Friends Ending Explained: Chandler and Monica Welcome Kids; How Rachel-Ross Sorted Their Differences?

Friends, the all-time hit sitcom, has an impact like no other. Generations after generations continue to obsess over it and it is still the ultimate comfort show to binge-watch. But like all good things end, one fine day, Friends also ended; it became a historical event instantly. In 2004, when the final episode of Friends was aired, it was viewed by 65.9 million people, making it an iconic event.

Friends had already established itself as an era-defining show long before it ended. The antics of Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Ross (David Schwimmer), Monica (Courteney Cox), and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) captivated audiences. The question of when Ross and Rachel will finally get together was on everyone's mind. This and several other questions were finally answered in The Last One: Parts 1 and 2. Here's a rundown of what happened in the Friends series finale, as well as how the six titular friends got there in the first place.

ALSO READ: Friends: 5 lesser known facts about Chandler Bing portrayed by late actor Matthew Perry

What Happened in the Friends Season Finale?

Friends, created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, was a cultural phenomenon back in the day. It began as a sweet, innocent sitcom about a bunch of friends going about their daily lives in New York. And much of its allure stemmed from the narrative crafted for its cast of unique individuals. The drama featured something for everyone, from Ross' difficult relationship with Emily (Helen Baxendale) in Season 5 to Joey's long stint as a Days of Our Lives cast member. But, with so many important characters and tales to finish up, the finale had to make some tough decisions.

The Last One concluded that there were no stories for Phoebe and Joey. Instead, the two-parter concentrated on the show's tenth and final season's two most pivotal storyline elements. One obviously was on whether Ross and Rachel got back together and sorted out their differences and how successful he was in convincing Rachel not to go to Paris and the other one being around Chandler and Monica welcoming kids into their lives.

Was Ross able to stop Rachel from going to Paris?

The first is, of course, Ross and Rachel's on-again, off-again romance. The Last One began with the two waking up after a night together, just before Rachel traveled to Paris. Ross, who has been in love with Rachel since he was a youngster, believed the night meant much more. His goal is to persuade Rachel to leave her job in Paris and join him in New York.

This last encounter, however, was nothing short of a perfect goodbye for Rachel. Ross, distraught, expresses his rage to Phoebe and Joey, who get him to disclose his genuine feelings for Rachel. As a result, he pursues her through the airport in order to prevent her from boarding the plane.

Ross missed Rachel's flight due to Phoebe's irresponsible driving. Instead of searching for her at Newark, he rushed to JFK. To give him another chance, Phoebe called Rachel and informed her that she suspected something was amiss with the plane: the left phalange wasn't working properly. Rachel laughed. What, after all, is a phalange? However, when she communicated this information with another passenger, there was a panic, and the plane did not take off.

Ross was then allowed to approach Rachel in the boarding area and express his feelings for her. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to persuade her to stay. Ross was distraught when he went home. But he was welcomed by a pleasant surprise in his answering machine: a message from Rachel telling him that she loves him and that she needs to get off the plane.

The message was cut off before she could tell him whether she was successful or not, but the tension was brief: as soon as the message finished, Rachel emerged behind him, and the two kissed, much to the joy of the audience.