I Love This Show
Don't believe me? Scoff at my enthusiasm for an admittedly dated show? Maybe two or three beers will change your mind.
"Drinks": The Rules
1. Drink for Title Drops (every time they say "Friend" or "Friends"). Title cards count.
2. Drink when they drink.
3. Drink for Daddy Issues.
4. Drink when someone moves to a new apartment.
5. Drink when someone goes to the hospital.
6. Drink when someone starts a new job.
7. Drink when someone enters a new relationship. Not necessarily a serious relationship.
8. Drink when someone has sex or mentions having sex. This happens more than it really should for people with their lifestyles.
Medium Mode
All of the above rules apply. Also...
1.Drink when someone has a baby. If they have more than one baby, drink for each baby.
2. Drink when you see someone at their workplace.
3. Drink when one of the main characters goes on a date.
4. Drink when a new character is introduced. We shouldn't have seen them before, and they should be formally introduced by one character to another.
5. Drink when two or more characters get in a feud. A feud is a fight that lasts for at least half an episode, usually involving revenge play or drastic actions taken to make a point.
Hard Mode
1. Drink for celebrity cameos. They didn't have to be famous at the time the episodes were shot.
2. Drink when someone loses something. This can be anything from a job to car keys.
3. Drink when a relationship ends. Drink twice if it's Ross and Rachel's relationship.
4. Drink for weddings. Drink twice if it's Ross's wedding.
5. Drink if someone goes to an airport.
Most of the rules in this game are based on life events instead of anything the characters say or do. You're marking achievements along with the characters, getting happier with each victory and sadder with each loss.
The Players
Sandy B'Drinkin: She totally knew life was gonna be this way. (Medium)
Shirley Whiskas: She'll not only be there for you, she'll help you plot revenge on whoever did this to you. (Hard)
Could this intro BE any longer? Let's get started!
I Miss the Nineties
Maybe that's why the characters seem less relatable in later episodes. We subconsciously think of them as shallow and self-centered because the drama in their lives is so much less important than the struggle real New Yorkers faced. The show's happy, bouncy version of New York wasn't applicable anymore. Or maybe this sense of diminishing returns comes from the show trying harder than ever to fulfill the expectations of sitcom viewers, to become an escape from the real and relate a fantasy for half an hour.
Okay, back to the funny.
Sex, Sex, Sexy Sex
Let's clarify: Chandler is the sexual loser out of his group of friends, has a nine-to-five day job, is famed for his awkward, anti-social tendencies, and is STILL having more sex than the average man. And he's having half the amount of sex that Joey's having.
Oh, yeah, there's that one awkward episode where Monica bags a seventeen year old. But she also dates Tom Selleck for a good long while, so I guess it evens out. Maybe.
Ross' Lost Days
In the four episodes we watched, we saw most of the characters at work at least once, especially Monica and Rachel (drink!). Joey we didn't see working so much, but he's an actor and his lifestyle is inconsistent at best.
Ross is a paleontology professor. He has a set schedule during the week. Apparently, however, he has more free time than anybody else. In "The One with Ross's Library Book", Ross spends whole afternoons patrolling the school's library, making sure that nobody tries to make whoopie in front of his only published book (drink!). Doesn't he have papers to grade?
"Awww, what happened, guys?" he sighs, beer in hand, truly despondent.
"I'd like to think this is how Ross spends most of his time," remarked The Fuzzy Masked Man.
Ross STILL has more sex than Chandler!
Chandler and Monica! Chandler and Monica!
Chandler gets an engagement ring for Monica and it's awesome that they're getting married because they were friends for years and then slept together and found out they really liked it and then they fell in love, but Monica's ex-boyfriend Tom Selleck comes back and tells her he's sorry he ever let her go and he proposes, but Chandler's pretending that he doesn't believe in marriage so Monica will be surprised when she sees the ring, so Monica's confused and has a drink at Tom Selleck's apartment, but Chandler finds out and panics and confronts Tom Selleck, who gives Chandler his blessing so Chandler goes back home and Joey tells him he's too late and Chandler's heartbroken and he goes inside his apartment and there's lit candles everywhere and Monica's crying and she starts to propose to Chandler but can't keep it together so Chandler finishes for her and now they're engaged!!!
(deep breath)
I'm calm now.
Sandy B'Drinkin remarked before we started watching that what makes "Friends" special isn't the writing or the plot, but the characters. This episode is a prime example of what a sitcom has the power to do. This story would have meant nothing if we hadn't spent six seasons learning about these two characters, how they functioned, and how much happier they were together than apart.
And Then the Clothes Came Off
"Shirley, did you just take off your bra?" The Fuzzy Masked Man exclaimed.
"Well, none of them are wearing bras!" Shirley replied, then took another drink and mumbled something about cup sizes.
Was this a thing in the 90's? Women not wearing bras? I wasn't even in training bras then so I honestly don't know.
I mean, nowadays, girls don't even wear shirts on television.
The Results
This was a pretty chill game. I'm not sure I would add any rules though, because these were all fairly easy episodes. I played this game again later with a different set of episodes and got much different results. But if you did want to add some rules, here's a couple to think about.
Drink for 90's References
Drink for Episode Title Drops
Take a shot when they take shots
Thanks again for reading guys! Join us this time next week for another great drinking game! I leave you with a great stand-up routine by Rob Paravonian.