Friends is one of the most successful and beloved sitcoms of all time, but while the series had its ups and downs, the addition of Paul Rudd’s character kept the final seasons afloat. Friends premiered on NBC in 1994 and came to an end in 2004 after 10 seasons and a lot of characters that came and went. The series focused on the lives of six friends (Phoebe, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Ross) in New York City and the many situations they got involved in, as well as many relationships.
The audience witnessed many break-ups in the main character’s arcs, but in the end, all but Joey found their person (or their “lobster”, as Phoebe would say): Monica and Chandler got married in season 7, Rachel and Ross got back together in the series’ finale, and Phoebe and Mike got married in season 10. Mike Hannigan was one of the last (relevant) characters to be introduced, and although he was initially received with mixed reactions, he ultimately helped Friends survive its final seasons.
Mike (played by Paul Rudd) was a former attorney and now pianist who got involved with the group by mere coincidence. In season 9’s episode “The One With The Pediatrician”, Joey and Phoebe agree to find dates for each other for a double blind date, but Joey forgets and lies to Phoebe saying that her date’s name is Mike. Joey then goes to Central Perk and shouts “Mike!”, and takes the only Mike from the place to the date. After a rough start, things turned out better than expected for Mike and Phoebe, and Mike became one of the most beloved recurrent characters in Friends. By then, the series was in need of a new addition that would help it continue for a bit longer, and Mike’s arrival was a breath of fresh air that re-injected some good laughs and unforgettable moments.
Paul Rudd’s comedic abilities hardly ever go wrong with the audience, and Mike was a character that suited him perfectly. He was his own type of weird, which was complemented with Phoebe’s eccentricity, and the chemistry between Rudd and Lisa Kudrow was undeniable. In fact, Rudd had originally signed for only two episodes, but the writers saw the chemistry between the actors and came up with more ideas for their characters. Mike was a very likable man and had storylines with almost very friend, and is considered by many fans as the “seventh friend”.
It’s hard to imagine Friends without Mike/Paul Rudd, and the last two seasons would have surely been less entertaining without him. Characters like Charlie Wheeler, Amy Green, and Erica were also introduced during these seasons, but none of them had the impact Mike had, and he definitely helped the series not crash.