How Joey Tribbiani’s Childlike Wonder Makes Him Oddly Wise In the Most Unexpected of Situations

As part of their ongoing series of deconstructing the individual personalities of the characters on the classic TV sitcom series Friends, film and television analysis platform ScreenPrism took a look the childlike wonder that makes Joey Tribbiani who he is. On one hand, it makes him oddly and unexpectedly wise in certain situations, yet more than once, Joey says something about the inappropriate way in which he treats women, particularly as judged by today’s standards. Despite this shortcoming, his love for his friends is real, as shown by the lengths to which he would go for them, particularly for Chandler. Yet, at the end of the series, Joey is left behind in exactly the same physical and mental place while the others have moved on.

In many ways youthful never-changing Joey is the true heart of the show reflecting the deeper message and moment of life that ‘Friends’ is all about …in the show Joey and Chandler are a true team through their 20s, supporting each other blowing off steam together and acting as the main players in each other’s lives through this formative period, even as they develop more separate lives …we see the other friends changed dramatically over the years but Joey doesn’t have this will to change. In the series finale he’s still the same single guy living in the same apartment as when we first met him.