Broken Frontier

Guest Columnist: Eli Flores

‘It’s the end of an era.’ – Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Komic Sutra article to bring you my perspective on one of today’s biggest pop culture influences, Friends.

Flashback 1994 …
I was in the middle of studying for my Spanish test the next week as I sat on the floor engulfed in papers and books. I had a bacon sandwich in one hand while I held my notebook in the other. I had hoped to have the living room all to myself. Unfortunately I had privacy for about 2 seconds when my oldest sister came in and plopped herself on the couch, turned on the TV and tuned into Friends.

And so for the past 10 years I have tried to keep my date with Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler , Phoebe, and Joey. There were times when I missed a show or two. I also happen to be a huge fan of WWE. I was torn between watching Triple H and company or Ross and Friends. Could it have been MORE difficult to choose? In the end I opted to watch Friends and miss the first half an hour of Smackdown. 

Like 50 million other people, I spent the Thursday night of May 6 watching the series finale of Friends. I made myself a bacon sandwich, grabbed my strawberries from the fridge, and poured myself a little bowl of sugar to dip my strawberries in. After I had my dinner situated I plopped down on the floor, turned on the TV and tuned into Friends to watch the end of an era.

The iconic television series had a huge influence on a generation who seemed kind of clueless. It was a show that taught a generation how to be stylish and trendy, not just with what to wear or how to style their hair, but also with everything else. Not only did people start drinking their coffee differently but they also became more conscience of where they drank their coffee. Then there were the numerous times guys have tried to use Joey’s line of ‘How you doin?’ to approach a girl. People easily became obsessed with the six Friends.

The show had not only been influential but also relatable. After watching just one episode, Friends became so much more than just another TV show. By contrast to the fluff of the antics the characters endured, the show was about the meaning of friendship, even one that’s between siblings. As sappy as it sounds, the characters were good role models. Even with all their issues, the Friends were consistent with their loyalty for each other.

Each episode promised at least 30 minutes of laughs. Just thinking about it makes me smile. Remember when Ross wore those leather pants on a date, not realizing how uncomfortable wearing leather may be. He went to the bathroom hoping to air out his legs but couldn’t get his pants back on. Then there was that episode when he was moving across the way from Monica and Rachel. They were carrying his couch up the stairs and he kept yelling “PIVOT! PIVOT!”  There was the episode when Monica had the turkey on her head. Just between you and me, I never did get over the phase in my life where I sing some of the things I say, thanks to Phoebe I seem normal to the few people who love me. Mina says Smelly Cat is just slightly better than my Best Buy song. The characters were the ‘take all the good times you can get’ type of bunch who entertained the ‘I’m not ready for growing up just yet’ generation.  Thankfully the characters did grow up and changed along with their fans. Joey, Phoebe, Moncia, Chandler , Rachel and Ross walked a generation through another awkward period of life - post adolescence into the responsible world of adulthood. The showed evolved into a standard for what every story needs – an undeniable feeling of an extended family.

As I watched the last episode, my heart broke for Ross thinking he had missed his chance to be with Rachel. My eyes filled up when he walked into his apartment alone. The tears fell when Rachel announced ‘I got off the plane.’ while standing in the doorway. The perfect ending, no business left unfinished. The characters had matured and developed in the happy ending every story deserves.

It’s interesting to think back and realize that I’ve watched Friends since I was 15 years old. It doesn’t seem that long ago when I think about it. Ever since that first episode Friends became a fixture on my TV much like the comics I have on my coffee table along side my Vogue and Victoria ’s Secret catalog. Thursday night won’t be the same. I knew it was coming. I had seen the commercials for the series finale. It was heart wrenching to know that come next fall Friends wouldn’t be back.

And for those of you who say ‘Get over it! It was just a show.’ I know there’s the syndication of the series I can still watch, the DVDs I can buy of each season, and the spin off of Joey’s show coming in the fall. It’s still just sad to see another chapter in TV history come to an end. Just another testament that we’re all getting just a little bit older.

For those of you looking for JP, he’s on the other side of the board talking about … well you’ll just have to read the Female Perspective column to find out.

A special Thank You to our beloved Komic Sutra columnist JP for letting me borrow his column for this week! With that, we bring you back to your regularly scheduled articles.