The Friends' Alternate Ending is So Bleak, It Can Trigger an Actual Depression
You'll probably need a drink after reading this.
The all-time favorite sitcom Friends ended in 2004 after ten seasons and 236 episodes. The final episode broke many hearts, but it was a fitting end to the story of six New York friends, wrapping up several long-running storylines.
Ross and Rachel finally overcame their issues and ended up together, Monica and Chandler adopted twins and moved to the suburbs, Phoebe found stability with Mike and the two started planning kids, Joey got his own spinoff where he was shown moving to L.A. to polish his acting career.
While it was hard to say goodbye to the beloved characters, fans felt that this was exactly how the show should have ended. But what if Friends had an alternate ending that was closer to reality?
Redditor u/mikeyypeng asked ChatGPT, powered by AI technology, to write a dark alternate ending to Friends, and the result is going to make you want to drink something a little stronger than a cup of coffee.
In this alternate ending, the friends begin to drift apart and lose touch as they enter their mid-30s. Joey's acting career never takes off, and he struggles to make ends meet while falling into depression.
Chandler's job at an advertising agency becomes increasingly demanding, causing stress and tension in his home life with Monica.
Ross and Rachel's relationship hits a rough patch, crumbling under the weight of their respective careers. Eventually, they break up for good. Phoebe becomes disillusioned with the music industry and turns to drugs to cope.
As the years pass, they only get together for the occasional coffee catch-up. The once close-knit group is now a shadow of its former self, a distant memory of the time when they were young and carefree.
In the final scene, Joey sits alone at Central Perk, staring into his coffee cup. The camera pans out to show the empty coffee shop, symbolizing the emptiness in Joey's life.
The theme song plays in the background, now sounding sad and melancholy, as viewers are reminded that even the strongest of friendships can fade with time.
Wow, this is depressing!
"So no one told you life was going to be this way..." played and sung in a minor key in the middle of an empty coffeehouse is almost unbearable.
Unfortunately, as many commenters noted in the discussion, this finale somehow feels truer to real life than the canon ending. Life is just better on TV.