Few sitcom heroines have been so colorful, individualistic, and well-written as Phoebe Buffay from Friends. The free-spirited freelance masseur is also a part-time singer, albeit not a very good one. But Phoebe is definitely the most interesting person in her squad.
Her life has been quite tumultuous. Abandoned as a child, Phoebe had grown up on the streets, and on the show, she has had quite a few quirky storylines. But which ones are the most memorable and which are not that great?
10 Best: Her Relationship With Her Brother
The surrogacy episode aside, Phoebe and Frank’s relationship was intriguing because of how seamlessly it was written. Phoebe actually manages to connect with her half-brother, who despite being a bit rudderless in life, appreciates his half-sister tremendously.
And since Phoebe has always wanted to know her family, their relationship gave foundation to both the siblings. Phoebe eventually becomes sort of a parent figure to him, especially when he was courting Alice, and it is depicted that Frank really values her presence in his life, which made this arc a really gratifying one.
9 Worst: The Arc With Her Father
Chances are that if Frank Sr. was introduced later on in the show, his character would have a better design since the show did sand down some of the rough edges in its screenwriting as it evolved. But he appears in just one episode in Season 5 when Phoebe's grandmother dies, and though Phoebe and Frank Sr's reconciliation was quite craftily handled, it felt really half-baked.
It was definitely sentimental, but the fact that Phoebe never ever mentions him again, even after finding him, or even reveals what happens to him is quite bizarre, since her sad childhood has been addressed many times on the show and forms a crucial part of her character design.
8 Best: Her Romance With David
The Friends fandom has a lot of pointed opinions about Phoebe’s relationship with David, who is never lucky enough to actually be with her, despite his love for her. But this arc was really relatable because there are many real-life stories where two people simply can’t seem to make things work and have to move on with their life despite their longing for each other.
The fact that David was a scientist who simply couldn’t throw his professional and scientific commitment away for his personal pursuits makes a lot of sense. Their relationship is not whirlwind or too cheesy, but grounded and realistic.
7 Worst: Her Engagement To Gary
Why was Gary introduced on the show? Usually, a short-lived love interest is introduced with the purpose of exploring a side of the main lead; in this scenario, Gary’s character was brought in to depict how commitment-phobic Phoebe was. However, this was very clumsily handled.
She didn’t want to move in with Gary because they had only been going out for a few weeks; she simply didn’t feel as ardently for him, as she did for Mike, who she eventually married. Not only did Gary’s character feel quite unnecessary, but it was wrapped up quite unceremoniously after he shot a bird in his home.
6 Best: How Her Friends Supported Her By Shunning Paolo
In Friends, Phoebe’s friends believe her when she tells them that she was sexually assaulted by Paolo at work. Not only does Rachel break all ties with him and throws him out, but everyone shuns him completely.
This particular episode is a very relevant one because pop culture wasn’t handling depictions of sexual harassment or intimidation all that well in the nineties, be it in workplace sitcoms or otherwise. Friends took a stand that spelled out very clearly how friends can support each other during a crisis of a similar nature.
5 Worst: The One With The Triplets
A lot has been said about Phoebe's surrogacy when she decided to carry triplets for her brother. And while this was undoubtedly a very brave and giving gesture, how necessary was it, really? The whole debacle was definitely quite tragic and was very hard on Phoebe, who did express a desire to adopt one of the children. But the point is, this very elaborate arc doesn’t add anything substantial to the storyline, it doesn’t bring about any major shift.
Phoebe goes about her life like before, and the triplets are seen very occasionally when they are utilized as plot devices. Now, Lisa Kudrow was pregnant during this period, and it made sense for the scriptwriters to pitch a pregnancy idea; and surrogacy could have made for a very good arc, had it been better handled.
4 Best: Her Arc With Her Mother
Phoebe’s mother’s character was perhaps the most unappreciated one on the show; there’s something very humane about a nervous teenager giving up her twins to be raised by her friends who she believes can give the children a stable home.
When Phoebe does find her mum, it’s not some sweeping revelation or a melodramatic meltdown, it’s a rather moody episode where Phoebe discovers a picture on her birth mother’s fridge. Later on, the two strike a friendship, and Phoebe is seen going to her mum for advice on personal issues, and it’s a reconciling journey that is very similar to finding an old friend.
3 Worst: The One With Eric
Why would Friends introduce Sean Penn in a cameo and not make use of his terrific, edgy comic timing? To be fair, Eric and Phoebe's arc was pretty interesting, they clearly had chemistry but like so many sloppy arcs that the show has had, it felt really ungratifying.
So, he finds out Phoebe’s sketchy twin Ursula had made a fool out of him, he’s angry and can’t seem to be in a relationship with Phoebe because she reminds him of Ursula. There’s a novelty in this narrative, but it’s very poorly scripted. It never got any room to shine or even make the most of how quirky it is.
2 Best: Phoebe And Mike’s Narrative
The best thing about Phoebe and Mike’s courtship was that it was very enjoyable; it was great to see the two on-screen, and they were perhaps the least toxic couple on the show.
They were ready to work on their personal hang-ups and make an effort; even their break-up was very deftly handled as it stuck to the character profiles of the two, and how they reacted made sense. Mike’s role was also very balanced which actually helped the writers explore some other nuances in Phoebe.
1 Worst Arc: The One With The Stalker
Perhaps one of the most bizarre storylines on the long-running sitcom involved Phoebe’s stalker; technically it was Ursula’s stalker-ex who only followed Phoebe because he thought she was Ursula. Phoebe sympathizes with his unrequited love, which is really weird considering he is obviously a creep and a possible predator.
Not only does she vow to help him get over her sister, she falls for him herself only to discover that he is still very much in love with Ursula. This arc could have definitely been handled better, with more wit and satire, however, the comedy in this one just falls flat.
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