'Friends' fans, here are the 11 glaringly obvious mistakes you never noticed

Friends fans have been revelling in the opportunity to watch one of their favourite shows from the very beginning, ever since Netflix added it to its UK catalogue.

Of course, it’s 2018, which means we have to follow the usual pattern of excitement > nostalgia > pointing out problematic jokes > maintaining we never liked it to begin with.

However, there’s another option, if we don’t feel like digging too deeply into the show’s past: we can ignore all the other nonsense, wallow in the nostalgia but also point out all the continuity errors and plot-holes.

And boy are there a lot of those. Let’s get cracking shall we?

1. Monica forgets Chandler

In the pilot episode, when Rachel walks into Central Perk, Monica introduces her to the group while making it clear she has already met Ross.

However, later in the show’s 10-season run we discover Rachel has also met Chandler before – on many occasions, in fact – so why the intro?

2. The two Phoebes

That’s not the only goof in the pilot – later in the episode, Phoebe is shown in two places at once.

After she talks about pulling out eyelashes, it cuts to the sofa…where she is sitting down.

Either that or it’s an early introduction of her identical twin Ursula, though that feels very unlikely.

3. Wait, that’s not Monica

We all know Friends, like any other show, uses body doubles.

The thing is, the point of doubles is you don’t dwell on them long enough to notice the difference – and here you can definitely notice the difference.

In this episode, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) can be seen sitting on the Central Perk sofa with Courteney Cox’s character; the pair are chatting, laughing, and sipping on ginormous cups of coffee. So far, so normal.

Only, all of a sudden, the camera changes angle – and a woman that is clearly NOT Cox is sat in her place.

4. How does this keep happening?

Yup, it’s not just Monica who got this treatment – in The One With the Mugging, we see Rachel replaced with a distinctly not-Rachel double.

Here’s the real Rachel…

…and here’s the impostor, complete with an entirely different outfit.

5. The one with the different apartment numbers

Die-hard fans of the show will confidently inform you that Monica and Rachel lived in apartment number 20, with Joey and Chandler in number 19.

However, season one saw them in numbers five and four respectively.

The reason for the change? Four and five would have been on the ground floor, and you’ll realise staircases play a pretty big part in some of the most memorable Friends moments.

6. And speaking of Die Hard fans…

Ross is a huge fan of the Bruce Willis film, so you’d think he might have said something when meeting Paul Stevens, the father of his girlfriend Elizabeth, who happens to be played by Willis.

Maybe he was just too nervous.

7. How old are they again?

Ross’ birthday is stated, on separate occasions, as October and December. He is also 29 years old for more than a year.

Rachel, meanwhile, is an Aquarius with a May birthday. Again, this is literally impossible.

Finally, at different stages in the show, both Rachel and Joey are the youngest member of the group.

8. The first ‘I love you’…or was it?

We all remember the moment that Chandler declares his love for Monica - in front of Rachel, Joey, and Phoebe, no less. His grand speech went something along the lines of: “I’m in love with Monica. Yes, I love her. I love her. I love you Monica.”

Telling someone you love them for the first time is a big deal, and it was rightly signposted here. Except…and here’s the thing…it wasn’t the first time.

9. The One where Ugly Naked Guy’s home was destroyed

Remember Ugly Naked Guy? He was the aptly named man who lived in the building facing Monica and Rachel’s apartment – and he used to sit about in the buff, eating things, and, generally, grossing out the entire Central Perk gang.

But, if they were paying that much attention to him, why didn’t they notice that his building completely transformed throughout the series?

10. The One where Brad Pitt lost his pie

Brad Pitt is a seasoned actor, so you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s immune to making mistakes on set.

But, as it turns out, he’s only human – just like the rest of us.

In the show, his character Will Colbert (remember him? He hates Rachel Green) brings a pie along to the gathering, and graciously hands it to his hostess after explaining how gosh-darn healthy it is.

Monica puts it on the table, and doesn’t appear to touch it for the rest of the scene. But when Joey arrives later, the pie has gone – and, when the camera zooms out to reveal a group of pies on the kitchen table, Will’s pie is still noticeably absent.

11. The One where New York shifted position

Ever noticed anything weird about the view from Monica’s window? Like, say, the fact that her apartment keeps moving, a la Inception?

It makes sense, we guess; after all, door numbers have no meaning in the Friends world – why should space and time?