Last Night Review: Friends

And, if you'd rather not know the ending, look away now ...

The moment has arrived. The six "Friends" are standing rather foolishly in the apartment that has been the hub of the show for the past 10 years and they don't quite know what to do next. Finally, Monica and Chandler fish out their keys and lay them on the kitchen counter. And, because these are the bestest friends ever, they all have keys to the place. One by one, they are added to the pile.

Time for them to go their separate ways. Well, not quite yet. They will repair first for one last coffee at good old Central Perk. We don't go with them, but see them walking out the door. Fade and cut to that familiar "I'll be there for you" music.

Monica and Chandler are bound for suburbia. Finally, they have their baby to adopt. But wait, here comes perhaps the only real surprise of the finale. "The other one will be along in a minute," says the delivering doctor. What? Cut to yet another commercial break. Yes, the Bings get twins. (You would think an ultrasound scan would have given this away, but, hey, this is television.)

Altogether more predictably, Ross and Rachel finally get it - and themselves - together. Again. It almost didn't happen. Rachel left to take a plane to Paris and almost took off but didn't. At the last minute, she is back, standing in the apartment door. "I am never going to let you go," oozes Ross.

Thank heavens for Phoebe. Ditzy, dotty, certifiably insane Phoebe, played by Liza Kudrow, and surely the funniest role. It is Phoebe who races Ross to the airport in her car (a yellow cab, who knew?). But it is the wrong airport. What a good thing she lets Rachel know in a desperate cell-phone call that her plane has a wonky "phalange" thingy and she simply has to get off.

There is poultry in this last episode too. A chick and a duckling. This is Joey's doing. They are baby presents for Monica and Chandler. The birds almost die. But that part I won't spoil for you.