I WATCHED FRIENDS FROM THE LAST SEASON TO FIRST (Part-1)

Here’s an interesting fact about me that can go on my resume.

There is something about watching the sad scene in a movie where the “meant-to-be” couple bid goodbye to each other in a histrionic exchange of vulnerability. But what is even more sad is knowing that this scene is where the movie ends…. No happy endings for you to catalyze your inner catharsis…. Nobody to pull you out of short-term gratification of imagining yourself caught up in unknown nemesis….

And, it is not the malpractice of replacing Rachel or Monica and casting your potential perfect self into the frame of one of the most popular sitcoms in the history that further does the irreversible damage to your core. Instead it is the idea that we long for happy endings too much that any other situation lands only temporary registration into our minds with permanent booking of happily ever after.

Onto the cardinal sin that I happened to commit in the brevity of guilty pleasures, watching Friends in decreasing order was not that enthralling. Especially, due to the fact that I had already watched it hundred times before, the mere anticipation of an emotional outbreak was quickly overcome by a pop quiz. Challenging myself against myself of which scene would come next, whose dialogue could be next in line or randomly clicking on any episode and prophesize what happened in it….

But there was no underlying motif to know any more than I already did; peculiarly for a show that had shaped my late teenage years and made me into the coolest introvert ever.

The real motive, in any situation where the risk is not high but an absurd amount of fun is guaranteed, was to feel the sugar rush of an anticipation that I already knew of. The One with Ross’s Tan, Joey speaking French and introduction of Princess Consuela Bananahammock — I had the premonition there would be a lot to unpack.

If I were to say that I had a certain psychological ordeal to go from maturity to naivety, to go from The Last One to The One with the Sonogram, I would be lying in my pure conscience. But if you happen to be someone who is not that acquainted with this comedy series, I am practically on the noose to make such comments.

Starting with none other than Professor Geller, it is almost ecstatic to see his character enactment in reverse. Ross’s comedy timing gradually increases from season 1 to season 10. So, when put in reverse gear, it is so clear to see how much he has grown up, from a heartbroken soft guy who had hoped for an everlasting love and marriage all his life to going through three divorces and having a baby with his best friend out of wedlock.

Not to justify Red Ross’s actions in absolute trajectory, yet, in the episode The One with the Massapequa, when Rachel, sarcastically, mentions that she is allowed to exaggerate their fake wedding stories to the guests because she is not that lucky to get married twice, these jabs unravel the intrinsic growth of S1-S4 Ross to S7–S10. He got better at handling the curveballs rather than staying in the miserable state.

In the similar hue of maturity, we saw Mondler becoming the ultimate couple goals. The romantic union of Monica and Chandler goes on to throw even stronger punch when you watch it in reverse order. The genius scriptwriting of Friends brought together two extremely opposite personalities on the edge of the most practical happily ever after.

Though looking back, I also started seeing some underlying patterns common to both Mon and Mrs. Chanadler Bong. Chandler’s childhood, his complicated relationship with his parents, teenage years painted in insecurities and constant repercussions in love life. Watch Bing’s nostalgia tape parallel to Monica and you see a young girl full of bodily insecurities, biased parents who loved her brother more than her (and in obvious ways) and romantic repercussions…..well, remember Monica was once fat shamed by Chandler Bing, the man who later go on to be her love of life!

This fusion has got me rewiring my brains several times in a row, but, since the universe is full of possibilities, it is undeniably disapproving to get surprised, especially after having watched Season five almost thousand times.

Speaking of possibilities, Rachel Karen Green did end up surprising me the most. The character development of this popular girl who didn’t know how the real world works to a getting the dream career — the screenplay in reverse was like listening to Taylor’s Fearless after witnessing the powerful trance of Reputation album. The Rachel who is leaving for Paris has attributions’ notes for the Rachel who was, once, given the job to detangle hangers from a closet and make coffee as a “fashion” opportunity.

And it feels like what goes around comes around. Among the six characters, Rachel’s career has always been the highlight. It will be an understated way to cop a feel of this storyline, but Rachel left a man at the altar for the life that she wanted to create for herself.

And though she does deserve a fulfilling love life like Mondler, I guess she received her reward in a way that does establish her struggle to being an independent woman who doesn’t want to be a shoe (metaphorically, readers!). Not to forget, as Joey said in The One in the Barbados,” Rach, who can you not get?”, so the charm lingered around for as long as Ms. Green wanted. Right?

P.s.: If you are wondering about the analysis of two most iconic characters of this show, I believe they should be given their own space to correlate and present like a mixtape of songs that brought your midnight naivety and mystique to life. So, find me here again, in a while, with Joey Tribbiani and Phoebe Buffay’s reverse tape.

Ciao!