The Friends Reunion has been brewing for a long time. Not to mention, the fans have been asking for it, since the show’s finale in 2004. But not what it’s finally happening…. Are you hyped for this Friends Reunion?
Friends Reunion: A Long Time In The Making
You’ve probably seen the trailer by now. The Friends Reunion is about to happen today on HBO Max, and the fans of the cult TV show are excited. Honestly, I am one of those fans as well. But I can’t say that I’m too excited about it. The sheer saturation of the many reunions, reboots and revivals we’ve had over the years is one reason for my lack of excitement. While the second reason is the format of “The One Where They Get Back Together“.
That’s the official name of the reunion of course. And yes. This will be a Q&A type of unscripted, panel discussion with all of the 6 friends present. They’ll reminisce, they’ll cry and laugh all the way to the bank. Look, I’d be much happier with a scripted episode, but this seems forced and a very blatant cash-grab for the cast. It’s just too easy, and effortless, don’t you think? But I digress. However, it was a wish from the fans for so long, and since every other series did it, Friends is next in 2021. “The One Where They Get Back Together“ has been a long time in the making (literally with COVID-19 and all), but it’s finally here. So, I suppose fans are getting their wish granted, which is nice.
Friends Reunion: A Mix of Old And New In The Cast
And who can we expect to see besides the six friends? Well, James Corden is the designated MC for the reunion, but there are plenty more A-listers to watch out for. Among the guest stars are celebrities like Justin Bieber, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevigne, Lady Gaga, Mindi Kaling, Nicollette Sheridan. Hey, the activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai is on the roster too. However, I’m most excited about the true Friends alumni like Tom Selleck (Richard-Monica’s boyfriend), Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles (Monica and Ross’s parents). Next, I’m excited about James Michael Tyler (who played Gunther), Maggie Wheeler (Janice) and of course Reese Whiterspoon (as Jill Green- Rachel’s sister). How about you?
But Which Games Go Well With The Friends Reunion?
Granted, there isn’t any Friends video game out there, the closes we can get with the theme of this article are the social games we have at IndieGala. From Golf With Your Friends (available here) to King of Booze: Drinking Game (available here). Take your pick and enjoy. Oh, and of course enjoy the Friends reunion too.
And Speaking of Friends….
What makes the TV show so special? It’s been more than 17 years since the show went off the air, and it still has a strong cult following. What’s the reason behind the nostalgia, the never-ending appeal and the cult status that Friends has? Well, the cultural impact can be more felt now, than ever before. But even back in the mid to late 90’s the impact was truly immense. From Joey’s catchphrase (How you doin’?) to Rachel’s iconic haircut… everything was copied and used to excess since. And let’s face it. Chandler’s sarcasm is unmatched even today. Could I Be Any More Obvious?
Raichel’s Haircut Was A Must!
But it’s not just the clothes, the unattainable apartment, or the Central Perk coffee shop which always had the couch free for the Friends. It was the humor, the will they-won’t they romance among Ross and Rachel too. And the supporting characters as well. I mean do you remember Janice? It was the bonkers plot lines (Phoebe delivering her brother’s babies) and so much more. But there were some relatable and down-to-earth themes as well. Not everything was outrageous and unattainable.
Monica and Chandler’s infertility for instance. That was a good way of portraying infertility (with both partners), and later on adoption. Job loss and the struggle to maintain a respectable career were another big issues. Lots of heartbreaks, divorces (especially for Ross) and disappointments even among the seemingly casual hang-outs.
And speaking of… The TV show sparked a new interest in „hang out“ sitcoms where young 20-something people can „hang out“ at their local coffee place or their bar. How I Met Your Mother is one great example of this and The Big Bang Theory, and New Girl are additional examples.
And did you know that the show actually helped students learn English? But not just for college students actually. For accomplished individuals as well. The football coach Jürgen Klopp and the pro-golfer Thomas Pieters are some of the key figures that credit learning English by watching Friends. How cool is that?
Don’t Mention Joey
Yes. Don’t even mention Joey. Everyone thought that Joey- the spin-off series from Friends will become the new Frasier. There was a lot of hope invested in that series. And a lot of money too. But it turned out to be a total flop, which only proves that Friends works best when the show is in plural. Joey felt desperate and quite depressing, but most of all very forced. And frankly, kinda derailed the career of Matt LeBlanc for some years afterward. But truth be told, almost none of the 6 friends (well except maybe Jennifer Aniston) made a fantastic career post-Friends. Almost all of them are struggling with their careers, and it’s a crying shame. All of them are decent actors and with fantastic comedic timing.
Where Are They Now?
Yeah. What’s happening with the 6 friends in 2021? What are they up to now and how’s life treating them? Well, they’re filthy rich, that’s for sure. But yeah. You can clearly see that even from the trailer. Some of them didn’t age gracefully, but I digress. And how about their latest projects? Well first and foremost, Jennifer Aniston will be back for the second season of The Morning Show in 2021. And she’s got two movies on the horizon. The biopic Hail Marry and Untitled Jennifer Aniston/Sophie Goodhart Project. Courteney Cox is also going back to a very familiar project. She’s going to reprise the role of Gale Weathers in the upcoming Scream movie. Lisa Kudrow however is back on TV with another good role. She’s part of the TV series Feel Good and it’s actually a good show. Check it out.
Matt LeBlanc hasn’t had a movie release in more than 7 years, but he did spend almost 5 years in the sitcom Man with a Plan. Matthew Perry on the other hand is engaged to be married (congrats) and is also part of the stellar A-list cast of the Don’t Look Up movie. Seriously, look it up. It’s packed with Oscar-winners and legends. I can’t wait for it. And last but certainly not least, there’s David Schwimmer. He doesn’t have any upcoming projects, but up until last year, he was part of Intelligence. A TV series that only lasted 2 seasons, and yeah. Check it out too. But what are your expectations for the Friends Reunion?
What’s Your Favorite Friends Character?
Are you looking forward to the Friends Reunion? Let us know who’s your favorite Friends character. Mine is Chandler, but I can’t wait to know yours. Let us know in the comment section.
