10 Times Phoebe Buffay Was The Best Character on ‘Friends’
Everyone knows Friends and all the characters that made the show the household name it is more than two decades after its debut. There are countless diehard fans who can quote every line throughout the ten seasons that it ran. Endless merchandise has been made for Friends fanatics, including a Friends Lego set. Though every character in the series is well-liked and unique in their own way, no other character can defy the fan-favorite, Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow).
Phoebe has always been the quirky and eccentric one among a relatively straight-laced cast. Despite having experienced some traumas in her life, she is cheerful, generous, and free-spirited. Still, her most admirable attribute is never trying too hard to please anyone and being her authentic self. There are many classic and unforgettable Phoebe moments, but we’ve picked her most definitive.
Sexy Phlegm (Season 4, Episode 5)
Phoebe is known for her odd songwriting and performing abilities and occasionally still performs at Friends’ beloved coffee shop, Central Perk. However, in one episode, Phoebe catches a cold just before her performance.
Despite having a cold, she still gets on stage and performs a number. As she projects her first notes, she falls in love with her sick voice, or what she refers to as “sexy phlegm.” Unfortunately for Phoebe though, her cold quickly disappears. In her desperate attempts to catch a cold again, she sniffs Monica’s snot-covered napkins, eats her unfinished noodle soup, and even resorts to kissing Gunther on the mouth after hearing him sneeze.
Finding a Thumb in The Soda (Season 1, Episode 3)
Phoebe has a charming innocent quality to her. In situations where most people would count as fortunate, Phoebe thinks the opposite way. She first finds out that her bank has mistakenly credited her an extra $500 in her account, but she decides to return the money to the bank. The bank gifts her the $500 alongside a football telephone as a grateful gesture for her honesty.
Not wanting to accept the money, she donates it to an unhoused lady who returns the favor by giving her a can of soda. Much to her surprise, she notices a human thumb floating in the soda after opening it. She gets a compensation of $7000 from the soda company. Her luck never seems to run out!
Meeting Mike’s Parents For the First Time (Season 9, Episode 7)
Phoebe feels nervous about meeting her boyfriend Mike’s parents for the first time. Upon meeting them in their lavish house (and their butler), she immediately feels out of place and puts on an unnatural posh accent to compensate for her lack of confidence. Phoebe continuously tries to prove her worth to Mike and his family with several attempts. She compliments Mike’s father for his good physique and jovially punches him in the area where he just had surgery.
Phoebe Runs Weird (Season 6, Episode 7)
Rachel asks Phoebe to join her for a run in the park. When they arrive, Phoebe tells Rachel to go ahead and that she will catch up with her. Eventually, Phoebe runs past Rachel, who notices Phoebe’s unusual way of running. Later in Central Perk, Rachel shares this story with Ross and Monica and describes Phoebe’s run as “a cross between Kermit the frog and the six million dollar man”.
The next day, Phoebe finds out that Rachel has gone running without her, and when confronted, Rachel is forced to admit her doing. She admits feeling embarrassed to be with Phoebe because of her unusual way of running. Phoebe explains that it reminds her of her childhood because children run without a care in the world. Rachel decides to try Phoebe’s running technique and tells her, “You’re right! It feels great!”
Phoebe’s Mother Is a Cat (Season 4, Episode 2)
In “The One With The Cat,” Phoebe believes that her dead mother is a reincarnated cat after it approached her in Central Park. As a firm believer in the spiritual world, she puts faith in reincarnation and aligns it with the fact that her mother has found a way to reunite with her…but as a cat. Ross, who is shocked by Phoebe’s belief, goes out of his way to prove her wrong.
He finds a poster of a missing cat (the cat that Phoebe believes to be her mother), who is in fact a male cat named Julio. Despite the peculiarity of this episode and its story, Phoebe’s perseverance in defending her beliefs is deserving of admiration.
Giving Birth To The Triplets (Season 5, Episode 3)
Phoebe finds out that her brother Frank is trying to have children with his former economics teacher-turned-wife, Alice, but they are unable to conceive naturally. Phoebe, who is more than just the average person, decides that she will be the surrogate for her brother and his wife.
The time comes and Phoebe is due to deliver their baby. She gives birth to one baby, but that’s not the end. Out goes another one…and in a panicked realization, Frank becomes aware that he now has to raise twins. Things quickly change when Phoebe delivers yet another baby. As hard as it is for Phoebe to part ways with her babies, she feels happy that her brother and his wife can finally raise children of their own, even if that means raising three instead of one.
Phoebe’s Reaction to Monica And Chandler Doing It (Season 5, Episode 14)
One of the most infamous scenes of the whole series is when Phoebe and Rachel find out that Monica and Chandler are together. Ross finally gets a new place, previously owned by “ugly naked guy” who is always off-screen, and whose apartment is right across from Monica’s. Ross leaves Phoebe and Rachel in his apartment while he leaves to sign his new lease. Soon after, they notice something strange happening outside the apartment window.
Monica and Chandler are kissing and taking their clothes off, implying that they are and have been sleeping together. Horrified by this, Phoebe points her finger at them and shouts, “Chandler and Monica! Chandler and Monica! Oh, my eyes! My eyes!” Little did Kudrow know this would become one of her most quotable and unforgettable lines from the series.
Her Wedding to Mike (Season 10, Episode 12)
In one of the last and most intimate episodes of Friends, Phoebe finally gets the happy ending she deserves. She gets married to the love of her life Mike, who accepts and loves her for who she is. However, a snow blizzard hits New York causing long lines of traffic and power outages throughout the city. While some are worried about the blizzard, Monica is outraged that all of her intricate planning has gone to waste.
As the blizzard begins to calm down, Rachel suggests that they get married in the street outside of Central Perk instead. Phoebe and Mike agree, and they are surrounded by people they love the most; their friends and family. In a magical winter wonderland-like setting, they exchange their lovely vows, and Joey pronouns them as husband and wife. Even Monica’s no longer upset.
Princess Consuela Banana Hammock (Season 10, Episode 14)
After getting married, Phoebe tries to change her name to Phoebe Hannigan. After a government worker tells her that she can change her name to whatever she likes, she chooses to change her name to Princess Consuela Banana Hammock. Of course, only Phoebe can think of such a name.
When Mike finds out about Phoebe’s name, he teaches her a lesson by changing his name to Crap Bag. Thankfully, Princess Consuela gets his point and eventually changes her name to Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan.
Something is Wrong With the Left Phalange (Season 10, Episode 17)
The last episode of Friends is undoubtedly the saddest episode ever. In an attempt to win Rachel back, Phoebe drives Ross to JFK airport to stop Rachel from getting on the flight to her new job in Paris. Things are not in Ross’ favor as Monica tells them that they’re at the wrong airport. With little to no time left, they drive to the other airport as fast as they can, and while in the car, Phoebe calls Rachel and convinces her that, “something is wrong with the left phalange.”
The person sitting next to Rachel overhears the conversation and asks Rachel about it. He starts to panic and shouts, “Her friend has a feeling something is wrong with the left phalange!” Phoebe’s made-up theory causes every passenger to panic mode and to collectively get off the plane. Without this, though, Ross and Rachel might’ve not ended up together. Thank you, Phoebe, for a wonderful ending to the series. Maybe it’s not too late for a Phoebe Buffay spin-off?
