6. Friends - 'The Last One Parts 1 & 2'
In terms of payoff, the Friends series finale was one of the best. It delivered everything fans had wanted for years, while delivering plenty of laughs and bringing us back plenty of 'the classics'. It also cleverly draws a line, showing that while life goes us, this is the end of the show as we know it. I know the 'Friendsverse' continued with the spinoff Joey, but that clearly a mistake. I talked more about the failures of this show in a recent article about
spinoff shows. Needless to say, like season seven of Scrubs (if it had been the finale that would have been on this list too!), Joey's onscreen story should have ended here. So before we get to the 'big moment', let's look first at all the brilliant little moments this two-part finale had for us. Erica's labour revealing not one, but two babies for Monica and Chandler. The new Chick and Duck getting stuck in Joey and Chandler's beloved table football and Monica breaking it apart with gleeful enthusiasm. Mike and Phoebe deciding to have a family of their own. And that final scene where the six very emotional characters (and actors) say goodbye to the purple apartment. But of course, if nothing else, this show had to finally get Ross and Rachel together for good. And the finale certainly has fun getting there. With the happy endings of Chandler, Monica and Phoebe, you begun to wonder if Ross and Rachel's final night together, before she went to Paris, really was the end. But then Ross decides he wants her back and it's up to the brilliant Phoebe to get him to the airport in time to stop her. Lisa Kudrow was on fine form, getting to display my favourite friend's mix of craziness and warmth, driving Ross to the airport like a lunatic and screaming Rachel's name to stop her boarding the plane and give Ross a final chance to convince her to stay. And then, just when we think they'll get back together, Rachel leaves... All this leads to the best scene in the finale. A forlorn Ross returns to his apartment and finds the answer phone message from Rachel while she was on the plane. As she continues to speak, she realises she does want to stay with Ross and starts to demand to be let off the plane. As the message cuts own Ross scream 'get off the plane!' and then we hear Rachel reply 'I got off the plane'. There she is, standing behind him and finally they get together...for good... Remember it well? Well let's take a look at it again! So with some great happy endings and a bittersweet farewell, so ended one of the most successful and funny sitcoms of all time.