
Created by: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Directed by: Various
Written by: Various
Produced by: Various
Other cast: Ryan Hansen, Jessica Lucas, Zach Cregger, André Holland, Elle Young, Patrick Heusinger
Premiere date: 5 August 2011
Episodes: Season 1
Genre: Comedy
Running time: 22 Mins
The series follows a group of friends living in Chicago. It involves a very close friendship between two of the friends, who are each looking for the perfect mate, and the others who question their relationship, but at the same time, have their own romantic problems to deal with.
Episodes
1.01 – Pilot
Ben Lewis is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his impossible set of high standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell, a busy young doctor, is just looking for a nice, compatible man to settle down with and raise a family. Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive. When Ben is confronted with needing a date to his sister’s wedding, Sara begins to worry that their arrangement is becoming too serious.
1.02 – The Benefit of the Mute Button
Ben and Sara choose to bring their physical relationship to a halt when Sara begins dating a co-worker who she thinks might be boyfriend material. Elsewhere, Aaron takes his relationship with Riley more seriously than she does and shows up to meet her for what he believes to be a dinner date, but quickly realizes things aren’t what they seem.
1.03 – The Benefit of the Unspoken Dynamic
When Aaron becomes depressed over an ex-girlfriend getting engaged, Ben and Fitz decide to take him out for a night on the town, only to end up arguing over a girl. Meanwhile, Sara tries to befriend Riley and her wild lifestyle by hesitantly attending a party that makes her question her conservative ways.
1.04 – The Benefit of Forgetting
Ben runs into an ex and reaps the benefits of her short-term memory loss. Meanwhile, Fitz fears his lesbian mother is lonely and tries to find her a girlfriend, but is surprised to find that she is already in a relationship. Elsewhere, Riley dates a man with a breast-feeding fetish.
1.05 – The Benefit of Right Track
Sara struggles to get off the “Booty Call Track” and onto the “Relationship Track” with paramedic Evan, while Ben works toward the opposite with a girl he met over the weekend. Back at the loft, Fitz, humiliated by Aaron’s extravagant gift on their “Roommate-aversary,” tries to take Aaron on a fun, low-cost night out.
1.06 – The Benefit of Keeping Your Ego in Check
In an attempt to avoid a date with a nerdy co-worker, Sara asks Aaron to bid on her at a charity bachelorette auction. Meanwhile, Ben accidentally uses a suggestive phrase with a co-worker getting himself accused of sexual harassment. Elsewhere, Fitz thinks he’s in the clear to spend one last night partying before becoming monogamous, but when he finds out his girlfriend feels differently, he must scramble to cover up incriminating photos from his wild night.
1.07 – The Benefit of Mardi Gras
After an argument with her sister over a family heirloom, Sara is reluctant to visit her family in Louisiana for her sister’s baby shower, but her friends convince her that they will help her through the weekend. Meanwhile, after one too many drinks at Mardi Gras, Aaron unknowingly gets separated from his group and gets the courage to do things he normally wouldn’t do.
1.08 – The Benefit of Mentors
Aaron discovers that a girl he mentored in junior high has become a successful porn star and feels he influenced her poorly. Back at the hospital, a doctor Sara admires falls for Riley and bribes Sara with great responsibilities at work in exchange for help impressing Riley. Elsewhere, Fitz and Ben visit a friend in the hospital after a sporting accident leaves him unconscious and encounter his attractive girlfriend.
1.09 – The Benefit of Being Shallow
While dating a man who is blind, Sara finds herself constantly craving compliments about her attractiveness. Meanwhile, the new girl Ben is dating always wears a very large brimmed hat causing him to panic. Elsewhere, Aaron dates an older woman who is only interested in his body, while Fitz makes a real connection with her daughter.
1.10 – The Benefit of Avoiding the Mindbanger
When Sara accidentally gets involved with her ex-boyfriend Joe, she begins losing a sense of who she really is. Ben tries to help and stages an intervention only to end up doing the same thing with his ex-girlfriend. Elsewhere, Fitz attempts to keep Sara and Ben sane, while Riley is shocked by Aaron’s actions when he tries to impress a woman with his money.
1.11 – The Benefit of Putting in the Work
Ben asks Aaron to invest in a macaroni & cheese food truck idea but Ben’s business proves to be a problematic investment. Elsewhere, Sara dates a cute journalist on antidepressants, which makes physical contact very challenging. Riley helps Fitz become number one on Chicago’s most doable bachelor list after researching the current number one bachelor.
1.12 – The Benefit of Friends
Ben finds that he is in a slump in life and misses the relationship he once had with Sara. When Sara’s boyfriend questions her history with Ben, she reluctantly lies to him, only to make matters worse. Meanwhile, while playing a drinking game, Riley meets a man and quickly falls in love, but her joy turn to sadness when she learns he might be dying.
1.13 – The Benefit of Full Disclosure
Ben and Sara go on their first double date together with another set of friends who show fluctuating interest in them. Elsewhere, Riley’s new boyfriend introduces the concept of “full disclosure” and a reluctant Aaron mediates a “truth off” between Riley and Fitz to see who is better at handling brutal honesty.
Photos




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Videos
Trivia
- Friends With Benefits was Danneel’s first long term TV show after One Tree Hill.
- She was initially booked for the NBC pilot, ‘I Hate That I Love You’, however it never came to fruition.
- For promotion of the show, Danneel skipped her honeymoon. She and Jensen flew to New York for Danneel to attend the NBC Upfronts.
Featured Gifs


Quotes
‘Oh I’m not desperate. You think I’m desperate? Because I’m not desperate. Oh God, that sounded desperate. Am I desperate?
‘Don’t tell me how to kill germs. I am a medical doctor.’
‘We’re like the detectives from SVU, but instead of solving sex crimes we have delightful dinners with people.’