10 "Friends" Fan Theories That'll Make Every Fan Think Hard

#1 Phoebe was a meth-addict and the entire show is a figment of her drug induced imagination

This is probably the most popular fan theory that has been doing rounds on the Internet since years, probably because it makes sense and analyses the show from a completely different perspective. A Twitter user @strnks put forth an alternate ending to the show through a tweet that went viral. Here is the theory:

"I'd have ended Friends by revealing it was all the meth-addled fantasy of a homeless Phoebe as she stared through the window of Central Perk. Each kooky aside, each time she made everything about her, each example of how she's an outsider.it all makes sense. All 10 seasons were merely her fevered imagination, projecting herself into the lives of the others. All she ever wanted wasFriends. The final scene would be Phoebe walking away from Central Perk, with the Ross, Rachel, Joey, Chandler and Monica characters making a reference to "the crazy lady who always stares at us." They all have different names and personalities. Phoebe walks past a furniture store and catches her reflection in a mirror. The name of the store? "Ursula." Finally she returns to the park where she sleeps in front of the fountain. A broken lamp stands next to her bench. It starts to rain. From behind, we see her put up six dirty, but brightly coloured umbrellas. Fade to black."

I don't know about you, but this makes me feel really bad for Phoebe.

#2 All the characters are patients in a mental asylum and the entire show is a case of shared psychosis

Okay! So you may want to sit down for this one. Another extremely dark and depressing fan theory, says that all the characters are patients in a mental asylum and all the situations in the show are a result of shared psychosis where all the six characters indulge in delusions, which they share with each other in order to hide the harsh realities of their life.

This usually happens in psychiatry when a patient is triggered due to a stressful event, is completely damaged and invents a make-believe world, to escape reality.

Somewhere down the line, all characters had been through tough times that could have given birth to the mental disorder Ross had serious abandonment issues, Rachel had traits of a sociopath and Daddy issues, Monica had an eating disorder which caused weight gain (and OCD later), Joey cracked under the pressure of being the only man in the family of girls, Chandler was scarred by his parent's dysfunctional relationship and Phoebe couldn't bear the trauma of her mother's suicide and living on the street with no friends.

#3 Ross lost the custody of his son Ben

Remember Ross's son Ben? Monica banged his head, Chandler and Joey left him on a bus and Ross loved him. Despite Ross's love for Ben, he was last seen in Season 8 Episode 12 and did not appear for the remaining two and a half seasons.

This angered and mystified fans and all they managed to get were a few casual references in the remaining two seasons about Ben's existence but no solid appearance. So, what if Emily had had enough and Ross lost the custody of his son?

Lovett wrote in his Blog:

Sure, he mentions Ben in these last two and a half seasons, but does he have any role in Ben's life? When he references Ben, is he referencing something that once was, a child he no longer sees or knows? Think about everything we know about Ross. He's very jealous. He's possessive. He's arguably emotionally abusive... and, as the seasons unfold, narrowing down to the ending where he and Rachel end up ostensibly happy every after, he seems to be coming completely unhinged.

#4 Judy was overly critical of Monica because she was an illegitimate child

If you've watched the show carefully, you must have noticed that Judy Geller is way too critical of Monica, I mean, way more than mothers usually are. She was more compassionate towards Ross and did not restrain herself from giving blows to Monica. Was Monica the product of Judy Geller's affair with a mystery man? Could that be the reason of Judy being overly critical of her daughter?

#5 Phoebe's apartment was set on fire by Porn barons.

Remember Phoebe's twin sister Ursala who starred in porn movies? Just weeks prior to the fire in Phoebe's apartment, Phoebe went down to the porn company and took the checks under her sister's name for the porn movies she (Ursula) had starred in. Moreover, she gave her address to the barons, which was not the right move. And then days after identity theft, her apartment catches fire. I don't know about you, but I suspect porn barons.

#6 Monica developed OCD after her weight loss

Monica started comfort eating (eating disorder) when she couldn't bear her parents' favoritism towards Ross. Then came the weight loss and she developed OCD to cope with the problems in her life. The OCD and the constant tendency to keep everything clean and organized had been in Monica since she was a child but it disappeared when she developed an eating disorder and appeared again when she lost weight.

#7 The entire show is a dream of a bunch of high school students who have severe issues

Every character in FRIENDS had a major issue to cope with. It is possible that the entire show was a fantasy of all the characters Monica an overweight girl, became slim and a good looking chef, Chandler a socially awkward boy developed a sense of humor and a perfect relationship, Rachel-daddy's little girl became a strong independent woman, Phoebe let go of her traumatic past and became a positive person and Joey realized his dream of becoming an actor. Isn't the ending too perfect to believe?

#8 Ross had Aspergers

Ross was the most intelligent person in the group, but people suffering from autism claim that he has a lot of traits that are similar to Aspergers. He is socially awkward, has an interest in science, puzzles and didn't like ice creams because of sensory issues.

#9 Phoebe was a genius

This is probably the most popular fan theory that has been doing rounds on the Internet since years, probably because it makes sense and analyses the show from a completely different perspective. A Twitter user @strnks put forth an alternate ending to the show through a tweet that went viral. Here is the theory:

"I'd have ended Friends by revealing it was all the meth-addled fantasy of a homeless Phoebe as she stared through the window of Central Perk. Each kooky aside, each time she made everything about her, each example of how she's an outsider.it all makes sense. All 10 seasons were merely her fevered imagination, projecting herself into the lives of the others. All she ever wanted wasFriends. The final scene would be Phoebe walking away from Central Perk, with the Ross, Rachel, Joey, Chandler and Monica characters making a reference to "the crazy lady who always stares at us." They all have different names and personalities. Phoebe walks past a furniture store and catches her reflection in a mirror. The name of the store? "Ursula." Finally she returns to the park where she sleeps in front of the fountain. A broken lamp stands next to her bench. It starts to rain. From behind, we see her put up six dirty, but brightly coloured umbrellas. Fade to black."

I don't know about you, but this makes me feel really bad for Phoebe.

#10 Friends will have a reunion

Out of all the conspiracy theories, this is the one I do believe. The producers have denied a reunion, the cast has denied it too. But I still suspect (Read: Hope) that there will be a reunion soon!