Over the past decade, a potent combination of nostalgia, social media and good, old fashioned capitalism has given birth to a new phenomena: the themed pop-up bar. From Rick and Morty and Game of Thrones to Stranger Things and Saved by the Bell, these limited-time odes to pop culture are wildly popular, perfectly ‘grammable mini-escapes from the trash fire that is our current reality.
One of the latest brands to hop on the pop-up trend is Replay, a Chicago-based chain of arcade bars, which is currently hosting a Friends-themed popup at its Lincoln Park location. Complete with recreations of the famous fountain couch, Monica’s living room, Joey and Chandler’s La-Z-Boy setup and a host of custom cocktails—the "How You Doin,'" the "Smelly Cat,"“Chanberries,”—fans of the iconic ‘90s sitcom are flocking to the northside bar to get a selfie (or six) in its eerily familiar surroundings. (One Friends-obsessed couple even chose to be married at the bar.)
The pop-up's success is proof, nearly 15 years after the show aired its last episode, Friends is still an untouchable cultural benchmark. Other sitcoms have tried valiantly to recreate its magic, but so far no group of quirky, attractive white people living in objectively unattainable New York apartments has been able to capture the public's hearts in the same way. While the show has its issues (see: zero diversity, rampant homophobia, the entire fat Monica situation), for most viewers, Friends remains a happy break from reality, full of plot points fans never tire of debating—questions that have inspired countless online think pieces, holiday arguments and sleepless nights among the show’s most ardent devotees. We decided to stop by Replay on a busy Saturday afternoon to finally get some definitive answers on the show's biggest controversies and divisive plot lines over the years from the Friends stans in the crowd. Here's how it broke down.
Were Ross and Rachel REALLY on a break?
Easily the most hotly debated question in the series’ ten-season run, Ross’ drunken dalliance with copy center hottie Chloe on what should have been his anniversary with Rachel remains a point of contention within the Friends fandom. Of the 22 superfans we surveyed at Replay, ten fervently believed they were NOT on a break, despite the fact that Rachel literally said, “maybe we should just take a break.”
Narrowly out-voting the naysayers, the majority believed the couple WERE on a break, but acknowledged the terms of said break were not very clear.
Did Rachel make the right decision getting off the plane?
In yet another instance of this man fucking up a woman’s career trajectory, Rachel decides to give up her dream job in Paris (PARIS!) to be with limp human washcloth Ross Geller. If you believe this was a huge mistake, you're in the vast minority, as 20 of the 22 fans surveyed at Replay told believe Rachel was right to get off the plane.
“Yes, I think she could do better,” said anti-Paris stan Katie Christensen. “But she was following her heart! She was in love and she wanted to get off the plane, so she did. She would have regretted it otherwise.”
THE FINAL WORD (20 to 2): Ross + Rachel 4evz.
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