Communication through "Friends"

I chose to evaluate communication cues through the show "Friends". I have never really watched the show, so I chose it due to the fact that I am unaware of the relationships amongst the characters.

In the episode I first viewed the opening scene in silence. The characters are all sitting around talking in a group setting. The conversation seems to be light hearted and genuine between friends. Everyone's non-verbal cues speak to their strong bond as friends. Each of the five characters in the scene seemed relaxed in nature and their body language signaled me to believe that they all got along within the group. Another character enters the room and seems sad. Many of the characters reach out to touch and comfort him, while the others seemed confused as to what was going on with him. One character in particular seemed unbothered with the other character's emotions, as he continued to read a magazine with his feet propped on the table throughout the encounter.

After watching the scene with sound, I now know that the scene does consist of a group of friends sitting in a coffee shop discussing topics such as relationships and past experiences. The group was grilling one of the female characters regarding a date with a new guy. The conversation was indeed light-hearted and consisted of light banter and jokes between friends. When the sad character walks into the coffee shop, he is visibly upset and only one friend in the group seems to know why. The uninterested friend attempts to lighten the mood by offering him a cookie. I learned that the character is sad due to someone named Carol (a former girlfriend) moved her things out of his home earlier that day and left him. The group continues to banter on and the uninterested friend makes jokes pertaining to how he should have known his girlfriend was a lesbian all along and he wouldn't be hurt.

It would be much easier to interpret the scene if i'd seen the show prior to this moment and knew the characters as well as their situations.