Whether viewers watched it in its original run or caught it on HBO Max after the reunion's hype, Friends undoubtedly has stood the test of time. It has kept gaining new audience members even after it went off the air in 2004. But how does a show that is nearly 30 years old gain such a following year after year? One answer: its characters.
Be it Chandler's hilarious jokes, or Pheobe's rose-colored way of looking at the world, each character found a way to imprint on the audience's minds and make them love them. And yet, Joey seems to be one friend who is universally loved and adored. His sweet nature and kind heart are unlike any other. Sure, he was written to be dumber with each passing season, but the one constant was that Joey was always a pure heart towards his core group.
10 The One Where Joey Was On Pyramid
By this point in the series, viewers have seen Joey Tribbiani be a part of some pretty amazing projects. He was (and still is) Dr. Drake Ramoray on Days of Our Lives. He started in a big-budget World War I epic, opposite Richard Crosby (played by the very talented Gary Oldman). Yet, all of those pale in comparison to his appearance on the daytime game show Pyramid.
Chock-full of classic lines, this appearance really solidifies why fans love Joey: his empathetic heart. When a father is looking to win some money to send their kid to college, Joey tries his best, even if he stumbles along the way. While there is some hope in the climax of the game, he isn't able to bring home the W for the loving father.
9 The One Where Joey Was Al Pacino's Butt
Early on, Joey is portrayed as the classic struggling actor. Taking roles in plays off-broadway; playing Sigmund Freud in a musical about his life and even taking on some modeling jobs that made him the face of gonorrhea. All those gigs were merely stepping stones in his journey to becoming a successful working actor.
After his stint as Freud, Joey finally gets representation and gets cast as Al Pacino's butt double. While his friends give him a hard time, Joey feels the real potential for this opportunity. That is what is so endearing about him—despite the lackluster opening to his career, it's a job that was better than the last—that kind of work ethic and forward-thinking is what makes Joey a lovable force to be reckoned with
8 The One Where Joey Reads Little Women
Joey's favorite book is Stephen King's The Shining. When Rachel states she's never read the book, she and Joey trade their favorite books to read. Enter Little Women. The Louisa May Alcott book not only confuses and befuddles Joey, but it also captures his imagination in ways that he never thought it could.
Joey's love for good storytelling is visceral. Sure, he accidentally spoils the end of The Shining which leads to a hilarious exchange between him and Rachel about the fate of Beth, but his enthusiasm for the printed word is just adorably delightful.
7 The One Where Joey Writes The Adoption Letter
After discovering that they couldn't conceive a baby naturally, Monica and Chandler decided that they would apply for adoption as a means of growing their family. Part of that process was to have someone close to them write a letter of recommendation. While Monica and Chandler were going to ask Rachel to help, Joey protests saying he has a lot of nice things to say about them.
By this point in the series, Joey has been through a lot with Monica and Chandler. One might even argue that he feels closer to them than he does with Rachel, Pheobe, or Ross. Joey even goes so far as to write a letter and have the Word document's Thesaurus help make him sound smarter. Eventually, after much prodding from his married friends, Joey decides to write a letter from the heart—in crayon.
6 The One Where Joey Devours The English Trifle
Joey's love for food is one of the better relationships that the series gives screen time to. This Season 6 Thanksgiving episode does a wonderful job illustrating this point.
Rachel is tasked with making a classic English trifle, however, when the pages of the cookbook are stuck together, she inadvertently makes half an English trifle and half a Shepard's Pie. While others are repulsed by this dessert, Joey is head-over-heels in love. From the jam to the custard to the beef—it's all good for Joey. His ability to look beyond food's flaws and see what truly matters on the inside really shows how far Joey's willing to go for his love of food.
5 The One Where Joey's Arm Chair Dies
In Season 2, Joey and Chandler bought a new TV and two arm-chairs for the viewing experience. Even after they were robbed at the beginning of Season 4, they still managed to get two brand new armchairs to fill the void in their hearts. When Joey set his eyes on Rosita, it was love at first sight.
Fast forward three years, Rachel is now living with Joey and she accidentally breaks the armchair, effectively killing Rosita. This is a devastating loss as Rosita has been there for Joey through thick and thin. She was the exact distance from Stevie-the TV, as she was to the bathroom. Next to food, it was Joey's longest relationship! But when Chandler thinks he broke the chair and swaps his chair for Joey's, Joey believes he's lived a miracle! This episode highlights Joey's love for his routine. He's a simple guy, with simple needs. For him, Rosita was more than just an armchair, she was a cloud upon which he rested his feet.
4 The One Where Joey Protects His Sandwich From a Bullet
It's been established that Joey's love for food is a bit... extra. However, nothing is as extra or enduring as his instinct to protect his sandwich from being hit by a bullet.
In the Season 5 episode, Ross, Joey, and Chandler all join Pheobe's new cop-boyfriend, Gary (Michael Rappaport) on a ride-along. While the episode is packed with hilarious moments, what makes it extra special is in an especially tense moment where the boys think there is a gunshot (actually just a car-backfire) and Joey leaps his body onto Ross'. Come to find out that Joey was protecting his very special meatball sub. It's absurd and cartoony, but when there is a meatball sub on the line, you wouldn't want anyone else there to protect it from harm.
3 The One Where Joey Wears All of Chandler's Clothes
Each friend has a thing that can be seen as negative. Ross with his over-correcting of people's pronunciation or Pheobe's hair chewing. For Joey, it's his inclination to be vindictive if he feels that he's been wronged. When Chandler slept with his sister and couldn't remember which one, Joey reluctantly had his sister punch him. Or when Chandler kissed Kathy (Joey's then-girlfriend) he forced Chandler into a box to think about what he did—the point is, Joey knows how to get even in a way that is proportional to the crime.
So when Chandler hides Joey's underwear preventing him from getting ready for Ross' big night, Joey swears vengeance. Not only is the revenge proportional to the wrongdoing, but it's deemed a classic in any Friends' fan's eyes. He puts on all of Chandler's clothes. Fans don't love Joey for indulging in the revenge, but rather they love him because of how he handles the situation in both a meaningful and, often, hilarious way.
2 The One Where Joey (Doesn't) Speak French
When Joey is up for a role in a play that he very much wants, he recruits Pheobe to help him learn French so that he can nail the part. All seems simple enough, that is until Pheobe realizes that Joey cannot, for whatever reason, speak French. There is a hilarious exchange as Pheobe tries to get Joey to say "My Name Is Claude."
Yet, what is the most endearing is Joey's perseverance. While it might be short-sided, he is still trying to achieve something, even if it is entirely beyond his reach. His unwillingness to give up is part of Joey's DNA that bleeds into his relationships with his friends as well, and that is the kind of friend that you want to be there for you.
1 The One Where Joey Keeps Chandler & Monica's Secret
Season 5 has been regarded as one of the better, if not best, Friends' seasons. If only because this is the season where the writers decided to take Monica and Chandler's relationship to the next level while hiding it from the rest of the group for a long period of time. It was a plot point that gave the writers a lot to work with, especially when they decided to let Joey figure it out first.
Joey having to carry this secret for long is the epitome of why he's one of the most loveable of the friends. While he's reticent to help at the onset, his love for his friends supersedes his emotions. Even when he's put into compromising—and often hilarious—situations, he still holds their secret out of love and respect.
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