Here we are at the end of year four, as Ross and Emily finally get married!
I say finally, it’s only been seven months (and ten episodes) since we met her! No wonder so little’s changed for me.
Still, it’s nice being reminded of my own wedding. I wonder if anyone was rushing to stop ME and had a change of heart at the last minute?
“The One With Mowing the Dirt”
After the build-up of last time it’s a bit of a let down really. Rachel spends most of the TIME trying to get to London, and when she finally does she bottles it! Reminds me of the times I tried to do a cliff-hanger and failed utterly.
But what an episode! There’s more drama and urgency than you can shake a stick at.
Which is appropriate given everyone’s favourite stick wielding actor makes an appearance.
I say finally, it’s only been seven months (and ten episodes) since we met her! No wonder so little’s changed for me.
Still, it’s nice being reminded of my own wedding. I wonder if anyone was rushing to stop ME and had a change of heart at the last minute?
“The One With Mowing the Dirt”
After the build-up of last time it’s a bit of a let down really. Rachel spends most of the TIME trying to get to London, and when she finally does she bottles it! Reminds me of the times I tried to do a cliff-hanger and failed utterly.
But what an episode! There’s more drama and urgency than you can shake a stick at.
Which is appropriate given everyone’s favourite stick wielding actor makes an appearance.
I am of course talking about this:
I liked House™ as much as the next person, but it saddens me there’s kids watching this today on Netflix™ and thinking “oh, I didn’t know House was in Friends™!” When Hugh Laurie's actually one of the best comic actors the UK has ever produced.
Come to think of it there are probably kids watching who haven’t even heard of House™.
God I’m old…
It’s a great cameo though, as Hugh’s character points out the selfishness of Rachel. You tell her House! Time for some harsh truths.
He’s not the only British comedy great popping up, as we’re treated to a sardonic turn from Jennifer Saunders as Emily’s mother too. This is certainly trumping Branson and Fergie… (Where’s my broadband Branson???)
I’m sure it’s no surprise to proper Friends™ fans really that these two crop up. The plane scene is probably one of the all time classic moments of the show, as is the whole episode. We’re fully in peak Friends™ at this point. The time when everyone talked about it in the school yard, and we all tuned in to watch Rachel rush to the altar…
But, as with all the top episodes so far, there’s a bunch of great stuff I’ve forgotten about! Chandler’s rehearsal dinner speech bombing spectacularly (god, I’ve seen enough of that lately…)
Another cameo (if you could call it that) from a pre-fame Olivia Williams:
Come to think of it there are probably kids watching who haven’t even heard of House™.
God I’m old…
It’s a great cameo though, as Hugh’s character points out the selfishness of Rachel. You tell her House! Time for some harsh truths.
He’s not the only British comedy great popping up, as we’re treated to a sardonic turn from Jennifer Saunders as Emily’s mother too. This is certainly trumping Branson and Fergie… (Where’s my broadband Branson???)
I’m sure it’s no surprise to proper Friends™ fans really that these two crop up. The plane scene is probably one of the all time classic moments of the show, as is the whole episode. We’re fully in peak Friends™ at this point. The time when everyone talked about it in the school yard, and we all tuned in to watch Rachel rush to the altar…
But, as with all the top episodes so far, there’s a bunch of great stuff I’ve forgotten about! Chandler’s rehearsal dinner speech bombing spectacularly (god, I’ve seen enough of that lately…)
Another cameo (if you could call it that) from a pre-fame Olivia Williams:
Helping the home-sick Joey feel a little less homesick.
And the welcome return of the Gellar Parents!
How have we gone almost two, whole, seasons without seeing them? It’s been over two years. I hadn’t even proposed the last time they were in the show! Jack, Judy take a seat, I’ve got so much to tell you. Yes I know you’ve got your son’s wedding. Yes I do think it’s weird he went out with someone called Julie when you’re called Judy. I don’t know why I’ve only just noticed that…
Maybe the only reason I started to get sick of the show was because you weren’t in it? Oh Jack, I’ve missed you…
I’m sure the Gellar’s all met up off-camera, but this is making me feel less guilty about how little I see my parents. I do genuinely think the Gellar parents are why Ross, and particularly Monica, often seem like the most well rounded characters in the show. They always shine a light on their inner anxieties. Just like real parents do.
This time it’s Ross’s turn to shine for once, brokering a deal between the parents over who’s paying for what. Our current regime could do with him in the Brexit™ negotiations…
Really though, I know it’s a shotgun wedding, but why are they only sorting this out AT THE REHEARSAL DINNER?
I’ve just read, too, that Emily’s dad is played by Tom Conti. Now, perhaps best known as the father of one of Britain’s greatest living ventriloquists:
And the welcome return of the Gellar Parents!
How have we gone almost two, whole, seasons without seeing them? It’s been over two years. I hadn’t even proposed the last time they were in the show! Jack, Judy take a seat, I’ve got so much to tell you. Yes I know you’ve got your son’s wedding. Yes I do think it’s weird he went out with someone called Julie when you’re called Judy. I don’t know why I’ve only just noticed that…
Maybe the only reason I started to get sick of the show was because you weren’t in it? Oh Jack, I’ve missed you…
I’m sure the Gellar’s all met up off-camera, but this is making me feel less guilty about how little I see my parents. I do genuinely think the Gellar parents are why Ross, and particularly Monica, often seem like the most well rounded characters in the show. They always shine a light on their inner anxieties. Just like real parents do.
This time it’s Ross’s turn to shine for once, brokering a deal between the parents over who’s paying for what. Our current regime could do with him in the Brexit™ negotiations…
Really though, I know it’s a shotgun wedding, but why are they only sorting this out AT THE REHEARSAL DINNER?
I’ve just read, too, that Emily’s dad is played by Tom Conti. Now, perhaps best known as the father of one of Britain’s greatest living ventriloquists:
It’s a great turn, and all the guest stars pull their weight to make this one of the best episodes ever. Even though it’s an ensemble show at heart, one of the great strength of Friends™ is it knows when to pull back the main six to let other characters breathe. (As long as they’re white…)
Julie, Judy? Fuck it. Monica’s mum, is on fine form ragging on her daughter and making her feel lonely and WHAT. THE. HELL.
Julie, Judy? Fuck it. Monica’s mum, is on fine form ragging on her daughter and making her feel lonely and WHAT. THE. HELL.
No. No. What? Chandler and Monica. Monica and Chandler?! MONDLER?!
To quote my wife during the entirety of the last season of Game of Thrones™ “I cannot believe my eyes.” (Although I suspect that was largely as we could only see darkness).
I cannot accept this. OH. MY. GOD. This is outrageous. WHAT A TWIST.
Is what I would be saying if I hadn’t seen the show before.
As it is, most of us knew this was coming, and what better place than a wedding? It’s probably the biggest decision taken by the writers, and it’s deftly handled, all those little moments in the last two years or so. Even as we all gasp it feels right as things click into place.
And hey, after all the times my Real Live Friends have got together. My Rachel and Ross, my Chandler and Joey, others I probably don’t know about. Isn’t it about time the show caught up? (Even if it is called “Friends™” and not “Lovers”™).
But as we say hello to a new hook-up we say goodbye to the old.
R.I.P #RachelAndRoss
There’s been no Cold Feet™ and Rachel’s realised the error of her ways (thank you Doctor House!).
The audience sighs as she does the right thing and congratulates Ross (with just ONE person wooing her for getting it right).
Leaving Ross to muck it all up…
To quote my wife during the entirety of the last season of Game of Thrones™ “I cannot believe my eyes.” (Although I suspect that was largely as we could only see darkness).
I cannot accept this. OH. MY. GOD. This is outrageous. WHAT A TWIST.
Is what I would be saying if I hadn’t seen the show before.
As it is, most of us knew this was coming, and what better place than a wedding? It’s probably the biggest decision taken by the writers, and it’s deftly handled, all those little moments in the last two years or so. Even as we all gasp it feels right as things click into place.
And hey, after all the times my Real Live Friends have got together. My Rachel and Ross, my Chandler and Joey, others I probably don’t know about. Isn’t it about time the show caught up? (Even if it is called “Friends™” and not “Lovers”™).
But as we say hello to a new hook-up we say goodbye to the old.
R.I.P #RachelAndRoss
There’s been no Cold Feet™ and Rachel’s realised the error of her ways (thank you Doctor House!).
The audience sighs as she does the right thing and congratulates Ross (with just ONE person wooing her for getting it right).
Leaving Ross to muck it all up…
NOW THAT’S HOW YOU DO A CLIFF-HANGER
Real Live Sitcom Moment:
I’ll try and keep it brief so we can get straight onto the next episode. It may be a whole new season, but I can’t imagine it not picking things up immediately.
One of the points of contention between Emily and Ross’s fathers was Jack being billed for the lawn.
My own lawn troubles have been continuing. After several months I was finally ready for round two of Project RachelGreenfingers. I’d just finished mowing an overflowing hedgerow, by turning the mower on its side and driving along the decking. This is both the most fun and most dangerous/stupid thing I’ve ever done. But it worked rather well, I thought.
I started on the lawn, to prep it for re-sowing the gaps. And noticed that despite my best efforts to do a clean job, every spot I finished seemed to have a lot more gaps than before I started. The mower sputtered to a halt and I turned it over to find one end of the spinny thing bent at a 90 degree angle! I hadn’t been mowing the lawn so much as mowing the soil.
I was already running late, and it was raining, so like a true hot-headed bloke I tramped my muddy shoes right through the living room to grab a hammer. Destroying the carpet to my wife’s abject horror.
Thoughts whizzed through my head of how I could fix the mower, would brute force work? How could I afford a new one? How would I have time to sow the seeds before the frost set in now?
My, understandably, annoyed wife brought me back to reality as she calmly pointed out I should probably clean the carpet before continuing my quest. I duly obliged and set about yet another task I’d created for myself. I was just about finished when I remembered.
I don’t even own a hammer.
Real Live Sitcom Moment:
I’ll try and keep it brief so we can get straight onto the next episode. It may be a whole new season, but I can’t imagine it not picking things up immediately.
One of the points of contention between Emily and Ross’s fathers was Jack being billed for the lawn.
My own lawn troubles have been continuing. After several months I was finally ready for round two of Project RachelGreenfingers. I’d just finished mowing an overflowing hedgerow, by turning the mower on its side and driving along the decking. This is both the most fun and most dangerous/stupid thing I’ve ever done. But it worked rather well, I thought.
I started on the lawn, to prep it for re-sowing the gaps. And noticed that despite my best efforts to do a clean job, every spot I finished seemed to have a lot more gaps than before I started. The mower sputtered to a halt and I turned it over to find one end of the spinny thing bent at a 90 degree angle! I hadn’t been mowing the lawn so much as mowing the soil.
I was already running late, and it was raining, so like a true hot-headed bloke I tramped my muddy shoes right through the living room to grab a hammer. Destroying the carpet to my wife’s abject horror.
Thoughts whizzed through my head of how I could fix the mower, would brute force work? How could I afford a new one? How would I have time to sow the seeds before the frost set in now?
My, understandably, annoyed wife brought me back to reality as she calmly pointed out I should probably clean the carpet before continuing my quest. I duly obliged and set about yet another task I’d created for myself. I was just about finished when I remembered.
I don’t even own a hammer.