6 Of The Darkest ‘Friends’ Fan Theories That Honestly Make Sense

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the iconic 90s sitcom Friends this weekend, here are six of the darkest Friends fan theories that honestly make a lot of sense.

1. They all are patients in a psych ward.

One wild Friends fan theory posits that the six pals are actually patients being treated at a psych ward for their different personality disorders, and there are some compelling arguments for this one.

First, the crew spent most of their time in one of two places, either the coffee shop Central Perk or at one of the apartments. It’s theorized that Central Perk was actually the facility’s cafeteria and each apartment would have been the ward’s respective patient rooms.

Next, the friends are deeply suspicious, sometimes even downright hostile, towards those outside of the group. The theory suggests that this is because any outsider represented someone trying to take one of the friends out of the psych ward.

2. Ross lost custody of his son for being a crappy dad.

Well, I might be biased because I hate him, but one fan theory that feels particularly plausible is that Ross actually lost custody of his son Ben because he was an irresponsible father.

Think about it. Ben was actually a pretty consistent character on the show for several seasons. However, as the show progressed, Ben made fewer appearances because Ross wasn’t spending as much time with him.

What Would Bale Do gives plenty of talking points to support this one, mainly based on Ross’s increasingly weird, unstable, and possessive behaviors and how his ex-wife Carol finally had enough and took full custody of Ben.

3. The series is actually Rachel’s anxiety dream the night before she marries Barry

Another popular fan theory states that the series is actually Rachel’s anxiety dream the night before her wedding to Barry. The reason this theory came to be was because of the Season 4 DVD box cover. The box shows the six friends sleeping in a bed together, side-by-side. Every single friend’s eyes are closed except for Rachel’s. Some fans used this as evidence that this means the series was her dream and means of coping with the dread of the impending marriage.

4. Phoebe’s stepdad killed her mom.

Throughout the series, it’s mentioned various times that Phoebe’s step father is in prison, but the reason for this is never revealed. The only information involving his incarceration is that he went right after Phoebe’s mother passed away. According to Reddit user u/jirouisbestgirl_:

[…]Isn’t it suspicious that Phoebe’s stepfather went to prison right after her mother died??

In one episode, Phoebe says ,”My mother was killed by a drug dealer!” She then corrects herself after Monica says, “Your mother killed herself,” saying, “She was a drug dealer!” Though we don’t ever hear much about Phoebe’s mother, this is the only time it is mentioned that she was a drug dealer. Is it possible that this was a slip up?

It’s also possible that their stepather told them that their mother had killed herself. Lying to them in order to protect his image in their eyes.

Intriguing. And, uh, very sad.

5. Jack Gellar wasn’t actually Monica’s dad.

Speaking of daddy issues, one theory believes that Judy Geller, Monica and Ross’ mom, had an affair and Monica was the result of that infidelity. This could explain Mrs. Gellar’s extreme favoritism towards her son and lack of affection for her daughter. She is projecting the guilt she had about betraying her husband. Monica is a constant reminder of that mistake.

6. Phoebe hallucinated the show.

One of the most popular (and dark) Friends fan theories is that the entire series is actually within Phoebe’s mind. This theory says that Phoebe never stopped living on the streets and was addicted to meth. One day, Phoebe looked in the window at Central Perk and saw the five other characters spending time together. This is when Phoebe began fantasizing that she was part of the friend group too.

This theory became so pervasive that Friends‘ co-creator Marta Kauffman was asked about its validity during an interview. Kauffman shut it down and said, “That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” continuing on to even say it was a terrible theory” and “insane.”

I mean, that’s probably true. But hey, it’s interesting to think about at the very least.