After Rewatching Friends, There’s Something Massive Missing From The Show That Really Bothers Me Now

After a rewatch of Friends, I’m now really bothered by the one thing that is missing from the hilarious show. Even years after the show’s end, all 10 seasons of Friends continue to keep us laughing. One of the many things that Friends is remembered for, though, is its depiction of living in New York in your 20s and 30s.

Many of Friends’ best episodes see Monica, Chandler, Ross, Joey, Phoebe, and Rachel rushing all over the Big Apple, whether that’s for work, pleasure, or childcare. However, despite living in one of the most legendary cities in the whole world, the Friends characters regularly fail to utilize a staple of New York, and it bothers me that it’s so absent.

Friends’ Characters Rarely Use The Subway Despite Living In NYC

Friends Visit Subway Stations, But Never Inside A Car

It’s worth noting that there are a few scenes in Friends‘ earlier seasons that see the characters in subway stations. For example, in season 1’s “The One Where Underdog Gets Away,” Joey spots his VD poster in a subway station, and in season 3’s “The One with the Jam,” Phoebe stalks Malcolm while he waits for the next service.

However, we never actually see any of the main six ride the subway. It’s odd, especially considering their job roles. Joey and Phoebe’s careers cause them to move around more often, but they don’t seem to use the subway, and we don’t really hear many mentions of the transportation system, either.

Friends establishes that Rachel is a terrible driver, something that she denies, but she is only seen driving twice throughout the show.

Strangely, the Friends characters frequently use cars. From Phoebe’s grandmother’s taxi to Monica’s inherited Porsche, it’s odd that these New Yorkers seem to have minimal issues with traffic or parking. While Ross does have trouble getting out of a parking spot in “The One Where They All Turn Thirty,” the others don’t really mention facing the same problem.

Friends Not Using The Subway Actually Makes Sense

Filming Inside An Actual Subway Car Would Mean More Work

Ross (David Schwimmer), Chandler (Matthew Perry) & Gary (Michael Rapaport) in a cop car in Friends

Other sitcoms, like How I Met Your Mother, which was often described as a Friends replacement, found clever ways to cover these challenges. Friends weirdly forgets to touch on this major part of the New York lifestyle, but it also makes sense.

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This is because Friends was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Notable Friends sets, like Central Perk, were actually built on the lot, even though they look native to New York. Although there are a few scenes that take place in a subway station, shooting additional footage in a car would have required building an additional set.

It’s a shame that the show doesn’t see the Friends characters using the subway. However, perhaps as the episode “The One with Five Steaks and an Eggplant” establishes, it’s because their high-paying jobs mean they can afford cabs everywhere, but this explanation only covers half the group (at least, until Rachel and Joey’s later career successes).