I somewhat missed out on watching "Friends" while I was growing up. I was vaguely familiar with it, but if you had asked me to name any character, I would have struggled. Give it a month worth of binging and now it's quickly become one of my all-time favourite TV series. I genuinely believe "Friends" to be a pinnacle in the sitcom genre, perhaps the one that perfected the now dated laugh track format.
What, in my opinion, separates "Friends" from most other sitcoms and, frankly, comedies in general, is the cast of characters. All of them have unique personalities, backstories and personal development. You quickly get attached to them and get to see them spent 10 years of their lives together. Throughout all this, you see all the events that occur in their lives, which gradually change them without betraying their esssence. Another notable factor is the relatability of the friends' everyday situations. Whether it be a comedic moment that hits a little true to home, or someone's struggle that you can understand, it grounds the series in spite of its often outlandish tone.
I liked the show from the start, but grew to love it after the first couple of seasons. I needed time to grow to the cast and for the series to get rid of some of its more annoying plot contrivances, namely certain relationship drama. The episodes are standalone and worked well for the cable TV format of old, but I can attest to its bingeability. "Friends" is not a comedy that pretends to be more than it is, perhaps only doing so very early on. It learns to thrive on its goofiness and makes for an easy and comfortable watch. It's greatness is in its very nature, which it doesn't shy away from. It's a show you can always go to, whether your life is going down or up. It can definitely feel as if you are hanging out with some of your own friends.
I've mentioned now more than once how silly the series gets, but there's certainly some wittier moments present. The writing is sharp when it needs to be, and rarely fails to get a laugh out of me. Surprisingly, some rather series topics can be covered here. It's almost always done with a humourous view of things, but it can certainly provoke you to contemplate some of what is seen.
There's some issues with the show, but none that ruin the experience for me. I do wish the ending could have been a bit more detailed regarding certain character's fates, but it's nothing that bugged me much. I felt melancholic to have parted with this group I found myself rooting for during 10 seasons. Chandler remained my favourite throughout, and I made sure to clap during the intro everytime I could.
Review by Martin SestrimskiBlockedParent2020-07-30T14:59:49Z
I somewhat missed out on watching "Friends" while I was growing up. I was vaguely familiar with it, but if you had asked me to name any character, I would have struggled. Give it a month worth of binging and now it's quickly become one of my all-time favourite TV series. I genuinely believe "Friends" to be a pinnacle in the sitcom genre, perhaps the one that perfected the now dated laugh track format.
What, in my opinion, separates "Friends" from most other sitcoms and, frankly, comedies in general, is the cast of characters. All of them have unique personalities, backstories and personal development. You quickly get attached to them and get to see them spent 10 years of their lives together. Throughout all this, you see all the events that occur in their lives, which gradually change them without betraying their esssence. Another notable factor is the relatability of the friends' everyday situations. Whether it be a comedic moment that hits a little true to home, or someone's struggle that you can understand, it grounds the series in spite of its often outlandish tone.
I liked the show from the start, but grew to love it after the first couple of seasons. I needed time to grow to the cast and for the series to get rid of some of its more annoying plot contrivances, namely certain relationship drama. The episodes are standalone and worked well for the cable TV format of old, but I can attest to its bingeability. "Friends" is not a comedy that pretends to be more than it is, perhaps only doing so very early on. It learns to thrive on its goofiness and makes for an easy and comfortable watch. It's greatness is in its very nature, which it doesn't shy away from. It's a show you can always go to, whether your life is going down or up. It can definitely feel as if you are hanging out with some of your own friends.
I've mentioned now more than once how silly the series gets, but there's certainly some wittier moments present. The writing is sharp when it needs to be, and rarely fails to get a laugh out of me. Surprisingly, some rather series topics can be covered here. It's almost always done with a humourous view of things, but it can certainly provoke you to contemplate some of what is seen.
There's some issues with the show, but none that ruin the experience for me. I do wish the ending could have been a bit more detailed regarding certain character's fates, but it's nothing that bugged me much. I felt melancholic to have parted with this group I found myself rooting for during 10 seasons. Chandler remained my favourite throughout, and I made sure to clap during the intro everytime I could.