The night is winding down. I am a little stressed about last-minute assignments that I am trying to finish. I am planning my social activities for the weekend or dreading all the chores I have to do in my house. I know that I won’t be productive if I try to keep working on my to-do list when my mind is preoccupied and I am feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes I just need to decompress, relax my mind, and not focus for just 25 minutes: the perfect time to watch an episode of Friends.
My love for Friends started in high school when marathons of this sitcom would stream on TBS for hours after school. I would just be getting back from track practice: tired from my long day of classes, and drained from socializing all day, so would sit on the couch and watch episode after episode of Friends. Without even watching them in order, I quickly caught on to the storylines of Joey, Chandler, Ross, Phoebe, Monica, and Rachel.
After years of watching Friends solely on TBS, I had probably seen every single episode out of order; however, that didn’t satisfy me. I wanted to see how each character came to be and why they acted the way they did, so I started to watch the series from season one, episode one on Netflix. Given that I could stream it basically anywhere, at any time, I no longer had to wait for the Friends marathons on TBS. I could just watch it on TV whenever I wanted, and this is how Friends became a regular in our family room — something that got old fast for the rest of my family.
After finishing Friends on Netflix, it would be an understatement to say I was a Friends superfan. I had seen every episode at least a couple of times and could basically tell what season I was watching just based on Jennifer Anniston’s hairstyle. I even went so far as to dress up as these characters for Halloween one year: me being Phoebe, of course, while my other two friends were Rachel and Monica. It not only became my favorite TV series, but it also became my comfort show.
Being so familiar with every episode, I can turn on any season and not feel lost. The 25-minute length lets me fit in a quick Friends moment when I need a little break. And the simple humor, yet sentimental tone always gives feel-good, positive vibes when I need a little pick me up.
This stressful fall semester has brought countless Friends streams. After staying up late to finish an essay, or studying for an exam, I can’t just fall right asleep after stimulating my brain. So I pull out my laptop, open HBO Max (since they removed friends from Netflix :\ ), and I watch an episode of my favorite characters, sipping coffee in NYC.
Most people have their own comfort shows — The Office, New Girl, How I Met Your Mother — but if you are still looking for one, I recommend Friends. You don’t even have to start it from the beginning, but believe me, you will want to after you meet Joey, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe. When I need to decompress, lighten my mood, or just relax; I leave my stressful college to-do list for a moment and go to Central Perk in NYC where I laugh, smile, and enjoy all things Friends.
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!