A proper series finale can make or break a show’s legacy, and even if fans had loved it for years, a bad finale can have the effect of souring the perception around the show. Thankfully, Friends avoided such an event by delivering one of the best finales in memory.
However, that doesn’t mean the last episode was perfect, as there were still points that could’ve been done a lot better. Now that we’re anticipating the cast reunion on HBO soon, it’s worth checking out the last episode once again to see the areas that were lacking, and the things that we loved.
Didn't Love: Joey's Minimal Role
While every other friend got great endings for themselves, Joey didn’t get much of anything. However, our gripe isn’t over his overall ending, but of his lack of direct role in the finale. He was the only character who didn’t get a central story.
Instead, Joey played the part of an onlooker over the various happenings of other characters. Had Joey not even been in the episode, the events would have played out almost the same, with only changes in some subplots. He deserved more for being one of the main characters on the show.
Loved: The Final Shot
If you want to know how to leave viewers wanting more yet still feel completely fulfilled, then look no further than the ending shot of Friends. Here, we saw every friend deliver a dialogue that fit their characterization, along with a beautiful soundtrack to boot.
The circle around the empty apartment and the promise of a last trip to the coffee house was the icing on the cake, and no true fan has only watched this shot just the one time, that’s for sure.
Didn't Love: Chandler And Erica's Interaction
It’s a shame that Friends went for a joke instead of truly showing how Chandler had changed over the course of the decade we saw him, when he was present during the baby’s birth. More specifically, the scene preceding the delivery when Chandler couldn’t understand what to say to Erica.
This went against the time when he’d managed to convince Erica to give him and Monica her children, a moment where he’d shown great maturity. Watching Chandler mumble ridiculous jokes was too much like the juvenile person he was in the earlier seasons, and this didn’t fit in well for the finale.
Loved: Chick Jr. And Duck Jr.
A good finale always has references to the great times in the series, and Friends ed how fans wondered where the chick and the duck had gone to after the seventh season. As a nod toward happy times, we got the junior versions of these animals.
Not only did it make for a cute scene, it also highlighted the adorable quality Joey had, something that fans have always loved. Another thing we appreciated was how, through Chick Jr and Duck Jr, we got the clarity over the situation of their predecessors.
Didn't Love: The Foosball Table's Destruction
We’re aware that destroying the table was meant to signify how it was time for Joey and Chandler to move on from their younger days, but it felt more unnecessary than anything else. After all, we also got Monica bribing the mover to destroy the big white dog statue too, so that reference would’ve been enough.
Destroying the Foosball table seems even less relevant when you consider that Joey apparently gave Chick Jr and Duck Jr up before he moved to L.A. in his own spin-off. Had the table remained, we could’ve convinced our own head canons that Chandler kept visiting Joey to play the game.
Loved: Chandler And Joey's Hug
There were a bunch of friendships that people loved on the show, but it really was Chandler and Joey’s bromance that was the most-talked about. It would’ve been a disservice to this dynamic had they not had one last acknowledgment of their connection, and we got just that.
They had embraced many times previously, but this one has always stood out for having so much said with just one hug. It remains one of the moments where fans tend to realize that this really was the last episode of the series.
Didn't Love: Mike's Ending
Having been present right from the beginning of Season 9, and with screentime in the final episode as well, Mike should’ve gotten some kind of a sendoff. He was never going to be significant, but anything would’ve been better than the ending he got.
Most tend to forget where exactly we left Mike, and that would be the scene when Joey accidentally sat on the sofa with paint on his pants. Rather than it it was him when Monica asked, Joey framed Mike as the guilty party. The flabbergasted expression on Mike’s face remains the final shot of the character, which really is just ridiculous.
Loved: Phoebe Bringing Ross And Rachel Together
If you know Phoebe, you know she was a shipper on deck for Ross and Rachel the moment she saw them together. Having dubbed them as “lobsters” for one another as far back as Season 2, we loved how it was Phoebe who was vital in pairing them back together.
It was Phoebe who took Ross to the airport, stalled Rachel by telling her about the plane’s “phalange,” and finally screamed Rachel’s name at the airport so Ross could profess his feelings. All this felt like a circle complete, one that Phoebe deserved to close.
Didn't Love: Gunther's Anti-Climactic Love Confession
There was no chance of Gunther ever convincing Rachel to fall in love with him, and while we’re glad the show did have him reveal his feelings, it just felt too much like a gag. After all, Gunther was probably in love with Rachel longer than Ross, seeing as his feelings never faded away in ten years.
And yet, one expects more every time the scene plays out of Gunther telling Rachel he loves her. All he did was accept her rejection and walk to the back. A little more finality in this scene would’ve been better to close out the longest subplot in the series.
Loved: Ross And Rachel's Reconciliation Moment
Rather than rely on any twists or elaborate declarations of love, Friends had a perfect reconciliation between Ross and Rachel when she showed up at his apartment. The times for drawn-out romantic moments was better suited to their younger days, and this felt like a more grown-up way.
It also had an innocent charm to it, as Ross was seen helplessly trying to get the answering machine to work before Rachel surprised him. Of course, bringing up the “We were on a break” thing was a nice nod toward what the fans were thinking, making this a scene that deserves full marks.