Ok now let’s admit it…just like comfort food, we all have a favourite show that we keep going back to again and again. As as the title suggests very clearly, for me that’s always been this one.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Well for those of you who don’t know about it (is there anyone who doesn’t 🤔🤔), Friends is an American television sitcom, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. You can refer to the wiki link for more info
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends
So what’s so special about this series that infact ended 16 years ago. Why is it that of all the shows on all the OTT platforms, I chose to write only about this one?
Truth be told I myself started watching this series much later,infact even after all 10 seasons ended. But till this day,it’s my go-to show.
So what’s so great about the show and why is it that I write about a show that was first aired more than 25 years ago? Well for me, it’s always been about all 6 protagonist characters. Each unique with their own distinctive characteristics and yet how well they mesh to form a lifelong friendship. A kind of friendship that sets an example and a benchmark even today. Let me elaborate a little about each of them to better explain my point.
Let’s start with Monica Geller. She was an obese adolescent with a set of very biased parents who clearly favoured her brother over her. Always. Yet she always had a clear vision about what she wanted in life. Whether it was about the perfect guy to give her ‘flower’ to (nobody called it that even 26 years ago😂😂), or what profession she wanted to pursue or how EVERYTHING in sight had to be spotless and in perfect arrangement and symmetry. An obsessive, compulsive person with a stickler for cleanliness. Yet, No matter how much her friends picked on her for this, she never bothered and did everything with great passion and fervour.
Since we started with Monica, we have to talk next of the love of her life..her best friend, partner in crime, boyfriend and then husband…Chandler Bing. The one who was known for mastering the art of using sarcasm and humor as a defence mechanism and was shown to be extremely Commitment phobic for a long time. Yet when things get serious between the two, chandler almost metamorphises into the most loving, loyal and adoring husband. Infact Mondler (Monica+ chandler) became couple goals and remains so till this day in my opinion. Could I BEE any more right??!!
Next up is Ross Geller, brother of Monica, best friend of chandler and ex husband of Carol, Emily and Rachel (yes poor fellow had 3 marriages and 3 consecutive divorces for various reasons in a span of 10 seasons!!!). He is a paleontologist with a love for all things dinosaurs And related to evolution. A typical nerd some might say. Yet 3 marriages. Thoughtful, sensitive, loyal and a genuinely sweet simple guy. A medical marvel right from birth. And of course, his eternal feelings for Rachel ❤️❤️. That was and still is #lovegoals.
We have to talk of Rachel now. That’s Rachel Green. The hottie of the group. The school friend of Monica who joins the group after running away from the altar on her wedding day. Through the seasons we saw her evolve from a rich entitled daddy’s girl to a self sufficient, self reliant woman who carves out her own identity. Of course she makes errors in judgement along the way, shown to be a terrible cook, nightmare roommate for Monica, but never afraid to fight for what she wants and who she wants. Some would call her a pushover but that never detered her. And of course I have to add…she was Ross’s lobster 💗💗.
The 5th friend in the group was Phoebe Buffay. She’s the most hilarious even without trying and always has the most unexpected response to all things. Inspite of a very unusual childhood, she is shown to be an extremely positive person with a zest for life. Unlike her mean twin Ursula, Phoebe was kind, loyal,sweet and had a childlike enthusiasm for the simplest things. Not to mention her odd guitar playing skills and her bizarre song lyrics. Remember Smelly cat?? Iconic!!😆😆
And last but certainly not the least, my absolute favourite character…. Joey Tribbiani. A mostly out of work terrible actor with a strong liking for all things pretty and pizza!!! Joey is a secret keeper of all his friends, fiercely loyal and never thought twice about standing up for his friends, even ditching girlfriends if they did not like his friends. With an IQ of a 5 year old he was undoubtedly the most funny guy out there. And for me Joey will always be #bestfriendgoals
All 6 of them have their own unique personalities, their own flaws and yet together they form a formidable group of friends who stick by each other through thick and thin. Who point out each others’ mistakes and support each other every step of the way. They have a bond so strong and so special that it strikes a chord and resonates with the viewers even today. It makes you yearn for friends as them and also teaches a thing or two about the kind of friend each of us should strive to be. Whether it is Joey’s loyalty, Chandler’s humor, Ross’s sensitivity, Monica’s passion, Rachel’s kindness or Phoebe’s craziness….there’s something to love, learn and enjoy about each of them.
Needless to say, I am an ardent fan of the show and highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t watched it before. You can thank me later .😀😀
Heartfelt 