knot, it wasn’t the only life-changing development that the friends were dealing with. News of Rachel’s pregnancy had reached Monica and Phoebe, who not only stepped up to support their friend, but also convinced her to take an additional pregnancy test just to be sure. When Rachel’s nerves get the better of her and she’s unable to read the results, Phoebe lends a helping hand to inform her friend that it’s negative. Rachel is relieved… and then heartbroken. As she processes her feelings of disappointment despite things turning out the way they should probably be, Pheebs reveals the truth: the test was positive and Rachel is going to have a baby. While Rachel reacts to the risky trick, Phoebe responds with, “But now you know how you really feel.” Only a true friend would be willing (and able) to take such a gamble.
1. The One Where Monica Takes Rachel In After the Runaway Bride Situation – Season 1 | Episode 1
From the moment Rachel Green first stepped onto the scene on Friends, Monica was willing to step up as the support the runaway bride so desperately needed − buh bye, Barrie! The only person that Rachel knew in New York (who also happened to NOT be invited to the wedding), Monica became Rachel’s refuge and − after taking in the now homeless former socialite − her new roomie. Walking Rachel through her first steps of independence, she assures her bestie, “Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re going to love it!” Too true!