Friends: 10 Season 1 Jokes Everyone Completely Missed
Over Friends' 10 seasons, fans have probably spotted every gag, Easter egg, and hidden detail. They are probably aware of all of the goofs and bloopers, too. However, with 236 episodes, it wouldn't be surprising if even the biggest Friends fanatics also missed an occasional joke or two.
If viewers take a closer look at some of the show's earlier episodes, they may notice a lot of innuendos and jokes that went over their heads. Especially in the first season. Here are just a couple of jokes the viewers may not have noticed or understood the first time around...
10 Rachel Makes Bad Coffee Gag (S1.E1)
In the first couple of seasons, there was a running gag of how Rachel couldn't perfect a cup of coffee. Whenever she made a pot, the gang would go out of the way to avoid it because it was so awful. But did anyone spot the hidden joke that emphasized how lethal it was?
In the pilot episode, the viewers see Rachel brew a fresh pot of coffee for Joey and Chandler. When Joey takes a swig of it, Chandler sees the disgust of Joey's face and decides to pour his into the plant on the table. Later on in the episode, the plant is shown to be dead. When the gang said her coffee was terrible, they weren't exaggerating.
9 The "Billy Don't Be A Hero" Reference (S1.E1)
In the pilot episode, the viewers see that Ross is miserable after it is revealed that he has separated from his wife of three years. While Chandler and Joey encourage him to start dating again, Ross is seen to reject the notion, stating that the last time he began dating, "Billy Don't Be A Hero" was released.
While a lot of fans have pointed out that Ross was too young to have started dating then, there is a theory on the web that suggests it has close ties to one of the cast. In the 1980s, there was a sci-fi show called Misfits of Science. In the second episode, one of the characters needs rescuing and is seen to shout "Billy, don't be a hero." The show also starred Courteney Cox too so the writers may be referring to this...
8 "Helen Geller" (S1.E2)
In "The One with the Sonogram at the End," Ross is surprised to discover that Carol is pregnant with his child. The viewers learn that Carol and Susan would like for him to come to her sonogram appointment. While the three of them are there, they start talking about baby names to which Ross laughs at Susan proposing the name "Helen Geller."
A few people may not have understood the joke but this was a play on "Helen Keller," who was a famous author, political activist, and a strong advocate for women's suffrage. Since a lot of people believe Ross was a misogynist, his refusal to the name could further support their theory.
7 "It's About To Attack The Enterprise" (S1.E2)
At the end of this episode, the viewers see the gang sitting on the couch, watching a tape of the sonogram. While Monica and Ross are awestruck by the video, Joey is seen to be confused. When he asks Chandler what they are looking at, he quips, "I don't know but it looks like it's about to attack the Enterprise."
If one didn't know much about Star Trek, they would be unaware that the Enterprise is the spacecraft, which is where most of the show is set on. It seemed like Chandler was comparing the baby's shape to the spaceship build.
6 The "Omnipotent" Scene (S1.E4)
In "The One With George Stephanopoulos," the gang was seen to be discussing what they would do if they had omnipotent power. Here, Joey reveals that he would kill himself if this happened. After Ross repeats the question and puts emphasis on the word, Joey then apologizes profusely to the paleontologist for joking around.
While some of the younger viewers didn't understand the joke initially, they did the older they got. It turns out that Joey believed the question was what he would do if he was impotent. He believed that Ross was confiding to the group about the condition. As one can tell, all Joey seems to think about is sex.
5 "I'm Rubber; You're Glue" (S1.E4)
In this episode, the viewers also saw Ross, Chandler, and Joey go to the hospital when the paleontologist was hit in the face with a puck. While they are there, Ross gets into an argument with a little boy after the kid steals a disk. As the child mocks him, Ross is seen to say "I'm rubber; you're glue" before trailing off.
While it gained a laugh from the audience, not a lot of people understood what this meant. It turns out this is an old playground retort children would use to counter-attack other insults. It usually finishes with "...whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you," meaning the insulter is just highlighting their own insecurities. The phrase is also used in season 9 when Rachel meets Gavin.
4 "Don't Stand So Close To Me" Overlay (S1.E9)
In "The One Where The Underdog Gets Away," Joey finds himself humiliated when he realizes the photos from his modeling gig have been used for a venereal disease advertisement. The viewers then see that these posters have been plastered across New York to The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me."
While one knows the song is poking fun at Joey's expense, one has to wonder why they chose this one specifically? Why not "Hit the Road Jack"? It turns out the B-side of the UK single contained a song called "Friends." Could this have been another nod to the show?
3 Walton's Mountain (S1.E13)
In "The One With The Boobies," Joey finds himself embroiled in some family drama when he discovers his father is cheating on his mother. He also learns his mother knows but wants to remain oblivious and his sister couldn't see her husband because of a restraining order.
After hearing all this, Chandler quips about things changing on "Walton's Mountain." While modern viewers may be unfamiliar with this show, The Waltons was an American drama series that aired for ten years. Similar to the Tribbianis, there were seven children in the Walton family, who got into all sorts of mischief and mayhem. Chandler seems to be saying Joey's family is just as chaotic as theirs.
2 "I Was The James Michener Of Dirty Talk" (S1.E15)
In "The One With The Stoned Guy," the viewers see Ross hit a roadblock in the romance department after his date asks him to talk dirty. Not knowing how to do this, Ross goes to Joey for advice. Later in the episode, Ross reveals to Joey that his suggestions worked, comparing himself to the "James Michener of dirty talk."
This is meant to be a joke against James Michener, who was a famous author that was widely known for his descriptive and verbose writing. If one wasn't an avid book reader or was aware of his stories, this is a bit of an oblique reference.
1 The Risque Joke Of The Dental Sink (S1.E2o)
In the 236 episodes, no one has yet to find a joke that has been as risque as the one Rachel made in "The One With The Evil Orthodontist." As many fans know, Rachel and Barry briefly reunited after the dentist confessed that he was still in love with her. As a result, the two ended up having a brief affair, even hooking up at his office.
In the aftermath, Rachel and Barry are seen lying on the dental chair. It is here that Rachel remarks how nice it was to have "the little sink" next to them. Considering what they just did, it's not hard to connect the dots of what she was implying.