"The Last One" is the series finale of the television sitcom Friends. The episode serves as the seventeenth and eighteenth episode of season ten; the episode's two parts were classified as two separate episodes. It was written by series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and directed by executive producer Kevin S. Bright. The series finale first aired on NBC in the United States on May 6, 2004, when it was watched by 52.46 million viewers, making it the most watched entertainment telecast in six years and the fourth most watched television series finale in U.S. history.
The series finale closes several long running storylines. Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) confesses his love for Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), and they decide to resume their relationship; and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) adopt twins and move to the suburbs. The episode's final scene shows the group leaving their apartments for the final time and going to Central Perk for one last cup of coffee.
Prior to writing the episode, Crane, Kauffman and Bright watched finales from other sitcoms for inspiration. Kauffman found that they liked the ones which stayed true to the series. Filming took place at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California; part one was taped on January 16, and part two on January 23. The finale was well received by critics and the cast members.