With Netflix and Amazon Prime taking over our boring lives (thank you, guys) with the endless amount of new shows coming in, I often find myself reaching back to the same old, over-used hard-drive I own.
And almost like I can navigate through with my eyes closed, with a few mouse clicks, I find myself back where I started from, many many years ago.
The folder that says, F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
I’m not saying I don’t watch the latest shows that have social media and my friend circle hooked, I do. Just like everybody else, I am curious too. But every chance I get, it’s back to giggling over the jokes I must’ve heard at least a thousand times.
This show wasn’t just a show for me. It was my go-to. My rock. It was there when I was growing up, at every stage of my life. It was a show I watched with my siblings, a show I watched alone, a show I watched with friends.
And strangely, there was always that one dialogue that would go with the life situation at that moment.
Back when I was in the hostel, there were days I missed being home immensely. I often calmed myself down with an episode or two of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. The comfort I felt re-watching those episodes was indescribable.
The sound of the guitar, breaking into the familiar, “So no one told you life was gonna be this way…”
And the bickering and joking between the characters were enough to lift my spirits.
Sometimes going back to the episodes you’ve watched plenty of times before gives you that sense of familiarity and comfort, no? Even in the newest, strangest of places.
My roommate and I would order food and the first thing we would do was put on our favourite episode. Almost repeating the dialogues and sometimes delivering them before the character itself, we would then laugh out loud like it’s the first time we were hearing it. And continue watching with full concentration, intently.
Watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. was like, we were home. Back to our happy place.
Even when I wasn’t home-sick and felt indifferent, or simply tired, or I just wanted some time alone with myself, I would just plug my hard-drive in and randomly click on any season, any episode.
With a bowl of comfort food and a cup of hot tea, I would snuggle in and relax with five of my F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (BFF, yes).
I won’t lie, there are so many people who suggest shows, almost on a weekly basis. And I always promise them,
“Oh, yes. I will definitely start watching it this weekend.”
I don’t. I watch Ross screaming “We were on a break!”, Joey in his ‘maternity’ pants hogging turkey, Rachel convincing people to go bald, Pheobe’s awkward yet relatable performances, Monica wailing about her lost apartment and spend the rest of my weekend figuring out what Chandler’s work is.
And while new shows may come and go, F.R.I.E.N.D.S is forever.