entertainment

Who doesn't love a Friends conspiracy theory?

It’s a moment that may have been missed by those who haven’t seen all 236 episodes of Friends multiple times.

But not by everyone.

Remember Phoebe’s half-brother Frank? He was goofy and sweet and madly in love with a woman named Alice. Phoebe connected deeply with her long-lost younger sibling, and in season five, she eventually (let’s be honest, it didn’t take a whole lot of convincing) offers to be a surrogate for the couple.

Ringing some bells?

PhoebFrank Friends
Image: Screenshot via NBC

Well Friends nerds of the etha (and Refinery 29) have brought something to our attention.

ADVERTISEMENT

Season five was not the first time audiences saw actor Giovanni Ribisi on the show. In fact, he was featured much, much earlier. And he even shared a scene with Phoebe herself, Lisa Kudrow.

Way back in season two, in the episode ‘The One With The Baby On The Bus’, Phoebe is banned from performing inside Central Perk. A travesty. How dare they deprive their diners of the musical genius that is Little Black Curly Hairs.

Phoebe is understandably upset, and takes her talent to the street outside. Rachel comes to check on Phoebe, who is disheartened by how little money she’s made. All she has in her case is $8.27 (minus the two dollars she put in herself) and a condom.

Strike that- just $8.27

The condom-giver returns to retrieve his, erh, donation.

You can watch a clip of the condom take-back below:

Video via NBC

“Hey, ah, did I accidentally drop a condom in your case?” he says. “It’s kind of an emergency.”

Phoebe returns the much needed johnny and and the gentleman runs away excitedly. Apparently, towards someone called Christine who can help him put it to use.

ADVERTISEMENT

So was this some kind of a heavily orchestrated meet-cute? A clever foreshadowing of Phoebe coming to the rescue of her long lost brother in his time of reproductive, or in this case, non-reproductive need?

Frank Giovanni Ribisi Friends
Image: Screenshot via NBC

Well, no. Sadly not.

“No. It was just one of those things,” show writer Betsy Borns told Refinery 29.

“They liked him, so they decided to use him more because they liked working with him.”

Damn you Giovanni Ribisi and your pleasant working demeanor. Crushing our conspiracy theorist dreams.