We all waited eagerly for the telecast of the “Friends Reunion” on 31st May 2021. While many of us desperately scrounged for credentials to access Zee5, there were others like me who decided to rewatch the magnum of ten seasons owing to the fact that we had already forgotten most of it.
Even when i rewatched it after a decade, i found a couple of flaws with the characters as well as a bundle of takeaways.
Phoebe by far, has always been my most favourite character. She oozes wisdom, innocence and dumbness at the same time. Despite having witnessed alot of crap since her childhood like living on the streets and fending for herself, she still stands as a pillar of hope and positivity.
Joey is a second favourite. His happy-go-lucky attitude, unmatchable love for food and penchant to be available for his friends at any time of the day(or night) is admirable.
Chandler is the one with an immaculate sense of humour, often which is used as a defensive mechanism to shield himself in awkward situations. I sense his troubled childhood may have a role to play. Often, i find his approach towards women condescending.
Monica, the control-seeking freak! The one with an OCD to keep things clean and in order. Kudos to the one who decides to stay with her as a roommate or a partner.
And finally, the much admired Ross and Rachel - two characters which I approach with alot of suspicion.
Rachel, who has spent her entire life focussing on herself and demeaning others and displaying a scheming attitude.While Ross, the obvious man-child who prefers to play victim in every situation and blame others for his issues instead of taking ownership.
Despite all the flaws, a common thread which i see in each of them is the ability to take the right decision, despite the consequences.
Like, when they realise a break-up is inevitable they go ahead and break-up. Even if it feels like an elephant placed a foot on your chest!
When an intervention is necessary, they do that. Even if it feel like the hardest thing to do. And that to me, is a very admirable quality in a person. They are not sucked into the people-pleasing rut.
Also, ever noticed how all them ignore each other’s flaws? How many of us manage to do that? Monica’s OCD or Rachel’s goof-ups with their orders at the Central Perk or Ross’ rant about the dinosaurs and Pheobe’s poor crooning skills - all of them are conveniently ignored.
None of them harbour any anger or ill-will against the other for long. Sooner or later they speak and sort it out, emphasising that communication is paramount to maintain the sanctity of any relationship.
All of them take care of each other after ensuring that their needs are met first. No one is a doormat to others and that on a whole is my biggest takeaway.
So to conclude, the characters are flawed in several aspects (just like us) but there is alot that one may learn from them, if you’re willing to.
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