Excepting perhaps 'Phineas & Ferb' (because I'm that kind of sad git), 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' is probably my favourite television show of all time, and one of the only things which keeps me happy in this bland entertainment era. However, I must admit, the first series is what I am most disappointed in. Not because it's bad, but rather because its successors do it so much better.
You see, the series' first half is undeniably awesome, consistently hilarious and arguably perfect. The epic opener, 'The Pilot', introduces to us some of the most likable characters of all time. It begins in a coffee house, Central Perk, where Joey Tribbiani (the untalented actor), Joey's roommate Chandler Bing (the witty deprivee of his slut mother and gay father), Chandler's best friend Ross Geller (the boring paleantologist), Ross' sister Monica (the boyfriendless chef) and Monica's roommate Phoebe Buffet (the weird vegetarian singer) are discussing the recent discovery of Ross' wife Carol's lesbianism.
At that moment, Monica's best friend in high school, Rachel Green, bursts into the coffee house in a wedding dress, looking for Monica whom she hasn't seen in years. She has just left her fiance standing at the altar because she has realised that she loved her wedding gifts more than she loved her would-be husband.
This is only in the first few minutes of the first episode, and it is already incredibly twisted and daring, and states such legendary lines as "sometimes I wish I was a lesbian... did I say that out loud?" and entices you deeper into the stories of these characters before you have the time to question their existence with prejudice.
Half of the series carries on this traditional humour, yet the final half is nowhere near as awesome. A lot of wit and humour is lost, not enough for you to care, but enough to stand out when watching it. It feels as if it's focusing too much on Ross' undying love for Rachel, and not enough on pure hilarity. This curse is broken in the next season, but that's not really good enough, no matter how brilliant the series' cliffhanger is.
Something I admire about the series is how it has its major key story factors, keeps them consistently amusing throughout the season and then finishes them without disappointing you. Ross loses his monkey, Marcell, Carol gives birth to Ross' baby, Ross gets over his rivalry with Susan and also his love for Rachel while Rachel begins to fall in love with Ross.
If you could only purchase one boxset and then that's it, I definitely wouldn't recommend the first series as it is not as fabulous as its nine successors, but it is definitely an excellent beginning to a much-loved series, and one I would certainly recommend otherwise.
Four Out Of Five.
No comments:
Post a Comment