Friends and I have an interesting relationship. I remember specific jokes that are not the “typical” jokes from the show—mainly Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) screaming about how he couldn’t find Escrow on the map when Monica and Chandler were moving. But it is undeniable how much this show means to a lot of people out there.
Whether or not you like Friends, the trailer for the reunion special on HBO Max (that I did not even know was happening? I thought it was a new season …) is a look at what this show did for the cast, for audiences, and how people still relate to these friends living in New York City. (Please know that Friends is not an accurate portrayal of how it feels to live in New York City. Trust me.)
The trailer gives us a look at Jennifer Anniston, Courtney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer all back together to go through the show, their memories, and what Friends meant to them.
I didn’t expect to feel any sort of way about this? Mainly because Friends doesn’t even make my top list of comedies in any way shape or form, and yet watching the trailer for Friends: The Reunion somehow brought me back to watching the show as a kid. Running from 1994-2004, for many of us, the show was ingrained in our upbringing. My mom and dad had to watch the new episode whenever it was on and, being a kid of the ’90s, I was just there and along for the ride.
From Ross and Rachel’s relationship (Rachel should have gotten on the plane is all I’m saying) to the journey to Monica and Chandler getting together and more, the show did make a mark in our American sitcom frontier. So while it might not be my favorite, I do know of its significance to others, and it is emotional watching the cast come back together.
The trailer looks as if the special takes the cast back through the set that is now iconic for fans of the show and into a live reunion in front of an audience. Returning to the show after seventeen years is going to be interesting. Sure, Friends found new life in the streaming era with new fans discovering the dynamic of Chandler, Joey, Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe, but still. This show was a major part of the ’90s and early ’00s. So, coming back together and reliving some of the best parts of Friends will be brilliant.
2021 is full of surprises, like me somehow getting emotional about a reunion for a show I don’t particularly love, and yet, here I am. The entire crew is back with special guests and getting to go back to the New York that Friends existed in is maybe what we all need. Friends: The Reunion heads to HBO Max on May 27th.
(image: HBO Max)
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