Why the Friends Ending is Actually Sad 

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Mike wasn’t a ‘bland guy’, he had his own colours and more importantly he loved phoebe for being unconventional and unique in her own way

While I agree with Rachel's ending being bad, Phoebe's end was something she needed dearly. Nothing is wrong with wanting a normal life after all she went through in her life, she wanted stability and for the first time to not be "the weird one" and just because is not eccentric and zany doesn't mean is boring and bland

Narratively Ross should have gone WITH Rachel to Paris. It would have allowed Rachel to live out her dream and would have shown that Ross would have grown enough to sacrifice his own ego for a commited partnership. It would be the perfect resolution to the original argument they had.

"Phoebe lost her originality and quirkiness towards the end of the show" Phoebe, in the Finale: - Tries to create a musical to depict Ross's situation; - Speeds around NYC on a fake cab; - Screams "Rachel" at the top of her lungs in the middle of an airport; - literally causes a flight delay that ultimately culminates in Ross and Rachel getting back together Seriously, stop trying.

I've always imagined what it must have been like for Joey to return to that apartment that night. It almost brings me to tears.

I don't mind Joey's ending. Marriage and kids aren't for everyone, and there's nothing wrong with not choosing that path. He's still acting, and when Phoebe points out that he's in his 30s and never had a serious relationship (after just realizing that about herself), he's happy about that realization. In the earlier seasons he would talk about a future wife, but I think this shows that he enjoys being unmarried and doesn't need a serious relationship to feel fulfilled, and that maybe he's moved on for what people are "supposed" to do to what he actually wants

So, in a way, it’s a realistic ending. Unfortunately, it’s extremely rare to stay super close with your friends after your 30s

Phoebe married a musician who loves her just as she is. Not in Sprite of her quirks but because of them, so that sounds pretty good to me

So Pheobe getting married means she won’t have anything to offer to the world anymore? Just because she’s married, doesn’t mean she can’t be herself...

I really liked the whole video, but Phoebe getting married isn’t really a bad ending for her, she ended up happy and that doesn’t mean she isn’t going to be a free spirit anymore. As someone in the comments pointed out, that just means she’s going to have someone by her side. What is sad is as you said about giving her very little to do on the finale, besides drive Ross to the airport and high key selfishly ruin Rachel’s dream. The rest is really accurate and what truly makes the ending tragic

Joey's whole storyline was sad. He was sexually abused for years by his family tailor, starting in childhood. Adult survivors of sexual abuse often display many of Joey's traits, such as difficulties with intimacy or commitment, compulsive or risky sexual behavior, and measuring their self worth on the superficial opinions of others (he becomes an actor), and avoidant attachment.

Everyone commenting on the sad story but only the real ones know that mon and chandler get divorced, phoebe marries chandler for the money and divorces him, Rachel and joey have beautiful kids, Ross is killed by phoebe, eventually joey breaks it up with Rachel and now phoebe has the money and joey has the beautiful kids. There are no other endings

I just imagine Ross and Rachel constantly breaking-up, divorcing, remarrying, never breaking their cycle.

Jeeeez, Pheobe finding the love of her life is boring? Let me tell you as someone from a broken home, that has been through some staff, I'm eternally grateful for a husband who accepts me and my wierdness. Creating a stable home feels great and secure. I didn't feel Phoebe sacrificed her personally for a relationship.

Chandler was my favorite from the beginning and grew the most. He was also the kindest of the six.

The ending that broke my rotten little heart was when a group of friends left a Rent-Controlled apartment in NYC.

I actually agree with their interpretation of Ross and Rachel's ending. Sure, they reconcile, but how long is that realistically going to last? They essentially end up where they started, with no indication that either have even changed. Plus, it annoyed me that Emma was hardly mentioned, and Ross was apparently totally cool with Rachel taking his child to another part of the world, where he'd hardly be able to see her. 😢

Joey regressed during the show, he startedas a less sophisticated but streetwise, commonsensical guy and turned into a complete dunce

So you want Phoebe to stay exactly the same throughout but Joeys sad ending is that he stays the same throughout?

I'm not happy with how "married and kids" is a bad ending for creative quirky people? That's what I've been told my whole life as a high-achieving woman, and it's only now it my late 20's that I'm discovering ..... that's kind of what I want? And that's not a disappointing thing? I'm allowed that?

Phoebe's "end" isn't really a bad, every eclectic person needs a calm phase, the good thing about her "end" is that she found a partner in her shenanigans, a good balance for her, she is bringing life to the sheltered man's life. She will still have adventures. It is not an end for phoebe, it is just a phase. A phoebe spinoff would actually have been so amazing.

I really disagree with Phoebe's ending being tragic. Her settling down and becoming more "vanilla" is another way of saying that she grew up. She became a more mature, stable version of her wonderful quirky self. Her desire to settle down with Mike is a direct result of her friends loving her unconditionally for years. Marriage isn't a tragedy when it's to someone who loves you for exactly who you are, and Phoebe had grown into someone who could accept that level of love. It also does not cancel what is important to her, namely her concern for the environment, animals, and world peace. Now she will be able to pass those values onto the children she is excited to have. Her story is not a tragedy because she is whole-heartedly happy.

I’m only 21 so take this with a grain of salt but I think the ending wasn’t supposed to be happy but bittersweet. We start with them as 20 somethings trying to figure out their lives. Going through divorce, unemployment, relationships, and so much more. However it ends with them as 30 somethings who clearly learned a lot from their 20s. And I think that the end cements that they are grown with life experience under their belts. They are leaving behind their 20s and early 30s. This feels like a place they grew up almost because in my experience so far 20s is like the preteen years of adulthood. Edit: Phoebe wanting to get married isn’t bad. It also shows how Phoebe has changed. It was clear she was and is eccentric. Marriage didn’t always seem to fight with Phoebe. If s1 Phoebe got married it’d be ridiculous. That’s not who she was. At the end she was able to find safety and love in someone who was very similar to her friends. She wanted that stability . Also I always interpreted Rachel’s ending as she ran away from Barry because she was supposed to marry him. She never made a decision for herself in her life. At the end of the series, she had did everything she set out to do. She wanted to be independent and make her own decisions. She wanted to do the things she loved. I think she realized she was fulfilled and no longer needed to prove to herself she wasn’t that frightened 25 year old girl begging Monica for an out. She was very successful and was a great mom. She realized she always loved Ross. She was ready to try to make things work with him. What made Rachel and Ross’s issue is they both put each other on a ridiculous pedestal. He believed because Rachel being very pretty he thought everything that followed would be perfect. Rachel believed because Ross was this very timid and nice guy he’d never hurt her. They seriously needed to wait. They had growing pains to work out in the beginning.

I like Phoebes ending, not only is she happy but she also brings out a more wild side to Mike. They bring a very nice dynamic of balance.

I also disliked Rachel’s ending. Rachel should have gone to Paris. Doubt that Ralph Lauren would re hire her and get a job as so well paid as LV. Good luck! (As Chandler’s highschool ex said).

Phoebe had such a beautiful ending. She made the choice to get married after she found a guy who accepted and loved her free spirit just as she was! After a life of such hardship and tragedy, of course you would want a loving and stable life.

Just because they grew and started new chapters in their lives doesn't mean their friendship is over. People grow up and find new purposes in their lives but true friends, like the group, will never just end like that.

I love these deeper looks at favorite TV characters and I really loved the video about Ross being a toxic friend. However, this video feels like a very 20-something bitter person reading really heavily into the finale. "All my friends are getting married and leaving me behind", and unable to see the joy in marriage, parenthood etc. "Ross won't leave his son" is said like that is a negative thing. It isn't, really. The voice of this video just comes across as immature and fearful of the wrong things. The end of the video sort of acknowledges this, but the premise of the video is more negative than the actual experience of the things it is trying to point out as tragic.

Phoebe married Paul Rudd. She got the best ending.

I understand why people wanted joey to have a romantic relationship as well. He is deeply loving and very loyal and those qualities are of course valuable.but lets face it, Joey never liked the idea of commitment he never had a serious relationship until rachel and even than he was keeping it kinda casual. He never wanted to have romance he just wanted to have fun with life and he did. I see why viewers are bummed but you can't force a man to start something that he just doesn't want. Being single isn't tragic.

I’m so glad other people saw Rachel’s sadness and how uneven Ross’ jealousy was. He had so many chances to grow beyond that and he proved his 2 Dimensional again and again

Honestly I always felt the worst for Phoebe in the finale. Rachel (in one of her worst moments) mentions how Phoebe "lifts right out" of the group. Monica and Ross were related, so that kept them and Chandler and Rachel in each other's circles, and Chandler even mentions having a place for Joey in his and Monica's house. So he wouldn't be cut out. But Phoebe really had no permanent ties, and out of all of them I could see her losing touch with everyone eventually. I was really glad she had Mike by the end. And I'm really getting sick of people implying that marriage and a family is a bad ending for a woman. It's not, as long as it's what she wants. Phoebe didn't have to give up anything to be with Mike, and she got someone who loved and wanted a family with her in the end. I couldn't think of a better ending for Phoebe than that. What would have been terrible is for her to see all her other friends move away, or just move on and her being in exactly the same spot she was in in the pilot, only this time ten years older and alone.

Rachel should have went to Paris and never gotten back with Ross.

I'm rewriting their endings 😁 Rachel: stays on the plane and becomes an international top businesswoman Ross: continues doing what he loves (his job) and meets a woman at the museum who he falls for (finally moving on from Rachel) Phoebe: becomes a travelling (not all the time so there is some stability) folk singer/guitarist with her funky band mates while her husband supports her Monica and Chandler: stay in Manhattan where they raise their kids Joey: still lives across from Monica and Chandler, so he stays close to his friends and helps raise their kids. He also learns how much he loves being with kids and becomes a fun loving elementary school teacher

Phoebe is the one who wants to be married, she's the one who wants more normal things in her life, her ending definitely is the best she can get. I always think Phoebe getting married is the best thing throughout the last season, so happy to see her having the life she wants.

Only those in their twenties or early 30's would see this as sad. It ended well for all. Choosing a loving family/committed relationship over a lucrative career is the most mature move anyone can make. It is making room for the inevitable stage-which is aging and passing on the wisdom you've gained, and nurturing the next generation. (If in doubt, ask old people in their deathbed- no one fondly thinks of boardroom meetings-it's all about relationship and family) Like Joey, Not everyone can be married, but choosing a life path that leans towards caring for others is true maturity. Joey is single, but he is the kind of friend that you can rely on, that is why Monica and Chandler choose to keep a room for him. Plus knowing his sensitive side, his story is not finished yet.

I can’t believe y’all used a tiny clip of Monica getting her eyes checked by her ex’s son because the narrator said “looking closer”, why is this so funny to me??

I don't care if the internet doesn't like Friends anymore, it still made me laugh multiple times and the fashion alone is enough for me to like it

It's funny how while others' sad endings are definite, Joey's sad ending is an entire show 😂😂😂

I actually relate with Phoebe... Having a weird life and wanting to be normal... We all deserve that opportunity

Finally!!!! Rachel's ending is so sad, it stucks her arc of someone growing and putting herself first

The one point I don't agree with is the one about Phoebe and her marriage. Every relationship is different, every couple has a different dynamic, and getting married doesn't suddenly change who someone is as a person. Marriage is just a more professional term for dating and it wouldn't stop Phoebe from being a free spirit, she'll just have someone by her side. It also shows how Phoebe grew from being a quirky free spirit with no shackles on life to a free spirit who understands the value of an anchor for stability. If she didn't choose to get married then she would be exactly like Joey, someone who didn't grow or change as a person (We've also seen throughout the show that she's been hypocritical about her beliefs and values if she can get something out of it, regardless of the fact she doesn't like what she's doing)

Joey really had the kindest heart and was definitely the most loyal and trustworthy friend. But he couldn’t get past that simple place to enter into the world of complex relationships, commitments and responsibilities...

Marriage is mundane? Just because two of the characters got married and had children doesn't mean that life has become mundane. Chandler and Monica can still have their dream careers if the two of them, with patience, work out a plan to achieve their goals while married. They may have to modify their goals but they can find a way to reach what they hoped to achieve before "mawige". Phoebe, if she has the support of a husband who cares to help develop her hidden talents, could have a really fulfilling life. It seems that Phoebe wants stability in her life. She started finding it with her friends and in that period of time she fell in love. She doesn't want the chaos from her previous life. Ross and Rachel, on the other hand.....

I think you missed something important with Mike, he virtually rejected his own family to be with Phoebe. His uptight parents went to their wedding in the middle of the street with some hippie playing the bongos. They met each other halfway. I think that was great. Maybe Phoebe over corrected a little to balance her past, but Mike knew what he was getting into. He accepted Princess Consuela Bananahammock. About Joey, it’s not a sad ending, it’s just the truth that your growth doesn’t have to be parallel with your friends. He’s taking more time to grow, he’s enjoying his bachelor life for longer. That happens, is not a tragedy. He’s like a D List celebrity living in New York. Not a glamorous ending, but not that bad either. People don’t have kids or get married at the same time as their friends. Sometimes you feel left behind, sometimes things just fall into place and everything is perfect. If anything. Joey just continuing his life is very realistic.

I am sooo glad that someone finally put it in words properly that ross was soo wrong in doing that airport gesture. I always felt bad that Rachel had to leave the job in Paris. And i am all about being with a person you love but that relationship was just toxic and really not worth leaving a dream job.

Life is Change, Change is Life. The show couldn't have ended better.

We don't "have to start dating the right people or end up alone". It is possible to continue being very close with friends throughout life.

Why the friends ending is actually sad? Because that's the nature of life.

I always considered the Friends finale to be one of best tv endings for its time. The show is about the importance of family and how it evolves over time. These six characters were family to each other, but they eventually created their own individual ones (except Joey). I think it’s very poignant for Joey to have the loneliest ending considering he grew the least out of everyone, while Chandler and Monica get the most rewarding one. If nothing else, Chandler, Monica, Ross, and Rachel will always be connected.

What actually depressing is this video, not the ending of Friends

I always believed that there was a part of Phoebe's personality that was used as a defense mechanism to protect her from being further hurt by people and life. Then along comes a heart-fluttering handsome guy who tells her that he loves and understands her and will take her any way he can get her. And then he promises that he will never hurt her, nor will he abandon her. For the absolute first time in her WHOLE life, Pheobe can take down her walls and experience life from the other side. Of all the characters on the show, Pheobe got the fairytale. And she deserved it. And as spacious as the apartment is, Chandler and Monica had a boy and a girl and only two bedrooms. Eventually, they would have to get a bigger apartment or a house.

You lost me at saying Mike is "bland". WTF? (Still love the channel, though.)

how were ross and rachel ever gonna share custody across two continents

They give you "happily ever after"ending (Friends), and you say it's too unrealistic. They give you true ending (HIMYM), you say it's too cruel and doesn't match the characters. Oh come on!

Mike was awesome for Phoebe, he supported and understood her zaniness. He balanced her out and she balanced him out making them stronger together. Getting married doesn't mean Phoebe stops being Phoebe with all her talents. Marriage does not equal death. Phoebe grows as a person and decides what she wants is marriage to someone she loves... that's not a sin.

The whole ross and rachel finale seemed rushed. Rachel was always so passionate about her job, she would always stand her ground and continue fighting for her dreams and she decides to drop everything for ross so quickly? I'm not saying that you can't choose love over career but why would she want to have a toxic relationship all over again. Their romance was so problematic that this whole happily ever after thing seemed stupid. If friends had more seasons i'm sure they would break up again.

Joey was an amazing friend and he deserved a better ending

My question tho: Do you really have to give up (your friends) to grow up? Of course you will spend less time with them at some point but I refuse to believe that that‘s how it works. I wouldn’t want to give up my social life to give my all into just one thing, raising children or chasing your career. I‘ve seen adults who don’t have any friends mostly because they have a partner. I can’t imagine that being healthy.

I think it’s a bad take that Ross was the selfish one in the relationship. They both were selfish at different times. And interpreting the final as Rachel never taking the Paris job is just projecting that belief that the faults are all on Ross.

I have a lot of problems with this video. I've heard these takes before and I always saw it as a cynic's view of how things should play out rather than what would actually serve the characters best. Phoebe: There's nothing wrong with wanting to settle down to normalcy after spending your entire life as an eccentric outsider (even amongst your best friends). To me, this is her most realistic endpoint to a character like her's. The point was that they're all supposed to have grown up by the end. Her regular marriage and longing for a normal life in the final season was Phoebe's arc reaching its natural conclusion. Monica & Chandler: I can't see how anyone could be dissatisfied with their finale. They were arguably the best part of the show once they got together. Chandler grew past his commitment insecurities and fears of being someone destined to never have a happily ever after. Meanwhile, Monica learned to accept the imperfections that come with love and life as a whole. You can't always plan it out or see it coming. Sometimes, what you want in life just falls right in your lap(Chandler) or you gotta find a new angle (kids through adoption). Ross & Rachel: Okay, here we go. Yes, Ross was indeed selfish in their initial relationship with all of his jealous insecurities. However, Rachel was also not in the best frame of mind in how she viewed Ross when they first got together. Ross saw Rachel as his ultimate prize, not in a trophy way, but in a fragile sense. He couldn't fathom the idea of Rachel having more important aspects/responsibilities other than a relationship because he was still viewing her as his teenage crush, and a woman with no direction that needed saving. Likewise with Rachel, she also had a more idealized view of Ross that was far beyond realistic expectations. Ross is as flawed an individual as anyone else. But in the first 3 seasons, outside of the infamous list, Rachel never has a moment of viewing Ross on the level of unfinished as everybody else. She seemed to tiptoe around his emotions as much as he did with hers. (Remember when she got a tattoo and was scared to tell Ross like she was a kid and he was her father? She's a grown woman with control of her own body. That storyline always felt out of place and in the wrong decade to me.) They doted on each other like high schoolers, both were living in a fantasy. This builds to the ultimate crescendo when Ross finally shows Rachel how human he his by cheating on her. And even though the act itself is inexcusable, when Rachel said she used to see Ross as someone who "would never hurt her," that mindset was equally problematic. Because as we all know, it's the ones you love the most that can cause you the most pain. They needed to break up in that moment. But in the seven years after following that, Ross and Rachel both grew together as people and learned to love each other for their flaws as much as their strengths. They spent a long time as friends and had seen the most embarrassing and noble aspects of each other's character. Not only were they no longer doting on each other or crushing from afar, they were openly mocking each other and were arguably each's harshest critics. All of this is to say that by the end of the show, they have an entirely different dynamic than what they had in the beginning. Ross saw Rachel as a strong, smart, career-driven woman. And Rachel saw Ross as a goofy, sensitive, insecure at times know-it-all who had a genuinely kind and caring heart at the core of every reckless thing he does. Much like Monica and Chandler's relationship, they rebuilt theirs from a point of friendship and went from the ground up. With the only difference being that they maintained a clear attraction to each other whether they were on, off or just hooking up in between their different relationships. This all leads to the finale, where it is clear by this point that both are just hesitant and afraid to really give their relationship another serious try. It was devastating enough the first time and now they a kid to worry about disappointing as well should it not work out. But in the end, they both knew that they were happiest whenever they were together(speaking about S4 onward) than they were whenever they were apart. This is the seminal point that most people miss when they talk about the finale. Rachel LOVED ROSS TOO!!!! She felt the same way he did with all the uneasiness and anxiety about moving to Paris and leaving Ross behind. As she said, the more she thought about leaving Ross it made her "not want to go." Because deep down SHE WANTED TO BE WITH ROSS!!!! I agree that she made a sacrifice and gave up a huge career opportunity by not taking the job in Paris. But if there was anything that show exemplified in Rachel Green, it's that she was a talented enough to keep ascending up the ladder in her profession. She was talented enough to incite a bidding war for her abilities after all. I'm certain another job of that magnitude would've come down the pipeline eventually. Lastly, regarding the finale and sacrifices, ROSS HAD A SON WHO LIVED IN NEW YORK!!!!!! He refused to move to London and make his marriage work with Emily because he couldn't neglect his responsibilities in raising Ben. That's the number one reason why he pleaded with her to stay and not just hop on the plane right beside her. Joey: Yep, right on the money with that one.

I'm experiencing this now with my friends group. I have the Chandler/Monica couple who are about to have a kid and have their careers, the Rachel/Ross couple who have a kid and are settled in their jobs, a few Joeys who are single and kind of immature, and I'm the Phoebe who's seeking out a meaningful career path and about to settle down with my Crapbag ❤️ Great video. The tragedy of the end of the 20's really is so true 😔

" This was a happy place, filled with love and laughter " 😞 -Chandler Bing from the most funniest line to the most serious line !

Monica and Chandler moving to the suburbs isn’t bad.. many couples in NY do this and commute to the city it’s only a 30-45 minute train ride depending on where they moved.

I like to think that Rachel and Ross went to Paris together because she should have definitely have gone either way. And I also like to think that Phoebe had a great ending because Mike didn’t hold her back , he made her see sense without ha ring to tell her how to stuff and he never was ashamed of following her wherever she would go. Idk I really liked Phoebe and Mike together.

It's funny how the Friends finale was satisfying but sacrificed their characters development, and somehow How I Met Your Mother managed to give us a horrible ending and STILL ruin all the characters development. I guess good on Friends for at least getting one thing right

This video made sad. Not because it reminded my emotions after Friends finale, but realizing that I am almost at their age when they fell apart and skipping the part when I find my friends

I started crying...so sad. Especially when it sayes when being young with yours friends is a short experience. I hate change. And so much more tragic than I thought. I didnt realize how depressing joey's ending was. Poor guy.

Almost everything is as sad as it is happy, in hindsight. It's the contrast that most often brings life to things.

the fact that Rachel gave up working for Louis Vuitton in Paris (a dream job for her) to keep her messed up, on and off, frankly unbalanced relationship with Ross - will forever be one of the worst endings for a female character.

The older I get the more annoyed I am with Racheal’s decision.

Yeah honestly Phoebe's ending reminds me of my parents own decisions. Neither of them had traditional, stable families, they suffered through a lot of abuse and issues with drugs and alcohol, and their dream was to have a stable, happy family with a loving and devoted partner. They found that with each other, and they did everything they could for their family because they wanted to create the kind of love and support they lacked growing up. I feel like Phoebe's desire for a typical stable family is really similar. Sometimes people start families because they feel obligated to, or cause they've never even considered the possibility of not having one, but Phoebe genuinely, genuinely wants this kind of life, and she seems fulfilled because of it

i agree with the ross and rachel ending, but I really do think that the rest of them end up in the right place!

Delighted to know that the guy who freaked out at the plane having no phalange is Dean Pelton from Community!

To me Rachel's story is the only tragic one. She gave up everything for a relationship that we all knew would never last, because Ross had not changed one bit and only emotionally blackmailed her to stay. Phoebe, Chandler, Monica and Joey are fine in the end and with good outlook for their future.

Phoebe's ending is wonderful! She keeps with the love of his friends and with the love of a the guy that embraces all her quickerness. She is still a free woman because she is free to do whatever she wants (as always) while she is in an well-grounded and healthy relationship. I don't think marrying is a prison for a person like her, as the analysis implies (specially because she has an unstable family record). And let Mondler moving to the suburbs... It's not a big deal.

Thinking about it, if they wanted to do a better job of convincing us RE Ross and Rachel's longevity they should not have had Ross repeat the same pattern as before. He should still have the love realisation but decide and vocalise that he screwed up before and he's not gonna get in the way of Rachel gaining her dreams again. Then have Rachel be the one to come to him and say unprompted that she loves him and wants him to come to Paris. And he goes. Something like that. As it stands, it feels like going backwards.

I find the ending on the whole tragic, cause they started the show with the premise of finding your group and having people there for you. The ending on the show played into the stereotype of nuclear family units. it would have rocked if they had found a way to send the characters to their next step, but .. together as the family they have become. for me, that was the biggest disservice.

i feel bad for joey just imagine. he lives across the hall ,his roomate chandler is gone . this friends next door moved out . imagine you get use to all the noice and just going next door to vent now you wake up the next day and its nothing but silence, im sure his friends would stop by every now and then . but everyones married with kids, at some point they would just stop coming around. imagine looking at a room then a door and being like once i walk out theres no stepping back in . kinda sucks cause i bet they also stopped meeting up and central perk

True about Ross and Rachel. But mike loved phoebe for who she was. In his wedding vows he says Shes "wonderfully weird". People that are individuals enjoy love too. And joeys ending i think fit. He's grown and now he will be able to see who he can be without people enabling him.

Rachel should have gone to Europe.

"many of them start _real_ families and move on" this is so archaic and conservative. Family can be whatever you want it to be. Also Rachel saying she needs to stop having fun? It makes it sound like life ends _if_ you have children. That sucks, all around.

Okay I wasn't expecting to cry and feel so reflected in this video. I don't watch the friends finale very often unless it's playing on tv, otherwise I usually stop my rewatch at season 7/8. It's my comfort show, the one I put on when life is hard, uncertain or I'm just bored. I forgive it's flaws, I see past the things I don't like because it has given me so much laughter.

Very interesting points. I recently rewatched all of Friends and I do look at the ending differently than when I was younger. My biggest change in perspective is that Rachel and Ross should not have ended up together. I found their on and off again relationship throughout the series too unstable and toxic in a similar way I watched a friend of mine go through. At some point reality has to outweigh fantasy, the idea of a couple being together is always better than seeing them try to make it work but fail time and time again. Ross's erratic behavior, impulsiveness, and insecurity continued to cause Rachel unhappiness and it seemed more clear over time that he was holding her back. It's a shame because the series opened with her running out of a hopeless relationship but it ended with her running into another one. When they reunited in the final episode I had little faith that things would be any different and it would just be a matter of time before the cycle repeats. I too believe that Rachel would become resentful at some point for giving up her dream job. But in the end, it was her choice to get off the plane so she will have to deal with whatever comes of that decision in running back to Ross. I disagree about Phoebe, she's still the same quirky free spirit she always was but she also matured over time and realized she would miss out on things she wanted deep down unless she made some changes. Her unusual past and upbringing led her to living a highly unorthodox life in her youth but like many of us, she changed as she grew older. Goals and priorities shift with time and Phoebe realized that she didn't want to keep living the unusual life she was used to because that hadn't brought her stability. She now wanted a more normal and secure life which I wouldn't deem as a bad thing. I think the love between Monica and Chandler may have influenced her the most in wanting to find a deeply connected, loving relationship which she found in Mike. She chose to seek a partner who would provide her a life of safety and comfort which I felt was the perfect ending for her after the dark childhood she went through. Of all the Friends, Joey was truly the most tragic. He was the only one who didn't change much after ten years, he ends the show with about as much as he started off with, and is left longing for the good times of being single with his other single friends who have now moved on to marriage, careers, and raising families. He represents what can happen when you don't choose to make a change and are content with things staying the same, sadly though things rarely do. It's a very fascinating topic because the series started with a group of 20 somethings unsure of where to go in life. Some of them wondering if they made the right choice closing the door on a possible direction, like Rachel with Barry, or having to deal with a door being closed on them like Ross with Carol. As with all six characters, life will present you with endless opportunities that could lead to a happy life you can either take or leave. Each small choice you make will open and close doors on a universe of possibilities each with their own pros, cons, and potential to bring you long term happiness. Ultimately it's you alone who must have foresight on what will be right for you, which risks are worth taking and which goals you will be at peace with not accomplishing. The show ends with a group of 30 somethings leaving behind the stage of uncertainty and making their own choices of where they want the next stage of their life to go. Not knowing if the chance they are taking will be worth it but having faith that it will even if it means going in opposite directions as the friends they leaned on in their younger years but now no longer need. This is what most of us will do eventually when that time comes to either remain stuck or choose a path to move forward in and that makes the finale of Friends one of the most realistic, bittersweet, and poetic of all.

Disclaimer: I wasn't going to comment this again but last time I pissed off a guy named Chris with it so now I'm just gonna copy paste this comment regardless of if I get noticed by The Take or not ❤️ *Please talk about close platonic relationships between women and men in film and television and the pressure inflicted on them to have a romantic relationship instead!* Examples: Natasha and Steve from the MCU, Morgan and Garcia from Criminal Minds, Ellie and Paul from The half of it, etc. How society views platonic relationships as just a building step for a romantic relationship instead, and somewhat forces us to view them as such to the point we can even start to confuse our own feelings when we're faced with similar situations and believe we're ~in love~ with the other person. Like, yes we love them but not in that way. Add in: I know they kinda touched on the topic in the Phoebe and Joey vid but I think a more in depth vid with different variations would be great xx

I'm coming to the conclusion is that what we really can't get over is the fact that a show like this is over. In 2004, when this ended, couples were more important than the individual pursuit of a career (even in Sex and the City), and again we're seeing something being evaluated by today's societal standards or ideals (more feminist, more egalitarian, yes, but also a bit unrealistic - in real life, statistically men still make more money, still call the shots, the USA hasn't even managed to elect a female president, and that is really meaningful). So the ending was appropriate for that time and to be honest, as a big fan, I never felt it was happy, it was sad to see them leave their flats in NYC. Maybe in real life they wouldn't be able to afford the rent in the city anymore, but it's very realistic in the sense that one day that lifestyle was gone...

I never understood why people were so upset with Rachel not moving to Paris. It was the job she found a minute after she lost her old one, I'm sure she had plenty of other exciting jobs out there, so it's not like her career was over. Plus, she would be taking Ross' daughter that they were coparenting away to another continent, that seemed to bother nobody.

I feel that Phoebe's ending was the best. Sure she was carefree and 'wonderfully weird' but at the same time I truly believe she wanted a normal life, and that's why marrying Mike was not such a disaster, but rather a great source of stability and comfort for her. Otherwise though I love the video and thought you made some excellent points.

The ending was sad because they sequel Joey, was right around the corner

I feel melancholic and questioning my current lifestyle after watching this video.

True when you start to have a family there is a limitation to your friends but when they need a friend that they need to cry on you must be there for you.

Friends was just a great show that reminds me of my youth (the 90s) but also I started to appreciate it more when I was around their ages (now I'm about their age when the show stopped).

I disagree with the Ross and Rachel part. Just because Rachel chose love over her carrier doesn't mean it's worse. It just means she set other priorities. And just because she didn't go to Paris she can still chase a carrier in NYC. Plus when Ross tells Rachel to go, he really is supportive and tells her to go and realizing he can't live without her is a good kind of selfish I think. He didn't force her and first Rachel even turns him down, but by admitting that he still loves her, she comes to the realisation that she wants that too. The same goes for phoebe. Just because some peoples priorities are more "common" than always striving for more or staying an individual even if it's at the expense of a safe space, does bit make sense to me.

I usually agree with the takes of this channel however I can't agree with this one. I moved away from the city in which i grew up to pursue my dream of getting a phd in a smaller city. It was the right decision. I had to leave my boyfriend there and we ended up in a long distance relationship. However, now that I am a bit older and have the opportunity to get my dream job, all I want is to move back in with my boyfriend and get married to start my life with him. I think there is a turning point in each person's life and taking the more traditional rout isn't necessarily a bad thing. At some point most people look for a settled life and want to be surrounded by those they love.

I wouldn't worry about Phoebe. Her embracement of 'some of the regular stuff' doesn't have to mean letting go of her 'weirder' side altogether. Don't forget that Mike is a super supportive guy, too. I can totally see him saving up to buy her professional music gear for Christmas. Together, they're gonna make Smelly Cat a hit at a local radio station, I know it.

When I was 13 or 14 my older cousins made me watch friends, and I hate it. Funny thing I bump into it again on Netflix at the age of 19 and just love it. The timing of learning and seeing the life I'm going into is just amazing for me. Thank you FRIENDS, I'm going into my 20's having the lessons I learned from this series.

Can you do a Samantha Jones analysis (SATC) next?

Show ended 15 years ago and videos still coming out this shows how great it was

you say rachel had the intention to tell ross she loved him on his wedding but she didn't because she wasn't selfish isn't totally right, because her presence on the wedding was enough to spoil it. i think the show breaking up ross and rachel so many times was a strategy to keep the audience enterteined, as the writers admitted. yes, they were too complicated, but they were my favorite couple on the show. maybe they didn't have to end up together but it isn't necessarily bad that they did.