Ever since the beginning of Friends in 1994, the show has had an unbelievable following of fans that have become truly obsessed with it. It’s unsurprising then that even now, over a decade since the show finished, people are still continuing to talk about it and creating theories about certain aspects of the show. I’m here to tell you about two of these that are incredibly dark, adding some dark energy that allows the fans to continue enjoying one of their favourite shows, maybe even adding some extra reason to re-watch some episodes with the theory in mind.
This first theory is more of a re-imagining of what Friends’ end would have been if he’d been in charge. Posted on his twitter, @strnks outlined exactly he would’ve ended the series if given the opportunity.
“I’d have ended Friends by revealing it was all the meth-addled fantasy of a homeless Phoebe as she stared through the window of Central Perk.
Each kooky aside, each time she made everything about her, each example of how she’s an outsider….it all makes sense. All 10 seasons were merely her fevered imagination, projecting herself into the lives of the others. All she ever wanted was…Friends.
The final scene would be Phoebe walking away from Central Perk, with the Ross, Rachel, Joey, Chandler and Monica characters making a reference to “the crazy lady who always stares at us.” They all have different names and personalities.
Phoebe walks past a furniture store and catches her reflection in a mirror. The name of the store? “Ursula.”
Finally she returns to the park where she sleeps in front of the fountain. A broken lamp stands next to her bench. It starts to rain. From behind, we see her put up six dirty, but brightly coloured umbrellas.
Fade to black.”
What really impresses me about this one is the attention to details such as her twin sister being her own reflection and the inclusion of the coloured umbrellas at the end. Compared to the usual, mostly lighthearted comedy we know and love, this theory is incredibly dark. However, some might say it’s not as dark as the one coming up next. If you’re worried about spoiling your favourite show then now might be the time to do a runner.
“Did Ross’s insanity hit a breaking point with his ex-wife? Could she no longer handle his nice guy syndrome and homophobic snickering? Did she decide to take full custody of her son? Did Ross even fight her for Ben, or just let him go, shifting his focus to the new baby he had with the woman of his obsession? He couldn’t even handle his daughter having a male caregiver.”
“People like to give Ross the benefit of the doubt, wondering if perhaps he was a better father off-screen. Perhaps his children met but the audience never saw. The more likely answer is that he was such a deadbeat father that he completely faded away from his son’s life, pretending to his family and so-called friends that he still saw a boy he barely knew.”
For some, the implication that a young boy was abandoned by his father who lost custody of him due to severe personality issues is likely too much. Not only this but the often ignored homophobia that pervades Ross’ character and other story lines throughout the series is referenced here, something I find many fans of the show ignore. All in all, both of these theories are pretty well thought out and dark, but the bleak reality of this one is what puts it on top for me. To those out there working on more of these theories, I applaud you. However, you have now turned one of many people’s most beloved series into a much darker prospect.
