Highlights
- Friends creators and cast added hidden messages and easter eggs throughout the show.
- Examples include Ross's t-shirt symbolizing "friends" in sign language and a reserved sign at Central Perk.
- The series paid tribute to the FDNY after the 9/11 attack, and a strange hidden detail was added to the series finale.
The endless rewatchability of Friends has only uncovered details that most fans seemed to miss the first time around. Almost two decades later, the obsession with Friends is unstoppable. This is something the creators and cast were unlikely to have foreseen when making the show. Nevertheless, their decision to thread hidden messages, meanings, and easter eggs into the best episodes of the show seems an inspired and forward-thinking choice.
Not unlike what Chuck Lorre did with The Big Bang Theory finale, co-creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman, as well as the cast, such as Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer, found ways of delighting fans with elusive nudges and winks that have only been uncovered in recent years...
The Hidden Messages In Friends
Rewatching the 236 episodes of Friends can reveal a lot to diehard fans. The wardrobe and backgrounds featured in many of the episodes actually feature a number of hidden meanings, messages, and tidbits. One such example occurs in Season 4, Episode 22, "The Worst Best Man Ever" when Joey and Chandler through Ross a bachelor's party.
In the episode, Joey and Chandler's apartment is sloppily decorated for the evening. According to Republic World, if you look closely at the banners, one would see that they are adorned with condoms. Given the censors, it's likely that the cast and crew did this in secret hoping the suits at NBC wouldn't notice. Fans, however, did...
One of the most obscure hidden messages in Friends came in the form of an insignia on Ross's t-shirt. In the Season 8 episode "The One With The Tea Leaves" David Schwimmer is wearing a shirt with two hands with their index fingers locked. According to Mirror.UK, this means "friends" in sign language.
Perhaps one of the most famous hidden gems in Friends is the "reserved" sign on the table at Central Perk. While this sign is present throughout most episodes, it appears to be a hidden gag by the production team poking fun at the fact that no one but the main cast ever sat in that specific spot in the cafe.
Another hidden message in Friends comes in Season 5's "The One In Vegas - Part 1". When Joey is on the phone with Phoebe, he asks her to retrieve his PIN number which he scratched into an ATM machine near his apartment. The number ends up being "5639". This is particularly funny as those numbers correlate with the letters "J.O.E.Y". That's right, Joey's PIN number is his name.
Following the 9/11 attack, Friends, which was set in New York City, paid tribute to the New York City Fire Department. Not only is "FDNY" scribbled proudly on the whiteboard in Joey and Chandler's apartment but in one episode Joey is actually wearing a "FDNY" T-shirt.
What Was In Joey's Oven In The Friends Series Finale?
Perhaps the most disturbing hidden detail in all of Friends occurs in the very last episode, aptly titled "The Last One". According to Mirror.UK, diehard fans uncovered a strange shadow lurking in the oven in Joey's apartment. The moment occurs when Joey is breaking apart the foosball table in search of the baby chick and duck.
If you recall, the original chick and duck were "sent off to a farm". AKA, they died off-screen.
As a cruel joke, fans on Reddit believed someone on set placed what looked like a rubber chicken in the oven.
In reality, it was not...
Upon closer inspection, the item in the oven during this scene is a yellow M&M dispenser that actually continuously moves around Joey and Chandler's apartment throughout the last few seasons of the show. It's clear the props department thought it would be funny if it were placed in the oven for the final episode.
The Secret Messages Written On The Central Perk Chalkboard In Friends
Throughout the 236 episodes of Friends, various messages can be seen written on the chalkboard of everyone's favorite cafe, Central Perk. While these messages may not reveal much about the show, the world, or behind-the-scenes details, they certainly show the creativity of the writers.
According to The List, the original chalkboard menu at Central Perk included the following:
"Long Island Cream: A moovingly rich and creaming coffee straight from the mutter's utter.
Central Jolt: Loaded with caffeine we don't recommend doing needlepoint after a cup of this joe.
5th Avenue: Going shopping you'll need some fuel. Try this trendy blend while you spend.
Empire Roast: Bursting w/flavor & energy. You won't be hanging around after drinking this stuff.
Ms. Liberty Blend: A liberating blend, light & sweet. You'll be crying "freedom"! When you taste it.
N.Y. Classico: The classic coffee taste you'd expect on a classic New York morning.
Tin Pan Java: Filtered through the finest skid row hankies we get a brew so thin you'd think it's tea.
Manhattan Mocha: A stimulating brew guaranteed to keep your eyes open until the wee hours.
Mocha Quartet: A symphony of flavors blended together to make your day sing.
Urban: Robust and raw this coffee will have you swinging from the lamposts."
On top of messages on the chalkboard, The list also details messages left on the whiteboard in Joey and Chandler's apartment. Season 3, Episode 18, "The One With the Hypnosis Tape," features the first major drawing on the whiteboard; a Magna Doodle, a shopping list, and the words, "Joey call your dad."
Over the course of the series, various other messages are written on the board. These messages acted as a way to fill out the world of Friends as well as give a nudge and a wink to the diehard fans. Among the messages were, "Clean up the duck feathers in the hallway! Treager," "Clean bathroom," "No girls allowed", "Evil Joey","Knock, knock, who's there? PORN!" as well as an assortment of drawings.
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