Friends: 10 Best Characters Only In One Episode

6. Mackenzie

Brooke Shields Friends
Warner Bros. Television

Episode: The One With Princess Consuela (S10E14)

An oft-forgotten Friends guest star, a young Dakota Fanning popped up in the final season as Mackenzie, an eight-year-old girl who bonds with Joey over the fact that she doesn't want her parents to move house, while Joey doesn't want Monica and Chandler to do the same.

Joey has always had a childlike innocence and vulnerability about him, and it's this trait that makes his interactions with Mackenzie such a joy: despite her young age, she has all the wisdom and intelligence that a man of Joey's age should have. In this episode, he's the child and she's the adult, with Mackenzie giving him some valuable advice about putting the happiness of his friends before his own desires. Fanning is wonderful in the role, carrying an authority and presence that's way beyond her years.

This "age-swap" also leads to a great moment where Mackenzie calls Joey out on his childish behaviour, after he suggests that they tell Monica and Chandler the house is haunted. Again, Joey has always been inherently juvenile, but pairing him with a smart young kid really shone a light on that aspect of his character, revealing just how much he relies on his gang of friends for their maturity and emotional support.

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