Friends: 10 Best Characters Only In One Episode

9. Earl

Brooke Shields Friends
Warner Bros. Television

Episode: The One Where Rosita Dies (S7E13)

When Phoebe starts working as an over-the-phone saleswoman - a recipe for disaster if there ever was one - she ends up chatting to Earl, a man who has decided he's going to kill himself because he hates his dead-end job and his coworkers don't pay him any attention.

It's a dark subplot, but actor Jason Alexander is both likeable and believable as the down-on-his-luck, schlubby office worker, managing to bring bursts of humour to the character like his to-do list (with only one item: "KILL SELF"), and his mini-rant to his negligent colleagues at the end of the episode. In the end, Phoebe convinces Earl not to commit suicide by simply caring about him, a nice message about how noticing people - even just asking how their day is going - can do a lot of good.

As a result, what could have been quite a miserable episode is instead a touching one that's tinged with optimism and hope, and, of course, that lively Friends spirit. Plus, Earl's laugh is arguably the greatest thing of all time.

Contributor
Contributor

WhoCulture Channel Manager/Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture. Can confirm that bow ties are cool.