r/friends_tv_show

Rachel's first appearance in the entire series is literally her running into Central Perk in a wedding dress. For a character whose journey was so tied to love, growth, fashion and finding herself, it would've been poetic if her final scene was also in a wedding dress.

And realistically? Ross and Rachel were both ridiculously wealthy by the end. Rachel's dad basically offered to arrange her wedding at the Plaza Hotel when Rachel told him about her pregnancy. So that was something that was totally attainable.

The airport reunion was iconic, but after 10 seasons of breakups, reconciliations and "we were on a break," I wanted to actually see them get married. !!!! It would've felt like a full-circle ending.

Anyone else feel robbed of a Ross & Rachel wedding episode?

ALSO, I BELIEVE THEIR WEDDING WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY ICONIC IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION IN THEIR TIME !!!

REAL friends, for me, starts in season 4.

Season 1 2 and 3... oh my... no comments. I dont watch those 3 seasons

He goes from being smart and witty to dumb as rocks. Only explanation is he's got an undiagnosed brain tumor.

😜

For me this is the worst episode of friends. Not for the Russ story, for the "fun bobby" story how he becomes boring after giving up the drink.

I didnt always think like this but after being told by a friend of mine ( not friends now for other reasons) told me I was boring one night out where I wasnt drinking and how it made me mentally think for a long time I need drink to be interesting. I dont have those thoughts as much as I used to since becoming a mum.

Hi, I've known about *Friends* for a while, and I ended up watching a couple of random episodes, like the one about “Free Porn” or the one where Ross wears a pink blouse on a date and it turns out his date is wearing the same blouse. I started watching it late last year, and after going through periods where I watched it every day followed by weeks without watching it at all, I finally finished it yesterday, July 3. It really left me feeling pensive, since something that was part of my routine has come to an end—and well, maybe that’s why I kept putting off watching the final season. I imagine that for those who watched it back when it first aired, it was pretty sad to say goodbye to the characters and the show. I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while now, ever since the show ended, and I want to share my thoughts on various aspects of the series—the characters, the things I liked, the things I d
idn’t like, my opinion on the finale, and the series as a whole.

1. The chemistry between the six characters was really strong, and each one shines on their own. While there are some I like more than others, they all stand out in their own way, and I’d love to have a conversation with each of them.

2. Although I love all the characters, I personally think Joey is the best of them all—always loyal, easygoing, he had the best moments, and he made me smile in every episode. Honestly, Matt LeBlanc did a fantastic job, and I think the character deserved more in the series, but I’ll get into that later.

3. The relationship between Chandler and Monica is one of the most important in TV history, and incredibly, it was something improvised that turned out well. They complemented each other perfectly—Chandler being witty and laid-back, and Monica being controlling yet kind. They worked well together, and I feel they’re the real couple that audiences remember more than Ross and Rachel.

4. As for Ross and Rachel, I think they’re a cute couple, but they rushed into getting them together as early as Season 2, and it was obvious they’d break up at some point—but the way they did it, wow, that was really shocking. And well, many people debate whether they were on a break or not, and personally, I think they were, but Ross was absolutely in the wrong for sleeping with another woman less than an hour after Rachel told him that, and then when they were about to get back together, he ruined everything because he didn’t admit that it was his mistake— that the relationship would end when he himself tried to hide the truth from Rachel because he knew he’d ruined everything—and come on, the guy who supposedly wanted to be with Rachel respected the relationship she was in at the time and didn’t try to hit on Rachel until he knew she was single. So Ross acted impulsively because of the trauma caused by his ex-wife Carol’s infidelity—which I’ll talk about in the next point—but Ross was entirely to blame, even though Rachel said they were on a break.

5. I didn’t like that Carol was never held accountable for cheating on Ross with Susan while they were still married. In the show, they handle it with humor, and the only one who reacts appropriately to that betrayal is Ross, but he’s seen as overreacting, on top of having to worry about supporting Carol with the baby and putting up with Susan’s annoying attitude. Honestly, I’m grateful they didn’t make it a more recurring theme in the series. I mean, it was nice when they got married, and it was a step forward for American TV to have LGBT representation back then, but I think they could have done a better job with it— they could have shown that Carol had feelings for her but never acted on them because she didn’t want to hurt Ross, and in the end she decides to file for divorce. Ross would react badly at first but would agree to let his wife go so she could be happy, or if they were going to keep the infidelity in the story, Carol could have admitted it and apologized to Ross for cheating on him, but that he wouldn’t let that ruin the rest of his life. It would have been a really good scene in the episode following Ross and Rachel’s breakup.

6. As for the breakups, I didn't like how most of them were handled in the series; very few had a proper ending. I’m not talking about the one-off romances, since I understand why those have such abrupt endings; it’s the ones they spent time on that ended badly that I have a problem with. The ones that bothered me were Ross and Mona, Ross and Charlie, Rachel and Joey, and especially Chandler and Kathy—I’ll devote a brief section to each one.

7. Ross and Mona—I feel like they had potential, but the writers underplayed their relationship for two reasons: 1. The typical “Haha, Ross is an idiot” joke, and 2. Maintaining the status quo so they could reunite Ross and Rachel at the end of the series. I don't think they should have ended up together, since Mona was a bit intense—she was already imagining a life with children with Ross when she barely knew him—but I feel like their relationship was wasted. At the very least, they could have lasted half a season before writing them off, and it could even have served as a turning point in Ross's character development.

8. Ross and Charlie—while I didn’t see much potential in them—you’ll agree that Charlie deserved a better ending than getting back together with her immature ex, the guy who’d been pestering Ross to break up with her so he could get the project, and in the end she just falls back in love with him for no reason. It was utter nonsense and one of the worst moments of the series. she’s supposed to be a smart archaeologist, but she didn’t even have the emotional intelligence to break up with Ross before kissing that jerk.

9. Joey and Rachel—well, that’s a complicated topic because a lot of people hated that relationship, and I can understand why; it really was unnecessary to bring them together in the final season. Even so, I have to say that the way Joey’s feelings for Rachel developed was quite organic, and to be honest, I was actually excited when they got together, but in the end, after two seasons of building that relationship, the writers didn’t know how to handle it and wrapped it up in three episodes. While I wasn’t upset with how it ended, it bothered me that they spent so much time building that relationship only to wrap it up so quickly. As many fans say, it would have been better if their relationship had happened in the early seasons—or if it had never existed at all. I think they could have done it at the beginning of Season 9 and wrapped up that subplot once and for all, but oh well—the writers tried to create a Chandler and Monica 2.0 without the organic feel of their relationship.

10. Chandler and Kathy’s relationship is the most underutilized in the entire series and, for me, the one that ended the worst. Kathy had won me over, and her dynamic with Chandler was so beautiful. When they finally confessed their love for each other and Joey let them be happy together (yet another reason why Joey is the best), I was hoping to see a lot of them as a couple—only to find that they were rarely shown together and ended up breaking up just because Chandler got jealous over a scene she was doing in a play, and then it turned out she was actually cheating on him. It was completely nonsensical and showed that the writers didn’t know what to do with her character beyond the initial story arc. Personally, I would have kept them together for an entire season—from the middle of Season 3 to the middle of Season 4—showing more of them as a couple and having her spend more time with the girls in the group. Their breakup could have been because she was pursuing a career as an actress and Chandler wanted to stay in New York; then, in the end, they’d part ways because they were looking for different things and remain on good terms.

11. The only relationships whose endings I liked were Ross and Rachel’s first relationship and Monica and Richard’s relationship, because they broke up precisely because they were looking for different things or something unforgivable happened. With Monica and Richard, it was a healthy breakup because she wanted children and he had already been through that—something that highlighted their age difference and their different life goals given their ages. And well, I’ve already explained the Ross and Rachel situation.

12. Joey deserved a better ending; although his role in the series finale was fine and they left his story arc open because they wanted to do a spin-off featuring the character—which, on paper, wasn’t a bad idea— but the absence of David Crane and Marta Kauffman—the series’ two creators—from the project, along with the absence of many of its writers and the disconnect between the two shows, ruined what could have been a worthy continuation of Friends. It could have been what Frasier was to Cheers—a sequel focused on one of its most beloved characters, but at the same time having its own identity—it’s a shame it turned out so badly that most people prefer to ignore it.

13. Getting back to Joey, I would have liked it if, in the final season, they’d developed an arc for him where he finally wants to be taken seriously as an actor and manages to land a project that gives his career the boost it needed—perhaps meeting an actress, producer, or director along the way with whom he starts a relationship, and ultimately getting hired for a Hollywood production, but having to move to Los Angeles, thereby laying the groundwork for his spin-off while also giving Joey the happy ending he so richly deserved.

14. I love Janice, even though she's so annoying. I fell in love with her in the first season, largely because of Maggie Wheeler's charisma and beauty, and in fact, at first I did think she was the perfect match for someone as emotionally complicated as Chandler, but after season 3 I realized why it was better for them not to be together, Still, every time she reappeared, it was fantastic. That said, I was disappointed that they didn’t show us her live reaction when she found out that Chandler ended up getting engaged to Monica.

15. As for the quality of the series, I’ll be honest: I think it maintained a consistent level of quality throughout its 10 seasons. Of course, I agree that the early seasons are better than the later ones, since by the final seasons it was clear that the characters were getting worn out by the same jokes and situations, and that—aside from Rachel and Chandler—there was no real character development. so I understand why many say that the show’s decline began around season 6 or 7. Personally, I don’t think that’s the case—I just think there were more ups and downs in those seasons than in the early ones. Plus, it really bothered me how they exaggerated certain aspects of several characters: Ross being a lunatic who makes situations worse to avoid an uncomfortable truth, Phoebe making nonsensical decisions just for the sake of a couple of jokes; Monica being an over-the-top control freak even though in earlier episodes she’d learned to respect other people’s decisions; or the most infamous example—how they turned Joey into a complete idiot in the later seasons, to the point where he didn’t even know what hand quotes meant, even though he’d used them himself in earlier seasons. These are low points that detract from those seasons, and I would have been more careful with them, but it’s not something that stops me from revisiting those seasons later on.

16. I like how they used guest stars, since they were given characters that contributed to the show’s universe, with each one standing out in their own way and giving us some really funny moments. Standouts include: Christina Applegate as Rachel’s sister Amy—who, to be honest, should have appeared more often—, Jeff Goldblum, Brad Pitt, Danny DeVito playing a stripper, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, Denise Richards, the magnificent Gary Oldman, the two characters of Jon Lovitz and the unexpected and fantastic cameos by Billy Crystal and Robin Williams. Seriously, I can’t believe how many actors appeared on this show.

17. The storyline about Rachel getting pregnant and having Emma didn't change anything in the series, and in hindsight, it was unnecessary. Aside from a couple of episodes, it didn't change the group's dynamic at all and was only used as a one-season arc rather than something that had developed organically. I know they wanted to incorporate an unexpected pregnancy, but I feel like it wasn't useful in the long run.

18. As for the series finale, I want to say that it fit the story they wanted to tell, with Ross finally being honest with Rachel and asking her to stay. It is an emotional and personal ending, which I have no problem with in and of itself, but I think it should have been built up better throughout the last season—showing that Ross still has feelings for her, but struggling with his feelings because he doesn’t think he’s good enough for her—and since he’d ruined everything before, he feels he doesn’t deserve her— nevertheless, he grows as a person and learns to control his emotions; he’s still a bit clueless and intense, but he no longer makes a fool of himself like before; he achieves personal and professional success, but feels his life wouldn’t be complete without Rachel—and she feels the same way; she has her dream job and the life she wanted, but at the cost of separating from her friends and Ross, with whom she’s also grappling with the idea of whether to stay or go because she still loves him, as well as questioning whether she really wants to leave. I feel that these details would have given the ending much more weight, since many believe Rachel should have boarded that plane and that, in the end, they wouldn’t have stayed together—which I also consider a valid perspective—but I think the ending we got wasn’t bad; it just lacked the elements that would have made it feel more earned. Anyway, the ending of How I Met Your Mother was so bad that it made people appreciate this ending, haha.

19. Watching the series knowing that Matthew Perry is no longer with us—I admit it hurts a little, since his portrayal of Chandler was so good, making me laugh time and time again and also managing to convey sadness or happiness depending on the episode. Matthew was a good actor, and honestly, I saw a lot of potential in him— perhaps in another life where he could have overcome his struggles and moved forward, taking on more serious projects—I could even see him as an Academy Award nominee, whether for an Emmy or an Oscar. What’s done is done, and Matthew will remain in our memories forever. Rest in peace, Matthew.

20. I’d like to use this last point to thank the six lead actors, the creators, and some of the supporting cast members for their work over the course of 10 seasons—for their performances that brought joy to millions of viewers, and continue to do so even today. Thank you, Martha. Thank you, David. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you, James. Thank you, Tom. Thank you, Maggie. Thank you, Elliot. Thank you, Christina. Thank you, Jane. Thank you, Hank. Thank you, Lisa. Thank you, Courteney. Thank you, David. Thank you, Matt. Thank you, Jennifer. Thank you, Matthew.

Despite everything, I love this show—the characters, the jokes, the situations—everything feels so harmonious and gives me a sense of calm and peace, so I'll keep watching it on repeat, just like shows such as Malcolm in the Middle or Modern Family, for the rest of my life. It's a wonderful show.

Do you think Joey would go back living with Chandler after his massive “in design” apartment if he wouldn’t get fired from days of our lives? I always thought of that as a sure thing, but now when rewatching for a thousandth time I started to think - that might have not happened if it wasn’t for the fact he lost his job and couldn’t afford it anymore. On the other hand Eddie being crazy also played a role in this situation. So I feel kinda puzzled. It seems screenwriters made this reunion inevitable for both of them but from the outside circumstances - I think I might have wanted it to be their inner decisions

That's something that I was thinking about these days. Do you guys feel you would get along with the main cast in real life (not the actors, obviously).

Because honestly, I don't think I would lol

I don't think I would like Ross, I think I wouldn't have much patience for Phoebe (and probably actively dislike her on later seasons), I don't like being around controlling people like Monica...

Joey is fun, but they made him too dumb, so I'm not sure either. I kinda think I could get along with Rachel and Chandler, though, but nothing special.

But I don't think I would fit overall lol

On the episodes of The One Who Could Have Been on season 6 there are lot of references to past episodes.

There's one I have only noticed now that I'm rewatching them after some time.

When Rachel tells Joey she's not a good person because she's in his apartment while she's married, she says that she's "a horrible, horrible person".

That's the same line Hugh Laurie's character have when he's on the plane with Rachel and she's telling the story of why she's going to England.

It’s been awhile since I used this. But when I was in school back in the day, teachers and professors for some reason didn’t like the idea of having 0 homework assignments or projects during breaks. They would ask about if we did our homework, studied, and/or did projects, I’d always reply, “Homework/Studying/Projects?! We were on a break!”
Or I’d say, “Homework/Studying/Projects?! We were on a break, like Ross and Rachel!”

Older millennial here and, believe it or not, I’ve just starting watching Friends for the first time. OMG it’s such a great show! But I’m trying to put my finger on why it’s so good and I need help. I’m thinking it’s a combination of: the writing, the characters and their relationships and quirks, how relatable the characters are, it’s really unlike any other show I’ve seen. What are your thoughts as to what makes this show so great?