Page "The Pilot (Friends)" Paragraph 18

Critics likened the episode to Seinfeld and Ellen ; Tom Feran in The Plain Dealer wrote that it traded " vaguely and less successfully on the hanging-out style of Seinfeld ", and Ann Hodges of the Houston Chronicle called it " the new Seinfeld wannabe, but it will never be as funny as Seinfeld.

Even as Seinfeld is now, which isn't as funny as it used to be ".

Hodges criticized the " stiflingly dull social circle " as " short to the point of painful in brainpower ".

Robert Bianco in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that the " constant comic bantering grows a little tired, just as it would if it ever actually happened in real life ", and questioned why the six characters had so much free time to talk about dates.

In the Los Angeles Daily News, Ray Richmond, who had also seen the following two episodes, called the cast a " likeable, youth ensemble " with " good chemistry ".

He added that while Friends was " one of the brighter comedies of the new season ", the pilot was " very weak ".

Diane Holloway for the Austin American-Statesman questioned Friends billing as a " sophisticated comedy ", writing, " What's sophisticated about a guy who dreams his penis is a telephone?

" She called the scene where Monica discovers Paul's impotence was a lie the least funny part of the episode, though conceded that the episode as a whole did have some funny moments.

Robert P. Laurence wrote in The San Diego Union-Tribune that " A lot happens, but you'll still get the feeling you've seen Friends before ", calling it " Seinfeld Plus Two.

Or Ellen Plus Five.

" In the Chicago Sun-Times, Ginny Holbert rated the episode three stars, and wrote " The clever series [...] stars an appealing group of actors who are just a bit funnier and better-looking than your average friend " but that Joey and Rachel's characteristics were under-developed.