Let's Bust a Recap : I'll Be There For You

Look familiar? Chances are, if you've been online, walked through the checkout line of your local grocers, or simply occupy space on this planet, you've seen the news that the cast of Friends got back together for a reunion special. 

But wait a minute, Hannah, isn't this a book blog? Why are you subjecting us to more coverage of the Friends reunion? 

Well, as it turns out: I've had this book about Friends sitting on my shelf for the last few years. With the news that the reunion special would be airing at the end of May, I decided it was the perfect time to pick it up and read it. So that's what I did.

To start out, I wouldn't call myself the show's biggest fan. I certainly didn't watch it during its original run which started when I was about seven years old. But between having roommates who are big fans and own all the DVDs, watching reruns late at night in hotel rooms while falling asleep, and the advent of Netflix, I admit I've seen all ten seasons from beginning to end more than just once. Friends has been described as "comfort food TV", and that resonates. Nothing on the show is particularly heavy or dramatic and you're bound to laugh at some point watching any given episode. 

I'll Be There For You: The One about Friends by Kelsey Miller was published in October of 2018 and one of my (real-life) friends got it for me for my birthday that year. Despite thinking it would be a fun behind-the-scenes look at the world's #1 hit comedy show, it sat on my shelf untouched until last month. When I finally did get around to reading it, it turned out to be a 50/50 book for me. What I mean is, it was about 50% interesting and 50% one big eye-roll. 

I enjoyed reading about the creation of the show, how the cast came together, the different tidbits of how the show almost ended but then got renewed, how the cast bonded and advocated for each other, and what the actors went on to do after the show ended. All that nerdy, behind-the-scenes stuff appeals to me, and I enjoy biographical trivia like that. I think it probably has something to do with having a brother who lives in Hollywood and is part of the entertainment industry. 

But the rest of it was just one big defense of the author's personal enjoyment of the show through a 2018 lens of political correctness. Is it okay to like something that wasn't racially diverse, had homophobic/fat-shaming/slut-shaming/whatever-shaming jokes? And why does the show's popularity still continue when all that stuff is in there? Here's one for you: I don't care. The show is funny, and I don't need some 30-something year old's permission to laugh at it. 

I enjoyed the actual reunion special (streamed on HBO Max) much more than I enjoyed the book (although James Corden could have stayed at home, just sayin'). While I find it absolutely ridiculous that these six people were paid upwards of $2.5 million dollars each to go hang out on the set of their old show, I was still one of the millions of people sitting in my living room watching it so what can I really say? 

All in all, the book, much like the show, is something I can take or leave. 

But enough of all this, what's your favorite episode? Joey putting Little Women in the freezer because Beth's death is just too much for him will always crack me up.