I know the new year is all about letting go of the past and moving forward, but I resolve to be bitter about Friends leaving Netflix for at least another five months. Rachel, Monica, Ross, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe officially departed the streaming service on Dec. 31, 2019, and fans are wondering what the heck they're supposed to mindlessly watch before bed every night now that the beloved NBC sitcom is gone. Though Friends will be on HBO Max when it officially launches in May, you may not be able to stream Friends in 2020 until then, so it's pretty much a moo point.
Considering that all 10 seasons and 236 episodes of Friends have been available on Netflix since Jan. 1, 2015, it's not easy to say goodbye. When WarnerMedia announced over the summer that Friends would move to its forthcoming streaming service, Netflix responded with a sad tweet, saying "The One Where We Have To Say Goodbye. We're sorry to see Friends go to Warner's streaming service at the beginning of 2020 (in The US). Thanks for the memories, gang." Now fans are taking to Twitter to share their discontent while they wait out those five long months until May.
It's not all bad news, guys. Even though the series won't be available to stream until the spring, Amazon Prime and iTunes allows you to rent or buy episodes, and there's no better time than now to invest in the 25th anniversary DVD set. Friends reruns are also still a staple of TV channels like NBC, TBS, and Nick at Nite, so if you have cable, you can keep hanging out with your fave NYC residents every night of the week.
As well as being the new home of the sitcom, HBO Max is reportedly working on a Friends reunion with the show's six main cast members and creators, and I couldn't be more excited. Not many details about the unscripted special have been released yet, but I do know this: I'm subscribing to HBO Max ASAP.
