I am not the die-hard ‘Friends’ fan that some people are. I know there are those who are such fanatics they have memorized whole episodes and dialogues from the series. I do admit that I used to watch the show Thursday nights, though I think later one I found it tedious. But I concede how the show is part of a lot of people’s consciousness – I won’t begrudge them for that.
And this reunion show comes in with so much hype I can’t help but feel somewhat cynical about it. Money, money money – I read that each casy member got paid 2.5 MM for their appearance here, this on top of the supposed $500K a month they get from residuals.
But I am a sentimental sap, and this show is chock full of them that I couldn’t help but really enjoy it. The show has a lot of poignant moments – you rally feel the love among this group of people (and it does feel either genuine, or they are much better actors than I think they are) Some have aged better than others, but their over all joy is still there. Clearly, they look at their time on the show with fondness, and now that their audience probably does as well.
Some bits work better than others. The script re-read through was great, and they even did my favorite episode – the one when they find ojut Monica and Chandler have been shagging each other. Some of the bits seem s little too obvious, but if you are a fan of the show, I am sure there was not a wasted moment. I enjoyed it well enough, and yes, I shed a tear, but then I cry about anything nowadays.
Luha Thoughts 