So far, I think the new season has been pretty good, but I must say that NBC is really going overboard in the hype department. For months they were hyping the premiere episode, saying that "Everything will change," or something to that effect.
Well, certainly nothing changed in that first episode (they didn't even say who the father is, for Chrissakes), and three episodes down the line, still nothing whatsoever has changed -- and I can't say I was expecting any different. I figured it was probably just hype, and it looks like it was.
Also, after 802, they had a quick voice-over announcement, something to the effect of "Now that we know that [potential spoiler deleted] is the father, tune in next week to see how he finds out!" The implication, of course, is that various wacky hijinx will ensue before he finds out.
But no, how the father finds out turns out to be rather mundane -- Rachel pretty much just tells him. Did I expect more this time? Yeah, this time I did. I was expecting something like the genuinely funny "they don't know that we know that they know" stuff surrounding Monica and Chandler's "revelation."
Again, it was not a bad episode at all. But NBC apparently is so afraid of losing viewers, that they have to hype everything out of proportion.
NBC: Ditch the hype! "Friends" is an established ratings winner, and quality episodes will keep it that way. The hoopla is unnecessary and a turn-off.
Dave