The One with the Friends Reunion on HBO Max

Ah yes my friends the day has finally come. The Friends reunion, meant initially to celebrate the launch of a new streaming service, that was delays by COVID is finally here. Since I am a huge fan of the show, as if you couldn’t tell by my episode guide awhile back, I had to watch. It finally reunited all six cast members together! 

So I decided since I reviewed every episode and discussed other aspects of the series, it was only fitting to go over this special and discuss what worked, what didn’t work...and what I wish they had included. I know, it was almost two hours as it was!

The special was amazing….but not perfect. While it was a standard reunion that we’ve seen other shows a million times do it was also kind of a documentary too. So we kept going back and forth between the on set reunion of the cast and the literal reunion with the cast in front of an audience with behind the scenes segments mixed in. 

Sitcom Face-Off:Cheers vs Friends (re-match)

It’s been a little over eight years since I did one of my favorite articles, a face-off pitting Cheers against Friends. The problem with that article is that I really didn’t know everything about Cheers. I’d seen episodes of course, and like them, but there were tons of episodes I had never seen and story arc’s I had completely miss. Now don’t get me wrong, I still remember what a struggle it was to decide which show was better. But I have to admit my analysis was not as accurate as it should have been. Now that I have watched EVERY episode and am not completely caught up, would my opinion on those categories change? That’s why we’re here my friends as I present a special Sitcom Face-Off rematch :

vs

Cheers premiered in 1982 and was on until 1993. It was a show about a bunch of people who hung around a bar, where they can get away from the stress of the real world and be among friends. A year after Cheers went off the air, Friends premiered in 1994. it lasted until 2004 was about six friends who hung around a coffee shop, stuck at the point in life where you aren’t sure where you’re going in terms of jobs and relationships. These are both good shows which were massive hits, but which is superior?

Category 1:
Sam vs Monica

I always pair up the two main leads but man is that hard here. Talk about two different people! Sam is a womanzier, an alcoholic and a former Red Sox relief pitcher. Monica is a chef, an anal retentivce clean freak who has to have everythibg her way, and a mother hen. If you’ve read my episode guide you know I have issues with Monica and the way the character fit whatever the show wanted her to. One episode she a mother hen. The next she was being all cutsey and silly. The next she was crazt competitive. The character never felt complete to me,right down to Courtney Cox’s constanly altering appearance. Sam was pretty much the same chgaracter. Oh sure he was older and wiser as the series went on, but he still had an eye for the ladies. The thing that set Sam apart from other sitcom womanizers, like Dan Fielding or even Joey, was class. You always felt like he treated these women with respect. Sure maybe it was a show, but it’s still more classy then saying “How you doin?” to every woman. Sam was the center of the show and it showed. He was also allowed to be awae of his flaws unlike Monica who always exoected everyobe else around her to change for her.

WINNER-CHEERS

12 Favorite Product Placements in “Friends”

So I talked last time about how movies use product placements. Some worst than others. But with TV shows, this is not as common. Usually if you see a familiar product creators will block out a part of the product name so that they don’t have to pay royalties to anyone. One show that did not do this was…








Yeah Friends was awful with their product placements. Somethings are easy to ignore, like the characters drinking Poland Springs water. Others are more, obvious. I’d be here all day if I did a run down of all of them, so instead here are some of the more obnoxious one’s.






Operation (The One with the Candy Hearts)

An early but still worth a mention I think. They never even play the game.

Friends 25th Anniversary-My Favorite Jokes/Moments

Top 10 Friends Thanksgiving Episodes

Normally for Thanksgiving I like to go over sitcom Thanksgiving episodes. Except for the two years I did nothing that is. In the past I've either reviewed one episode for a series, or an overview of an entire series worth of episodes. But so far I haven't talked about one sitcom that was almost synonymous with Thanksgiving. Which show?

Yep, Friends did a memorable and clever Thanksgiving episode ever year. Well, nearly every year. And I decided it was finally time to decide which was the best, and the worst. From the looks of it I am not the first to do this. By any means. Oh well, every list is different so there's that. Here's my list anyway. Here are my top 10 Friends Thanksgiving episodes, from worst to best.

#10."The One With the List" (Season 2)

When I said they did great Thanksgiving episodes every year, meet the exception. Season two gave us no real Thanksgiving episode unless you count the B story here which I really don't. But I needed 10 episodes, so....

Top 5 Favorite Friends Episodes

Seven years ago my friends. That is how long since I started this silly blog about nothing. Now, seven years and closing in on 900 articles, I just felt like I needed to stop and acknowledge that. True this blog hasn’t made me rich or famous, but it has been a place to go when I needed one and I love Manic Expression for that. Anyway enough back patting,

I just did my favorite Seinfeld episodes and since my very first article was the Top 5 worst Friends episodes, it’s only fair to do the opposite at long last. Yeah I used to prefer doing “worst” lists than “best” lists because very often a BEST list will have the same episodes on them over and over. But now I am older, and I say so what?





Friends was up there in my list of favorite shows and I still watch it all the time. The characters clicked, and I love how they grew and learned. The show could also be damn funny I still laugh out loud at certain jokes on the series. Ok it wasn’t the most intelligent or challenging TV show out there. And no it wasn’t perfect, and you can peruse my episode guide for more on that, but when it was good it was pretty damn good. And since I did an extensive episode guide, this will just be a short and sweet list.



Here are my favorite episodes, and as with Seinfeld this is “favorite” not necessarily “best”. Also again, in broadcast order.




“The One with the Thumb”
\
 Tough call between this and “The One with the Blackout” but I choose this because all the Friends are together in this one. Unlike the blackout episode where Chandler has no scenes with the others. Which is fine they’re good scenes. This is a favorite because it was the first episode that i really started to pay attention the show, and find it good.

Ten Memorable Sitcom Marriage Proposals

There are lots of life events that almost every TV shows will give us, from child birth to  weddings to marriage proposals. After all these are supposed to be “real” people so its only right we see them go through these experiences. And when done right, they make us as happy as the characters are. And we even cry at them! The wedding proposal is a huge one, since it can go either way. But when it is a yes, especially when it is done with a couple we have been watching for seasons, it’s a true moment of joy for the audience.

One thing, these are proposals that took. Also this NOT a TOP list because there are only so many clips online I could find and a few I’d have had on here in a second are not available. That being said, here are ten memorable  sitcom proposal’s.




 #10.Frasier
I'm unable to find a clip of Niles proposing to Daphne, so instead here is Martin proposing. Though it sounds less like a marriage proposal and more like a business proposal. 

Top 12 Favorite “Friends” Celebrity Guests

The other day I talked about how many celebrities appeared on Will & Grace, I kind of glanced over the fact Friends had their fare share. Truth is, they had a little more than that! While Friends never hit the crazy levels of Will & Grace’s celebrity appearances there were more than enough so I could do a list for that show also.

I wanted to limit this to ten to be fair to the other list, but since I am a bigger fan of this show (we could father from my episode guide about it) and besides Friends has two extra years I had to expand it a bit. Also, like last time one time appearance only. Which means that Aisha Tyler, Elle MacPherson, Elliot Gould, Paul Rudd, Morgan Fairchild, Bruce Willis, Paget Brewster and of course Tom Selleck dont count. Also unlike last time there are plenty of clips for these.

So here are my ten, well 12..sort of…favorite celebrity appearances on “Friends!”


#12.Soleil Moon Fry (The One with the Girl who Hits Joey, Season 5)

The funny thing is the reason I like this has nothing to do with the clearly trying to hard Moon Fry, but the scene with Rachel where Rachel kicks her in the shin. Season 5 was lean on the celebrity appearances, making this one of the few of the whole year. We did also get Michael Rapaport as Phoebe’s boyfriend for a few episodes.

Top 10 Favorite Christmas Moments from "Friends"

 

I’ve talked a lot about sitcoms and Christmas episodes. But “Friends” was a strange apple when it came to Christmas episodes. Usually Christmas was just a part of the episode, and the other part had little to do with the holiday. In some cases it was had so little to do with it that you could almost miss it! It would be sooo easy for this series to appear on a list of great Christmas episodes and a list of episodes set at Christmas that are barely about he holiday. But whether it was a small part of the episode or the whole episode, when they did do Christmas it was usually very memorable.

Here are my top ten favorite Christmas moments from Friends.



#10.Phoebe’s Song from “The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie”
This is a terrible episode. Not only is it barely a Christmas episode, but the episode itself is just forgettable. The one highlight is the song Phoebe sing.

A Look at "Friends" Syndication Edits

I hate syndication cuts. It wasn’t so bad when I was a kid and either didn’t know or would forget what they cut from the episode (most of the time). But in this day of TV shows on DVD it’s real easy to look back at the uncut version of an episode. Sometimes the edit is small, so small it’s barely noticeable. But usually it’s a joke or line of dialogue (or even whole scene) which I really miss when I watch the re-run. Sometimes they will cut part of a joke, making the pay off later make absolutely no sense! And I always loved when a cut scene would be replayed over the closing credits, and you’re wondering where in the heck that moment was!



I get it, add revenue and all that. But it annoys me when a program I liked has been slashed apart. I know I am not alone in this because many shows like Roseanne and Cosby foolishly released the syndication versions of the episodes on DVD. People were so pissed they restored the episodes and re-released the series.




This has bugged me for ages and I could list examples all day. Seinfeld eliminated a lot of Jerry’s stand up routines that began (and in the early days ended and were also in the middle) each episode, Murphy Brown lost the cool openings set to different types of music, theme songs are often cut back or eliminated altogether (like Head of the Class’s longer opening I love but hardly see), many shows lose tags or teasers (which in some cases I still have never seen), and I couldn’t believe the edits in episodes of Star Trek when I finally caught the unedited versions! I watch TNG on BBC America these days and once in awhile an edit still will piss me off! I have seen then lop off an entire final scene or a major piece of dialogue. Don’t they know that show was MADE for syndication? I used to love watching re-runs of Benson, but was surprised to find out a young Jerry Seinfeld appeared in a few of them. BECAUSE ALL HIS SCENES WERE CUT. Also cut were the tags, it wasn’t until I got the DVD release I could finally see those. Some may remember back on Halloween I talked about a Night Court episode where the syndication edits created plot holes in the episode. And finally, music license concerns cause this to, as we see in re-runs of WKRP or the butchered Muppet family Christmas.

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 10, Part 3)

Analytical Episode Guide

Season 10, Part 3

Season 10, Episode 13

The One Where Joey Speaks French

 

Plot Summary-Joey asks Phoebe to teach him French, Erica visits Monica and Chandler,Rachel needs Ross’s support after her father has a heart attack

Funniest Line-“ Well, it turns out that Erica didn't pay much attention in sex ed class,because the thing she did with that prison guy... it'd be pretty hard to make a baby that way.”….Monica

Nitpick of the episode-Yeah, as cute as Phoebe and Joey are together the French stuff is lame. How could Joey not be able to repeat back what Phoebe said? Joey can remember lines for TV and plays, and isn’t that sort of the same thing? Sometimes the creators got a little carried away making Joey stupid.

Standout Character-Ross, I love the way he handles things here even if Rachel does not

 

Syndication Edit-Scene Extensions

Final Thoughts-Believe it or not, this is a hard one to rate. For instance, the stuff with Rachel and Ross is pretty well done but, is there a point to it? Ross doesn’t want to take advantage of Rachel, and she’s mad at him the next day? It feels like a last minute attempt to make us believe the two will never get together again, but it’s lame.  It is nice to see Dr. Green one last time. Why couldn’t they just have Erica visit without that lame detour about who the father of the baby may be? And then you have the Joey story which I’m really not sure how to feel about. It’s stupid,but Joey and Phoebe are funny and in many ways it feels like a throw back to an earlier point in the series. But the whole retarded thing at the end is borderline offensive. So let’s just say an average episode as the series starts to round that final turn.

Grade=C

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 10, Part 2)

Season 10, Episode 7

The One with the Home Study

 

Plot Summary-Phoebe and Mike donate their wedding to a charity and then want it back, Monica and Chandler are approved for adoption but there may be a snag concerning Joey. Ross discovers Rachel’s irrational fair of swings.

Funniest Line-“Like I said I was thinking of taking Emma to the museum of knives and fire.”….Ross

Nitpick of the episode-Yeah, about that swing story. No, I just don’t buy it. Rachel is afraid of swings?  

Standout Character-Joey, just love the way he saves the day with the adoption worker

Syndication Edit-Scene Extensions

Final Thoughts-This episode is pretty funny. Yeah the stuff with Rachel is a little silly but considering how shallow she was I guess I can believe anything happening to her hair would be considered a traumatic event. As I said Joey saves the day with the adoption worker which is great and we get more Phoebe and Mike antics. Average stuff but worth watching.

Grade=C+

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 10, Part 1)

Analytical Episode Guide:

Season 10, Part 1

Season 10, Episode 1

The One After Joey and Rachel Kiss

 

Plot Summary-Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe eavesdrop on Joey & Rachel and Ross& Charlie making out, Joey and Rachel decide to slow down until Ross is informed of what is going on, Monica’s hair is out of control

Funniest Line-“What is this? Well, let's see, we kissed for 10 minutes and now we'retalking to our friends about it. So, I guess this is sixth grade!”….Rachel

Nitpick of the episode-I am so happy! That gag with Monica’s hair was soooo hilarious in the last episode and didn’t get old fast at all!  I am thrilled they followed up on it to make it a hilarious story in this one that isn’t stupid or pointless in any way!(and yes, that was sarcasm)

Standout Character-Phoebe, it’s funny that it’s two episodes later we follow up on how fast Mike came back and the fact he did, in fact, have a girlfriend. Phoebe handles it, well, like Phoebe especially when she meets at her at Mike’s place

Syndication Edit-The guys boarding the plane home

Final Thoughts-Well to be fair this is a satisfying follow up to the last episode,and they did a nice job incorporating Chandler, Monica and Phoebe in at the beginning (which is very funny by the way). I guess it’s good that they didn’t just drop the Joey/Rachel stuff instantly. They opened that can of worms they may as well explore it more before abandoning it. As for Ross and Charlie, we all know that isn’t going to last so I just can’t get invested in it. Monica’s hair story is so stupid that I’m not even going to discuss it. And as I mentioned we get more on the Phoebe/Mike stuff which as we will see is really going to move forward. But we’ll talk about that as it comes. As for that finalmoment when Ross walks in on Joey and Rachel…perfect!

Grade-B

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 9, Part 4)

Analytical Episode Guide:

Season 9, Part 4

Season 9, Episode 19

The One with Rachel’s Dream

 

Plot Summary-Rachel has a hot dream about Joey, Chandler has to share a romantic weekend getaway with Ross, and Phoebe drives customers away from Monica’s restaurant by singing

Funniest Line-“I think these people have seen me before. They were requesting some of mysongs. "You suck" and "Shut up and go home".”….Phoebe

Nitpick of the episode-Regarding the whole Rachel story-WHY???

Standout Character-Phoebe, nice to get a new Phoebe song, they had kind of faded from the show

Syndication Edit-Monica getting complimented in the restaurant

Final Thoughts-I really don’t get it. The whole Joey/Rachel thing was dead and buried. Why revisit the well? The only part I liked was how it ended, but we have several episodes to get through before that one. It boils down to one thing-Rachel having feelings for Joey makes no sense!! The Chandler/Ross stuff sucks to; the gag about Ross and hotels has already been done. Monica and Phoebe are adorable together and while the story is silly, it’s also the only fun thing in the episode.

Grade=B-

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 9, Part 3)

Analytical Episode Guide:

Season 9, Part 3

Season 9, Episode 13

The One Where Monica Sings

 

Plot Summary-Monica gives a revealing performance at a karaoke bar, Joey has problems getting his eyebrows waxed, and Ross and Rachel have it out over their living situation

Funniest Line-“There is a thin line between love and hate, and it turns out that line is a scarf”….Rachel

Nitpickof the episode-I try so hard not to judge Ross and the way he uses that strange girl in this one. I try, but it’s not easy. Why would you play games with someone who is so clearly damaged?

Standout Character-Ross, he is really incensed at the start of the episode and I can understand why. However he is also in the wrong later when the subject of the phone message he never gave Rachel comes up

Syndication Edit-Longer opening (by the way, the opening scene is fantastic!), more with the strange girl

Final Thoughts-The Monica story falls flat. It isn’t funny when we have to be told what is happening. Granted Chandler’s reaction is pretty good. The Joey story is, well, weird. I have no idea what that was all about. Sight gags never hurt anyone I guess. Once again the real focus here is Ross and Rachel. In order to get through the episode Ross fails to flirt with girls. Then comes along the creepy girl Ross hooks up with for no reason. This is all to lead to the final conversation between him and Rachel where they realize that living together suddenly may not be such a good idea. It’s one of their most intense discussions in awhile. So Rachel ends up moving back with Joey, which really does make more sense. This is the final move of the series, thankfully. So what happened with Gavin anyway? He vanishes after this episode; apparently he was just here as a plot device.

Grade=B-

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 9. Part 2)

Analytical Episode Guide:

Season 9, Part 2

Season 9, Episode 7

The One with Ross’s Inappropriate Song

Plot Summary-Ross sings a very questionable song to Emma, Joey and Chandler find  a sex tape in Richard’s apartment with Monica’s name on it, Phoebe meets Mike’s parents

Funniest Line-“And that's why, no matter what mommy says, we really were on a break. Yes we were! Yes we were!”….Ross, keeping that gag alive and well!

Nitpick of the episode-I thought it was a big mistake making mention of Richard, not only is it beating a dead horse but the episode really hurts the character by making him out to be a real loser. Isn’t Chandler over Richard yet?

Standout Character-Ross, I don’t know how the writers do it but once again whats should have been a stupid story is made really funny

Syndication Edit-Phoebe arriving at Mike’s parents

Final Thoughts-Amazingly enough, this episode works. Well parts of it work anyway. I usually love some good old fashioned Chandler and Joey hijinks but the Richard stuff is so two seasons ago. I just don’t know what possessed the creators to revisit that well.  The stuff with Ross and Rachel singing rap songs to Emma is surprisingly funny. The main drive of this episode is Phoebe meeting Mike’s parents who are stuck up snobs. This story is very well done, and even includes the reveal that Mike loves Phoebe. I know I have said this, but it is so nice to see Phoebe’s character finally evolve.

Grade=C+

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 8, Part 3)

Analytical Episode Guide:

Season 8, Part 3

Season 8, Episode 13

The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath

 

Plot Summary-Chandler discovers the joy of bathing; Ross and Rachel argue of potential baby names, Joey tries to dismiss his feelings for Rachel

Funniest Line-“Oh, I'm sorry, are we having an 89 year old?”….Rachel

Nitpick of the episode-So many argue that while Chandler states he hates baths, he was taking a bath with Monica back in season 5. Well, give one to the creators they do clear this up when Chandler explains clearly that it wasn’t the bath he enjoyed but the wet naked lady.

Standout Character-Joey, the reason why the “Joey loves Rachel” stuff works is all in how the character deals with it. He doesn’t embrace it at all; he knows it’swrong but decides it’s out of his control. Handled very nicely.

Syndication Edit-Scene Extensions

FinalThoughts-After teasing last time I will talk about the Joey/Rachel stuff. It works in the beginning because of how it’s handled. I can buy that Joey suddenly has these feelings. What screws it up is how they stretch it out later, but we will talk more about that as we go. It’s the strong acting by LeBlanc that sells the scenario. The baby name stuff with Ross and Rachel is realty good here. Lots of laughs. What isn’t good is that stupid Chandler story. Yeah, watching him sit in a bath really makes me laugh. To be fair that last scene in the bathroom with the gang where Ross and Rachel announce the baby’s sex was really good and the opening talk Joey has with Chandler. Phoebe is basically just here to pad the episode out.

Grade=B-

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 8, Part 2)

Analytical Episode Guide:

Season 8, Part 2

Season 8, Episode 7

The One with the Stain

 

Plot Summary-Chandler hires a main which upsets Monica, Phoebe hooks up with Eric, Rachel decides to move out of Joey’s place

Funniest Line-“ Yeah. I can't live with Joey once the baby comes. I don't want my child's first words to be, "How you doin'?"…..Rachel

Nitpick of the episode- Chandler hires a maid. Let me repeat that. Chandler, who is married to an anal retentive clean freak who is always cleaning and needs everything to be just so, hires a freaking maid!!!  Who thought this up?????

Standout Character-Joey, you can tell he honestly enjoys living with Rachel

Syndication Edit-The maid wondering why Monica put her head between her legs (no, I’m not kidding)

Final Thoughts-I really don’t know what they were going for with the maid story. I already pointed out how dumb that is, and then they take it a step further by making Monica paranoid about the girl. I like when Chandler asks if it’s possible the company that made the jeans the maid is wearing could have possibly made more than the one pair. The only good part of that is the end when Rachel clears everything up. I liked the Joey/Rachel story, you wouldfigure that Joey would not want to live with a baby but he loves living with Rachel so much he’s willing to take it on…nice. Pointless as we will see later, but nice. And Ross waiting out the death of a tenant so he can lay claim to her apartment is awful. Finally, we have Phoebe who quickly breaks up with Eric.Really why did she try seconds after he just broke up with Ursula? Lots of stupid here.

Grade=C+

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 8, Part 1)

Analytical Episode Guide:

Season 8, Part 1

Season 8, Episode 1

The One After “I Do”

 

Plot Summary-At Monica and Chandler’s wedding reception, Chandler tries to dance,Joey tries to audition for a guest, Rachel reveals she is in fact pregnant

Funniest Line-“Oh honey, you could never embarrass me. Okay, you could easily embarrass me.”….Monica

Nitpick of the episode-Monica takes the whole Rachel is pregnant news at her wedding really well considering how upset she was that Rachel stole her thunder on her engagement night. It could be that she is mature enough to not let that ruin her big day, or it could just be lazy writing.

Standout Character-Rachel, I promise I will try not to make her the stand out in every episode but this was her season. And the scene in the bathroom with her and Phoebe and Monica is one ofthe best of the series!

Syndication Edit-The original tag and the opening was longer and included a scene with Monica’s parents thinking she is pregnant. Another extra scene where Chandler slips and falls on the dance-floor, grabbing his mother-in-law's skirt, ripping it. Also you may wonder why Ben was not at his aunt’s wedding. Actually, he was but his lines were deleted from the broadcast version.

Final Thoughts-What a great episode this is! The way that Rachel’s pregnancy is handled is really good. You gotta love how the episode doesn’t reveal anything about who and when, that will come later. I was kind of surprised the whole episode was just the wedding reception. Chandler trying to dance was funny, Joey trying to impress the director is funny, and of course the main focus is Rachel. That scene with the three of them in the bathroom is just a great scene. I love the way Phoebe lies to make Rachel see how much she really wants it, and Rachel’s lines are just well done. Even the silly Ross story, having tod ance with all the kids, doesn’t come off all that badly. Just a very strong episode.

Grade=A-,so great to have the funny back

Analytical Episode Guide-Friends (Season 7, Part 4)

Analytical Episode Guide:

Season 7, Part 4

Season 7, Episode 19

The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin

 

Plot Summary-Ross is attracted to his cousin (I already lost you, haven’t I?), Joey auditions for a movie role which requires him to naked, Phoebe and Rachel throw Monica a spot bridal shower

Funniest Line-“Say something clever. Okay, doesn't have to be clever. Just has to be words. Say some words. Any words will do. Oh, my God, this is the longest that anyone has not talked ever! There is nothing you could say to make this worse so just say something!”…..Ross

Nitpick of the episode-Nice of Rachel and Phoebe to forget to throw Monica a bridal shower! I could complain Chandler never got a bachelor party, but the serieswill take care of that one next season

Standout Character-Ross, not easy to be funny and creepy at the same time!

Syndication Edit-Scene Extensions

Final Thoughts-It never bodes well when a show has to resort to a stunt to get people’s attention. That’s what Joey’s story is, it’s all setup for that last gag at the audition with the silly putty. It’s funny but when a story is all set up for a joke it leaves the rest kind of empty. The bridal shower story seemed silly, why go the extra step of making Phoebe and Rachel forget all about it? Thankfully by the time Phoebe has her bridal shower the writing would be a little more creative. Ross’s story….what can I say about Ross’s story? The scene where he thinks to himself while his cousin stares at him waiting for an explanation is kind of funny, but on the whole the concept is just creepy. I guess it does help that they established Ross has not been with anyone in awhile. And of course Chandler is once again all but absent.

Grade=B-,funny but lacks substance