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Friends is one of the most beloved and well-known sitcoms in American television history. The popular sitcom ran for 10 seasons and a total of 236 episodes, making it one of the longest-running comedy shows of all-time.

The show is just as popular today as it was in the 1990s, mostly because of its relatable nature and inclusion on the streaming platform Netflix. Every fan of the show has their favorite episode, as does each cast member. In a USA Today compilation piece, all of the Friends main cast members, including Matt LeBlanc, named their favorite episode of the long-running sitcom. 

What is ‘Friends’ about?

Friends follows the hilarious lives of six mid-20-year-olds living their lives in New York City. The show chronicles the successes, failures, and various loves of the group of six good buddies.

These six made up of Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing), and David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), each of whom starred in the show for all 10 seasons. One of the funniest cast members of the show was LeBlanc, whose character Joey was known for his over the top antics.

In the show, Joey was a former soap opera star and was also known for his many romantic partners, none of which resulted in a long-term relationship. At one point in the show, Joey professed his love for Rachel and the two are seen kissing by Ross, whose on-again, off-again relationship with Rachel is a major part of the entirety of the show. Joey and Rachel eventually decide that they are not compatible, setting up the final reunion of Ross and Rachel. 

Who is Matt LeBlanc?

Matt LeBlanc
Matt LeBlanc | Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Following the end of the tenth season of Friends, a spinoff entitled Joey ran for two seasons. In the short-lived extension series, LeBlanc reprised his role, but none of the other main cast members appeared. The show was canceled due to poor ratings, and LeBlanc took an extended hiatus from acting.

LeBlanc rejoined the world of acting in 2010 and has been active in both films and television ever since. Besides Joey, LeBlanc is known for his television roles in such shows as Episodes, Man with a Plan, and the host of the car show Top Gear.

In Episodes, LeBlanc plays a fictionalized version of himself, and his performance in the program earned LeBlanc his first Golden Globe Award in 2011. Luckily for fans of Joey and the rest of his Friends, the show is set to have a one-time-only reunion special on HBO Max sometime in the future.

All of the cast members were last together for the show’s final episode, which happens to be LeBlanc’s favorite. 

What was LeBlanc’s favorite episode of ‘Friends?’ 

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In the USA Today article, the episode that LeBlanc chose was The Last One, also commonly referred to as The One Where They Say Goodbye. The aptly-named episode is the series finale of the long-running sitcom.

Everyone, especially Game of Throne fans, knows that it can be extremely difficult to create a satisfying ending to a beloved show. This is an increasingly difficult challenge for a show that ran as long as Friends, and one that was based on comedy instead of drama or action.

The hour long-finale was advertised and hyped for weeks prior to the last episode, which resulted in it being the most-watched series finale in television history. In the episode, many long-running storylines are resolved as Ross and Rachel affirm their love for one another, and Monica and Chandler start a family and move out of the apartment that had been the home for all of the characters.

The emotional sendoff was a fitting end, in which fans saw the main characters starting the next chapter of their lives, after getting one last cup of coffee together.