- 13 hours ago
From unforgettable goodbyes to its undeniable cultural footprint, we're diving into the final season of "Friends," its timeless legacy, and where the beloved cast members ventured after Central Perk closed its doors. Get ready to revisit iconic moments, celebrate the show's profound impact on TV, and catch up on the post-show careers of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. This is one finale you won't want to miss!
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00:00Do you realize that at one time or another, we all lived in this apartment?
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06And today, we're closing out our Friends rewatch series
00:09by celebrating the legacy this iconic sitcom left behind
00:12and seeing where the cast went after that final cup of coffee at Central Park.
00:16And it was a happy place, filled with love and laughter.
00:22The one with the season recap.
00:24We pick up in Barbados, where the group is giving us their own version of a Midsummer Night's Dream.
00:28Ross and Charlie, Joey and Rachel, Phoebe and Mike.
00:32We're the only people leaving with the same person we came with.
00:35That's not true. I came with Monica, and I'm leaving with Weird Al.
00:38Monica finds herself in a tangle of her own, too.
00:41Phoebe's reunited with Mike, though there's a slight hiccup there.
00:44When you and I broke up, I started seeing someone.
00:47Well, for how long?
00:48Three months.
00:49Three months?
00:52Okay.
00:54This is probably none of my business, but how long do you think you're going to keep seeing her?
00:58Rachel and Joey give romance a try, while Ross insists he's fine.
01:03Thankfully, everyone comes to their senses by episode three,
01:06just in time for Emma's first birthday the following episode.
01:09Which, let's be honest, it's probably better she won't remember.
01:13Does this bakery by any chance also bake erotic cakes?
01:19Say, for bachelorette parties?
01:21Ross, what are you talking about?
01:23Oh my god!
01:24Ross deals with bad spray tans, pink shirts, accidental dog-sitting, and losing his girlfriend
01:30to her ex.
01:31While Joey speaks for all of us when he says,
01:33Joey doesn't share food!
01:36But the real emotional through-line belongs to Monica and Chandler.
01:39Their adoption journey picks up steam, with a few classic misfires like Chandler scaring off
01:44a helpful couple, and the ghost of baby kangaroo Tribbiani's former fling coming back to haunt him.
01:49I waited weeks for you to call me.
01:51I gave you my number, you never called me.
01:53No, no, don't try to turn this around on me, okay?
01:56I am not some kind of social work, okay, that you could just do.
02:02They eventually meet Erica, the woman who changes their lives.
02:06Chandler's speech to her is one of the show's most touching moments,
02:09making their final scene as a family all the more heartwarming.
02:12I really want a kid.
02:16And when that day finally comes, I'll learn how to be a good dad.
02:20But my wife, she's already there.
02:25She's a mother.
02:28Without a baby.
02:29And of course, we can't close out a series on Friends without mentioning the final Thanksgiving episode.
02:35Monica's goaded into hosting, but everyone shows up late, leaving her angry vein a-poppin'.
02:40Still in true Friends fashion, the chaos gives way to something genuinely sweet.
02:45That was the adoption agency.
02:47And?
02:49We're getting a baby!
02:51Are you serious?
02:55Phoebe finally gets her fairy tale ending, too.
02:58Well, her version of it.
03:00Her wedding to Mike might not be what she, or Monica, envisioned.
03:03But it's perfectly Phoebe.
03:05Charming, unique, and heartfelt.
03:07We got married!
03:10Could someone get me a coat?
03:14I'm freaking phrasing!
03:16And honestly, after the proposal fiasco, it's an absolute dream.
03:20After the honeymoon, she treats us to an unforgettable French lesson.
03:24Okay, so repeat after me.
03:26Je...
03:26Je...
03:27Ma...
03:28Ma...
03:28Pele.
03:29Pele.
03:30Great!
03:30Okay, faster.
03:31Je...
03:32Je...
03:32Ma...
03:32Pele.
03:33Pele.
03:34Je m'appelle.
03:34Me poo-poo!
03:35And learns that Princess Consuela Banana Hammock might not sound as regal as she hoped.
03:40Phoebe Buffay Hannigan Banana Hammock.
03:45Do you even know what a banana hammock is?
03:48It's a funny word.
03:50It's a Speedo.
03:56Oh, crap.
03:57Shall we talk guest stars?
03:59Anne Dudek, Greg Kinnear, Daryl Sabara, and Jennifer Coolidge.
04:03So, Monica, you're married.
04:05Yeah.
04:05Yeah, his name is Chandler.
04:07Yes.
04:07Oh, smell my neck.
04:08Mmm.
04:09It's not perfume.
04:11It's me.
04:12It's my natural scent.
04:14Then there's Christina Applegate returning as Amy.
04:17Sorry, hold on.
04:17Let me just check on the baby.
04:18Wait, this is important.
04:19Can't Ella wait?
04:20Uh, her name is Emma.
04:24Why did you change it?
04:26Ella was so much prettier.
04:27Ellen Pompeo, Donny Osmond, and Danny DeVito all show up in The One Where the Stripper Cries.
04:33Brent Spiner, Craig Robinson, Dakota Fanning, and Jane Lynch all pop in, too.
04:38Talk about an all-star farewell.
04:40The final season brings major changes.
04:43Monica and Chandler move to the suburbs.
04:45Rachel faces a life-changing job offer in Paris.
04:48And while today we can debate whether or not she should have gotten off the plane,
04:52the fan reaction at the time said it all.
04:54I got off the plane.
04:58The gang gathers one last time in the apartment.
05:01Matthew Perry reportedly pleaded for the final line.
05:04And boy, did he deliver.
05:05Okay, should we get some coffee?
05:08Sure.
05:10Where?
05:13Ten seasons later, Friends reminds us that even when life changes,
05:16some coffee orders and friendships stay timeless.
05:20The one where Friends leaves a legacy.
05:23Few TV shows have left such an enduring mark as Friends.
05:26It aired in around 60 countries during its run,
05:29reportedly 190 today,
05:31was translated and dubbed into countless languages,
05:34and had roughly 25 million weekly viewers.
05:36It aired in over 220 territories.
05:40Friends was TV's number one comedy for six straight seasons,
05:45averaging 25 million viewers a week.
05:4952 million people watched the finale.
05:53The show has been watched over 100 billion times across all platforms.
06:01Not to mention, the series finale was basically a cultural event.
06:03Watched by 52.5 million people,
06:07and that's just in the U.S.
06:09The characters didn't just entertain us.
06:11They shaped how we dressed,
06:12styled our hair,
06:13and even how we speak.
06:15How you doing?
06:18Apparently, many of us started slipping so
06:20into everyday conversation
06:22thanks to the show's signature inflection.
06:24Friends is even credited with helping
06:26non-native speakers learn English.
06:28BTS's RM is apparently among those.
06:30How did you teach yourself English?
06:32Um, actually, my English teacher was a sitcom,
06:35Friends.
06:35Oh, you watched Friends?
06:36Yes.
06:37The sets and props became iconic in their own right.
06:40If the Friends experience visits your city,
06:43you can lounge on the orange sofa,
06:45kick back in a Barca lounger,
06:46or order a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich.
06:49We're just waiting for them to add Ross's stairwell
06:51so we can have our own pivot moment.
06:53Pivot!
06:56Pivot!
06:58Pivot!
06:58And soon, New York will have
07:00a real-life Central perk in Times Square.
07:03The Friends-inspired coffee shop
07:04will have versions of the iconic orange couch
07:07and offer six coffee blends
07:09with names such as How You Doing?
07:11Plus, we were on a coffee break
07:14and Pivot Blend.
07:15Back in episode one,
07:16we talked about how Friends filled a gap on TV,
07:19a show about young adults figuring life out together.
07:22We had a tight circle of Friends.
07:25There we were in our 20s in New York
07:27trying to make a living and find love.
07:31And we thought,
07:32that could be a show.
07:34It changed how being in your 20s was seen
07:36and redefined what friendship
07:37and found family could look like.
07:39As the characters grew up alongside us,
07:42they became a kind of comfort blanket
07:43when life got tricky.
07:45Phoebe?
07:46What?
07:47Do you have a plan?
07:49I don't even have a plan.
07:50Its reach didn't stop with its original run.
07:53In 2018, Friends reportedly accounted for 4% of Netflix's total viewership,
07:58a staggering number considering the endless options on there.
08:02Its cross-generational appeal means original fans
08:04and Gen Z binge-watchers alike still find something that speaks to them.
08:08Huh.
08:09It's like a fun game.
08:10Sure, it's not perfect and we've talked about those flaws in previous episodes,
08:15but revisiting them and acknowledging them only helps its legacy evolve.
08:19The cast set the standard for ensemble sitcoms that followed,
08:22showing just how powerful chemistry and balance could be.
08:25They practically changed the industry itself,
08:28negotiating together for equal pay and billing.
08:31By the final season, each was earning a million dollars an episode,
08:34a testament to the power of solidarity.
08:36Ultimately, that egalitarian sensibility that David Schwimmer asked them to embrace,
08:44it ended up working powerfully on their behalf.
08:47Friends may have wrapped in 2004, but it never really ended, did it?
08:51It's been parodied, referenced, and re-watched ever since.
08:55Whether it's a box set or a streaming queue,
08:57the next episode is always waiting, and it still feels like coming home.
09:01Welcome to the real world.
09:03It sucks.
09:04You're gonna love it.
09:05Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
09:09and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
09:13You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:17If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:22The one after the last one.
09:24Before we close this series,
09:26let's take a quick look at where the cast headed after that final episode.
09:30Matt LeBlanc.
09:31Friends might have ended, but Joey's story simply relocated to Los Angeles.
09:35I'm an actor.
09:36I've been in New York, but I got offered work in L.A.,
09:38and I think it's time for me to take my shot.
09:41Unfortunately, his spinoff didn't quite capture the same magic,
09:44and was canceled after two seasons.
09:47After that, LeBlanc took a short break from acting
09:49before making a celebrated comeback in the British sitcom episodes,
09:53playing a parody version of himself, a role that won him a Golden Globe.
09:57It's fantastic.
10:00Really?
10:01Like, you don't know.
10:02Oh my God.
10:03So funny.
10:05And smart Jesus.
10:06I love it.
10:07He later co-hosted Top Gear, executive-produced Jonah Hex,
10:11and reunited with Lisa Kudrow for a cameo in Web Therapy.
10:14From 2016 to 2020, he starred in the family sitcom Man With a Plan,
10:19proving that his comedic timing never left.
10:22Don't question me about space, Marcy.
10:23I'm an expert.
10:24I once had a beer with Ned Armstrong.
10:26You mean Neil?
10:27No, Ned.
10:28Neil's cousin.
10:28David Schwimmer.
10:29Since saying goodbye to Ross,
10:31Schwimmer has built a career full of variety.
10:34Nature!
10:35It's all over me!
10:36Get it off!
10:37I can't see!
10:38I can't see!
10:40I can see!
10:43He lent his voice to Melman,
10:45the neurotic giraffe in the Madagascar films,
10:48and appeared in movies like Dwayne Hopwood,
10:50Big Nothing,
10:51Nothing But The Truth,
10:52The Laundromat,
10:53and Little Death.
10:55On television, he's taken on roles in Will and Grace,
10:57The People vs. O.J. Simpson,
10:59playing Robert Kardashian,
11:01and most recently, Goosebumps.
11:03Hey, guys.
11:03Hey, Dad.
11:03Hey, Dad.
11:04I want you to have a really fun and also safe summer out here.
11:09I only have one rule.
11:11Stay out of the basement.
11:12Schwimmer's also stepped behind the camera as a director and producer,
11:16and even showed off his lighter side competing on The Great British Bake Off.
11:20That, my friend.
11:21No.
11:21There you are.
11:22Honestly.
11:23Oh, come on.
11:24I've never had tofu that I've enjoyed before.
11:26Wow.
11:27That is a fantastic pie.
11:29Made my ear.
11:30Matthew Perry.
11:32After Friends, Matthew Perry continued to balance acting, writing, and producing.
11:37His film work includes The Whole Ten Yards, Numb, Birds of America, and Seventeen Again.
11:42Well, of course I want to live in the past.
11:45It was better there.
11:46I'll bet you wish you had it to do all over again.
11:52Huh.
11:53You got that right.
11:54On TV, he appeared in The Good Fight, Cougar Town, and Web Therapy.
11:58I feel a connection somehow.
12:00Well, I did win the American Law Association of America Award, three years running, the Allah Award.
12:12Perry also wrote and starred in his own play, The End of Longing, which ran in both London and New York.
12:18In 2022, he released his deeply personal memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,
12:24giving fans a moving look behind the curtain.
12:26Sadly, we lost him in 2023.
12:29Gone far too soon, but never, ever forgotten.
12:32I love the show, and I also knew, remember this, because it's going to be the best time of your life.
12:40And I knew it.
12:41Lisa Kudrow.
12:42After hanging up Phoebe's guitar, Kudrow created and starred in two cult favorite series, The Comeback and Web Therapy.
12:49I want to include you in my life.
12:51I think that's a nice thing.
12:53Yeah, okay, good.
12:54All right, good.
12:55Three minutes, here we go.
12:56Three minutes, and you can pretend to be someone else or just be yourself, whichever is more comfortable for you.
13:01Hello.
13:02She's made memorable appearances in Cougar Town, Scandal, BoJack Horseman, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and The Good Place,
13:10and most recently led the cast of No Good Deed.
13:12Because it's emotional, Paul, okay?
13:15All my memories are here.
13:17On the big screen, she's been just as busy.
13:19With standout roles in Easy A, both Neighbors films, The Girl on the Train, Booksmart, and The Parenting.
13:26Kudrow's wit, warmth, and ability to balance awkward humor with genuine heart have certainly followed her throughout her career.
13:33Oh, it's just because of how all the different noodles look crazy laying there.
13:40Courtney Cox.
13:41Beyond Friends, Cox made her mark with Cougar Town, earning a Golden Globe nomination and proving her comedy chops went far beyond Monica.
13:48Also, I never really had my 20s, so I have no idea how I'm supposed to look or act.
13:52You said this place doesn't even get crack-a-lackin' until I'm 30, and, you know, if I'm up after 10, I get really sleepy, and I just, I hate you.
13:59She appeared in Web Therapy, Shameless, Modern Family, and Drunk History.
14:04And on the big screen in The Longest Yard, Bedtime Stories, and Multiple Scream sequels.
14:09Do you ladies think you're the reason that Ghostface Killer has come to the Big Apple?
14:12Oh, nice try, sweetie, but I've done this dance before.
14:20Fun fact, after famously dancing with Bruce Springsteen in Dancing in the Dark,
14:24she appeared in Connor Price's aptly titled Courtney Cox music video, and even directed Brandi Carlisle's Right on Time.
14:31She's since produced and starred in Shining Veil, adding horror comedy queen to her resume.
14:36You're talking about the family room?
14:37Okay, fine, I was in the family room when she was outside looking in the window.
14:41What'd she look like?
14:42I don't know, she was, like, old-fashioned, like your mother.
14:46Jennifer Aniston.
14:47Aniston has arguably been the busiest and most consistently high-profile of the Friends cast.
14:53Derailed, Rumor Has It, Along Came Polly, Marley and Me, The Horrible Bosses franchise,
14:58and both murder mystery movies just scratched the surface.
15:02So Charles said that everyone's gonna be at this race, so whoever did this is gonna be there.
15:06We just have to figure out who it is.
15:07I know, we gotta figure it out.
15:08This isn't one of your books, sweetheart.
15:10I mean, it's like one of your books.
15:12She also proved she could do drama in titles like Life of Crime and Cake.
15:16She even appeared in the musical comedy Dumplin', marking her smooth move into the streaming world.
15:21Approved!
15:23Oh, sorry.
15:24I won with that back in 91.
15:26I got so excited.
15:27So good.
15:28In 2019, she made a long-awaited return to television, starring as Alex and reuniting with her friend's sister in The Morning Show,
15:36which earned her numerous nominations both as an actor and producer.
15:40This whole place, this, uh, it's really different than what you, than what it may appear to you.
15:47With that, our friend's rewatch has come to a close.
15:50But as we said before, it's never truly over.
15:53Friends will always be there for you.
16:01What impact did the series leave on you?
16:04Let us know in the comments.
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