Wow, I wasn't embedded in this show at all- I completely rejected it as mindless mainstream boolsheet, but it sounds like there was a lot of complexity under the surface. Had no idea Chandler was supposed to be neurodivergent and not simply an irate jerk. Thanks for helping enlighten me just a tad. And wow, he was only 54?!? Yikes.
I’m not positive Chandler was neurodivergent, but he liked things the way he liked them, and did have emotional responses to change. 😁
I see Ross as neurodivergent—irritable, stuck in his ways, and hyperfocused on his special interest (why wouldn’t Rachel want to talk about dinosaurs in bed?)
It really is a sweet show, so much more than standard sitcoms. I dislike almost all sitcoms, but I own Friends. It’s more of an exploration of relationships—can a group of very different people who knew each other in high school (some tangentially) really grow closer in adulthood? Can they maintain boundaries within the individual relationships? And it talked a lot about GenX issues, such as parents’ changing as you age (Chandler’s dad became trans when Chandler was a teenager, for instance).
Friends also poked fun at sitcom tropes, like introducing cuteness to keep the show going (Oliver on The Brady Bunch, Andy on Family Ties)—Ross got a pet monkey, which annoyed every single character until he promptly got rid of it.
Commenting again to add: I make my family watch at least one of the Friends Thanksgiving episodes every year before football comes on, and they have grown to love them. I highly recommend the “Geller Bowl” episode, which can be watched out of context. The group plays football while the turkey is cooking. It’s both sweet and funny.
Wow, I wasn't embedded in this show at all- I completely rejected it as mindless mainstream boolsheet, but it sounds like there was a lot of complexity under the surface. Had no idea Chandler was supposed to be neurodivergent and not simply an irate jerk. Thanks for helping enlighten me just a tad. And wow, he was only 54?!? Yikes.
I’m not positive Chandler was neurodivergent, but he liked things the way he liked them, and did have emotional responses to change. 😁
I see Ross as neurodivergent—irritable, stuck in his ways, and hyperfocused on his special interest (why wouldn’t Rachel want to talk about dinosaurs in bed?)
It really is a sweet show, so much more than standard sitcoms. I dislike almost all sitcoms, but I own Friends. It’s more of an exploration of relationships—can a group of very different people who knew each other in high school (some tangentially) really grow closer in adulthood? Can they maintain boundaries within the individual relationships? And it talked a lot about GenX issues, such as parents’ changing as you age (Chandler’s dad became trans when Chandler was a teenager, for instance).
Friends also poked fun at sitcom tropes, like introducing cuteness to keep the show going (Oliver on The Brady Bunch, Andy on Family Ties)—Ross got a pet monkey, which annoyed every single character until he promptly got rid of it.
There's always more behind the scenes if you know where to look.
Commenting again to add: I make my family watch at least one of the Friends Thanksgiving episodes every year before football comes on, and they have grown to love them. I highly recommend the “Geller Bowl” episode, which can be watched out of context. The group plays football while the turkey is cooking. It’s both sweet and funny.