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The Show That Will Always Be There For You


13 years ago, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Pheobe, Rachel, and Joey, walked out of their famous New York flat for the final time. This final episode punctuated what is perhaps, in my opinion, the strongest sitcom in television history.

 Why do I think this?

 Well, let's take a look into the series to find out.

 Let me start off by saying I did not grow up with the series. In fact, I still remember my parents telling us to leave the room for the final episode, as we wouldn't understand the significance of this finale.

 Friends follows the lives of six people living in New York City. Each member of the group has their own quirk, as in most sitcoms: Rachel's the rich, pretty one; Monica's excessively neat; Ross's the smart one; Joey, the "dumb" one; and Pheobe's the odd one. However, the show develops each of these characters over the 10 seasons to the point where these became more footnotes in the characters' profiles. And that's something I have rarely seen in a series even to this day.

 I recently watched the entire series for probably the sixth time. In fact, I am writing this a few hours after watching the season finale. What amazed me the most is that I still get choked up at the major events in the series, even though I know what's coming.

 Part of it is the development of the characters. We see everybody grow exponentially over the series. We watch and follow these characters through the high and low points, discussing everything from loss of loved ones, sibling rivalries, divorces, break ups, hook-ups, and adoption. The show kept a light-hearted feel despite some extremely dense subjects, and this isn't an easy task. Friends managed to balance everything perfectly for years, and managed to end on a hopeful, and emotional note.

 What also amazed me was how much of the story lines I connected with. Things like the quest for love, dealing with rejection, and even career complications and lack of direct support at times. However, the group always sticks together. They are always there for each other.

 I think this series did something few sitcoms can do: It knew when to exist, and when to leave. It never feels rushed or fluffed. It never tries to drag on a story more than necessary, and it avoided having running jokes that got old.

 This is a series that can always remind somebody that bigger and better things are coming, and that no matter what life throws at you, you will always bounce back, just so long as you remain true to who you are as a person, and never stop trying for what you want.

If you want a sitcom that concurs the hard challenges in life, this is definitely for you.

 I will say this much, I am always happy to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee at Central Perk with this amazing cast of characters.

 Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and Click Here to watch the series on Amazon.
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