2. Emotional Punch
I was genuinely moved by the death of Marshalls Dad, ok I admit it, I cried. The aftermath of this event was handled in a realistic way, certainly in a way that I recognised but they never forgot to be funny. The ending of the episode when Marshalls Dad dies is a poignant moment of drama, wonderfully acted by Jason Segal and Alyson Hannigan. The moment the death is revealed is such a shock, a delibrate device by the writers to mirror the bolt from the blue feeling a bereavement can bring. Friends tried dramatic moments, especially with Monica and Chandler but it always felt forced and I often found myself uttering the phrase, this is supposed to be a comedy! It is a rare brilliance for comedies to successfully pull off this transition between comedy and drama.