Ten seasons, six personalities, one coffee shop. From September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004, America was graced with arguably the greatest sitcom to ever hit television. Fans everywhere know and love these characters as some of the most notable personalities of our time. And Friends will always be there for you.
One of the main reasons Friends is a timeless television hit is because the main characters embody everything we wish we could be in our mid-20s. Sitting around a coffee shop, gossiping, and living across the hall from our best friends in unusually large apartments for people with not-so-steady jobs, is a dream for most.
The lives of Monica, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe are just kind of unrealistic, yet not at the same time. It is inevitable that we as 20-somethings will be struggling with the pitfalls of “work, life and love," as Netflix so spot on describes the plot of the show. But to some people, Friends is more than just a show. It's a way we have learned that it is okay to not have your life in order, sometimes (or ever), and identify with the different sides of each personality.
Anyone who watches the re-runs on cable, binge watches on Netflix, or religiously pops in a DVD from their Blu-ray collector's edition box set could confidently pick out one or more characters with who,m they identify the most.
Everyone has a little bit of weirdness in their personality and can know what it feels like to be the eccentric one of the group like Phoebe Buffay. Although most people have not had as interesting of a background as Phoebe -- who has lived on the streets -- her childish and innocent persona is not hard to fall in love with.
Just like Phoebe, Joey Tribbiani feels the need to be a kid most of the time. He has his many girlfriends and falls in love with every attractive woman he sees, but definitely keeps the group on their feet as they try to decipher what's going on his head. Most importantly, he loves to eat. He can be bribed easily with a meatball sub and confidently claims it's easier to just eat everything in the broken fridge instead of having it all go bad. Who wouldn't want to befriend him and share the Joey Special (two pizzas)?
Sarcasm and being the funniest guy in the room are Chandler Bing's claims to fame, and for anyone with a knack for being clever, he's the man. Adding a witty comment to every single conversation is a talent for Chandler, and we are taught to embrace humor through our experiences, like getting trapped in an ATM vestibule with a famous model and telling her that gum would be perfection. Could he be any funnier to watch?
Although no one likes to admit it, we all have a little bit of Monica Geller's OCD-clean freakiness inside of ourselves. It is hard to imagine the show without her need to clean up anything that drops, or have control of each situation she is presented with, but everyone has been in situations where their inner Mon comes out. But, as OCD as she is, there is no doubt that Monica is a total badass who can put anyone in their place who tries to steal her thunder. Power to ya, Mon -- and anyone else with these personality traits.
Last, but not least, it's not hard to deny that Ross and Rachel have the greatest romance television has ever seen. Starting out as a crush in ninth grade, and awkwardly not making a move for way too long, Ross' dream finally came true as he kissed Rachel outside of Central Perk at night time to what sounds like U2's "With or Without You" playing in the background. Any hopeless romantic, or normal human being, can be jealous of the fact that Ross Geller and Rachel Green are perfect for each other and that their love story is one for the books. Unless they were on a break.
Ten seasons, six characters, one coffee shop. A show that teaches about the many struggles of living in the city and getting by as a 20-something, Friends is more than just a television series that has finally made it to Netflix. It's something that can change the way we feel about everything going on in our lives by giving us six different personalities to identify our strengths and weaknesses within, while emphasizing the true meaning of friendship, and proving it can be fun to dance around in a fountain while fully clothed.
Friends is the greatest thing to happen to television. Life comes and goes, but Monica, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe will always be there for you.
