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'Friends' fans: did the series ever jump the shark?

149 replies

orangeyeahthatsright · 25/07/2023 22:29

And if so, at what point in the series?

For me I think the episode with Emma's birthday party was where it all started to feel really laboured. Although it had been getting there since the episode where Phoebe blagged her way into Sting's house, for me anyway.

(Side note: I know Friends hasn't aged well in some regards, but that's not really where I'm going with this thread.)

OP posts:
UndercoverCop · 25/07/2023 22:30

I think the episode where Monica thought chandler was masturbating to a shark documentary

CaffeineAndCrochet · 25/07/2023 22:31

Joey speaking French was a low point for me.

Kimfluencer · 25/07/2023 22:32

I loved it until the very end, but I think the characters had become quite caricatured by the end. It def ended at the right time.

Agree it hasn’t aged well in some ways, but the 90s were a while ago….

meemawww · 25/07/2023 22:32

Friends is the best thing ever

Vintagecreamandcottagepie · 25/07/2023 22:37

I'm a 90's girl and love love friends.

I do not get the love for series 10 sadly.

FearTheWankingDead · 25/07/2023 22:44

Kimfluencer · 25/07/2023 22:32

I loved it until the very end, but I think the characters had become quite caricatured by the end. It def ended at the right time.

Agree it hasn’t aged well in some ways, but the 90s were a while ago….

No - they were only 5 years or so ago . . . Not ages ago! If they were ages ago then I am OLD.

😢

MadamWhiteleigh · 25/07/2023 22:45

I don’t think there was a fixed point where all episodes before it were good and after it were bad. There were good and bad episodes across all ten seasons.

Tigresswoods · 25/07/2023 22:46

Hand twin.

WTAF?

MichelleScarn · 25/07/2023 22:48

What do people mean with the 'hasn't aged well'? Is that not then the same about any programme? Has anything 'aged well'?

Leafblow · 25/07/2023 22:50

I find that the ones in the 90s were more good than bad, and the ones in the 2000s were way more bad than good

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 25/07/2023 22:54

Tigresswoods · 25/07/2023 22:46

Hand twin.

WTAF?

That was hilarious though 🤣

It's brilliant, I can watch it again and again. I've been decorating and have had it on in the back ground.

Zelda's burning loins ,ha ha ha ha 🤣😂

WeWereInParis · 25/07/2023 23:01

Joey gradually becoming so stupid it was like he could barely function as an adult. In the first series he wasn't like that.

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orangeyeahthatsright · 25/07/2023 23:08

MichelleScarn · 25/07/2023 22:48

What do people mean with the 'hasn't aged well'? Is that not then the same about any programme? Has anything 'aged well'?

I guess things like how gay characters were talked about in quite othering terms, that kind of thing...

OP posts:
MMorales · 25/07/2023 23:12

The Rachel Joey romance.

Just completely weird.

midnightblue12 · 25/07/2023 23:16

I love friends but I'm not excited about watching anything last season 6.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 25/07/2023 23:16

When Ross went weird it went a bit downhill and joey and Rachel should never have been a couple

TooBigForMyBoots · 25/07/2023 23:18

MichelleScarn · 25/07/2023 22:48

What do people mean with the 'hasn't aged well'? Is that not then the same about any programme? Has anything 'aged well'?

Frasier has aged well.

LaMarschallin · 25/07/2023 23:20

I think it never quite jumped the shark. It kind of slid up the shark, took off briefly, landed back on the shark (albeit shakily, on one ski) then slid off, just about regaining balance before the end.

LaMarschallin · 25/07/2023 23:21

TooBigForMyBoots · 25/07/2023 23:18

Frasier has aged well.

Show quote history

Oh, yes.

HopityHope · 25/07/2023 23:22

Someone’s going to have to explain “jumped the shark” to me to save a google!

Tulips2507 · 25/07/2023 23:22

I think from season 6 it went downhill. The characters were so over the top. I still loved it but it felt more forced. Season 10 was dreadful though.

ChiPawPrint · 25/07/2023 23:24

MadamWhiteleigh · 25/07/2023 22:45

I don’t think there was a fixed point where all episodes before it were good and after it were bad. There were good and bad episodes across all ten seasons.

I agree with this. There's no specific point for me. I love Friends but some episodes are plain bizarre. I found the 18 pages 'front and back' episode stupid. Rachel's character was written so weird and goofy which was nothing like her character the episode before.

Squirrelsnut · 25/07/2023 23:27

The hand twins is one of my favourite skits!
It did tail off in the last couple of series for sure, but I quite enjoyed the over-the-top versions of the characters especially Monica and Joey.

fdgdfgdfgdfg · 25/07/2023 23:33

HopityHope · 25/07/2023 23:22

Someone’s going to have to explain “jumped the shark” to me to save a google!

There was an episode of Happy Days where The Fonz jumped over a shark on waterskis.

It's generally considered to be the point where the show went from good to utterly ridiculous and bad.

So the point where a TV show goes from good to bad is the point where it jumps the shark.

fdgdfgdfgdfg · 25/07/2023 23:36

For me it's the beach house episodes. That for me is the point where the writing changed, and characters started to get more and more one note.

It's still a good show after that point, but it feels like a different show.