Where we left off: After daugher Emma's birth, a vulnerable Rachel accepted what she thought was a marriage proposal from Joey - just as Ross headed to her room to go on bended knee

It's back because... [Chandleresque pause] It's the number one comedy on television?

Frisky business: The season premiere will pick up right where the season finale left off, but don't expect a quick resolution to the Ross-Rachel-Joey love triangle. "Things will get more complicated rather than less," says executive producer David Crane. Adds executive producer Marta Kauffman, "People other than Ross are headed to Rachel's room, so a lot of trains will be colliding." Meanwhile, Monica and Chandler will continue to try to have a baby and Pheobe may have a long term romance.

Friends Forever? Don't bet on it. Both Crane and Kauffman expect the show's ninth season to be it's last. "It's a very sad, difficult thing," says Kauffman. "And I think it adds more pressure in a way, because you want the last season to be a memorable one." But neither claims to know how the show will end. "We have different ideas from each other," says Crane, "so we have a lot to hash out."

Matt's [Roush of TV Guide] forecast: Anticipation and expectations could not be higher. The tune-in will be awesome to the yearlong countdown to a fond-but-reluctant farewell. And if we're left wanting more, is that really such a bad thing?