Did Friends stay on too long?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

FRIENDS was a perfectly mediocre show. It was never very great and never very bad. It was just always in a holding pattern. But it filled that hole in the Thursday night schedule. The one thing that really bugged me was the way it was scripted to have all these set-ups to a joke punchline (usually from Chandler), as if it didn't really matter about the characters in the scene. In real life, if someone kept making dumb jokes out of everything instead of being real, you'd dump them as a friend.

FRIENDS normalized a lot of weird behavior and tics. I noticed that people in real life tried to act like that and people enabled that. There was also a lot of aspirational stuff like them hanging out in coffee shops in New York, living rent free and so on gave people unrealistic expectations and anxiety.

It was a show that only existed in TV-land and its main engine was the chemistry of the actors who really do work well as an ensemble. It doesn't have anything real to it. Aside from the finale where they all go their own separate ways.

[Agent Z]

Rachael effectively ruins Ross's life multiple times out of spite. Jealousy would be understandable but when she resolutely states she has no interest in him BUT STILL DOES IT ANYWAY you have to question her mental stability.

Tbf though ALL the main cast were assholes save maybe Chandler and Monica

I mean, I remember Ross being the one who says the wrong name at his wedding and secretly refused to annul his Vegas marriage to Rachel just because he didn't want three failed marriages on his record. Rachel did act like a petty, jealous ******* after the break-up but all of Ross' major problems are his own.

[Osiris-Rex]

FRIENDS was a perfectly mediocre show. It was never very great and never very bad. It was just always in a holding pattern. But it filled that hole in the Thursday night schedule. The one thing that really bugged me was the way it was scripted to have all these set-ups to a joke punchline (usually from Chandler), as if it didn't really matter about the characters in the scene. In real life, if someone kept making dumb jokes out of everything instead of being real, you'd dump them as a friend.

Friends was just Seinfeld with pretty people.

[David Walton]

FRIENDS was a perfectly mediocre show. It was never very great and never very bad. It was just always in a holding pattern. But it filled that hole in the Thursday night schedule. The one thing that really bugged me was the way it was scripted to have all these set-ups to a joke punchline (usually from Chandler), as if it didn't really matter about the characters in the scene. In real life, if someone kept making dumb jokes out of everything instead of being real, you'd dump them as a friend.

That was just Chandler's way of coping with his insecurities, and everyone knew and accepted that. Also, I think the counterpoint to your argument is that of all the characters on the show, Chandler showed the most growth overall.

[Marvelgirl]

Season 3-6 were the best.

The show was quite perfect for its ten year run. One thing that bugged me is how some of the characters -Monica, Ross and Joey never developed, especially Joey.

[caj]

Monica and Chandler are one of, if not my absolute favorite, sitcom couple. They absolutely carried the show for its second half. But all the characters were still enjoyable IMO, if in an over-the-top sitcom kind of way.

See, I'm just the opposite. I think Monica and Chandler's relationship ruined the show.

We had the BEST best friends ever on tv with Chandler and Joey. They were comedy gold together. But him moving in with her broke up that comedy team. Plus, most of all Chandler scenes and storylines were always about Monica. I didn't find them funny or entertaining together. I didn't even see any romantic chemistry between the two.

[Ozymandias]

For me, it was enough that the writers didn't make a travesty of the characters, as they did with Sheldon Cooper, Alan Harper or Barney Stinson (off the top of my head).

[Icefan]

For me, it was enough that the writers didn't make a travesty of the characters, as they did with Sheldon Cooper, Alan Harper or Barney Stinson (off the top of my head).

I don't know, it seemed to me that Joey and Pheobe's IQs would drop a few points every year.

[Ozymandias]

I don't know, it seemed to me that Joey and Pheobe's IQs would drop a few points every year.

That's a funny statement,, so take the reply in that tone: we all do.

[Beaddle]

I don't know, it seemed to me that Joey and Pheobe's IQs would drop a few points every year.

Joey and Rachel were the dumbest Friends that needed IQ questioning.

Phoebe was very smart. Her owning Ross on Evolution was a classic.

[Agent Z]

Joey and Rachel were the dumbest Friends that needed IQ questioning.

Phoebe was very smart. Her owning Ross on Evolution was a classic.

Are we talking about the same woman who once thought a little girl's missing cat was the reincarnation of her dead mother?

[Beaddle]

Are we talking about the same woman who once thought a little girl's missing cat was the reincarnation of her dead mother?

Phoebe was very superstitious and a weirdo but it didn't mean she was dumb. Rachel and Joey could actually be dumb as in can't spell orange.

If you remember in the list episode, Ross did say Julie was smart and Rachel was just a waitress. Rachel could be so dumb she had no idea Rachum was a misspelling for her name in the episode.

[Cyke]

FRIENDS normalized a lot of weird behavior and tics. I noticed that people in real life tried to act like that and people enabled that. There was also a lot of aspirational stuff like them hanging out in coffee shops in New York, living rent free and so on gave people unrealistic expectations and anxiety.

It was a show that only existed in TV-land and its main engine was the chemistry of the actors who really do work well as an ensemble. It doesn't have anything real to it. Aside from the finale where they all go their own separate ways.

I have cousins who grew up with Friends. Started watching it when they were little kids, and essentially went through grade school, high school, and up to college with the show.

...let me just say, their problem solving and interpersonal skills are not stellar.

[caj]

I don't know, it seemed to me that Joey and Pheobe's IQs would drop a few points every year.

My favorite episodes were the ones where Joey outsmarts people - and yes seasons 1-5 had some of those moments.

But you're right, they made Joey dumber and dumber as the years went on. Phoebe wasn't necessarily dumb but she was just whacky, which made her come across as dumb.

[MoneySpider]

My favorite episodes were the ones where Joey outsmarts people - and yes seasons 1-5 had some of those moments.

But you're right, they made Joey dumber and dumber as the years went on. Phoebe wasn't necessarily dumb but she was just whacky, which made her come across as dumb.

This reminds me of Kelly Bundy on "Married with Children." In the early seasons she was smart than suddenly became a dumb blonde. Although I remember one episode in which "dumb Kelly" figured out how to put together a tool bench or something that Al Bundy didn't know how to put up. In other episodes, "dumb Kelly" doesn't even know how to pronounce "FBI".