Friends Reunion — 5 best moments and the 2 worst

After 10 seasons, 17 years apart, and a significant delay due to a certain global pandemic, Friends: The Reunion is at last streaming on HBO Max.

The feature-length special reunites the cast of dear sitcom Friends and fondly looks back on the series through nostalgia-tinted goggles. It's been a long time in the works, but at present that it'due south finally out nosotros tin definitively say that it was worth the await ... for the most function.

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While we certainly had our reservations early on, especially after a roster of seemingly random guest stars was announced, the tear-jerking trailer won us over. The episode hits all the correct notes and will turn even casual fans of the testify into a blubbering mess past the time the first few chords of the iconic theme song begin to play.

It might non exist the 11th season or total movie that some fans have been demanding pretty much since the show ended in 2004, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Friends Reunion was a stroll downwards memory lane for the Central Perk six and the television equivalent of a warm hug for longtime fans — something we've all needed afterward the difficult last year.

At that place were plenty of parts that stood out. From the emotional initial reunion on the reconstructed set to David Schwimmer'southward revelation that he really hated working with that monkey Marcel. Below nosotros've picked out the very best moments from the Friends Reunion, as well as a couple of sequences that unfortunately didn't quite work.

Best: The introduction

(Image credit: HBO Max)

Nailing the opening was always going to be key. Subsequently all, seeing the unabridged cast back on our screens after more than a decade and a half is a momentous occasion.

The special begins with David Schwimmer walking into the Warner Bros sound phase where the show was filmed and onto fully recreated sets. It'southward not hard to go a little misty-eyed every bit you watch him slowly wander around, picking upward various gear up-dressing trinkets and reminisce.

One by 1, Schwimmer is joined past the other cast members until all 6 of them are standing in the apartment set together. Jennifer Aniston even asks Matthew Perry (who is the last to arrive) "could you BE anymore tardily?" It was a remarkably understated introduction for such an anticipated television event, only information technology felt intimate in the best way possible.

Best: The quiz

Riffing off the classic episode from season iv, The One with the Embryos, one of the all-time segments of the Friends Reunion saw the bandage partake in a boys vs girls quiz. Admittedly, the cast did play pretty fast and loose with the points scoring system.

(Image credit: HBO Max)

The questions asked weren't ones that would stump a superfan, but watching Courteney Cox get extremely invested in the competition in classic Monica manner was arguable the whole special'due south single all-time moment.

The segment was also used to bring dorsum Joey'due south identical paw twin (with a cameo from thespian Thomas Lennon) which was a swell throwback to i of the bear witness'southward most ridiculous gags.

Worst: Pointless glory interviews

Nosotros were worried nigh the lengthy list of confirmed celebrity appearances prior to the reunions ambulation. And that was for good reason, it turns out.

While a couple of the A-lister cameos were well done, Lady Gaga popping up to sing Smelly Cat with Lisa Kudrow beingness the highlight, others felt like pointless filler. Was anyone desperate for David Beckham to reveal that he watches Friends when he feels sad in hotel rooms? Or that Mindy Kaling really likes the show's physical comedy? Or that Kit Harington'due south favorite moment is the legendary "pivot!" scene?

These talking-head interviews took upwards time that could take been spent with the principal sixsome or been dedicated to the bear witness's big supporting cast who were often glossed over.

All-time: The supporting bandage cameos

Speaking of the supporting cast, the Friends Reunion featured appearances from not only the main half-dozen but also several additional bandage members including James Michael Tyler (who portrayed Central Perk manager Gunther) and even a pre-recorded segment with Reece Witherspoon (who played Rachel'south bratty sister, Jill).

The real highlight came when it was revealed that Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles, who played Ross and Monica's parents Jack and Judy Geller, were sabbatum in the socially distanced audience. Both acted as sort of on-set parents to the cast during filming, and it was a real treat they were able to exist included.

The only disappointment here was that much of the supporting cast members who did feature got only a couple of seconds to talk before vanishing never to be seen once more. Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai got more screen fourth dimension than Tyler (who features in all x seasons) which is a pretty weird choice.

(Paradigm credit: HBO Max)

Best: The Brilliant, Kauffman and Crane interviews

While the 6 main bandage members are very much the face of the show, its creators deserve simply every bit much credit for crafting one of television's most honey sitcoms.

Interspersed with the live interview sections (hosted past a mercifully subdued James Cordon), and the cast wandering around the rebuilt sets, were talking head clips featuring creators Marta Kauffman, Kevin Bright, and David Crane.

During these sections, nosotros got an insight into the tricky task of casting the leads, as well as why Friends had to finish when it did and the very expert reason every bit to why another season or the long-rumored full characteristic wouldn't quite work.

The information gleaned in these sections might not exist all-new, and diehard fans will likely have heard it all before, but it was appreciated that the wealth of talent behind the cameras also got a run a risk to reflect on the serial.

Best: The table read

Recreating a full episode or staging an entire scene probably would have felt a footling uncanny, but getting the vi cast members to perform an in-graphic symbol tabular array read was a stroke of genius.

(Image credit: HBO Max)

Lisa Kudrow in particular seemed to effortlessly fall back into playing Phoebe, and Matt LeBlanc proved that he however has impeccable comedic timing. It's a shame this part of the special wasn't significantly longer every bit it really distilled the essence of what fans wanted from this reunion episode.

If the cast e'er fancy doing some form of Friends live show where they tabular array read a total episode on stage, I'd pay good money to see.

Worst: The fashion show

Having a couple of famous faces parade down a catwalk in iconic outfits from the show, including Ross' Spudnik Halloween costume and Rachel's garish pink Bridesmaid dress, seems a cute thought on newspaper.

Placing information technology at practically the very end of the special was an odd determination, to say the least. This segment really killed the pacing at a crucial moment where the Friends Reunion should have been reaching an emotional crescendo.

I guess Justin Bieber in a potato costume was sort of funny, only the joke lost its luster by the fourth dimension he'd accomplish fifty-fifty halfway upwardly the catwalk. His awkward walk back downwards was painful. This segment should have been shown far earlier in the episode and been trimmed to a third of the length.

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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/friends-reunion-5-best-moments-and-the-2-worst

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