Jennifer Aniston's 20 best 'Friends' episodes

Of course, you’ve got to have the episode that started it all, especially as the series originally introduced Rachel as the audience proxy — the newcomer into this (upper-middle-class, let’s be real) world. Yes, she knows or is acquainted with the rest of this gang before the episode even begins, but she has to readjust to her job being a joke, being broke and her love life being D.O.A. Yup, the "Friends" theme song is actually about Rachel Green.

It’s easy to forget that "Friends" had an episode with “boobies” in the title, but it happened. (There’s a Season 2 episode with “breast” in the title and a Season 9 title with “boob” in it as well.) In this episode, Chandler sees Rachel naked, so Rachel reacts the way anyone else would: She tries to see Chandler naked. What follows is a nude butterfly effect caused by Rachel.

The episodes on this list specifically about the Ross and Rachel relationship tend to be the ones where Rachel comes to a startling revelation about them, and this is the first episode in in which such a revelation occurs. This is the one where Rachel finds out Ross’ unrequited feelings for her, as well as the one where she waits for him on his return back (but doesn’t expect him to come with a new girlfriend).

Despite the Hootie and the Blowfish of it all, this is actually a great episode for all the “poor” friends: Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey.

Another Rachel revelation about Ross’ feelings for her, this time thanks to the Gellers’ prom home video. Can’t get much better than Rachel just making a beeline toward Ross and kissing him after that one.

This is absolutely on the list because of the dramatic work Jennifer Aniston does here as Rachel. She finally bursts over Ross' immature behavior — both in terms of jealousy and how patronizing he can be.

It will never get old that the title for one of the most memorable episodes of the series’ entire run has nothing to do with the reason why the episode is as memorable as it is. (The titular embryos, by the way, refer to the storyline about Phoebe as the surrogate for her half brother and his wife,) It’s the trivia competition to determine who knows more about the other: the guys or the girls? And as we learn from this episode — and Rachel’s “transpondster” line — the answer is the guys.

Rachel convinces Joey to rock a shoulder bag (aka a purse), not even out of malice but instead out of misguided fashion. Props to Rachel for being the only friend not to pile on here.

The sad part about this is not having the moment of both Phoebe and Rachel looking out the window, though you can probably hear Phoebe screaming, “MY EYES!” Like “The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant.” But this episode ends up being a Rachel, Phoebe and Joey team-up, and it’s quite the trio; it’s certainly when Rachel’s powers are the strongest.

Rachel succumbing — poorly — to peer pressure — barely — and smoking is one of those episodes that highlights Rachel’s trait of kind of being a pushover. Also, she ends up getting an early birthday party that should technically be Chandler's. Interesting episode, this is.

Which is better? The version of Rachel who is at Ross’ throat or the drunken version of Rachel who ends up marrying Ross in Vegas? As it turns out, because this is a two-parter, you get the best of both worlds.

Friends is a show about misadventures and how much these characters can dig themselves in deeper and deeper — it is a situational comedy, after all — and that’s 100 percent what the Rachel and Phoebe plot in this episode is all about, with Rachel lying about the titular apothecary table. A lot of the best episodes for Rachel really play off her relationship with Phoebe. (This list doesn’t even include the one where they go jogging together.) It’s also a strange Pottery Barn product placement that taught millions of youths watching at the time that Pottery Barn exists.

Rachel and Phoebe scaring and beating up Ross is pretty much peak Friends, isn’t it? That’s truly a birthday present to all of us.

If one were to ship Rachel and Joey, one of the things they could point to is their mutual love of books and how they’d share that with each other. Although in this particular case, Rachel has to deal with Joey teasing her about her about the erotic novel she’s reading. Ultimately, she gets the last laugh though, because you can only push Rachel Green so many times before she pushes back.

On the one hand, this entire episode is a tasteless ratings grab centered around Friends’ poorly aged gay jokes. On the other hand, it’s Winona Ryder on a network sitcom, Rachel spiraling in her insecurity (which is always great when it’s not centered on Ross) and, hey, good on "Friends" for actually going through with the kiss, ratings grab that it is. Does anyone even remember what happens in the rest of this episode? Just a reminder: It willingly involves the movie "Batman Forever."

Another episode with "Friends’" poorly aged jokes (the rumor about Rachel being a “hermaphrodite”), but in terms of celebrities on a network sitcom — "Friends" honestly did a better job with them than "Will & Grace," which pretty much ended up only existing for the stunt casting — “The One With the Rumor” is kind of the jackpot. The irony of bringing up Brad Pitt while honoring Jennifer Aniston isn’t lost on me, but their marriage at the time naturally allowed this episode to happen, and it’s considered a classic for a reason. In terms of Rachel — not just her getting bashed by Pitt’s Will — it’s obviously throughout so much of this episode that really hits the spot on this list.

Funnily enough, David Schwimmer directed this episode: the one that officially began Joey’s crush on Rachel. Even if you’re not a fan of even the idea of Joey and Rachel together — which is understandable because Chandler and Rachel would’ve actually been a better couple, had it not been for Chandler and Monica — Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc always put in good work together. And that’s exactly the case here, as Rachel and Joey show each other their dating “moves.”

If only one of Rachel’s sisters had to make it onto this list, unfortunately for Reese Witherspoon’s Jill, Christina Applegate’s Amy got the win. Obviously, the guest role is key to this episode, but Rachel’s exasperation when her sister's around is also special. Amy is especially the one who should know better about life — but she’s pretty much just a monster — so Rachel’s frustration with her — especially in the moments when Amy doesn’t know baby Emma’s name — works even better.

Here, Rachel has to process the possibility of now being in love with Joey, with the added bonus of learning that she was the only woman he ever loved. (Awkward.) Of course, things don’t end up working out for these two in the long run, but awkward Rachel trying to process some things is always a good beat for Jennifer Aniston to play — she had to play it a lot with the Ross relationship, after all.

Even if you’re not a fan of Ross and Rachel — she shouldn’t have gotten off the plane, there was no problem with the left phalange — Jennifer Aniston’s performance in the series finale almost makes it all worth it. The problem with Ross and Rachel as a pairing never actually came down to Schwimmer (OK, his Ross could stand to be a smidge less whiny) and Aniston — it was all in the writing of the characters and the story arc — and the series finale has them play their romcom leading roles to perfection.