Friends leaving Netflix makes me realise it was more than background noise

I was 12 when I saw my first episode of Friends in 2015.

As a member of Gen Z, arguably I was a little late to the party, but I still remember it so vividly: I was with my parents and aunt in a tiny pub in Ireland, sitting down for lunch, and Friends was playing on the TV in the corner, which my auntie very excitedly pointed out.

Being the brat I was at 12, I barely feigned interest; in hindsight, I was probably grumpy that I couldn’t relate to a show that the rest of my family could. 

But now the show is being taken off Netflix for good, I feel a great sense of loss. It feels like the one show that has stood the test of my youth, just as entertaining now at 22 as it was at 12.

Growing up as the youngest in our family, as well as being adopted, it was incredibly hard at times to relate to my relatives. It was often tricky to find references and experiences that we all enjoyed. 

I was so young and everyone else were already adults, so it would often feel like there was a barrier.

Over the next few years, I’d catch the odd Friends re-run. The episodes were always entertaining, but it wasn’t until I was 15, after much persuasion from my Friends-obsessed auntie, that I sat down during the summer and started on series 1. 

I’m not ashamed to say it didn’t take long for me to finish the whole 10 seasons. 

I was enraptured. The ’90s vibes that I could relate to now that Ninetiescore had come round again; the ridiculously large coffee cups; the friendships; the clothes. 

I particularly enjoy chatting to my cousin, who is also a tv-enthusiast, sharing storyline favourites and debating characters. It was the first show we properly bonded over, and paved the way for many more since. 

The Friends group is supposed to be in their mid-twenties in season 1, which to 15-year-old me was basically middle-aged (I have since matured), but it did help put certain things in perspective. 

At the point I started watching, my understanding of teenagers and adults was based on Pretty Little Liars – and therefore unrealistic, to say the least. In my mind, by the time you were 25 you would be married with kids, not sitting in a coffee shop and figuring out your life. 

Like Chandler, who quit his job in his early 30s, my dad changed careers in his late-20s, and even though I knew it had worked out very well for him, I still thought of his job swap as an anomaly, that it was a rare thing to do. Friends taught me that things don’t always go your way and that no adult has it together 100% of the time.

It also gave me greater insight into what my future could hold, and now, at 22, I feel more confident that there is much ahead. As Friends takes its leave from Netflix, it makes me sad to think that other people might miss out on learning from a show that balanced the unpredictability of life with the comedy of its more unserious moments. 

Beyond bonding with my relatives and giving me a pre-emptive reality check of what my twenties held, Friends also spoke to me on a personal level. Despite not even having been born when the first episode aired in 1994, some of the more nuanced themes, especially about family, really resonated.

Friends has always been successful at broadcasting storylines about ‘unconventional’ family set-ups, from Ross’ co-parenting with his lesbian ex-wife Carol, to Phoebe’s surrogacy and Rachel championing single motherhood. 

Then, in season 9, Monica and Chandler find out they cannot conceive a child naturally, after visiting a fertility clinic. As Friends fans will know, Monica had always desperately wanted children, so the couple pursued adoption.

Having always known about my own adopted status, I found this very moving. Growing up, I could not name another show that was as mainstream that depicted it.

While I’m the first person to point out the inaccuracies and differences to a real adoption experience – such as tricking Erica about their identity, having her stay with them and the speed in which it happened – I was able to see many parallels to my own life.

This was despite the show being over by the time I was one. 

Like Rachel and Joey, my parents’ friends had written letters of support ahead of my adoption, and though I was aware of this, seeing it happen on TV made me emotional. I realised the effort my parents’ friends put into building our family. I also came from a teen pregnancy and as in the show, my birth mother wanted a better life for me. 

I used to roll my eyes when my parents reminded me of this – it seemed like a cliched line of comfort. But seeing Erica on screen helped me understand that it was genuine. Without sounding too soppy, Friends gave me a whole new appreciation for my parents. 

Whether you watched Friends growing up or discovered it in the 2010s like me, the show has stood the test of time for a reason. It could make you laugh with lighthearted storylines, while balancing depth and meaning that so many could relate to. 

The beauty of that will stay with me, and I think that is what makes Friends so great and timeless. It’s why the loss of 24/7 availability on the world’s biggest streaming platform will be felt keenly. 

This is not to say that Friends is perfect – its flaws have been discussed at length, and for good reason. 

It featured an all-white main cast, with very few recurring or guest stars being of colour. Additionally, it made frequent jokes at Monica’s former size, and their neighbour who they nicknamed ‘ugly naked guy’. 

Being from Gen Z, I was lucky that by the time I was 12, the tv and film industry were starting to put more awareness and effort into diversity and sensitivity on screen. I was shocked by some of the things that Friends found humour in, and I’m glad I was raised in a time where I knew these jokes were inappropriate.

I would hope that if the show was made in 2025 it would have been more progressive (but please, no reboot). 

I will truly miss Friends being on Netflix – and I don’t think I’ll be the only one. 

It was a comfort watch that never grew old, and as I approach my mid-20s, I hope I can still look forward to relying on Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, Joey, Chandler, and Ross to reassure me that my life won’t be stuck in second gear. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing M.Navarrogriffiths@metro.co.uk. 

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