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So no one told you life was going to be this way, that one day you would tragically witness the end of an iconic television show that has defined an entire decade for sitcom fans.

Granted, there were many signs it was time to move on, but this does not lessen the sadness, except perhaps for NBC’s competitors.

Who could possibly express the influence “Friends” has had over the millions of people who religiously watch the series? The impact of its initial success was so sudden that soon everyone was wearing “the Rachel” and speaking “Friends” lingo: Could you BE any more excited for the “Friends” series finale?

“The societal impact of ‘Friends’ has been tremendous,” said sociology Professor Steve Sherwood. “It reinforces the strong American ethic of individualism while it also reaffirms the ritualistic process of forming relationships.”

With the finale tonight, there is rising speculation as to how the memorable characters will fare now that they must leave the comfort of six behind. Will fickle Phoebe ever settle and find true love? Will Joey finally grow out of his adolescent mentality? Will Rachel be trading in her Central Perk coffees for Parisian lattes?

“I think Ross and Rachel will end up together,” said Connie Kim, a third-year political science student. “It would be an insult to the audience if they were not.”

Part of the success of “Friends” is that the producers have always given the audience what it wanted. Meanwhile, the audience wanted more, whether scenarios included crashing weddings or betting on marriage over a craps game.

Looking at past finales of other popular sitcoms, there are obviously a myriad of ways the producers could approach this significant television event.

Producers at NBC could take a leap of faith and model the finale after the equally successful series “Seinfeld.” But here “Friends” may want to err on the side of caution, as the last episode of “Seinfeld” was generally considered to be less than stellar: The episode looked to past characters (or random cameos in the

case of Geraldo Rivera) for laughs rather than

focusing on the chemistry of the characters themselves.

“The ‘Seinfeld’ finale was trying to do too much,” Sherwood said. “The directors should have stuck to what the series was known for, and not crazy antics.”

Or, there’s the method exemplified by “Cheers.” The series managed to keep its audience engaged with surprises, but never allowed them to take away from the final episode’s sentiment. The producers decided not to have Sam and Diane reunite, but instead focused the finale on the bar, the foundation of the series.

“I think the ‘Friends’ finale will be a mix of both of these types of past finales,” Sherwood said. “Yet, more importantly, I don’t think the actual content of the end matters. No matter what, the finale will be consistent in reaffirming the importance of friendship.”

And if the impact on its fans is not enough, there is also the void that must be filled after the series says its farewell, especially with rival networks smelling blood in the water.

Shows like “Friends” and “Seinfeld” have already spawned a number of copy-cat shows featuring attractive, young singles who discuss nothing and everything all at once. But these second-raters never seem to garner the status that made the original formula so successful. After all, no one wants to watch a poor copy.

“Shows like ‘Coupling,’ which catered to the same idea, did not work because ‘Friends’ is a one-time deal,” said Laura Weil, a third-year economics student. “What makes ‘Friends’ different is its ability to be mature, yet stay funny.”

However the producers at “Friends” decide to end the show, they will certainly not have to convince people to watch how the culmination of 10 years of friendship will play out.

There, the most mused over question left to be answered still remains: Will Rachel and Ross find true love once again?

After all, by now we all know there is no denying your one,

true lobster.