Friends fans — don't go into AMC's new series Feed the Beast expecting to see David Schwimmer be anything like Ross Geller. Like in The People v. O.J. Simpson, David Schwimmer as Tommy Moran in Feed the Beast is showing his more serious side and it's a far (high-pitched) cry from his iconic role of Ross on the beloved sitcom Friends. Yet, if you can't help but tune into the series for your love of Schwimmer's Ross, there are a few similarities between his characters on Feed the Beast and Friends .
The comparisons I am about to make between Tommy and Ross are most likely just desperate attempts to connect to Friends, but that's what us Friends fans have been doing since the series ended in 2004. Whether making "We were on a break!" jokes or discussing the possibility of a Friends reunion (their appearance at the James Burrows tribute didn't really count), fans are pretty much never going to let Schwimmer forget his iconic role.
In his new series Feed the Beast, Schwimmer stars opposite Jim Sturgess as a troubled former sommelier. With a dead wife, a dysfunctional relationship with his father, ties to the mob, and a struggle with addiction, Tommy understandably seems nothing like Ross, as is shown in the below preview from AMC.
While Feed the Beast most certainly falls in the "drama" category, that doesn't mean there aren't some more superficial associations I can make between Schwimmer's character and Ross. So, for all you Friends fans out there, here are the ways Tommy in Feed the Beast is like Ross.
They Were Both Married
Ross was infamous among his friends for having been married three times. His first marriage was to Carol, who divorced him for another woman. His second to Emily, who could never forgive Ross for saying Rachel's name during their vows. And his third to Rachel, when they were both blackout drunk. Tommy's marriage tale is much more tragic as he lost his wife Rie — a talented chef — in a hit-and-run car accident. Although she is dead, Rie will be a character in Season 1 of Feed the Beast through flashbacks. If you're already getting too depressed about Tommy's life, just remember the hilarious exchange between Ross and Rachel at their wedding of "Hellooo, Mrs. Ross!" and "Well, hellooo, Mr. Rachel!"
They Are Single Fathers To Sons
I'm not 100 percent sure the title "singer father" pertains to Ross, but he does share custody of his son Ben with Carol and her wife, Susan. Of course, his parenting situation changes significantly when Rachel gives birth to their daughter, Emma, but let's just focus on Ross' relationship with Ben for now. In Feed the Beast, Tommy has a 10-year-old son with Rie named TJ. Yet again, this plot point is depressing since TJ witnessed his mom's death and hasn't spoken since. Is anyone else starting to get a bit uncomfortable about comparing the lives of Tommy and Ross?
They Live In New York City
Ah, here's a nice, safe comparison: Both Tommy and Ross live in New York City. Friends took place in Manhattan, while Feed the Beast takes place in the Bronx, but regardless of which borough they live in, they both call NYC their home — where Ross' cries about his Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, featuring the Moist Maker, can be heard through the streets.
They Are Really Close With Chefs
Feed the Beast is about Tommy opening a restaurant with his best friend and chef Dion, who not only is addicted to cocaine, but also just got out of jail for burning down a different restaurant. If you ignore all of the unsavory details about Dion (chefs love food puns!), you can focus on how Tommy's best friend and wife were chefs and see how that relates to Ross, since his sister Monica was a chef. Monica, with her type A personality, was nothing like Dion, but Schwimmer clearly likes to have people around him who know how to cook.
They Are Dedicated To Their Friends
The whole point of Friends was the relationship between Ross, Chandler, Joey, Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe and though Feed the Beast isn't going to be anything like the sitcom, the relationship between Tommy and Dion is the crux of the show. After Dion gets out of jail Tommy decides to open a restaurant with him, which is not something a lot of characters would do. However, I could imagine Ross doing something similar for one of the members of the Friends gang.
When Feed the Beast premieres on June 5 at 10 p.m., you can see for yourself just how much Ross is infused into Schwimmer's new character Tommy. But don't say I didn't warn you that Tommy is going to go to a much darker place than Ross ever did.
Images: Frank Ockenfels/AMC; theonewheretheyblog, friendsgifs/Tumblr; Giphy (4)
