Friends

[SuperBacon]

On Sunday, after learning of the death of Matthew Perry, I sort of instinctively started a rewatch of Friends, and have just made it to the end of Series 2.

Nothing new to report. Still really funny, still mad how quickly the cast gelled, still really heartwarming and comforting. I actually don't think it's aged that badly, no worse than anything else that old, or of that time. 

Anyway, I've started keeping a list on my phones notes of 'really shit characters' and this is who I have so far.

Paulo
The lad who went to Minsk with David
The woman who stole Monica's credit card
The bloke that owns/runs Central Perk
Fun Bobby
Russ
Rachel's mum
Rachel's dad
The spirit who goes into Phoebe
Jean Claude Van-Damme
Richard
The two blokes who start on Ross & Chandler (especially the hat stealer)
Ursula

They're all properly shit. Julie was borderline. She's crap but ultimately harmless, and got a bit screwed over.

I also want to say that I absolutely love Janice. One of the all time great minor sitcom characters, and a genuine pop whenever she appears.

And of course Eddie. See ya pals.

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by SuperBacon
Bolded

[Browser Brady]

I think the people that watched Friends and tried to emulate their way of speaking actually annoyed me more than the show itself…..

 

[TheBurningRed]

I’d add Phoebe to the shit characters list. Love the show and the main characters, except for her. Instant fast forward if she’s not with the others. Doubly worse when she’s with Michael Rapaport. 

I did a rewatch a couple years back. I know a lot of people rate Chandler and Joey highly for the funniest characters, but Rachel is very underrated. I think she’s the best in the first few seasons. 

Edited November 2, 2023 by TheBurningRed

[FLips]

1 hour ago, Browser Brady said:

I think the people that watched Friends and tried to emulate their way of speaking actually annoyed me more than the show itself…..

 

Could you be any more annoyed?

[Hannibal Scorch]

4 hours ago, Browser Brady said:

I think the people that watched Friends and tried to emulate their way of speaking actually annoyed me more than the show itself…..

 

See also, Big Bang Theory.

Edited November 2, 2023 by Hannibal Scorch

[Surf Digby]

4 hours ago, TheBurningRed said:

I’d add Phoebe to the shit characters list. Love the show and the main characters, except for her. Instant fast forward if she’s not with the others. Doubly worse when she’s with Michael Rapaport. 

I did a rewatch a couple years back. I know a lot of people rate Chandler and Joey highly for the funniest characters, but I Rachel is very underrated. I think she’s the best in the first few seasons. 

Glad to see I'm not the only one that didn't like Phoebe. She was just too silly for me.

[SuperBacon]

8 hours ago, TheBurningRed said:

Doubly worse when she’s with Michael Rapaport. 

My "shit list" is in no particular order, but if it was, that prick would be right at the top of it. 

[Chest Rockwell]

8 hours ago, TheBurningRed said:

Rachel is very underrated. 

Both her and Ross are really good when they're not interacting with each other. All their best and funniest moments come when they're not bogged down in their tedious back and forth with each other. 

Also I'm not having Rachel's parents on the shit list. 

[SuperBacon]

7 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Also I'm not having Rachel's parents on the shit list.

Make your own then!

They're crap.

[TheBurningRed]

They’re no Jack and Judy or even a Stephen and Andrea (one of the top cameos in the show overrall) but they’re fine. Rachel’s dad was very memorable. His interactions with Ross were great. 

[SuperBacon]

1 hour ago, TheBurningRed said:

His interactions with Ross were great. 

"He's Bobby Bobby?" 

The list is fluid and this is based off the first two series where his appearance comes at Rachel's party. He may find himself off it.

I'll give him this, he plays terrifying well. He's genuinely a bit scary.

[gmoney]

That's Ron Leibman, AKA Mr Jessica Walter. He's fantastic. 

[Keith Houchen]

6 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

Rachel's party

One of the absolute worst bits of the whole thing was that Slo mo bit of Rachel looking lost as she tried to manage both parties. Fucking hell that was awful. 
 

I liked the idea that the whole show is in Phoebes imagination. She’s still homeless, saw the gang as she looked through the coffee shop window and imagined her life if she was part of the gang. That’s why she has no connection like the others do and is so different from them. 

[SuperBacon]

17 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

 

I liked the idea that the whole show is in Phoebes imagination.

So she imagined herself with Rapaport? What a shit imagination.

[deathrey]

20 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

That’s why she has no connection like the others do and is so different from them. 

That's the thing about Phoebe, I actually don't mind her as a character (Ursula is crap though) but whilst I like the dynamic of having her in the group - I just don't see how she would be friends with the rest of the gang. She has next to nothing in common with any of them. They never truly explain how she ends up in the group with any kind of satisfactory answer. Yes, she lived with Monica but that doesn't explain why they continued to be friends when they have nothing in common and polar opposite personalities. Everyone else in the gang, you understand how they could become friends.

Rachel's dad is great character, so wrong on that one Bacon.

Edited November 2, 2023 by deathrey