HBO Max came out swinging by releasing a HUGE catalog of television shows. I will continue my series in which I watch the pilot episode from the catalog and tell you if it’s worth binging.
Today I review one of the most popular series of all-time, Friends.
Follows the personal and professional lives of six twenty to thirty-something-year-old friends living in Manhattan.
S1E1: The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate
Whoever came up with the idea for the opening of the show was brilliant. It’s catchy, it’s high spirited, and a whole lot of fun to sing along too.
One of the first things you notice is the studio audience laugh. While at times you get some laughs, they feel like they laugh at literally EVERYTHING. It gets rather annoying fast.
Rachel’s high-pitch whiny voice is annoying. I don’t recall remembering her voice being this absurd. Phoebe forced comedy is dry, so many swings and continued misses. Monica comes off very likable and even within that big moment, you felt sorry for what transpired.
Chandler and Joey’s banter is priceless and the heartbeat of the laughs of the first episode. Ross is just well Ross, not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
The Verdict:
The live audience forced laughs got me a bit off track from the start. The writing and direction of the pilot were rather solid. Although the execution wasn’t always perfect, the pilot did a good job of introducing us to the characters and what we can expect from them.
While I didn’t love the first episode, I did think it was good enough for us to watch more to get more in-tune with the series.
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