Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc, was one of the six main characters on the hit TV sitcom Friends. The show revolved around a group of friends living in New York City and navigating life and relationships. Joey was a loveable but ditzy aspiring actor who lived with Chandler Bing for much of the show. He provided a lot of the show’s comic relief with his frequent food obsession, womanizing ways, and clueless remarks.
So why did Joey ultimately leave the Friends group and the show itself after 10 seasons? There are a few key reasons explored below.
Joey’s Career Takes Him to L.A.
In the final seasons of Friends, a major plotline involved Joey trying to take his acting career to the next level. He starts getting better acting gigs and eventually lands a leading role as Dr. Drake Ramoray on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. This sparks bigger acting opportunities for Joey in Los Angeles.
In Season 9, Joey is offered a new acting job that would require him to move to L.A. He turns it down initially, not wanting to leave his friends. But later in the season, after landing the starring role in a major movie, Joey decides he can’t turn down the chance to advance his career. The movie is shooting in L.A., so Joey prepares to move away from New York and the Friends group.
This makes sense for Joey’s character arc. He has always dreamed of “making it” as an actor. And while his friends are hugely important to him, Joey knows he can’t pass up these career-defining opportunities if he ever wants to become a major star.
Joey’s Bond with Rachel Deepens
For most of Friends, Joey and Rachel Green are good friends but there’s no romantic plotline between them. But in Season 8, Rachel starts developing feelings for Joey after they have a brief fling. Joey realizes he is also falling for her. They try to suppress their feelings since Ross is still interested in Rachel.
In Season 9, with Ross moving on, Joey and Rachel finally start tentatively dating. This intensifies their relationship at the same time Joey is preparing to leave New York. While they care for each other deeply, Rachel doesn’t think she can leave New York City.
So their relationship is another reason pulling Joey away from the central group. Rachel even breaks down crying when saying goodbye to Joey in the Season 9 finale, knowing she may not see him again for a long time. Joey heads off to L.A. but their emotional connection leaves the door open for them to reunite down the road.
Joey’s Bond with Chandler Culminates
While Joey develops a romantic relationship with Rachel, his male best friend Chandler remains hugely important to him. Joey is devastated to leave Chandler when he moves to L.A. They have been roommates and best buds for years at this point.
In a touching moment, Chandler asks Joey to call him if he ever needs help adjusting to L.A. This culminates their tight brotherly bond developed over a decade of living together in the city. No matter where they end up in life, they promise to be there for each other.
So Joey’s relationship with Chandler is wrapped up neatly and poignantly in Season 9. This gives proper closure to one of the major friendships that was so meaningful in Joey’s life and shaped his time on Friends.
Friends Was Ending
Beyond Joey’s character motivations, the overarching reason he left Friends in Season 9 was simply because the show was ending after 10 seasons.
NBC announced in late 2002 that the 2002-03 Season 9 would be the second-to-last season of Friends. This meant all the characters’ storylines needed to be wrapped up in Season 9 and 10 to prepare for the series finale.
The show creators knew Joey had to finally achieve some career success as an actor before the show ended. And they knew the group couldn’t live across the hall from each other forever. Having Joey move to L.A. accomplished both character resolutions.
So while Joey moving made sense for his character arc, it also allowed the show to begin wrapping up all the characters’ plotlines to reach the ultimate series conclusion.
When Did Joey Leave in Friends?
Specifically, Joey leaves for L.A. in the Season 9 finale, episode 24 titled “The One in Barbados, Part 2”. The whole group travels to Barbados for Ross’ paleontology conference. Joey breaks the news that he will be moving to L.A. for his new movie role.
The friends are sad but supportive, knowing this is best for Joey’s career. They share an emotional final moment together on the beach before Joey heads back home to pack for L.A. This officially closes the chapter on Joey living with the Friends group in New York.
Joey Returns Periodically
While Joey moves away in Season 9, he still appears periodically in Season 10 as a special guest star. He returns for key moments like Phoebe and Mike’s wedding and the birth of Rachel’s baby.
Chandler also temporarily moves to Tulsa for work in Season 10. During this time, Chandler visits Joey in L.A. and helps him land acting roles by working as his assistant. This allows Chandler and Joey to have some more fun adventures together before the show ends.
So Friends made an effort to bring Joey back a few times once he moved. This gave proper closure between Joey and each of the other characters as they prepared to say a final farewell. But for the most part, Joey establishes a new life in L.A. in Season 10 offscreen.
How Many Episodes Was Joey in Friends?
In total, Joey appears in 236 episodes of the 236 Friends episodes that aired over 10 seasons:
| Season | Episodes |
| 1 | 24 |
| 2 | 24 |
| 3 | 25 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 24 |
| 6 | 25 |
| 7 | 24 |
| 8 | 24 |
| 9 | 23 |
| 10 | 17 |
| Total | 236 |
He appears in every single episode except for the last 3 episodes of Season 10 after he has moved away. So he remains an integral part of the Friends story from beginning to end.
Joey’s Life After Friends
After Friends ended in 2004, Joey’s story continued in the short-lived spinoff show Joey which aired for 2 seasons. It centered around Joey pursuing his acting career in L.A. Rachel even moved there and joined the show after the Friends finale.
The spinoff ended in 2006 and wasn’t very successful. But it did provide a glimpse at Joey building a new life and career away from the Friends group after moving to L.A. Matt LeBlanc got the chance to continue playing this beloved character a bit longer before saying goodbye for good.
Conclusion
While Friends wouldn’t have been the same without Joey’s lovable personality, it made sense for his character to finally leave New York and the Friends group in Season 9. His pursuit of bigger acting roles in L.A., his deepening relationship with Rachel, and the imminent end of the show necessitated closing Joey’s chapter in a way that fit his arc.
The move allowed Joey to finally achieve his career dreams while also winding down his tight bonds with Chandler, Rachel, and the rest of the gang. It was a bittersweet departure for both the character and fans alike after 10 memorable seasons. But thankfully, Friends gave Joey the well-rounded ending he deserved.