Friends - Series finale 5/6/04 (1 Viewer)

[Albert_M]

Well It met my (low) expectations, it wasn't horrible and it did have a few funny lines. I really wish though some of the creativity of the early could have appeared for this last one (I mean another airport cliche - in a show that had already done the airport cliche?) But the season in general was tired and stretched (which is particularly bad considering there were less episodes). The lack of pushing toward something (exception, the Monica/Chandler baby/moving story) made things too contrived all at the end.
Overall, it was ok. As for Frasier, I stopped watching it like 4 years ago at least and I tried to watch the clip show the other day and that couldn't even pull me in - and he wants to continue his character in another spinoff... come on.

 

[Jeff*S*C*]

I too loved the homages to the old jokes. I busted out laughing everytime they brought one up. They just needed a "ugly naked guy" joke in there somewhere.

I also got cut off on the recording but luckily I had it set to record ER so I missed like a 30 sec. chunk in there at the end (I hate that damn delay).

 

[Ray Chuang]

By the way, I've heard that the Region 1 DVD release of the final episode due next Tuesday will be a bit longer than what was shown on TV last night. It'll be interesting to compare the two when that is released.

 

[Nelson Au]

I hope you'll excuse this slight diverting question: I have not seen the Friends TV series, I knew it existed. I only saw one episode, the Thanksgiving one with Brad Pitt because I had it on. Looked pretty funny.

So the question is, does any one have a sense of the upcoming DVD out next week what the pilot episode on that DVD is? Since I've never seen the show really, I kind of want to buy that DVD as a sampler to the series. So is the pilot essentially the real first episode with characters in place and so on? It would be interesting to me to view it as a pilot and then the final show. I realize that it wouldn't be a fair sampling of this series.

Thanks, appreciate the input.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Jay Leno made a comment that the DVD to be released next Tueday would be one of the quickest-to-DVD releases ever (from a season finale airdate perspective). It features the finale and the season pilot/premiere.

If you've barely watched the show over 10-11 years, I would expect the DVD to be a little jarring due to references to past shows and character quirks.

 

[EricW]

the last episode was okay... i thought there were a few episodes this season that were actually funnier. i think the hardest i laughed was at the very end when Ross mentions a break. i'm always a sucker for that running joke.
the clip show was slow when hey focused on the individual characters. in contrast, Senfeld's clip show was excellent - the focusing on catchphrases, the outtakes, and the off-camera photo montage to "Time of your Life" are going to outlive the actual episode itself for me. the Friends clip show hardly had any of that til the very end.

 

[Craig S]

Well, they got the Janice appearance in two weeks ago. Marcel would have been good though. Although - how long do Capuchin monkeys live? Maybe Marcel's at the "special farm" with Chick 1 and Duck 1.

 

[EricW]

he said it would be the fastest to-video release since Gigli

did anyone feel sorry for Letterman's guests? i mean most people who hate Leno are still going to tune in to catch the Friends guests. the show wasn't that great, but the clips with the stars was pretty funny.

 

[Chad R]

Ross could never have gone to Paris with Rachel because he'd be abandoning his son, Ben. I mean, these aren't the type of people to abandon children whenever it's convenient....

I half expected Joey to marry Ross and Rachel for the hat trick.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks Patrick and Craig for the comments on the Pilot of Friends!

I forgot about the Leno thing as I usually watch Letterman!

 

[Malcolm R]

Figures. The finale is the only episode I've watched this season.

 

[teapot2001]

I know that. What I said in my second post was just a different, kinder way of expressing what I was really feeling. Oh well.

~T

 

[Larry Geller]

Marcel was the guest on Access Hollywood last night. He's still alive & looking good!

 

[teapot2001]

The cast of Friends will be on Oprah today.

~T

 

[Michael Martin]

I could care less about "edgy." I want consistent characterization and growth, and prefer not seeing hoary old situations and/or jokes used.

Friends will remain a landmark show, and it deserves the status. Not only because it was "successful" (which translates into it consistently earned more money for NBC than it cost to air) but because of the overall quality of the show.

But I'm "crapping" in your thread because I watched the finale, I own 4 seasons of the show, and this is a forum for members to write in. None of my posts have ad-hominem attacks or language, nor do I write 1,000 words of hate-filled ranting.

The show WAS great. The show BECAME nearly a parody of itself, and while it may have remained humorous (and that's a subjective call), I think it would be very hard to argue that the show retained the organic storylines and character development it had in its first few seasons. And for me, the finale exemplefied what went wrong with the show: a lot of contrived nonsense to get to the last 75 seconds of the show.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Before the 20 minute train ride was available, I used to take the Olympia trails bus from Manhattan through the Holland Tunnel. In the late evening like it was in the show, that trip shouldn't take more than 30 or 35 minutes. That is not "MUCH, MUCH" longer than going to JFK from Midtown.

Jeff

 

[LarryDavenport]

Odds are Rachel's company was paying the fare, so a French secretary probably booked the flight using an airline they have a contract with.

I deal with this all the time, sometimes having to send people to a less convenient airport to save the university a few hundred dollars.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Er, yes ...

My reason for saying that Friends will be the iconographic show of its era (along with the Simpsons) has nothing at all to do with my like or dislike for the show, but the simple impact that it's had. Frasier and Seinfeld fans are many, but they don't outnumber the Friends fans, and on a worldwide scale, Friends is way more popular.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

Anyone flip over to TVland during the final episode block? It was a shot of a group of people (their staff?) just watching Friends and occasionally one would say "Why are you watching us...Friends finale is on...nothing to see here." It was kinda funny.

Anyway I was satisfied with the ending. Nothing great, but it was an ending.

Looks like 51.1 million watched it last night. Right in the middle of the 45-55 million estimated by the network.

 

[Patrick Sun]

As judged by the Friends episodes translated into Klingon (from the Tonight Show last night).