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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Forsey

'Cruel' alternative Friends ending breaks hearts but some say it's a masterpiece

There was barely a dry eye in the house when Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey put their keys on the kitchen worktop and said their final goodbyes to the famous purple Friends apartment.

Rachel got off the plane and got back with Ross for the zillionth time, Phoebe and Mike agreed to have a baby and the Bings had welcomed their twins - Erica and Jack.

While most fans loved the ending, one viewer had a different idea of how the writers should have finished the hit show.

Twitter user @strnks shared their theory back in 2015, however it's resurfaced again due to the highly-anticipated reunion episode.

Most people loved the emotional final episode (Wenn)

They write: "I'd have ended Friends by revealing it was all the meth-addicted fantasy of a homeless Phoebe as she stared through the window of Central Perk.

"Each kooky aside, each time she made everything about her, each example of how she's an outsider... it all makes sense.

"All 10 seasons were merely her fevered imagination, projecting herself into the lives of the others. All she ever wanted was... Friends.

"The final scene would be Phoebe walking away from Central Perk, with the Ross, Rachel, Joey, Chandler and Monica characters making a reference to "the crazy lady who always stares at us". They all have different names and personalities.

"Phoebe walks past a furniture store and caches her reflection in a mirror. The name of the store? Ursula.

"Finally she returns to the park where she sleeps in front of the fountain.

"A broken lamp stands next to her bench. It starts to rain. From behind, we see her put up six dirty, but brightly coloured umbrellas.

"Fade to black."

Wow...

The depressing fan ended has split fans, with some saying it's cruel and heartbreaking whereas others believe it's brilliant.

Friends was a huge hit show for a decade (NBC)

One wrote: "Omg! What an awesome and twist(ed) theory! Would totally love to watch it!!!"

Another added: "Actually, it's really interesting, unexpected and unusual... But so sad and, I don't know, cruel. Don't do this again."

A third commented: "You just sent shivers down my body!"

One wrote: YOOOOOO. THAT IS PHENOMENAL" while another added "this is exciting and off-course amazing".

Someone else wrote: "I love that ending best!!! Somebody hire you to write scripts!"

But others didn't like it at all and weren't happy with the writer for putting such a sad possibility in their heads.

One wrote: "That's a terrible ending. True very European as they like dark unsettling miserable ironic endings."

Another said: "Well I'm going to bed pretty depressed :'("

But one joked: "Still better than the Lost finale."

The Friends final, which aired in May 2004, was viewed by 52.2 million people.

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