Friends (1994-2004)
Friends is a really good show, don't get me wrong. It deserves most, if not all, of that acclaim. That being said, there is a certain level of polish to the show that makes Friends feel very tailored to be a popular show. This level of polish does make the show good and even great for a majority of its run, but there's also part of me that feels it could have taken more risks later on in the show's run to make it feel a bit fresher rather than rely on its established formula.
The one thing that definitely was perfect about Friends was the casting. David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc have more chemistry than almost any other cast I have seen in television history. I think what helps this most is how all their comedic styles rely on back-and-forth rather than individual jokes. There are some recurring gags for each character, but for the most part this is a group effort. You can tell that these guys throughout the show's run really became an off-screen family through how much closer and tight-knit their characters grow on-screen. That is part of what makes the last season of the show so good: everyone is helping each other bear their future phases of life and the difficulties of the transition from single living to having a family. If I had to pick a single best performance, it would either be Schwimmer or LeBlanc, as both seem to become their characters more than the rest of the cast; that being said, the show's ensemble nature makes it difficult to single any of the main cast out because without any one of them the show is not the same.
There's definitely something to be said for the brand of comedy that Friends puts out as well. It may be lacking in complexity, but that has to be one of the biggest factors in its popularity, as it is definitely a "kick back and relax for a half hour" kind of show. It's not as important to always be on your toes looking for new jokes because they kind of just slap you in the face when they're made. My favorite part about the comedy here is that an entire scene (or even a whole episode) can just become one long running joke. It makes things seem really holistic when it comes to the show's scripting, and I really appreciate that in any genre of any form of media.
Like any sitcom that runs on this long, Friends does start to feel a bit stale towards the end of its run. There are things that happen in the show's ninth and tenth seasons (with the exception of the final few episodes) that make me feel like the show was grasping for additional long-term storylines. Now, most of these do make the finale a bit more poignant (especially with regard to Ross and Rachel), but that doesn't necessarily make them worth being in the show in the first place. One thing about the final seasons that surprised me was how the comedy was still sharp. Typically, sitcoms that go on for this long drag because whatever brand of comedy used loses its originality in addition to poor storylines; in Friends, it's just the story that suffers, and that makes the show's end much more bearable.
That being said, when 80% of a show's run is as great as the first eight seasons of Friends, it definitely deserves acclaim. I love these characters, the comedic writing, and the chemistry between the main cast that oozes off the screen. If you're going to watch it start to finish, Friends is a bear due to its length, but the payoff and relationship you'll build with the characters is incredible. It's an incredible work of television in its entirety that I definitely recommend experiencing. At the end of a long day, it'll be there for you to kick back and relax with a fun bunch of friends that feel like family.
My recommendation: If you haven't watched it already, you need to.
My grade: 83
Where to find it: Netflix
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