It’s almost impossible to believe the last ever episode of Friends was filmed a full 16 years ago.
As last episodes go, it was pretty close to perfect; bringing us closure, happy sobs and plenty of laugh-out-loud nods to the parts which made the show so ridiculously loveable.
My heart still soars when Rachel gets off the plane even though I’ve watched her do so approximately 100 times. And when we get that final sweeping view of Monica’s apartment, I still have to blink back a few wistful tears.
Like many people who originally watched the finale while still in their teens, I still love finding out more about what life was like on the set of one of the most enduring sitcoms of all time. The real life fun and friendships behind the glossy, idealised onscreen antics.
Fortunately, every now and then a former Friend will offer up a little morsel of insight into what it was like to actually be Monica, Joey, Chandler, Ross, Phoebe and Rachel. To create witty, likeable archetypes who are still being quoted and discussed years after that final coffee.
Now Courteney Cox has brought us a nostalgic gem in the form of a behind the scenes photograph from the last ever episode.
She captioned the pic:
‘The Last Supper’ before taping ‘The Last One’ on Jan 23, 2004. #tbt #friends
Courteney, 55, also shared a snap of the script for the episode – entitled The Last One, Part 2 – looking just as it would have been in her hands during rehearsals all those years ago.
The post prompted a stampede on Instagram, with Friends fans far and wide expressing heartache at the sight of the six instantly recognisable actors smiling sadly at the camera.
This pic marked the end of an era, but for many it was just the beginning of their lifelong love for all things Central Perk.
Amongst those reminiscing over this bittersweet goodbye were Courteney’s Friends alumni, Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow who – just in case anyone needs reminding – played Rachel and Phoebe respectively.
Jen responded with a series of three crying face emojis, reflecting the emotional turmoil of many fellow commenters, while Lisa simply wrote ‘Awwww’ with a shocked face, heart and doughnut emojis.
Once again I am sorely tempted to wind back the box set right to the beginning and watch the entirety of the show all over again…
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.