THIS was one whine that didn’t get better with age. I don’t know what was more pathetic last night on the finale of “Friends” – Ross’ crybaby act at the airport or Joey’s final storyline involving a baby chick and a duckling wandering off and getting lost inside his foosball table.
Whichever one takes the prize as the night’s most idiotic or desperate plot twist, it was clear from the one-hour final episode that it was high time for “Friends” to go.
Sure there was sentiment at the show’s conclusion as the six friends each left their key to Monica’s apartment on the kitchen counter and exited together for the last time.
And Rachel’s decision to forego her flight to Paris in favor of staying in New York with Ross likely touched many “Friends” fans who have avidly followed their up- and-down relationship for 10 seasons.
But it was all so predictable. I’ll say this for “Friends”: It went out as it came in 10 years ago – as the blandest, most artless comedy series ever to top the Nielsen charts in the history of television.
In fact, after last night’s finale, “Friends” could even be classified as a new kind of prime-time TV show.
Call it a comedy without laughs, because the one ingredient the writers and producers of “Friends” seemed to have forgotten to include in last night’s show were jokes or humorous situations of any kind. What passed for comedy on “Friends” last night were Phoebe’s inane non sequiturs, which last night consisted mainly of her breaking suddenly into nonsensical songs; or Chandler’s constant resort to sarcasm; or Ross’ hang-dog attitude.
Besides laughs, last night’s finale also lacked any element of surprise.
Here’s a couple of surprises I would have liked to see: Rachel landing a haymaker on sad sack Ross’ face, or Monica decking her hubby, Chandler, after one sarcastic remark too many.
Even the so-called “surprise” of Monica and Chandler receiving twins instead of the single infant they thought they would adopt came so matter-of-factly that it was hardly a surprise at all.
More disappointing than the lack of real laughs and real surprises was the cast’s seeming lack of energy.
They seemed to sleepwalk through an episode that hardly justified its hourlong length.
In fact, if you looked closely at the direction and listened carefully to the script, this was one slovenly, lazy, listless TV show.
Besides blandness, it did contain another “Friends” hallmark – a total lack of good taste.
As usual, this show resorted frequently to unfunny vulgarity, as when Chandler compared the pain of childbirth for a woman to the pain a man feels when he is kicked hard in the groin. Ha, ha.
And when Rachel inadvertently panicked the other passengers on her Paris-bound flight, it played like the show was mining the threat of an airline disaster for laughs.
In these terror-stricken times, it was an unfortunate choice for the show’s writers to make.
Before she left for the airport, Rachel said a cheerful au revoir to her friends.
I’d like to say good-bye too, but not nearly as cheerfully.