Later on there are a lot of bridal and baby showers, and bridal and baby showers are not fun, even fictional ones that have sitcom-y hijinks thrown in, but that’s a Ted Talk for another time. In a sad metaphor for life and also the show, the early Friends parties seem way more fun. Essentially, the gatherings have to be inherently celebratory to warrant inclusion.

Only parties that occurred on-screen are included, and they have to be more than just a general group hang, as that’s all the Friends friends ever did. No Thanksgiving dinners were included, as those aren’t really parties per se ditto funerals, not even the one Monica and Phoebe cater where the widow hosts a sing-along ditto wedding ceremonies without receptions. Once Again: What’s Your Plan, Anna Kendrick? HBO Max Has Everything-Except a Clear Brand Name 12 Great Streamable British Shows You’ve Probably Never Heard Of I’ve taken the liberty of ranking them all, so you know which ones are worth transporting yourself to and imagining yourself at. But which Friends parties are the best, or at least actually look fun? Even taking into consideration our collective current homebound state and potential skewed perception of a “fun party,” some of the Friends parties are utter duds. Since none of us can really go to parties right now, and since HBO Max launches this week, bringing all 10 seasons of Friends along with it, it’s a good time to revisit all the parties that Friends ever staged.

And while gathering the group (and often others) allowed the plot to move forward and comedy to run wild, it also showcased the show’s central premise: Friends often become family, the people you turn to to celebrate everything from birthdays and marriages to attempts to flirt with the hot guy you met at work. There were small birthday toasts, New Year’s Eve ragers, obligatory family events, and many more, as Friends writers clearly understood that parties were a clean way to get everyone in the same room for at least a chunk of an episode. Friends Thanksgiving episodes get all the love and attention, but as far as parties go, the show had much more to offer than just Turkey Day football games and meaty trifles.

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