I have watched the pilot for the show Friends countless times, and every time I’ve enjoyed it. I have been a huge fan of the show every since I started watching it. I appreciate the humor and the feel-good vibe to it that makes me keep watching it over and over. The pilot sets up all of this.
The episode starts off with 4 of the friends hanging out at the coffee shop-for what is to perceived to be hours-and talk about light subjects such as Monica’s date or dreams they’ve had. Even in this short scene, personalities are already established. Phoebe makes quirky comments and Chandler is cracking jokes. Then, in comes Ross, soaked from the rain outside, and solemnly says, “Hi”. After talking about his divorce with his now lesbian wife, we can determine that his life is kind of a mess right now. He says, “I just want to be married again”, and then in stumbles Rachel, the soon-to-be final member of the crew, soaked and in a wedding dress. Eventually her and Monica catch up and Rachel ends up staying with Monica, as she needs a place to stay after running away from her wedding.
Rachel is characterized in the beginning as a spoiled woman. She still relies on her dad, and seems to have never had a job or really know how to get one. None of the friends seem to be crazy about her staying with Monica, but they all welcome her in. I like how the writers of this episode didn’t just have Rachel come in and assimilate to everything immediately. Her personality doesn’t exactly fit in and she is obviously upset about the fact that she just ran out on her wedding.
The most popular romance of the show, Ross and Rachel, is already established in this episode. We figure out that Ross still has a crush on Rachel since high school. It bothered me a little -especially knowing Ross’s character-that despite the spoiled woman she seems to have become, Ross still seems like like her just as much. That being said, you have to commend Rachel for running out on her wedding. She was put into this position of not thinking for herself, and she finally took control of her life. This is what makes the audience have a sort of admiration for Rachel, especially since she seems to already be developing greatly (by the end of the episode, she already has a job at the coffeehouse).
Overall, I thought it was a great episode. It is not supposed to be a thrilling or deep-thinking show, but maybe that’s what makes it so great.