There are probably very few people who haven’t seen at least an episode of Friends or at the very least, haven’t heard of them. But if there are some, then they should know that Friends is a '90s comedy TV show that lasted for ten seasons and depicted the everyday lives of six good friends, following them from the beginning of their 20s to their 30s: seeing them grow as people, succeeding and failing in their careers, relationships, raising children.
To understand how popular it was, you only need to look at pop culture at the time: it influenced music, fashion, hairstyles—everyone was getting ‘The Rachel’ hairstyle. It even had an influence on the English language. For example, in the spoken English, the intensifier ‘very’ was the most common, but with the show, intensifiers like ‘so’ and ‘really’ started to be used more.
And even 17 years since Friends ended it is still very popular. If you like numbers, in 2018, it was watched for 54.3 million hours combined, which is 62k years! And that’s only on Netflix.
You could say that the plot wasn’t something new, so why did the show have such huge success? Part of what makes Friends special is that the situations are relatable. And it’s relatable for people in different life stages. The characters are so different that you are bound to connect with someone.
Because people relate with the characters, when they see them go through difficult times and turn out on the other side, it gives them hope in their own lives. The show reflects the real world but presents it in a more light-hearted way. It’s reality, but a bit better.
Also, genius is in simplicity. The show is about friendship, but a magical kind of friendship, so for some, the show was what they would have wanted. An ideal, a fantasy that is real enough to make you believe that it is possible in their world too.
There are more reasons why the show got so big and is still going strong to this day, proof of which is the Friends fever on Twitter. People went crazy when the special finally aired, because it was the first time when all the main cast members could come together at the same time.
However, various critics were saying that the reunion special was not all good. Many were saying that the host was asking banal and superficial questions. There were also opinions that there was too much filler and cameos with the most random people. But they couldn’t deny the great chemistry and friendship between the actors that was still there and that the nostalgia was real.
If you haven’t watched Friends: The Reunion, also known as The One Where They Get Back Together, there were a few surprises. The main one was that Rachel actually had a crush on Ross from the beginning of the show. She said, "I remember saying one time to David: 'It's going to be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is on national television.' And sure enough, the first time we kissed was in that coffee shop." And then added, "We channeled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel."
Have you seen the reunion and does the show Friends have a special place in your heart? Do you have any fond memories relating to it? Share your opinions about the show and your reactions to the reunion down in the comments. And don‘t forget to upvote the tweets that make you say ‘same.’
