When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, HBO Max is here for you. The F.R.I.E.N.D.S reunion released its trailer to give fans a peak of what to expect. Like Zack Snyder’s Justice League, it’s finally here, and it can it be any more exciting?
F.R.I.E.N.D.S was the ultimate staple of ‘90s sitcoms. For 10 seasons, the show followed six friends in New York City coasting through the hard knocks of adulthood. Some had kids, others got married (to each other) and the rest had a chicken and a duck!
The show garnered an immediate fanbase. Women wanted Jennifer Aniston’s “Rachel” haircut, “Smelly Cat” was on heavy rotation and guys couldn’t stop asking, “How you doin’?” It even sparked a heavy debate on Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel being on a break. The biggest debate that some fans want to know is what took this reunion so long?
“The Last One”
The sitcom ended back in 2004 where the group split up to live their own lives. Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) got her ending a bit early in the last season marrying Mike (Paul Rudd); now turned Ant-Man. Friends turned couple, Monica (Courtney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) settle out of the city to raise their adopted twins. Joey (Matt LeBlanc) was about to jet off to L.A. – no need to talk about what happens later. Finally, Rachel “got off the plane” to get back together with Ross. They all leave the huge apartment to get coffee one last time.
The One Where Everybody Waits
See no one told you this reunion was going to be this way. Since the finale, fans of the show wondered when they would see their six official/unofficial friends again. Through the years, some of the cast would show up on each other’s post F.R.I.E.N.D.S shows. An example would be Jennifer Aniston making an appearance on Courtney Cox’s show, Dirt.
The women would reunite the most for various events or late-night talk shows. There have also been talks around L.A. that they would privately get together for dinners. To be a fly on that wall or a yellow frame on a purple door.
The One With the Announcement
It wasn’t until November of 2019, when The Hollywood Reporter, announced that Warner Bros. Television would develop the reunion special for HBO Max. This promised the cast and co-creators returning since they took their final bow.
The cast was ready to shoot in March 2020, when suddenly, the 16-year wait pushed to 17 due to COVID-19. A bit of a stumble, but not down and out. Matthew Perry decided to become Chandler, during Monica, and give fans some hope. November 2020, he tweeted that the reunion would start filming in March of 2021. And now, there’s only less than a week to wait.
The One That’s Expected
Not sure if this is the longest event in pop culture the world has waited for, but it’s here. Warner Bros. stated in February 2020, that the special will be unscripted. This means deep and intimate conversations between the cast members while they relive the funniest and most touching moments. It would be as if the fans get to sit in on one of their private dinners!
Warner Bros. kept to their word when the trailer dropped on May 13. It opens with the cast recreating “The Test”. This was the game where Monica and Rachel went against Joey and Chandler for Monica’s apartment. The cast even sat at the exact same spots as the episode!
It then shows the cast going through the apartment sets and later getting ready to meet host, James Corden. From there, snippets show from their sit down with Corden, to the awaited reminiscing amongst each other. They even get to do a table read for season five’s “The One Where Everybody Finds Out”. What more is there to find out? The clothes.
The One With the Looks
The trailer also features a fashion show that’ll highlight the most iconic looks from the series. Looks like Joey in Chandler’s clothes from season three, Rachel’s bridesmaid dress from season two, and Ross’s holiday armadillo from season seven. Looks were everything to the main characters, but another thing that also enhanced them was the supporting roles.
The One With the Special Guests
The case of the ex is set to return with Tom Selleck (Monica’s ex, Richard) entering Monica’s apartment. Another familiar ex would make you say, “OH. MY. GOD,” as Maggie Weeler (Chandler’s ex, Janice) also pays a visit.
More guests are expected to show up. Faces like James Michael Tyler (Gunther), Reese Witherspoon (Rachel’s sister, Jill) and Elliott Gould (Rose and Monica’s father) will appear. Other guests are a bit unexpected.
Celebrities like Justin Bieber, BTS, and Cara Delevingne are odd choices for the special. This is only because they seem Gen-Z for this 27-year-old series. But their appearance might not be much of an impact. They probably would just be performances and short bits. Despite the unusual guest list, fans waiting for this reunion wouldn’t mind a bit of padding.
What most are waiting to see is their favorite group together again. This reunion was too big for Zoom reunions. This was 17 years in the making, all coming down to May 27. Yes, with just less than a week away, fans are ready to go back to Central Perk and catch up with some F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
