An article by Surya S., I BA English

No matter how many stories we read or movies we watch, the ones about friendship always finds a special place in our heart. No other sitcom has ever kept me glued to the screen like Friends. It was the first series that I had watched and has remained my favourite until today. I loved each and every season of this ’90s sitcom. It revolves around six friends hanging out and living together in New York City. Every character is relatable to us, there is probably a geeky Ross in your group who has more knowledge in dealing with dinosaurs than women, a Monica who has an OCD with cleaning, a foodie Joey whose second love is ladies, a Phoebe who is always “wonderfully weird” and a Rachel who is a fashion freak. It’s been 25 years since the show has been released and yet it’s still one of the most watched sitcom. One of the reasons for its success is a strong script by Crane and Kauffman and directors like James Burrows. The series won the 2002 Emmy award for outstanding comedy series. There isn’t a time that I don’t laugh, watching the show. The actors were so good that it is impossible, even to think of someone else playing their roles. They were good friends both on and off-screen. Maybe that is the secret behind the chemistry between them. I envy Joey and Chandler’s relationship, they have the best bromance between them. It is captivating in many ways, but I think the best thing about Friends is how timeless it is. And it was way ahead of its time — Carol and Susan’s lesbian wedding, Chandler’s dad becoming a transgender, Monica dating her father’s friend, Ross kissing Chandler’s mother and the male nanny were all uncommon at that time. And something else that I have noticed in the show was that all the female leads were given unconventional ways of pregnancy, Phoebe became the surrogate mother of her brother’s triplets, Rachel took the huge step of becoming a single mom, and Monica who was obsessed with babies was infertile and later became the mother of adopted twins. The show is about the six of them navigating friendship, relationship, and life in New York city.

Monica is the shepherd of the group. She is the one who holds the group together. Monica is Ross’s sister. Their sibling fights, arguments, love and care for each other will make us yearn for someone like that in our lives. They’ve never let each other fall out. She is famous for her leadership qualities and organising skills. But she is known more for being a cleanliness fanatic. If there is something that she can’t stand, it’s a messy room. There was an episode wherein she went herself to clean one of Ross’s date’s apartment, when she heard how untidy it was. She is a great cook and chef by profession. I love her high pitched bossy voice and her “I KNOW”s. The fat Monica episodes were so hilarious that I’ve lost count the number of times I re-watched it. Her first serious relationship was with Richard, her dad’s friend, who was twenty one years older than her. It was indeed one of those stereotype breakers in the show. But the relationship didn’t last long as Richard didn’t want to take the responsibility of being a father and a family man again. Later, towards the end of the fourth season, she unexpectedly begins a relationship with her long-term friend Chandler. They both try to hide their relationship from their friends, but eventually everyone finds out. Monica and Chandler were the best couple in the show. Their love for each other was infinite.

Joey played by Matt Le Blanc is a much loved character from the show. Joey is a handsome, young, not-so-bright struggling actor who would rather sell his kidney than share his food. If Joey is good at something other than eating, it’s flirting. He is a womaniser who has dated a lot of girls throughout the series. His pick-up line “ How you doing?” must be the most repeated dialogue in the whole series. But he is the most loyal friend in the gang. His best buddy is, of course, Chandler. Their journey from roommates to best friends was filled with fun. Le Blanc’s expressions are priceless, he truly is a great actor. The irony in his character was that even after dating so many women throughout the series, he is the only one who remains single when the show ends.

Rachel is a fashionista. She is the spoiled but warm-hearted girl who left her groom at the altar. She flees from her wedding to find Monica, her high school friend. She eventually becomes Monica’s roommate and one among the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. The spoiled child then finds her way in the world. Her decision to live without any financial support from her friends redefined her life. She began as a waitress at the Central Perk coffee house and later worked in the fashion world. I love her when she’s angry and yelling. Her relationship with Ross Geller was happy until he slept with another woman while they were still in a relationship. After breaking up with Ross, she dates a number of other men, but none lasts. Later, she becomes pregnant from a one night stand with Ross. The duo finally reunites in the final episode.

Ross is the most fragile character. He is an amazing brother, father, partner, and friend. He is incomplete without his dinosaur stories. He is that innocent nerd friend from your group. His most popular dialogue  “we were on a break” always annoyed me. He is someone who takes pride in being a know-it-all. He is a three-time divorcée and father of his ex-wife Carol and Rachel’s daughter Emma. I sometimes hate Ross for his sexist remarks. He fired Emma’s nanny because he was a man and, according to him, babysitting is not something meant for “men”. It was his fault that led to his breakup with Rachel, but he tried to justify it, saying they were on a break. David Schwimmer did a great job presenting him on screen.

Phoebe is a “wonderfully weird” woman. She is my favourite among the female leads. I love how kind, generous, loving, and emotional she is. She is that go-to person who can give you the best advice. She will be there whenever you need a shoulder to cry on. Her epic song “smelly cat” has still not left my lips. Unlike the others, her childhood was not a bright one, yet she strived hard and lived independently. Her only blood relatives were her grandmother and twin sister Ursula who never acknowledged her existence. Her love for nature made me love her even more. She never took into account what others thought about her, she did things the way she liked without any embarrassment. She finally finds her “family” in Mike Hannigan , played by Paul Rudd.

Chandler Bing played by Mathew Perry is my favourite. He is the king of sarcasm. He’s funny throughout the ten years. His jokes catch you right at your tickle spots so that it’s pretty hard not to laugh. I love everything about him — his sarcastic comments, his victory dance, his nervousness around people, his love for Monica, his friendship with Joey and a lot more. He is the one who taught us that it’s never too late to start doing what you love, by quitting his job of data reconfiguration to become a copywriter at an advertising agency. There can never be another Chandler Bing.

Finally, two other characters who deserve to be mentioned here are Gunther, the waiter at Central Perk coffee house and Janice, Chandler’s famous nasal ex-girlfriend with laughter like a machine gunfire. She is the one who makes us laugh by laughing. Gunther is one such character who is sidelined throughout the ten seasons. He had a huge crush on Rachel Greene, but it took him ten years to muster the courage to confess his love for her.

All in all, Friends is the best. Like the theme song says, the show “will be there” for us always. If you haven’t watched it yet, you are missing out on something really great. It keeps you both entertained and informed, and that is why it is special and the greatest sitcom of all times.