Connor Macgregor Reviews...Friends

Friends is without a doubt one of the most popular Television shows ever made. Catapulting six unknowns to superstardom, and creating icons of several tv sets in the process, It is regarded as one of the most, if not the most, influential show ever made. But I've never noticed a list of the top ten greatest Friends episodes of all time. What are the best moments, the most moving, the best catchphrases and laughs.

Well, I'm ready to review. Taking on the Friends marathon and going all the way to the end.

Welcome to Connor Macgregor Reviews...Friends.

Supposedly the most popular show in the UK.

Yeah I know I've let this to rot, but I'm gonna try and power through now.

1x01 - The Pilot



INTRO: Here we are. The first episode of Friends. Long before it changed the TV Schedules and long before it introduced 'comfort TV' to the masses. And whilst this pilot isn't the most revolutionary or groundbreaking, it does set the standard for what is to come.

PLOT A - Rachel: Rachel basically headlines Episode One. She crash lands into the series in scene one and begins ultimately her first steps to independence. It's fun to watch as her rich lifestyle begins to fade away. That first image in which she's wet, anxious and in a very poofy wedding dress is pretty much iconic with the show itself - I love it. So good, so well written and so awkward to sit through, yet Rachel's baby steps into the real world begin here.

PLOT B - Ross: Ross is adjusting to life without Carol and being divorced. This subplot is slightly full to be honest, and not very exciting to engage with on first go. We know Ross's first wife is a recurring joke, but here it just never takes life in the start. However we do establish his first steps with Rachel which is cute to watch.

PLOT C - Monica: Monica on the other hand has quite a fun yet very 90s subplot. She has a date with 'Paul The Wine Guy' which she believes is going well, only for her to discover that she's getting played by him, which is very sad to watch as she discovers this. There is no real resolution however which I was slightly let down by.

OTHER NOTES: I just love how 90s everything is in the first episode. Everything from the outfits, the lighting, sets, and of course the hair. So 90s and so very very funky. I love it.

OVERALL: It's a fun if not flawed opening to the series. I liked it and feel like it pushes you enough to want to know more about these people and invest more in their lives.

RATING - 75% - B+

LINE OF THE EP -
Chandler: Look, Gippetto, I'm a real live boy.
Joey: I will not take this abuse.
[Walks to the door and opens it to leave]
Chandler: You're right, I'm sorry.
[Burst into song and dances out of the door]
Chandler: Once I was a wooden boy, a little wooden boy!

The resolution is that Monica gets her revenge when she steps on and breaks his watch.

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

^^This^^

It was also quite a change in US sitcom for a woman to sleep with a man on the first date and not be an absolute slut or be shamed by it. I think Friends was at the forefront of sexual politics on US network TV. That's how I remember it, anyway. I could be completely wrong not being in the US.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

I completely missed that part of the episode. I'm watching this on Netflix so maybe they cut something out I dunno.

When they point out his watch is on the floor, she tells them to leave it there (or something) and as she walks back through she stamps down hard and you hear a crunch.

Again, I apologise for the delay in getting this review thread thriving.

1x02 - The One With The Sonogram At The End



INTRO: Episode Two of the first season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S and surprisingly this episode is a rather weak one so early on. It has some nice continuity treats too if you're curious.

PLOT A - Ross: Ross is centre stage in this episode with the news from the original Carol that she is pregnant with his child. It creates a very comedic three way between him, Carol & Susan, the partner of Carol. There is a funny dispute at the sonogram session about last names and Ross of course acts out, though it is justified considering it's his child. I did find Carol & Susan to be quite cruel in this episode, putting down Ross at every turn and trying to side him away from the child's future. Though the hospital scene is very funny and fun to watch unfold.

PLOT B - Rachel: Rachel hands back the engagement ring to Barry, only to discover that Barry went to the honeymoon with Mindy, one of Rachel's other friends. It's all slightly dull stuff, a hangover of some sorts from the pilot. Though the ending scene is good with Rachel leaving a harsh message over the phone to Barry.

PLOT C - Monica: Monica obsesses over a dinner for her parents knowing that she will be criticised consistently and Ross will be fawned over. Again, it's quite a poor subplot with only two scenes focused. It does however introduce Jack & Judy Gellar for the first time, though they do come off quite cruel in this to be honest.

OVERALL: A weak second episode on comparison. With only one good plot, the other two don't deliver as well and therefore we are greeted with an unremarkable episode.

RATING: 62% - B

LINE OF THE EP -
Susan: We agreed on Minnie.
Ross: It’s funny because we agreed we’d spend the rest of lives together, but things change - you roll with the punches.

I thought the plot with Ross was easily the most interesting part of the episode. It's one of the few times that Ross is the best part of the show.

I hated the way Carol and Susan treated him, and I thought they were wrong (and selfish) about the baby's last name. Ross is certainly more important to the child than Susan.


Barry was one of the worst characters on the show in the entire series run, and I'm glad that he was only in a few episodes. I read somewhere that he auditioned for the part of Ross on "Friends", but fortunately he didn't get it.


I always thought it was strange how obvious it was that their parents favored Ross over Monica so much. It was like they didn't even try to hide it.

1x03 - The One With The Thumb

INTRO: Fun mixture of stories for episode three, including a reveal of Chandler's smoking addiction and a somewhat misleading title.

PLOT A - Monica: Monica has a very weird dilemma on her hands: Everyone likes her new boyfriend more than she does. It's a funny plot and one that forces Monica to make a difficult decision. The dumping scene is very funny and ends up with a massive payoff.

PLOT B - Chandler: So Chandler has a smoking problem, which we know becomes a long running gag in the series. It's a good subplot and you're introduced to his working life. I like his office cubicle also. It's very cosy. The ending scene is also funny which involves his plot and Pheobe's marrying together in a clever way.

PLOT C - Phoebe: Pheobe comes into some money, and doesn't want it. Her entire plot involves her trying to pass it off to someone else, which she ultimately does in a funny way. However, the whole subplot is a bit of a letdown, which is involved in having the title be misleading for the episode.

OVERALL: Pretty fun episode to watch, and has good Monica/Chandler plots that mad the episode solid in my eyes.

RATING: 82% - A-

LINE OF THE EP -
Chandler: Game’s over; I gotta have the smoke.
Phoebe: If you never smoke again, I’ll give you $7000.
Chandler: Yeah, all right.