The strength of Friends was in the acting and the chemistry between the characters. The writing was always hit-or-miss. Even at its zenith, there were lots of jokes that fell flat or plot points that seemed ridiculous (and that was before you added the cynicism that comes with hindsight). A classic example of this is the scene in the "Ross's Sandwich" episode where Joey finds Monica's nude selfie that was meant for Chandler. Rachel freaks out after she catches Joey looking at the picture, the gang all gathers to find out what's going on, and Joey is forced to make up a lie about sleeping with Monica in order to save face. Back when I saw it the first time, I don't think I ever laughed so hard at a television scene. To this day, I still get a kick out of watching Joey stammer for an explanation, Rachel almost break into tears when Monica confirms Joey's story, and Ross's disgust at the notion of Monica keeping Joey's underwear. But at the same time, I'm rolling my eyes at the idea that Monica and Chandler wouldn't just confess their relationship at that point. You're telling me that you have two choices--admit that you fell in love with one of your friends and are now in a caring, committed relationship, or else lie about having a one-night stand with a different friend and then borderline stalking him afterward--and you choose the second option? It was a totally contrived situation, but it still worked because the actors sold it so well.
The show was always at its best when it felt realistic and believable, and at its worst when they got into the contrived or the absurd. Ross failing at flirting with the pizza delivery girl ("You know the smell gas has? They put that in.") was hilarious to me because who couldn't picture themselves trying to talk to someone they like, failing, and desperately trying to come up with anything to save the conversation? On the other hand, Ross not getting the annulment because he can't take the idea of having three divorces...are you kidding me? I think that also might be why Phoebe is so many people's least favorite character. Everyone else has moments where they get to be funny while acting normal. Even Joey, who is as ostensibly as dumb as Phoebe, has plenty of moments where he's just a normal guy shooting the breeze with his friends. With Phoebe, every line has to be some zany, absurd statement ("How about you get her an engagement bracelet? Or an engagement Revolutionary War musket!")
Overall, though, Friends is still one of my favorite shows of all-time, and the really annoying things only become in-your-face-apparent when you watch them for the 10th time.
