Chương 23: **Chapter 23: Costume Fitting**
American TV series are produced on a season-by-season basis, often involving long-term planning. The longer a show runs, the more successful it becomes. For example, "The Simpsons" later reached thirty-six seasons, so the entire production model differs slightly.
Generally, a writing team is built around one or two lead writers, consisting of ten to twenty members. The team can change frequently, with different writers sometimes contributing to different episodes.
The same applies to directors. Unlike films, where the visual language is paramount, in television, the charm lies in the script, and the director's role is to faithfully present the script's content. As a result, directors are also frequently changed.
For miniseries or limited series, where maintaining a consistent style is crucial, the writing and directing teams might remain relatively fixed. However, for regular long-running series, there are no such requirements, leading to significant personnel turnover.
Because of this, the quality of a series can fluctuate within a single season. It's common for the middle episodes to drag or dip in quality, only for the show to pick up again with a strong finish toward the season's end.
"Friends" was no exception.
As the season finale approached, the key writers and directors returned to their posts. Not only did the core writer Marta Kauffman come back, but David Crane also resumed his role, personally overseeing the production process.
However, Marta was unaware of the mix-up caused by the writing team's misunderstanding of David's intentions, nor that David had initially planned to invite Bruce Willis for a guest spot, only to decide in the end to roll with the mistake and go with the flow. All Marta knew was the final outcome—
An inexperienced young man was about to guest star.
As one of the core writers who had created "Friends" from scratch alongside David, Marta had both the right and the confidence to express her dissatisfaction.
Marta didn't mind David pulling strings for personal reasons; such things were common. But to do this so close to the season finale? Had David lost his mind?
There was a fire in Marta's chest, and she needed to let it out.
However.
With filming set to begin the next day, if she didn't want to jeopardize the week's broadcast and subsequently mess up the season finale, she'd better keep quiet and cooperate.
After all, who wants to mess with the money?
So, despite her reluctance, Marta personally came to the company to discuss with the costume team how to design a look for this pretty face—
If he couldn't be funny, at least he had to be charming, like Brad Pitt.
And maybe vent a little frustration along the way.
Knock knock.
There was a knock at the door.
Debra McGuire, the show's stylist, was startled and quickly gave Marta a look, but Marta didn't care at all.
She wasn't worried about anyone overhearing the gossip. Even if David Crane were standing right there, she would have no problem saying it again.
That said, Marta decided not to continue the conversation.
Debra breathed a small sigh of relief and called out toward the door, "Come in."
Creak.
The door opened, allowing a sliver of sunlight and hallway light to filter through. In the soft glow, a tall, handsome figure stepped inside.
Marta glanced indifferently at the newcomer but couldn't help taking another look after she'd passed him by.
"Good morning, I'm Anson Wood, here for the costume fitting."
Handsome, clear-cut.
Marta's eyes involuntarily brightened. He was certainly easy on the eyes.
Marta glanced back at Deborah and instantly caught the smile in her eyes. Without words, she could understand the meaning:
The two exchanged a knowing look. At least the appearance was passable, even beyond expectations. With a guest like this, things didn't seem so bad.
But Marta wasn't planning to stay long—she hadn't forgotten.
She was still angry, angry at David, angry at the young man in front of her.
No matter what, she had to maintain some air of authority.
Marta glanced at Anson again, trying to keep a stern demeanor, though without realizing it, the lines of her jaw, mouth, and eyes began to relax. Whatever severity she had left was fading fast.
"Alright, try on your costumes, and make sure to read the script twice."
She threw out a casual comment without introducing herself and walked out of the room.
Meanwhile, Deborah kept observing Anson.
It wasn't just an inspection but a professional assessment, as a stylist.
From Deborah's perspective, Marta's complaints were one thing, but her professional attitude was another. The design for the finale of Season Six was sincere.
After all, six years had passed. What had started as a show that no one had high hopes for had now become America's number-one series. Marta and *Friends* had gone through countless ups and downs together. The camaraderie and bond were real, and Marta hoped the show would continue to thrive.
So even though Anson was just a "pretty face," a temporary guest star, the writers had still crafted a storyline for him.
*Friends* tells the story of Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and Joey, three men and three women living in New York as best friends.
The first season began with Rachel fleeing from her wedding and seeking out her old friend Monica. Monica's brother, Ross, had just gone through a divorce, and he had always had a crush on Rachel, his sister's classmate. Rachel moves in with Monica, and the story begins from there.
Six years later, as the story reaches Season Six, the characters have undergone many changes.
At the end of the last season, Ross and Rachel, while drunk, accidentally got married. But after sobering up, they decided to get a divorce.
Monica and Chandler are officially dating but have decided not to rush into marriage. Instead, they plan to move in together to see how it goes.
Originally, Rachel and Phoebe were roommates in an apartment, but after a fire, Rachel moved back in with Monica, while Phoebe moved in with Joey. Later, they discovered that the fire was caused by Rachel's hair straightener, so they swapped apartments.
Despite the time passing, the show remained lively, with high ratings, thanks to the writers' dedication and the chemistry between the actors.
Undoubtedly, the biggest suspense of Season Six is when and how Chandler, who's always been afraid of commitment, will propose.
This is something viewers are eagerly waiting for.
On top of that, the ongoing will-they-won't-they relationship between Ross and Rachel, which has persisted since Season One, still leaves fans wondering if they'll ever get their happy ending.
At this critical moment in Season Six, the writers crafted a storyline involving Ross and Rachel for the guest character.
Ross, now a university professor of paleontology, starts dating one of his students. The student's brother, who strongly disapproves of his sister dating an older professor—one almost their father's age—comes to visit. Unexpectedly, this brother ends up dating Rachel.
Thus, a delicate four-way dynamic is created.
Anson will play the brother in this scenario.
This is a new author reporting in—thank you to all readers for your support! Sending love and cheers!
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