As TikTok user @bronniieee pointed out , the episode "The One in Massapequa," which originally aired in 2002, contains a rather glaring error.
In the season eight episode, Monica and Ross' parents, Jack and Judy Gellar, throw a party to commemorate their 35th wedding anniversary. During the celebration, Jack and Judy (played by Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles respectively) reveal that they have told party regulars Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel ( Jennifer Aniston) got married and asked them to accept the lie.
In one scene, the camera pans to Ross and Rachel to reveal an entirely different actor playing the role of Jack, one who bears little resemblance to Gould.
"In all the years I've been a fan of Friends , here's why I've never noticed this guy before," the caption for the viral clip reads. One user also commented: "I watched the episode this morning and didn't get it." Another user pointed out that the replacement actors were similar to those from Schitt Creek . Eugene Levy.
There is a simple explanation
While many fans were confused by the error, others on TikTok pointed out that it's common for stunt actors to deliver lines or react when one of the show's main characters isn't on set.
"The stunts were removed from the footage when the show originally aired," one fan commented, referring to changes in television technical standards since the show originally aired. "The old TV format was 4:3 aspect ratio," added another. "When TVs go to 16:9 widescreen, we see things we shouldn't see."
This question comes up many times in the show. On Reddit, people discovered a similar "obviously obvious mistake" in Season 8 of Rachel's Date , where Monica suddenly gets caught up in a conversation with Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). Stuntmen are replaced, and in the Season 9 episode "Rachel's Date", Monica is suddenly replaced by a stuntman. "Mugger," Rachel was replaced by a man wearing different clothes.
