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| Photo from HBO Max |
Also, if you haven’t seen Friends: The Reunion but have plans of watching it, skip this post for there will be spoilers ahead.
First off, I wish I could’ve watched it on a bigger screen (I only did it through my phone). My TV doesn’t support the HBO App so that’s quite a bummer since I can’t even share the moment with my older brother and Gavin. To think I paid for the service. Eh.
Was it enjoyable to watch? For me it is. There were moments when I would laugh out loud making my cheeks hurt, but also some that left me wistful and sad.
And here’s what I know: The almost two-hour special would only appeal to big fans. If you are from a younger generation (or anyone for that matter) starting to binge-watch it on Netflix, it will not have the same effect simply because there’s hardly a nostalgia to evoke.
The special started with the six cast members entering Studio 24 of Warner Bros one by one. After tight hugs and some catching up, they wander around the redecorated set which is a poignant reminder of the best days of their lives. And while the undeniable chemistry between the sextet is still there, there’s one thing that is too palpable to miss: they have aged.
The interview with the creators was surprisingly engaging, although some of it I may have already heard in some features about the show in the past (like how Matt Le Blanc only had $11 in his pocket during the audition). Still, every fan has to know how each of the cast was chosen, and what was it about them that made it one of the best ensembles ever.
I answered more questions correctly during the highly entertaining Q&A—reminiscent of the trivia contest they had in the episode “The One with the Embryos”. Well, for one I knew the mystery voice was Mr. Heckles (how could the girls miss that?), and the number of female erogenous zones according to Monica (seven!).
I’m surprised how some of the cast can’t remember much of the things a typical fan normally would. Like how Perry forgot that they have destroyed the foosball or when Schwimmer can’t remember the episode where he was throwing the ball back and forth with Joey without dropping it.
I was particularly thrilled seeing the cameos, although I didn’t realize how brief it’d be. Richard (Tom Selleck), still macho and rocking the mustache at 76, was there for just less than 5 minutes to read the bonus question for the Q&A. Janice (Maggie Wheeler) steals the scene during the Corden interview—with her iconic “Oh—my—God!” catchphrase.
I got somewhat emotional seeing Jack and Judy Geller (Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles) sitting in the audience only because they’re still here! If you don’t know why I said that, remember “The One with the Cake” episode where each of them has to leave a video message for Emma’s 18th birthday? In the scene, Judy quickly realizes that she and Jack might no longer be around when Emma watches it. Jack agrees and says, “This message could be coming to you from beyond the grave, Emma!”
Some of the appearances were just okay with me, like Lady Gaga singing “Smelly Cat” (backed by a choir) with Phoebe, but I wasn’t really blown away with it. The same goes with the fashion show where celebrities Cara Delevingne, Justin Bieber, and Cindy Crawford strutted the runway wearing the most memorable costumes in the show like the Spudnik and the Holiday Armadillo. It was fun at first but it quickly fizzled out after a while. I mean they could have inserted something else more entertaining.
I also like the bloopers, and while I saw most of it elsewhere, it’s different when you can see the first-hand reactions of the cast to it. Not all the blooper reels are funny though — I couldn’t bear to watch Le Blanc’s on-set shoulder injury.
But my favorite part will always be the table reading of their memorable scripts. They did the “The One With the Jellyfish,” and “The One Where Everybody Finds Out”. Lisa Kudrow was adorable in character yelling “My eyes! My eyes!” that Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc couldn’t stop laughing.
Meanwhile, the best moment of the entire show for me is when Aniston and Schwimmer slip into their characters quite so easily to read their first kiss in the episode, “The One Where Ross Finds Out”. Of course, the confession that they both were crushing on each other and deciding not to act on it left me dumbstruck. I mean, now that I’m in my forties, I always thought that Ross and Rachel had a toxic relationship, but hey, knowing that I realized that I was rooting for them after all.
And yes, they unanimously agreed: Ross and Rachel were on a break!
I also like how they tried to stay light and positive and not discussing the complaints of some people about the series. When someone from the audience asked the cast what was it that they don’t like/didn’t enjoy, I think Schwimmer managed to evade it by telling about the snags working with the capuchin Marcel instead. Frankly, we don’t need to delve into topics like homophobia and lack of diversity.
There are some parts that I can do away with, like the feature on current Friends fans from around the world. No hate as I don’t want to offend, but I’d rather see more of the cast than anything or anyone else. I’m already well aware of the impact of the show on audiences and fans anyway. I have seen some of the deleted scenes of the show and it would have been nicer to see that instead.
Matthew Perry was unusually quiet the whole time, a far cry from my favorite friend Chandler. He was slurring and hunched during the interview and from what I read, he had an emergency tooth procedure that day. It would have been a lot more fun if he injected sarcastic comments for comic relief. Instead, we saw a more somber Perry admitting to suffering anxiety and wanting to die when the live audience didn’t laugh at his jokes. A thing that even his castmates weren’t aware of.
The reunion special is just as what I hoped for and expected it to be. And even if it did give me that all-too-familiar warm fuzzy feeling, I know that this is the only kind of reunion the show will ever have. If die-hards would insist on a reboot, then I’m not for it. Kudrow said it best—Friends ended very nicely for each of the characters, and doing it again will need to unravel the good stuff. Therefore, I feel the same way as her, it should be left at that.
It was a tug in my heartstrings when Courtney said that they will be no more reunions for them after this and to hear such a statement as if with finality is just the reality of it. But it is what it is.
And while I’m at it, I’ll continue to binge-watch with my nephew, a new generation fan of the show. I asked him recently who’s his favorite friend to which he answered: “Si Fyu-bie (Phoebe)”. My kuya and I just cracked up.
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