Rachel, Ross, Joey, Chandler, Monica, and Phoebe: the greatest friend group of all time. They’re basically everyone’s goals. Sunday, September 22 was the 25th anniversary of their classic show, Friends. Over the years, it has made us laugh during hard times and maybe even shown us a life lesson or two. One thing everyone can agree on is that even after 25 years, the show is still one of the most-watched (and most-loved) series of all time.
The show starts off as Rachel Green bursts into the famous coffee shop we love, Central Perk, in a white, poofy wedding gown. We soon learn that she left her ex-fiancé, Barry, at the altar because she was not in love with him. Rachel soon finds her place in the friend group and her “real” life starts. The show gives everyone a picture of a life without parents and in a big, crazy city.
This friend group wrestles through heartbreak (divorce, in Ross’ case), jobs and babies. At the end of the day, they all sit down at the coffee shop to talk about their day. These characters rely on each other because their lives are far from perfect. Although Friends is a comedy, they do cover current issues, such as same-sex marriage, infertility and single parenthood.
There are plenty of celebrations going on to celebrate Friends‘ 25th anniversary. Fathom Events has planned a weekend full of episodes to commemorate the milestone. Fittingly, the event is called, “Your friends are still there for you, 25 years later!” The Jonas Brothers posted a video with the iconic opening scene to Friends including the theme song and the famous Friends font. Remember Ben, Ross’ child, that was played by Cole Sprouse? Sprouse celebrated the anniversary by posting a picture of himself sitting on the beloved orange Central Perk couch. And through October 6, New York has opened a pop-up shop to recreate iconic scenes and even get the coffee served from Central Perk. The museum even has props, including Rachel’s reconciliation letter to Ross. There are also a bunch of Instagrammable spots to recreate some scenes from the show.
With the Friends anniversary here, it’s a great time to highlight what we love about the show. It never fails to make us laugh or comfort us when we need it. That might be because we see ourselves in these characters, because we are all on the verge of becoming adults. One thing’s for sure: the Friends gang will forever be remembered.