The Jack Geller Theory That Changes Everything On Friends

Normally, when one thinks of fan theories, the subject matter that comes to mind is usually superhero flicks, supernatural television shows, or that sort of thing. However, fan theories aren't limited to genre works. You might not know it, but there are a plethora of fun, crazy, or bizarre theories surrounding popular sitcoms including Seinfeld, Arrested Development, and The Simpsons, to name a few. 

Friends, in particular, also has a slew of fan theories to its name, something you wouldn't suspect of a show that revolves around six buddies who sip coffee while navigating their work and love lives. Some of the most popular fan theories surrounding the hit NBC show include the idea that Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) dreamt the entire series, or that Mr. Heckles (Larry Hankin) was actually murdered, as well as speculation that all nine seasons were just a hallucination of Phoebe Buffay's (Lisa Kudrow). 

One fan theory that gained a lot of steam in 2013 revolved around Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) and her parents Jack Geller (Elliott Gould) and Judy Geller (Christina Pickles). While some theories are really wild, this one actually makes a whole lot of sense, and might change the way you view the characters on your next re-watch.

The now-deleted fan theory popped up on Reddit in 2013, according to Mental Floss, and it suggested that while Monica was the biological daughter of Judy, she wasn't actually related to Jack. 

How would this work? Well, the theorist believed that Judy had an affair early on in her marriage to Jack, and Monica was the result of her tryst. Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) had already been born two years prior to Monica's birth, so he was definitely Jack's biological son, but it turns out that his sister — or half-sister, if this is true — was not.

This would provide an explanation for Judy's continual disdain for her daughter throughout the series — something that we once thought was just a playful storyline, given real depth. In fact, the reason behind her feelings for Monica are actually kind of dark, according to this theory: basically, Monica is just a constant reminder to her of the affair, which she likely regrets, and it's always why she's favored Ross over her daughter. Sure, Judy does have some sweet sentimental moments with Monica where you can really feel the love, but she always goes back to undercutting her daughter by poking at her over her nail polish colors, her haircuts, and earring choices. Needless to say, this theory will likely never be proven "accurate," per se, but it certainly brings a new level of drama to the events of the series.