As a 30-something-year old living far from home, I receive constant and countless reminders from my mother to get married and “settle down”, her rationale being that I am getting old! Till date, I had never shared this sentiment of hers, of me getting old, however after last night I might be forced to agree with her. You might wonder what changed last night? I am talking about watching my favorite characters reunite after 15 years on the Friends’ Reunion that premiered on HBO Max in the US and Zee5 in India.
I am not going to insult your awareness and explain the premise of Friends as I don’t think this series needs an introduction. For this review, I will start my analysis by giving you my thoughts about reunions, its relevance, and concluding thoughts.
Reunions –
We have seen countless unsuccessful reunions of successfully concluded IPs – be it with a sequel film or a spin-off show. More often than not, the primary goal behind this kind of Reunion is to milk famous IPs to generate high TRP content that brings in more moolah. Although this special edition of the Friend’s Reunion turned out to be yet another high-generating TRP content, the intent was not to create additional revenues, and I think that’s what made it so special.
Initially, the idea was conceived to launch the HBO Max OTT channel, which was pushed thanks to the pandemic. The actors or the studios weren’t looking to make money off this show as everyone was satisfied with how the show had ended. For the actors, coming together and reminiscing about their shooting days seemed to bring a different sense of nostalgia. The actors weren’t acting anymore, but instead were discussing the show as fans themselves. Be it discussing how Matt LeBlanc dislocated his shoulder during an episode or the creators discussing the show’s casting – everything forces you to helplessly surrender to the strong wave of nostalgia.
Its relevance –
Of late, I have heard a lot of criticism about this series. Be it about the lack of representation or the propagation of body shaming and homophobia. I have also heard people comment on how the addition of a laughing soundtrack was a feeble attempt to make up for the not-so-funny jokes. While I don’t agree or disagree with the above points, I disagree with the unfair expectations. Whenever there is a comparison, I believe that we need to consider the overall social environment in which the show was produced.
Even though it wasn’t discussed on the Reunion, the series portrayed how each actress was given unconventional ways of pregnancy and I think that was revolutionary. The series depicted that surrogacy, single motherhood, and infertility are nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, it should be celebrated just like normal child birth. Additionally, the show was the first sitcom (1996) to show same-sex marriage in television history. Little do people know that the series featured real-life gay rights activist Candace Gingrich officiating the same-sex wedding. Although Martha Kauffman did accept that if there is one aspect she’d change, it would be the show’s transphobic jokes and portrayal of Helena – played by Kathleen Turner, I still feel that to associate the main character to a transgender parent needs some acknowledgment. Even if unintentional, this segment did create a conversation around transgenders that was much needed. While the gender-pay disparity is discussed widely today, Friends’ addressed this issue as one unit nearly 14 years back. Since the actors’ paychecks weren’t equal, post Season two, the entire cast came together and negotiated for equal pay as they believed everyone contributed equally. If rumors are to be believed, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer reduced their paycheck to ensure everyone got paid equally. Addressing pay gap disparity was unheard of in the late 1990s. Lastly, the series helped the entire generation to look at adulthood from an inclusion perspective. The pilot starts off with a broken marriage (Ross), abandoned marriage (Rachel), no parents in the picture (all the other actors), and the iconic line that Monica tells Rachel, “Welcome to the real world,… it sucks. You’re going to love it.”
This series helped affirm the idea that it was acceptable to have unconventional careers. The show also taught us to accept heartbreak as a part of life and introduced us to the concept of looking for a family outside our family. It also encouraged us to accept our eccentric friends as they were. There is a segment in this special edition episode where we see people from various parts of the world expressing how Friends influenced their lives. Be it a single mother from Ghana or a gay person from Mexico – everyone teared up expressing what this series meant to them.
Apart from the cultural relevance, this series propagated the idea of viewing coffee shops as the popular hangout spot, leading to the consumption of coffee skyrocketing after the airing of the show. If this isn’t enough, there is research on how this series helped the world look at America post 9/11. This series personified the collaborative and welcome spirit that New York is synonymous with. When the viewers came back to watch Friends after being glued to the news, they saw the city they loved and helped them feel optimistic about it.
My concluding thoughts-
I am not saying that Friends is a perfect show. It definitely has its flaws. However, personally I, like many others, owe a lot to it. For starters, when I would find myself in a room full of strangers, talking about this series was a brilliant ice breaker, helping me boost my confidence. Watching the show helped me develop a better hold on the English language, thus helping me carry myself better. It definitely played an important role in the journey of building my career as a performing artist. I am grateful to have it act as a stress buster at a tough phase in my life, where I was the primary caregiver for my ailing father. On a lighter note, it gave me a song that I dedicated to my first crush (I’ll be there for you)! Besides all of the above, the series made me fall in love with New York, and introduced me to the idea of building my life in the city, which I have today.
For all those important personal milestones, I was so glad to see the Friends Reunion. Thank you, David Crane, Marta Kaufman, Kevin Bright, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Ben Winston, and HBO Max for the nostalgia.
Reviewed by Puneet Ruparel
