10 TV Fan Theories Better Than We Actually Got
6. Ross Lost Custody Of Ben - Friends
One of the most common complaints about Friends is the oddly non-existent presence of Ross' (David Schwimmer) young son Ben (Cole Sprouse) in later seasons.
Given that Ben's absence could've easily been explained away with a simple line of dialogue, fans have sought their own explanations for Ben's disappearing act.
In a case of the simplest answer most likely being the right one, a Reddit fan theory suggests that Ross lost custody of Ben to his mother Carol (Jane Sibbett) and her wife Susan (Jessica Hecht).
More than any other character in the series, Ross truly becomes a parody of himself later on, exhibiting increasingly deranged behaviour which would serve as fine adversarial evidence against him in a child custody hearing.
The theory convincingly argues that Ross became a less-attentive father as time went on until Carol likely won custody of Ben, with Ross instead turning his attention to fathering Emma with Rachel (Jennifer Aniston).
A sad, sad story, but probably more true to life than the inexplicable non-outcome the show itself gave us.