Friends - General Discussion

[WendyCR72]

Just now, RealHousewife said:

Thank you. 🙂

Glad to help!  😎

[Kiki777]

Also, it’s all over basic cable, I feel like between TBS and Nik at Nite it’s almost always on.  Funny, I didn’t care much for it while it was on the air, but I now find it comforting.  Dated, but comforting.

[Irlandesa]

And if you already subscribe to HBO, look into whether or not you get an automatic upgrade or look into subscribing to HBO in a way that gives you access to Max as the cost for the HBO Channel and HBO Max (which includes Max stuff) is about the same.

[mojoween]

I have Verizon Fios and HBO Max is free with my Verizon log-in.

In the aftermath when Ross said Rachel at the wedding, when Phoebe calls and Rachel says “let’s look at this objectively. Ninth grade, the obsession starts...”  That line, Jennifer’s flounce on the bed and her delivery really bug me for some reason. 

Edited May 30, 2020 by mojoween

[Ms Blue Jay]

11 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Coworkers and friends are telling me this show would be a good lighthearted program to watch during this crazy time. I'm thinking of giving it another chance. 

What's the best place to watch it? I know it's no longer on Netflix. 

I would say to look for it on your local cable listings as well.   Maybe something like MTV airs it.  I'm so glad you're going to try it again 🙂

[VagueDisclaimer]

Chandler’s right, a wedding IS just a party.  

[Katy M]

On 4/6/2020 at 12:13 AM, deaja said:

I really, really hate the Tag storyline. It is one of the reasons that Rachel is probably my least favorite of the Friends. 
 

She’s not only unprofessional but she’s creepy. If Ross had been hiring an assistant, and passed over a qualified man for an unqualified woman, taken pictures of her during the interview, etc it wouldn’t be seen as funny. Then it just continued once she hired him.

And then that stupid performance review she gave him, and she didn't even let him know it was a joke.  How stupid was that?  And she was still at the same job where she kissed the interviewer. You would have thought she would have been super careful at that job. Not completely reckless.

[Katy M]

On 5/17/2020 at 6:42 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I love Chandler, but he did go after Kathy when Joey and Kathy were together.  He didn't know how to deal with feelings and honesty.  He could have just approached Joey and admitted things but he couldn't.  I don't think he was perfect.

I could never really figure out how Joey could get upset about that, though. He was dating Casey at the same time, and I'm not entirely sue Kathy knew about that.  Kind of makes him a hypyocrite in my opinion.  And Chandler did come and talk to him before anything more than a kiss happened.

 

On 5/19/2020 at 1:16 PM, blondiec0332 said:

I also hated Emily. She was not a likable character.  Which I'm sure was the point.  

 

I hated that Emily was made the villain for Ross saying the wrong name at the wedding.  Did she go a little nuts by saying Ross had to get rid of everything Rachel ever touched?  yes.  However, I have no issue with her demand that Ross not see Rachel again if they're going to work on their marriage.  

[geauxaway]

On 5/30/2020 at 7:17 AM, Kiki777 said:

Also, it’s all over basic cable, I feel like between TBS and Nik at Nite it’s almost always on.  Funny, I didn’t care much for it while it was on the air, but I now find it comforting.  Dated, but comforting.

Yup.  It’s on every afternoon on TBS from like 2-6 or something.  I honestly feel like I’ve watched all 10 seasons twice since the beginning of quarantine because they zoom through them at this pace.  It’s a nice way to spend my WFH afternoons.

I can’t justify purchasing HBO MAX at this point.  I am still a cable subscriber, and then we have Netflix, Prime, Disney + and BritBox.  Even if it stopped running in syndication I would be more inclined to purchase the digital seasons on iTunes than get HBO MAX. 

[Kiki777]

On 6/7/2020 at 6:28 PM, geauxaway said:

Yup.  It’s on every afternoon on TBS from like 2-6 or something.  I honestly feel like I’ve watched all 10 seasons twice since the beginning of quarantine because they zoom through them at this pace.  It’s a nice way to spend my WFH afternoons.

Ha- I put that on too when I’m WFH, it’s nice, light background noise and the 30-minute chunks break up the day nicely.

So I have it on Nick at Nite now, and it’s TOW the Unagi.  Rachel and Phoebe go out for sushi, but isn’t Phoebe a vegetarian?

[mojoween]

Maybe she’s a vegetarian who eats fish.  I’ve never gotten that, but I know it’s a thing.

[Bort]

Phoebe has always said “nothing with a face.” That said, they do have vegetarian rolls at sushi places. 

How Ross didn’t get the cops called on him by that defense class instructor for soliciting him to help attack his ex-wife, I’ll never know. 

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, kariyaki said:

How Ross didn’t get the cops called on him by that defense class instructor for soliciting him to help attack his ex-wife, I’ll never know. 

Ross is my least favorite and this is one of his worst epis, IMO.  

[readster]

15 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Ross is my least favorite and this is one of his worst epis, IMO.  

Why I got tired of Ross's ex wife and her spouse. After Ben was born they were always bringing out the worst in Ross or half the time they looked like a gay couple starved for sex. Many times Ross would come over to talk about or get Ben. They were ready to hop into the bedroom for hot sex. It was eye rolling. 

[Bort]

18 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Ross is my least favorite and this is one of his worst epis, IMO.  

It is, because it’s the most prime example of Ross being wrong and refusing to admit it, even when confronted with the reality of it, he refuses. From the name of his supposed state of mind really being a sushi roll, to Rachel and Phoebe besting him with their self-defense, he takes it all the way through to the end of the episode. 

[Madding crowd]

Phoebe bugged me when she had cravings for meat and insisted on eating meat while she was pregnant. I’ve been a vegetarian since age 8 and did not crave or eat meat while I was pregnant. She also was against fur until she thought she looked good in a fur coat. 

[Bort]

What about the leather pants Phoebe had been wanting that they gave her at her baby shower?

[Snow Apple]

1 hour ago, readster said:

Why I got tired of Ross's ex wife and her spouse. After Ben was born they were always bringing out the worst in Ross or half the time they looked like a gay couple starved for sex. Many times Ross would come over to talk about or get Ben. They were ready to hop into the bedroom for hot sex. It was eye rolling. 

I don’t remember the sex part. I just remember I hated Susan because she acted like Ross was the interloper and wanted him to disappear as Ben’s father. And Carol acted like Susan was right to treat Ross like that.

Ross wasn’t a sperm donor. Ben was conceived during their marriage.

[ChicksDigScars]

I have DirecTV and am supposed to get HBO Max free, but my televisions are Fire TV's, or have Fire Sticks for streaming, Evidently, HBO Max is not available on Fire or Roku TV's? I can only stream HBO Max on my lap top, ipad or phone (First World Problems).

And count me in on the WFH crowd that puts on TBS every day from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM. OHHHH. Brad Pitt Thanksgiving is on! One of my faves. 

The Rachel's baby daddy reveal was on this morning, and was anyone else upset that they made the daddy be Ross? I actually threw something at the TV when the original Prime Time reveal happened, I was SO OVER Ross and Rachel after season three and the back and forth, then making him Emma's father and the last episode reuniting, just smacked of lazy writing to me. /Ross and Rachel Hater

 

 

 

[readster]

3 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

I don’t remember the sex part. I just remember I hated Susan because she acted like Ross was the interloper and wanted him to disappear as Ben’s father. And Carol acted like Susan was right to treat Ross like that.

Ross wasn’t a sperm donor. Ben was conceived during their marriage.

Right, those are all the reasons why. The writers deciding to dump Ben the last two years because of an argument with the Triplets' parents was a different story, but honestly, Susan and Carol were characters I think many people were happy when they weren't shown anymore. No offense to the actors, but their characters became ones you wanted to see hit by a bus in later seasons.

[Katy M]

4 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Phoebe bugged me when she had cravings for meat and insisted on eating meat while she was pregnant. I’ve been a vegetarian since age 8 and did not crave or eat meat while I was pregnant. She also was against fur until she thought she looked good in a fur coat. 

I'll give you the fur thing.  But, on the meat thing, just because you didn't crave it while you were pregnant doesn't mean no vegetarians would.  Especially since you had been one since you were 8 and Phoebe probably didn't become one until an adult.  Plus, Joey promised to abstain from meat while she was pregnant so that no extra animals would die.  He didn't, but she didn't know that, so I really don't have much of a problem with it.

1 hour ago, ChicksDigScars said:

he Rachel's baby daddy reveal was on this morning, and was anyone else upset that they made the daddy be Ross? I actually threw something at the TV when the original Prime Time reveal happened, I was SO OVER Ross and Rachel after season three and the back and forth, then making him Emma's father and the last episode reuniting, just smacked of lazy writing to me. /Ross and Rachel Hater

I'm also a Ross and Rachel hater, but I wouldn't call it lazy writing.  R&R were always the writers' end game, so they had to keep it alive, while keeping it dead, until the end. It makes sense they did this.  

Although do we really know that Ross is the father?  We know they had sex, but we don't know that Rachel didn't have sex with anyone else.

[Madding crowd]

Someone who is a vegetarian for humanitarian reasons would never eat meat regardless of cravings. I know many women who were vegetarian and pregnant and none of them ate meat while pregnant. 

[Bort]

34 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Although do we really know that Ross is the father?  We know they had sex, but we don't know that Rachel didn't have sex with anyone else.

Rachel had broken up with Tag long enough ago that it wasn’t a question, hadn’t been dating anyone else that we saw and she didn’t seem to be wondering so... yeah, pretty sure the father was who she said: Ross. 

Although I was also disappointed that it was Ross. Ho hum. 

[Mr. Meatball Man]

On 6/5/2020 at 11:09 AM, Katy M said:

I could never really figure out how Joey could get upset about that, though. He was dating Casey at the same time, and I'm not entirely sue Kathy knew about that.  Kind of makes him a hypyocrite in my opinion.  And Chandler did come and talk to him before anything more than a kiss happened.

I think it comes down to Joey (and by extension, the show itself) holding Chandler to a certain standard. He's always admired him, always had him as a source of support when his acting career was having problems. And Chandler is usually the one that keeps Joey in check and looks after him. Joey would never think that someone like Chandler would make a move on his girlfriend and not tell him about it until the damage was already done. 

At some point, it's expected that Joey will do something stupid or screw things up (like getting locked in the entertainment unit and letting the apartment get robbed). But when Chandler does it (making fun of the bracelet Joey bought him, sleeping with Joey's sister and he can't even remember what she looks like, failing to write down the Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. audition, sleeping during the world premiere of Joey's movie), it hits harder because more is expected of him.

[Snow Apple]

3 hours ago, readster said:

Right, those are all the reasons why. The writers deciding to dump Ben the last two years because of an argument with the Triplets' parents was a different story, but honestly, Susan and Carol were characters I think many people were happy when they weren't shown anymore. No offense to the actors, but their characters became ones you wanted to see hit by a bus in later seasons.

What triplets? I thought Ben was played by Cole Sprouce at that point? Cole has a twin but I never heard anything about triplets. Who are the triplets and what's the story?

Edited June 10, 2020 by Snow Apple

[Bort]

Triplets? No. There was a set of twins that played Ben before Cole Sprouce came along but no triplets.

[Katy M]

3 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Someone who is a vegetarian for humanitarian reasons would never eat meat regardless of cravings. I know many women who were vegetarian and pregnant and none of them ate meat while pregnant. 

Reddit page with some vegetarians admitting they ate meat while pregnant:

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetarian/comments/20stxw/pregnant_vegetarian_and_intensely_craving_meat/

 

[Madding crowd]

I didn’t say no one in the world has done it; many people who say they are completely vegetarian really aren’t. Phoebe didn’t seem to be one of those people.

[Irlandesa]

7 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Someone who is a vegetarian for humanitarian reasons would never eat meat regardless of cravings. I know many women who were vegetarian and pregnant and none of them ate meat while pregnant. 

I've known meat eaters who went vegetarian for health reasons and I've known vegetarians for ethical reasons who went started eating meat for health reasons like cancer or even pregnancy. 

I think she was flaky enough to think the exchange with Joey was good enough. 

7 hours ago, Katy M said:

Although do we really know that Ross is the father?  We know they had sex, but we don't know that Rachel didn't have sex with anyone else.

In theory, she could have have slept with someone else and decided she'd pass the baby off as Ross's but I don't think she'd really have much incentive to do that.

[supposebly]

I'm skipping through TOW Joey speaks French because I always loved Rachel's father. The outside shot before we are at the hospital with Ross and Rachel looks like Robarts Library at the University of Toronto. 

Am I imagining?

Unless there is a building in New York that looks like a robot peacock too?

Edited June 11, 2020 by supposebly

[Ms Blue Jay]

49 minutes ago, supposebly said:

I'm skipping through TOW Joey speaks French because I always loved Rachel's father. The outside shot before we are at the hospital with Ross and Rachel looks like Robarts Library at the University of Toronto. 

Am I imagining?

Unless there is a building in New York that looks like a robot peacock too?

No, that was definitely it.

People have posted the pic online:

It's funny, it reminds me of "Rules of Engagement" that uses a shot of One King West in Toronto as the place that Russell works, and I also saw an episode of "The Mindy Project" that used Toronto streetcars along Bay street to represent San Francisco.  A lot of "The Handmaids Tale" is also Toronto.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[ChicksDigScars]

Watching Emma's birth episodes on TBS, and every stinking time that they're on, I yell "SHUT UP, PHOEBE" at my TV MULTIPLE TIMES for trying to force Ross to get together with Rachel.  I don't have a problem with Judy showing up with the ring, because that's totally a mom thing to do (and hearing Christina Pickles say "humped" is hilarious), but SHUT THE FUCK UP, PHOEBE. 

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Watching Emma's birth episodes on TBS, and every stinking time that they're on, I yell "SHUT UP, PHOEBE" at my TV MULTIPLE TIMES for trying to force Ross to get together with Rachel.  I don't have a problem with Judy showing up with the ring, because that's totally a mom thing to do (and hearing Christina Pickles say "humped" is hilarious), but SHUT THE FUCK UP, PHOEBE. 

I love Jack in that episode. Who doesn't want position tips from their father/father-in-law?

[christie]

45 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I love Jack in that episode. Who doesn't want position tips from their father/father-in-law?

I just love Jack fullstop.

[ChicksDigScars]

Elliot Gould does NOT have a bad episode. Jack Gellar is ALWAYS a treat. For that matter, so is Judy. 

Of all the Friends parents, the only one I hate is Rachel's father. The YELLING. Turn it down a notch.

Brenda Vaccaro calling Joey, "Cookie?" So cute. I wish we had seen her more. And is there a more perfect mother for Phoebe than Terri Garr? GENIUS with that casting. 

And Morgan Fairchild and Kathleen Turner?  My goodness, YES.

"Aren't you a little OLD for that dress?"

"Don't you have a little too much PENIS for that dress/"

 

 

 

 

 

[Snow Apple]

You summed up my feelings about the parents. I can take or leave Phoebe’s parents when we finally met them, but I refuse to watch any episodes with Rachel’s dad.

Like her mom said “You didn’t marry your Barry, but I married mine.”

[supposebly]

Oh, I agree, objectively, Dr Green was an awful person. But I still found him funny. Especially when he and Ross bonded over Rachel's chiropractor. Or when he was moved back and forth at the two parties.

I always wondered what happened to Joey's parents. Did his dad keep having the affair with the dog groomer? Did his mom eventually kick him out? We never knew. I always giggle at his mom casually closing that couch. 

I think, Friends did an overall great job with the parents, the casting and showing how they had affected them. Kathleen Turner was especially inspired. But I always adored her in everything.

[LexieLily]

4 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Elliot Gould does NOT have a bad episode. Jack Gellar is ALWAYS a treat. For that matter, so is Judy. 

"Last winter I went up on a church lawn and drove right through a manger scene. The papers thought it was a hate crime."

[Bort]

Just now, LexieLily said:

"Last winter I went up on a church lawn and drove right through a manger scene. The papers thought it was a hate crime."

The chipper way he tells this story is what kills me. 

[LexieLily]

Just now, kariyaki said:

The chipper way he tells this story is what kills me. 

Right? He was so proud of himself. 🤣

[Katy M]

5 hours ago, kariyaki said:

The chipper way he tells this story is what kills me. 

I mean this in the most positive way possible, because I love Jack.  Half the things he says makes you question is grip on reality.  I especially love that he's been impersonating a lawyer to his in-laws for like 40 years, or whatever.

[Ms Blue Jay]

10 hours ago, supposebly said:

I always wondered what happened to Joey's parents. Did his dad keep having the affair with the dog groomer? Did his mom eventually kick him out? We never knew. I always giggle at his mom casually closing that couch. 

The actor who played Joey's mother was one of the best they ever had on the show (for my money).  What a damn shame they never had her back.  And Matt LeBlanc had such great rapport with her.

[Hiyo]

Quote

I've known meat eaters who went vegetarian for health reasons and I've known vegetarians for ethical reasons who went started eating meat for health reasons like cancer or even pregnancy. 

Yeah, I can totally see Phoebe being ok with eating meat while pregnant.

[Kiki777]

So this week I saw one rerun for the first time - Phoebe is married to Paul Rudd and they have their names legally changed - PR is ‘Crap Bag’ and Phoebe is ‘Banana Hammock’.  

At the end, PR tells her that a banana hammock is a Speedo.  My mind is blown!  My whole life I thought a banana hammock is that plastic thing you can buy in the produce section, to hang your bananas on so they ripen evenly.  And now I wonder how many time I used ‘banana hammock’ in conversation only to make people think that I buy and love Speedos.

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, Kiki777 said:

At the end, PR tells her that a banana hammock is a Speedo.  My mind is blown!  My whole life I thought a banana hammock is that plastic thing you can buy in the produce section, to hang your bananas on so they ripen evenly.  And now I wonder how many time I used ‘banana hammock’ in conversation only to make people think that I buy and love Speedos.

Well, I guess you can just be thankful it wasn't a condom or something really weird.

[Crs97]

Phoebe is also the girl who told her friends they couldn’t go to a corporate spa, and then she took a job at one.  She would totally eat meat while pregnant.

[readster]

11 hours ago, Crs97 said:

Phoebe is also the girl who told her friends they couldn’t go to a corporate spa, and then she took a job at one.  She would totally eat meat while pregnant.

How about hating Pottery Barn because she wanted "furniture with history" and not brand new from chain stores. I remember when watching it, my stepfather said: "Yeah, and when it has bed bugs and breaking apart, you are going to want new furniture your twit!"

[Bort]

I did kind of love Ross’s dialogue in the scene with Rachel. 

Ross: It’s because she’s a twin. Twins are weird. 

Rachel: Ross, she’s not weird, she just wants her stuff to be one of a kind. 

Ross: You know what’s not one of a kind? A twin!

[Guest]

I also liked Ross surveying Rachel's purchases: "You got the ornamental birdcage: large!"

[Snow Apple]

I love when Ross act all geeky. Another scene was how he was so happy when Phoebe gave him back his comic book years after she mugged him.

Actually, I loved that entire storyline. Phoebe's reunion with the mugger, the Geology Rocks sticker, buying dozens of linzer tarts for a young Monica, "I mugged Ross!"

Edited June 14, 2020 by Snow Apple