The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

“Friends” holds special place in hearts of many

I normally hate New Year’s Eve, but I really thought that this year was going to take the cake, and it hasn’t even happened yet.

Monday morning, every news site that I read told me that Netflix was taking the beloved ‘90s television show “Friends” off of its site for good.

This turned out to be false, but the fear that I wouldn’t be able to watch my all-time favorite show when I wanted to got me thinking about the show as a whole, and why I love it so much.

I can remember being in middle school watching “Friends” the old fashioned way with my sister.

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Every night on Nick@Nite, they would play four episodes of “Friends” that we would record and watch as soon as we got home from school.

Watching it this way, we saw the entire series at least three times through from beginning to the end. It was just what we did.

No one at school really understood my obsession with the show until it came to Netflix.

Now every one of my friends could go home and binge the series that I had been talking about for the past two years, and it was an instant success.

My sister and I? We religiously watched it for another two times all the way through.

I have seen “Friends” over five times all the way through, plus countless random episodes that just happened to be on in the background.

I can’t say that about any other show, and the fact that I can say it about “Friends” is a testament to how great of a show it is.

Just about everyone I know has seen all of “Friends” at least once. And this does not just apply to my hometown.

I bet you that if you asked any random person in any of your classes if they have seen “Friends,” nine out of ten will say yes.

It is a multi-generational phenomenon that has pervaded popular culture for almost 20 years.

And all of Monday during the day I thought it was being taken off Netflix.

It put me into full panic mode. If my friends and I are hanging out and we cannot decide what to do, the usual answer is, “why don’t we put on an episode of “Friends”?

What are we supposed to watch instead? While there are still plenty of good shows on Netflix, the hole that was going to be left by “Friends” would never be able to be filled.

No amount of Netflix Originals or episodes of “The Office” will ever carry the amount of joy that “Friends” gives to millions of people since it has been on Netflix. Period.

“Friends” has been and always will be my favorite television show of all time. All of the characters are endearing in their own special way that lets you really connect with them.

When they laugh, you laugh. When they cry, you cry.

And while I am still pretty miffed that Netflix gave me such a scare, it did get me thinking about how great of a show it is, and now that it is in fact not leaving, I can maybe enjoy my New Year’s now.

BENJAMIN HAYLETT

[email protected]

 

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