It is still evident that they are friends from the scene in the elevator in Episode II,
This scene showcases Lucas’s inability to understand one of the fundamental ideas of filmmaking: show, don’t tell.
It isn’t effective to have them TALKING about adventures they had and what great friends they are. We need to see them actually acting like friends within the context of the film. One minute in the elevator at the very beginning where they might as well be looking into the camera and saying “Hey guys, we’re friends!” and then having them acting like a bitter couple the entire rest of the story does not work.