![]() The two closest to being cut were Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry, both of whom had been cast in different sitcoms that season. I will not be there for … not being able to watch the pilot episode of LAX 2194.Įlsewhere in the special, executive producers and creators Marta Kauffman, David Crane, and Kevin Bright chat about how difficult the casting process was for this show, and it’s alarming now to think about how close we were to not having this group of six actors as our Friends. They immediately know that Ross’s letter to Rachel after their breakup was “18 pages, front and back!” But the best part of this segment is realizing that Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston are Friends superfans. Heckles Matt LeBlanc correctly picks out his identical-hand twin’s hands from a lineup as Thomas Lennon shows up and, yes, even the mustache himself Tom Selleck arrives, and it feels right to let Richard inform us all that no one really knows what Chandler’s job was. It’s a great mechanism to bring back old Friends friends: Larry Hankin returns as Mr. And, yes, David Schwimmer is our game-show emcee (no lightning rounds this time, unfortunately). ![]() Part of the reunion is framed by re-creating the iconic boys versus girls quiz from “The One With All the Embryos,” in which Monica and Rachel lose their apartment to Chandler and Joey. I’ll be there for … reliving “The One With All the Embryos.” ![]() Would I have enjoyed an entire segment dedicated to Joey’s bedtime penguin pal? What a dumb question, the answer is “of course.” We could make it an entire avian-related Friends montage and include the chick and the duck, just to get the waterworks really going. Those rebuilt sets are stacked with Easter eggs from the series, but I was most delighted when my eyes peeped THE Hugsy the penguin hanging out on Joey and Chandler’s couch. Plus, when Matthew Perry walks in last, Jennifer Aniston says, “Could you be any later?” and that’s just a solid comedy callback. By which to say, it’s so fun and charming and wholesome. At one point, Matt LeBlanc is wiping Courteney Cox’s tears for her! So now I’m crying! Anyway, the whole thing has a very “you and your friends wandering around your high school during a reunion dinner after getting buzzed at the open bar and telling old stories that you’ve probably told hundreds of times” vibe. So many tears! Okay, well, mainly it’s tears from Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, who start crying almost immediately upon entering. They then proceed to walk around and tell stories about memories they have about specific episodes or filming in different locations. The first few minutes of the reunion special are dedicated to each of the cast members arriving to the old Friends soundstage and walking in to find the show’s sets rebuilt and waiting for everyone to arrive. I’ll be there for … watching the cast of Friends tearfully wander around the rebuilt sets. The reunion couldn’t possibly encapsulate everything from a decade of television dominance (nor does it even try to touch on some of the show’s failings), but it certainly gets close! Here are some of the major highlights and slight disappointments. We even get to watch our “I’ll Be There for You” opening credits again (why am I crying? I literally consumed three episodes of Friends yesterday afternoon just because). Throughout the almost two-hour special, we watch our core six tell stories while hanging out on the rebuilt Friends set, give us some juicy tidbits about the show during a more formal sit-down with James Corden, welcome surprise guests, and read and re-create iconic scenes from the series. After 17 years, the crew reunited on May 27 for HBO Max’s Friends: The Reunion, a loving, fun, emotional gift not just for fans, but for the cast and creators (Marta Kauffman, David Crane, and Kevin Bright were all on hand) too. Does it also apply to the cultural phenomenon that is Friends? Also, yes! Fans across the globe are riding the sweet high of seeing Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer - forever our Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross - all back in the same room together for just the second time since the series ended in 2004. “It’s not that common, it doesn’t happen to every, and it is a big deal!” Is this a quote about Ross Geller’s problems in the bedroom? Yes.
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