Every series in existence has a handful of fan theories that either contradict what happens in a story or complete it perfectly, and even Friends has its fair share of theories, with many being darker than the show itself. The sitcom about six twenty-something-year-old friends in New York City is one of the most popular American sitcoms of all time, with its tone often being cheerful.
Its outrageous, uplifting comedy made Friends so beloved, but some would've preferred this show to be more realistic, which has led to many of the darker fan theories. While there are a number of dark theories, the darkest one revolves around Phoebe, the group outcast.
The theory originated from a 2015 Twitter post, where the user shares how they thought the series should've ended. In their version, the whole show was revealed to be a fantasy made up by Phoebe, who's been homeless ever since her adoptive mother killed herself; therefore, her singing gigs, job as a masseuse and twin sister aren't real. She also does not know any of the friends, making up their names and personalities, as she's been watching them through the coffee shop window the whole time. Meanwhile, the rest of the group doesn't know her, even referring to her as the "crazy lady."
No matter how sad the theory is, it spread across the web, becoming strangely popular with fans until it made it back to Friends co-creator, Marta Kauffman, who had some choice words about it. She responded to the theory at the 2017 ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas when questioned by ET.
"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard!" She said. "No, I never heard that -- that's a terrible theory. That's insane... That's, like, that's like crazy alt-television theory... I'm fascinated. I just think that someone needs a life. Someone needs a life, that's all I'm saying."
Fan theories are fun, but sometimes they go a bit too far, even for creators. This one in particular stems from fan cynicism. In this case, some people can't see a group of upper-middle-class friends hanging out with someone like Phoebe. They don't believe the other characters could accept her or that she would be able to get back on her feet after her mother's suicide, especially given her time on the streets.
Phoebe, despite her often cheerful personality, has lived through real tragedy, losing her adoptive mother and being homeless for some time. Even though she has a grandmother that clearly gives her a place to live, which explains how she gets off the streets, fans have gotten into the habit of over analyzing every scene with her to try and prove this cynical fantasy, even though the co-creator is not in support of it.