It’s finally here. The moment some of us have been waiting for, 17 years in the making; Friends: The Reunion.
I’ve been a Friends fan for over a decade, so I was over the moon when this episode dropped. I need to share my thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Who better to share those with than my friends? I promise to do my best to avoid spoilers.
In the name of full disclosure, I wasn’t sure how I was going to do emotionally. Friends is a series that holds such nostalgia for me. When I started high school, was when I started watching. When I say watching, I mean obsessively watching. I finished the first three seasons in a week. I used to dream about my mid-twenties, in New York, surrounded by great friends. As an almost twenty-six-year-old who doesn’t live in New York surrounded by great friends, I can say I live vicariously through reruns.
There are so many aspects of this reunion that I love, but I think one of the greatest is showing the connections this series created. Throughout the episode, there are interviews with people across the world discussing their experiences. Not only has this series been translated into several languages, but it’s also helped people learn English. One of the guys from BTS learned English through Friends, which I’ve always found super interesting. I don’t know that I’d be able to do that with another language. In all honesty, it seems intimidating.
This series has honestly created a community that knows no limit. It warmed my heart to see how many people have been impacted by the show. More than one person expressed how having this series saved their life. In a world where they felt they had no one, they had six friends waiting for them every day.
It’s so easy to compare our lives to tv shows or movies. To aim for unobtainable standards because that’s what we’ve ingested for years. That’s all fun and games, but the obtainable standards are a nice change-up. Friends gives you every ounce of that. If this series didn’t show me what real friendship looked like, I might not have noticed the toxic ones consuming mine. Friends showed me the standards I needed to set. Now I’m surrounded by some great friends a few hours outside of New York City.
This reunion kept everything real, down to the recreation of the famous sets. A few iconic pieces were missing after being rehomed by various cast members. But it still felt like home. Everyone just fell back into their iconic roles, like the show never even ended. All six of them did a few table reads throughout the episode, including the One Where Everybody Finds Out. *MY EYES, MY EYES*
We were all expecting the surface stuff, like table reads, but I don’t think any of us expected the deeper aspects of this episode. Both Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc, who refer to each other as Matty, talked a little about mental health struggles. Matt still deals with imposter syndrome to this day when he watches episodes. While Matthew stated, he felt like dying when the audience didn’t laugh at his jokes. There aren’t enough actors and actresses addressing mental health. More have been vocal in the last few years, but every voice helps. Matt and Matthew used this episode as an opportunity to shed light on mental health by sharing. The release happened to be perfect timing too! May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
The One with the Embryos, take two. Yes, the trivia game we were all anticipating! It was not only a call back to our favorite moments, but another reason to yell at our screens. I don’t know about anyone else, but I didn’t hold back. It was exhilarating to answer and reminisce at the same time. Joey, Chandler, Rachel, and Monica all sat in the same order while Ross read the questions in his traditional tone. The only change, a beautiful addition, Phoebe herself! Not to mention a few special guests, that again I won’t spoil.
What is a reunion without an interview? James Corden joined the cast in front of the most iconic fountain to ever exist. He invited a few more guest stars to join in on all the fun. A small fashion show ensued, along with a couple of interviews. But the one question we were all waiting for, were Ross and Rachel on a break? The answer was unanimous. Yes.
Throughout the entire episode, we’re fed tidbits of information about the making of the series. Like, casting and who almost didn’t make it on the show! Or the rituals that brought the cast luck with all but one episode. If you don’t believe in superstitions, then let this episode be a lesson. Or the best by far, who was crushing on who! It’s all the juicy stuff left out of the script for me.
Regardless if you’re a Friends fan or not, this is a reunion worth watching. Am I bias? Possibly, but I like to give credit where credit is due. This reunion covers everything. It includes appearances from almost everyone you could possibly need to see. It gives us answers we’ve craved. It even tugs at our heartstrings in the best way. The biggest downfall of this reunion is knowing that this will be the very last time this cast is together discussing this show. Courtney even says it herself! There is no reason for this show to continue in a new way. As far as we, the audience, know, all the characters are living happy lives. Why change that?
We’ll just have to rewatch the series like it’s 1995.
If you haven’t heard, I have a podcast! It’s called Off the Paigee; it’s available wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! There’s an episode streaming right now all about the reunion. If you’ve enjoyed this piece, you’ll enjoy the audio take. I promise. Don’t forget to subscribe for even more not-so-subtle Friends references.
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