I am sitting in a small coffee shop in New York. It’s pouring down rain outside, making it feel that much warmer in here. The small size fosters a closeness, a friendliness with those around you. I hear people engaging in conversations all around, from whispers at small tables in the corner to loud laughter at couches and chairs in the middle. I am sitting on a rust orange color couch, the kind you would find in your grandmother’s house. Its cushions slightly flat from years of use and the soft, almost velvety material that every good couch was made from in the ‘90s. When the waiter asks me what I would like, I reply: “The usual.” He brings me back a vanilla latte in a short, round, yellow mug with a matching saucer. My friends tell stories and laugh around me while I stare out the big windows at the front to people watch. My view is obstructed by a large painting on the window that reads: Central Perk.
Oh wait, I was daydreaming again wasn’t I?
…
Set in New York, the American television sitcom Friends portrays six, 20-30-something single people experiencing the struggles of adult life.
If you can’t relate to at least one of the main characters in this show you’re just not trying.
Playing Ross Geller, David Schwimmer is the very picture of responsibility. He’s a paleontologist working at the Museum of Natural History, and later he is a professor of paleontology at New York University. Unfortunately, responsibility does nothing to help his love life. His undeniable obsession with Rachel combined with his social awkwardness creates a persona that’s difficult to be in a long-term relationship with.
Matthew Perry, who plays Chandler Bing, is largely known and loved for his need to break awkward silences with a bad joke. He is often teased by the others for his bad luck with dating relationships, but on the plus side he has a job that pays well, though nobody is ever really sure exactly what he does for a living. He may be bad at dating, but at least he’s always waiting and ready to give you that last final push down the stairs in the form of a sarcastic comment any time the opportunity presents itself.
Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt Leblanc, is the sort of celebrity of the group. Joey is the guy that every guy wants to be, the very picture of tall, dark and handsome. He has thick black hair, the kind you would never tire of running your hands through, an amazing smile, oh, and he’s a famous actor. Often laughed at for being the last one to catch on to a joke, Joey isn’t the smartest of them all, but what he lacks in knowledge he makes up for in charm. Aggressively single, committed relationships aren’t really his thing, he has a new girl every week. Famous for his classic pick-up line “How you doin’?” he definitely gets all the ladies. Guys better watch out.
Of course, this group of guys just wouldn’t be complete without their three female friends.
Playing Phoebe Buffay, Lisa Kudrow is an eccentric masseuse as well as a self-taught musician. She comes from a rough background, with no real family involved in her life. Fiercely independent, she’s the loner of the group and seems completely okay with that. She’s very childlike and clueless at times, but at the end of the day they all know how to love and encourage her in just the way she needs.
Courtney Cox, who plays Monica Geller, is the sort of mother of the group. Very particular about the cleanliness of her and Rachel’s apartment, she often spends large amounts of time cleaning and organizing. Her bossy tendencies occasionally drive them all crazy, but sometimes she’s just what they need to pull everyone together. She is a successful chef, working in restaurants as well as cooking for the group on occasion, including holidays. Though she is often teased by the others for being extremely overweight as a child.
Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston, is quite easily my favorite character. Fashion enthusiast and Monica’s best friend from childhood, at the onset of the series she is a spoiled little girl accustomed to her father paying for everything. After leaving her fiancé at the altar, she is forced to learn how to “adult” on her own. Throughout the series, we watch her as she learns how to support herself and survive without the help of her parents.
Pulling off one of the most iconic haircuts of the ‘90s, there isn’t a day I get my hair cut that I don’t consider getting the “Rachel Green” cut. Aniston has this amazing ability to pull off anything from elegant maxi skirts to casual crop tops, you name it, she looks good in it.
Ultimately becoming one of the most popular television shows of all time, Friends was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning the Outstanding Comedy Series Award in 2002.
The show is largely set in the group’s favorite coffee shop, Central Perk. We follow this inseparable group through ten seasons of dating, job changes, highs and lows, all while laughing and sometimes crying along with them. They find ways to bond over even the smallest details of life, always sharing humorous details about their work, the latest piece of news about their romantic relationships, or even spying on neighbors living in the building across the street.
I would recommend Friends for any occasion, whether you just need background noise while you do homework or are looking for some funny late night television, it doesn’t disappoint.
I guess you could say I live in the wrong century, I long for the days of “Rachel Green” haircuts, plaid mini-skirts, tiny coffee shops where I can order “my usual” without getting blank stares, and a group of friends to bring it all together.
