Have you noticed, fans?
Hey FRIENDS fans! Have you ever noticed that the order of the colors of the dots changes from the show…
to the DVD set?
Pilot
Season: 1
Episode: 1
Original Air Date: September 22, 1994
General Thoughts: Well, this is a good episode, in my opinion. I liked the story line and how they introduced each character. I thought that you really understood what was happening from the beginning and I think they did it without being too cheesy about anything.
Characters: I liked how they set up the characters and I really think that every character was established very well. I think that Phoebe was the worst portrayed character only because of what they made her out to be later on in the series. In this beginning episode, she was really, really out there. And while we all know that Phoebe is kinda crazy, the first episode made her out to be crazier than the Phoebe we come to know in later years. It could be that she just becomes more “normal” as the years wear on… but, I digress.
Chandler was, in my opinion, the very best one from the beginning. His character was well setup. He was cracking jokes from scene one. His character may be the one that changed the least over the ten years of the show.
Ross, Monica, Joey, and Rachel all seemed to pretty much be the character that they would end up by the end of the show, but there were little details that I saw that would change over the years. They were very mild versions of themselves and you can see how they evolved into that final character in 2004.
I thought Rachel’s decision to leave Barry was very commendable and really a great beginning to who her character turned out to be. Good for her… for not being a generally responsible character on the show, it was a very responsible, take-charge decision. That’s one of the things I love about Rachel.
Chandler and Joey give Ross a hard time about talking about his divorce incessantly. While I agree that would be annoying, I felt like they gave him a hard time and they really should’ve been there for him a little more. He was married to her and loved her… that would be difficult to go through. And he was only 26. Give him a break.
Idiosyncrasies: One of the things I noticed was that Monica told Ross that their mom called her in the middle of the night crying about never having grandchildren. While that is clearly understandable after having seen Judy’s character over the years, I still think it’s weird that she called Monica to talk about that. For one, I don’t think Monica would’ve stayed on the phone for very long if that were the subject, but also, Monica and her mom were never very close. I feel as if that wouldn’t actually have happened at that point in time.
Another thing I had picked up on before was that originally, Barry’s (Rachel’s ex-fiance) last name was Finkle. Later on the series (not sure how much later) his last name became Farber. Things like that always annoy me - I feel like if you’re going to start off with a name, just keep it. But it’s not that big of a deal.
When the gang is at Monica’s in that funny scene where they watch the Spanish soap opera, I noticed that at least four of them had sodas. If you looked carefully though, which, I paused it to check it out - you would see that there were no coasters under their drinks! The clothes they were wearing in that whole episode suggest that it was warm outside which means they would’ve had sweat on their soda cans. Or, it could just be that the soda cans were not chilled, in which case, this is almost a moot point. But when you think about Monica… I think she would’ve had them on coasters either way.
In these earlier episodes, the transition music is different. What I noticed in this first episode is that they used an actual song to transition - “If you ever need holdin’, just call my name, I’ll be there…” As I continue to go through the series, I’ll have to keep alert, but I think this may have been the only episode where they did that. One other episode comes to mind where it may have happened - the episode where Marcel loves listening to “In the Jungle.” We’ll see…
Now I’m sure we’ve all noticed this one… the apartment numbers change. I’m not sure when they change, but in episode 1, they start out with Monica living in apartment 5. I’m pretty sure their apartment changes to apartment 20 later on. (The boys living in 19)
Things I Noticed/Wondered About: One of the things I have always wished they would’ve explained was the guy Phoebe said she dated that ate chalk. Like… what?! Haha! I wish we could’ve learned more about Carl…
I noticed that when you first walk into the coffee house, above the door, to the left are drama happy/sad faces!
Phoebe’s hair was annoyingly long and in your face every time you saw her…
When Rachel asks for tea, the waitress brings it to her and Ross pours her Sweet ‘n Low for her and stirs her tea! :) It was cute to watch!
Oh my word, were phones huge back in 1994… check out that gigantic cordless phone Rachel uses in Monica’s apartment.
I love it when Phoebe starts to sing “My Favorite Things” to Rachel… she messes up the words but it’s so cute!
Remember how Joey and Rachel get together in season 10? Well, the attraction began in season 1 - the very first episode! Joey hit on Rachel right away!
I really wish they would’ve explained why Paul was called, “Paul, the wine guy.” I mean, I assume that it has something to do with “wine,” but as Phoebe puts it, “What does that mean? Does he sell it, drink it? Or does he just complain a lot?”
I know they reference the “Paul, is it?” thing in another episode later on in the series, but I forget which one. I let you know when I come across it!
The apartment and coffee house lighting was very drab… it definitely improved with time. That could’ve just been a technology upgrade.
Fashion Through My Eyes: Holy cow. I did not like the suspenders on Monica. Go back in time and take those off, please. And, pretty much everything kind of fits into that time frame so I’m not going to be very critical. I have really never liked what Phoebe wears, but it’s Phoebe… what can you do?
Joey had a bowl cut. Ew. Not flattering.
Chandler was wearing Converse tennis shoes! (Maybe not Converse, exactly, but the style!)
In general, the styles got better as the seasons went on. In this first episode, there were so many browns and blacks, it was a really drab set and wardrobe. But I think the dressing room people were still trying to get the hang of who these characters were.
Things I Had to Research: ”Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve grabbed a spoon? Do the words ‘Billy don’t be a hero?’ mean anything to you?” I did not know what this was referencing. I knew they were probably lyrics or something from a show, but I thought I would look it up. As it appears, Ross was just saying that it had been quite a long time since he had first entered the dating world. The song, “Billy, Don’t Be a Hero” was a song released back in 1974 by the band Paper Lace.
Classic Quotations:
“If you listen closely, you can hear a thousand retailers scream…” -Chandler Bing
“But your love, oh your love, your love… is like a giant pigeon… crapping on my heart.” -Phoebe Buffay
Rachel: “You know, I figure, if I can make coffee, there isn’t anything I can’t do!” Chandler: “No, I think it’s ‘If I can invade Poland, there isn’t anything I can’t do!”
