A huge amount has been written about Friends over the years. That is to be expected, given it is a TV show that defines an era, whether you love or hate it. Much more will be written when the long-awaited cast reunion finally happens after its COVID-enforced delay. It was supposed to be filmed in March but there is currently no date scheduled for either filming or broadcast. But how did the characters themselves change over shows duration? Let’s look at Phoebe Buffay.

But how did the characters themselves change over the 10 seasons & 236 episodes?

Let’s focus on the artist occasionally known as Regina Phalange, but more familiar to us as Phoebe Buffay.

It seems Phoebe was the trickiest character to cast with numerous actresses auditioning for the role. They included Jane Lynch, Megan Mullaly & Ellen DeGeneres.

Although it would seem easy to play a character that’s quirky and different, paradoxically it’s more difficult to find the right actor to play that character. In the wrong hands, those quirks which the audience are supposed to be charmed by can end up being enormously irritating. I’m sure those gifted actresses would have done a perfectly good job. But, it takes a special talent to bring all those elements of Phoebe’s personality together successfully. There’s no question Lisa Kudrow was an inspired choice to play Phoebe Buffay or Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock. She got the job after a guest stint in Mad About You playing a waitress called Ursula. In case you’re wondering, yes, Ursula was then written into Friends as Phoebe’s twin. She managed to brilliantly meld that toughness, wisdom, fun & energy into the character we grew to know & love.

Style

Phoebe’s style is unashamedly bohemian and a true visual representation of her personality.

Bold & bright colours in some occasionally surprising ensembles are her trademark. But she has no hesitation in getting properly dressed up for a big occasion. When those two worlds collide is when Phoebe comes into her own. In ‘The One Where No-One’s Ready’, Phoebe is forced to mask a hummus stain on her dress. When she reappears from Rachel’s bedroom with an enormous Christmas decoration covering the area, you see her as she truly is. Happy to conform when needed, but ultimately she’s always going to be completely unique.

Music

While Phoebe Buffay isn’t the only musician in the group – who can forget Ross’ keyboard skills? – she is the only one who’s musical abilities are integral to her personality.

This is encapsulated in her attempt to teach Joey to play the guitar. Pheebs describes the chords in terms more akin to yoga positions because she doesn’t know the real names of them. She plays music for herself, if other people love it then great, but as long as she finds pleasure in it then that’s all that matters.

Fortunately, we all find pleasure in her songs, so much so that the iconic Smelly Cat has been performed by Taylor Swift on a world tour. Lisa Kudrow also sang the song on stage with The Pretenders, whose lead singer Chrissie Hynde wrote the song, prior to her appearance in an episode.

Relationships

We get an insight into Phoebe’s true nature during her brief time with David in the first season. That romance, and her sadness in David leaving for Minsk, showed that despite all her idiosyncrasies, she craved a conventional relationship. You knew that the likes of Roger, Parker and Eric were never going to last.

Gary’s decision to shoot a bird while lying next to her in bed is completely anathema to her love for all living creatures . That action ruins what looked like a really promising pairing. It’s entirely in keeping with Phoebe’s way of life that she meets her husband courtesy of Joey failing to sort out a double date for her. In his panic he randomly shouted “Mike!”in Central Perk to see who would answer to make up the foursome.

Luckily for them, Mike Hannigan, and consequently, love answered. Mike was clearly much less of an extrovert than Phoebe, which is not exactly a shock. But his decision to quit law to achieve his dream of opening his own piano bar was totally in keeping with Phoebe’s philosophy of following your passions.

Family

It’s obvious that the Friends are her family, which is unsurprising given the sadness of her upbringing. Her father left when she was a child, her mother’s committed suicide and she was estranged from her twin. Despite this, her lack of anger and bitterness towards them is humbling. That said, I’m sure a different approach would have been taken if this family situation had appeared in a drama rather than a primetime sitcom.

Phoebe is arguably the character who goes on the biggest personal journey through the 10 seasons. She discovers she has a half brother and acts as his surrogate in order that he can have a family, resulting in the birth of the triplets. Phoebe divorces her ice dancer first husband, who she’d married so he could get a green card. She also finds that her Mum Lily, who committed suicide when she was 14, wasn’t her biological mother, and reconnects with her father. That’s more like the story arc of one of Joey’s colleagues on Days of our Lives than a mainstream sitcom character.

Joey

Speaking of Joey, one of the loveliest elements of the series is how his & Phoebe’s relationship develops. Initially, she’s closest to Monica, having previously been her roommate. But it’s clear of her affection for Joey from the moment she tries to protect when Ursula ends their romance. They revel in each other’s silliness & childlike qualities.

Joey’s instinctive reaction when he thinks Phoebe is pregnant is to hunt down the alleged absent father & then propose to her. Her comic fury when it then turns out that Rachel is pregnant & he offers to marry her instead is a glimpse into a possible future had she not met Mike.

Summary

Phoebe is the friend we all really want and probably all need in our lives. She’d liven up any social situation no matter how mundane whether she intends to or not. She brings genuine life experience and a perspective that would make us think again no matter how serious we feel our problems may be. But in times of crisis she also exudes warmth, wisdom and love. You can’t ask for better qualities than that in a Friend.

That’s our list of ways Phoebe Buffay changed from Season 1 to Season 10 in Friends. Do you agree or disagree with our points or have anything to add? If so, leave us a comment below.

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