The Best “Friends” Halloween Episodes That Blend Spooky And Silly In The Perfect Way

It’s hard to believe that throughout the show’s 10-season run, we only got to see one Friends TV episode that was actually centered around Halloween. While other shows of the time, such as Roseanne, The Simpsons, and Home Improvement, did recurring Halloween-focused episodes, Friends went down that same holiday route, but with Thanksgiving episodes instead.

And don’t get us wrong, we’re certainly not complaining about the episodes that gave us Joey’s head stuffed inside a turkey, Chandler spending the holiday in a box, and Rachel’s infamous English trifle. While there’s something unique about the sitcom’s dedication to the Thanksgiving holiday, there’s no doubt that a few more Halloween episodes would’ve been an iconic addition to the show’s legacy.

Still, instead of dreaming about what could’ve been, we’ve decided to take advantage of what we’re calling the Halloween-adjacent episodes that we did get to see throughout the series. While these episodes aren’t set around the actual holiday, they have the qualities we all know and love in a Halloween-esque storyline. From lighthearted scares and full-blown frights to creepy scenarios and classic Halloween movie tropes, these are the best episodes to revisit on your spooky-season rewatch of Friends.

1. “The One with the Halloween Party” (Season 8, Episode 6)

Monica and Chandler hosting a Halloween costume party is definitely a classic Friends episode any time of year, but it’s obviously a must-watch during October. When you put Chandler in a pink bunny costume, Ross dressed up as “Spudnik” (a cross between the Russian satellite Sputnik and a potato), Monica dressed as Catwoman, and Phoebe as Supergirl all together, you really can’t go wrong. This episode is pure Halloween fun and nostalgia, making for a great start to your October Friends marathon.

2. “The One with the Lesbian Wedding” (Season 2, Episode 11)

The main component of this episode’s spooky appeal is actually a subplot, where Phoebe becomes “possessed” by Mrs. Adelman, an old woman who died on the table while Phoebe was massaging her. Though Phoebe’s occasional old-lady-sounding one-liners are hilarious — including Mrs. Adelman seemingly leaving Phoebe’s body after saying, “Now I’ve seen everything!” at Carol and Susan’s wedding — there is an underlying scariness to the thought of someone’s spirit entering your body and not having any control over who’s in your head. The theme of possession, a significant aspect in many Halloween classics, makes this episode a great addition to your watchlist.

3. “The One Where Eddie Won’t Go” (Season 2, Episode 19)

For any fans of psychological thrillers, this is the episode for you. From Chandler waking up to see Eddie watching him sleep, to Eddie standing in the Central Perk café window holding a mannequin head, to Eddie delivering some incredibly creepy laughs and jump scares throughout the episode, it progresses like a psychological comedy drama that is sure to satisfy all of your creepy cravings.

4. “The One with Unagi” (Season 6, Episode 17)

This episode has all of the Halloween appeal when it comes to lighthearted frights. Ross tries to convince Phoebe and Rachel that self-defense is all about “Unagi,” a state of total awareness. How does he do this, you ask? By jump scaring them. When the girls flip the tables on him and give him a taste of his own medicine, we get Ross’s iconic high-pitched shriek that is honestly kind of a horror movie-level scream. Play Ross’s scream and one of Vera Farmiga’s screams from The Conjuring back-to-back, and you’ll see what we mean.

5. “The One with Ross’s Grant” (Season 10, Episode 6)

The creepiest part of this episode is not a person, but a thing. That thing is “Gladys,” the 3D painting of a half-bald mannequin that Phoebe ends up giving to Monica while getting rid of stuff from her apartment. Later on, Rachel convinces Joey that the painting is haunted, only enhancing the Halloween rewatchability of the episode. And as if it couldn’t get any better, we get the entrance of “Glynnis” at the end of the episode, who makes Gladys seem like a walk in the park.

6. “The One Where Nana Dies Twice” (Season 1, Episode 8)

We’ve already gotten costumes, jump scares, and possession. Now, we’re adding people coming back to life to the list. Even if it’s just for five seconds, it’s still a spook to see Ross and Monica’s grandmother seemingly rise from the dead, scaring the wits out of both siblings in the process. In addition to the spooky elements, this is also the episode where every main cast member looks ridiculously good for absolutely no reason (cue the shot of Chandler, Joey, Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica looking at Ross when he falls into the open grave).

7. “The One with the Holiday Armadillo” (Season 7, Episode 10)

Though it’s a Christmas episode, we actually do get some Halloween content here, too. Specifically, we get Chandler dressed as Santa, Ross dressed as the “Holiday Armadillo,” and Joey dressed as Superman. This episode may be a treat for fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas, as it blends Christmas and Halloween in a fun-filled way. Looking back on it, why haven’t we seen more trio costumes based on this episode?

8. “The One with All the Thanksgivings” (Season 5, Episode 8)

As everyone reminisces on their worst Thanksgiving memories in this episode, the scariest part of all is when Monica accidentally cuts off Chandler’s toe with a kitchen knife. The Psycho “stabbing violins” sound effect that plays as the knife slips out of Monica’s hand and flips through the air in slow motion is both hilarious and terrifying when you put yourself in that scenario. Just the thought of it is enough to send some Halloween chills down your spine.

And that’s all we’ve got! Did we miss any of the best Halloween-esque Friends episodes? Tell us in the comments!