johnkick

Watching the people communicate on this show is like experiencing the shadow world that lies between sleep and wakefulness. Shallow words are spoken, followed by long pregnant pauses, meaningful looks and toothy smiles. There is waiting and then more waiting for something. It would be even more freakish than it is, if not for the fact that the women have such model-perfect looks and are a pleasure to look at. However, this would be intolerable and even hellish if regular-looking people pulled this. Conversation has been edited down to very feather-light fluff. Ambiance is always as tasteful as a romantically-lit, high-tone restaurant or a smart little clothing boutique. It's one long perfume commercial.

I could never get past the concept of people with good jobs choosing to meet after a hard day of work and happily chattering, endlessly. They are always happy or warm. This formula is set in stone. This corporate branding does not deviate from message. It is just not at all credible in the least bit. My suspicion is that this series was targeted for young women who seek ultra-happy escapism, where never is heard a discouraging word. The only character that even remotely moved me was Monica, because she almost seemed to not be just a caricature at times. None of the other actors ever were anything but caricatures to me. Don't get me wrong, meaningless chatter can be great. I dearly loved Seinfeld, but I could never "get" why anyone derived enjoyment from Friends. I was so baffled, I sat through several shows from start to finish, and not even a tiny spark ever happened for me at any time. It wasn't funny. It wasn't clever. Character depth was virtually non-existent. What planet am I living on that people liked this?