RS

This crossword hit close to home. I remember my devastation on hearing the news of Matthew Perry's passing, I knew about his demons and that he had not been in great shape at the Friends reunion, but it was still a shock nonetheless. Friends was such a big part of my life growing up. In my teenage years, as someone living outside the US, that was my visual of what NYC (and by extension, the US) was and all the hope this great country held. Through the years, it has remained a source of great personal comfort: if I'm feeling down, I'll often play an old episode and the refrain of "I'll be there for you" just hits differently. I know how Friends is a polarising show, but for those of us who love it (in all its nostalgia-tinged silliness), it will always be something very meaningful and special. What a wonderful tribute, the puzzle really put a smile on my face today.

I don't mean to nitpick but the clue for 52 Down should be plural, as in "Sour fruits". While the puzzle was an easy solve, this threw me off for a second because the Times is normally excellent in checking for these consistency issues. I think it's quite amazing that in all my years of solving, I have never come across such a disagreement, so if this comes across as a quibble, it's because of the exceptional standards that I've become accustomed to in the Times crossword! :)