Monday marks the 20th anniversary of Friends‘ series finale, but for the first time an anniversary surrounding the iconic sitcom is overshadowed by nostalgia that’s more bitter than sweet.
The milestone marks the first major anniversary the show has celebrated since then the death of the series star Matthew Perry in October 2023.
The cast reunited for a 2021 Max special. Friends: The reunion, Little did they know that it would be the last time they would publicly come together as a beloved sextet of titular friends that fans loved to follow through life changes, family drama, and relationship ups and downs.
In the Streaming specialthe cast – Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer And Matt LeBlanc – publicly reunited for the first time since their final episode aired on May 6, 2004, on their old stage and sets that they called their television home for ten seasons. About two and a half years later, Perry would be dead, and so would the remaining five come together again at his funeral.
The reunion special is still a welcome addition for all diehards Friends The fans’ canon, and it’s at its best when it gives viewers a glimpse into the stars themselves, how they remember the show, how they were inextricably linked through those years on the Central Perk couch, and what they are Feel free to share now This may have been kept secret at the time.
“But no one went through what we went through except the other five,” Schwimmer says as the group sits in Monica’s apartment and looks back on the 236 episodes that changed their lives forever.
“There are no shoulders [to lean on] outside of that group,” Aniston agrees.
From never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage of the cast to Surprise appearances From popular guest stars, the special offers something for every taste Friends Fan. And even long-time fans of the series who have searched their DVD box for all the available bonus features will find something new in it Friends: The reunioncementing its place as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.
Here’s a look back at some of the most heartwarming nostalgic moments from the two-hour special:
The one where they all take the old stage
Kudos to the producer who came up with the idea of having the cast step onto their old stage – Stage 24 on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California – one by one and tour the sets that have been their TV for ten years -There were years at home. It’s a nostalgic punch in the gut to start the special and leads to some sweet introductory moments between the cast. When Cox arrives and asks Aniston, “Did you cry too?”, viewers can also answer “yes.”
The one with the opening credits… and that damn fountain
Cutting together modern footage from the special with the memorable opening credits footage of the cast frolicking in the fountain on the Warner Bros. lot – which also serves as the backdrop for the cast’s meeting with James Corden – was a nice idea, but it’s the final montage of the special featuring previously unseen footage from this first season’s sodden fun that will really delight fans.
The extended cut – set to an orchestral version of the theme song – features some sweet, candid shots of the cast, including what happened at the end when they were all wrapped in towels and helped out of the cold water!
The one with Matt and Matthew sitting in their chairs
Returning to their old apartment, Perry and LeBlanc waste no time in recreating one of their silliest physical acts of the entire series, leaning back in their Barca loungers and moaning in exaggerated satisfaction.
“Aw, Matty, good to see you, mate,” Perry muses. “That’s great.”
Chandler and Joey’s sweet callback seems to be just as exciting for their co-stars, as Kudrow excitedly remarks, “They’re sitting in their chairs!”
The place where they spent every day together
As the old friends tour their dressing rooms and the backstage area of Stage 24, Kudrow confirms that she, Cox and Aniston ate lunch together every day while filming the show. But the bond between the cast went even deeper, especially in the first few seasons.
“In the first few years we ate every meal together,” Schwimmer remembers. “Even on weekends!”
“Plus, we saw every show together,” Aniston adds, and Perry agrees: “We were inseparable.”
The one where they recreate the quiz game
The fans were thrilled when the Friends: The reunion The trailer previewed the cast reenacting the infamous trivia game from the season four episode, “The One With the Embryos” – which Cox says is one of their favorite games of all time. And the game is just as fun as you’d hope, with surprise returns from Tom Selleck, who played Monica’s boyfriend Richard, Larry Hankin as the girls’ grumpy downstairs neighbor Mr. Heckles, and Thomas Lennon as Joey’s “twin hand.” . “
What’s really fun, though, is when the characters of the cast shine through as they play. Aniston mistakenly blurts out, “Transponster!” Right on cue, and when Cox repeats a category selection with a touch of Monica’s hyper-competitive energy, her co-star laughs, “Louder, Court!”
The one with the table reads
The most intimate moments of the special come when the cast gathers at a round table to read a few scenes from fan-favorite episodes. LeBlanc, Cox and Perry relive the absolutely perfect comedic timing of the infamous jellyfish reveal, Kudrow rocks the audience by recreating Phoebe’s panic from The One Where Everyone Finds Out, and Aniston and Schwimmer travel back in time the past to recreate Ross and Rachel’s first kiss scene from The One Where Ross Finds Out.
Interspersed with excerpts from the actual episodes, these moments are a nice way to remember that one of the things that makes the series so popular and enduring is the comedic chemistry between all six cast members. Speaking of which…
The one where Ross and Rachel were actually in love (?!!)
In a bang that will leave some shippers reeling, Aniston and Schwimmer conclude that the romance between Rachel and Ross has been amplified by some real feelings between the two during the show’s first few seasons.
“At some point we both had a huge crush on each other,” says Schwimmer. “But it was like two ships passing by because one of us was always in a relationship. So we never crossed that line. We respected that.”
In fact, the only romantic solution the couple ever found seems to be on screen. “We just transferred all of our adoration and love for each other to Ross and Rachel,” Aniston said.
“I remember once saying to David, ‘It will be such a shame if the first kiss between you and me is broadcast on national television,'” she adds. “Of course we kissed for the first time in this cafe.”
The one where Ross and Monica’s parents surprise her
The interview portion of the special with Corden features a handful of questions from the audience, but none are as poignant as the camera’s cut to Christina Pickles and Elliott Gould, who played Monica and Ross’s parents, Jack and Judy Geller, throughout The 10 Seasons of the series are running.
The reveal even excites the cast, who emotionally applaud the acting icons as they share their memories of working with the six “down-to-earth” stars.
“They were awfully nice to us,” Pickles remembers fondly. “One day we came to work and they said, ‘The parents are here!’ and it was so moving, we really felt like her parents and were actually very worried about her. Elliott said, “We act like we’re really their parents.” And we did. They were so sweet.
The one with the huddle
One of the rituals the cast performed each week during the show’s production was a last-minute meeting, where they came together for one final moment before filming began. It became something of a superstition among the six, especially after the one episode in which they didn’t – during the filming of the legendary bottle episode “The One Where No One’s Ready” – ended in disaster when Matt LeBlanc hit his head dislocated shoulder as he jumped over the coffee table to get away from Chandler.
“It was early,” Kudrow recalls, as the group recaps the day, rewatching the gruesome footage of the injury and expressing disbelief that they didn’t huddle together that day.
“And after that we were like, ‘Do we have to do the huddle?’ And [Matt] would say, “Yes, because I don’t want anything else to fall!” she adds.
“Yes, we have to do the huddle!” LeBlanc confirms with a laugh.
“We always did it after that,” Kudrow notes, and her co-stars agree. The group even visits the place where they used to have their pre-show moment and meets backstage for one final meeting.
The one where everyone pays attention to the glitches
Die Hard Friends Fans have seen the seasons’ gag reels countless times, but watching the cast witness some of the show’s most hilarious mishaps is a whole new level of enjoyment – especially when they’re all happily celebrating Kudrow’s “most infectious laugh.”
The place where they say goodbye again
As the cast and producers reminisce about the series’ final days of filming, fans get a behind-the-scenes look with some sweet extended shots of the final goodbyes on set. There’s a heartwarming extra-long shot of Aniston and Schwimmer hugging each other after director Kevin Bright calls Ross and Rachel’s “got off the plane” reunion a “cut,” and tear-jerking moments in which the cast barely gets in at the very last moment scene in the series in which everyone leaves the apartment one last time.
In the final moments of the special, the six main characters return to their apartment and reminisce about the unique friendship they have found throughout the series’ 236 episodes.
“The best way I could describe it is: If one of us bumped into each other at a party or other social gathering after the show, that was it,” Perry says. “That was the end of the night. You sat with this person all night.”
“It was an incredible time,” agrees Cox. “Everything came together. We became best friends, the chemistry, the whole thing. It was life-changing and will forever be – not just for us, but for the people who see it. It’s just a great feeling that you’ll carry with you forever.” I’m so grateful and I love you so much.
And as the cast gathers for one final nostalgic moment, checking out the places where they signed parts of the set when it was torn down, LeBlanc laughs again. His signature simply reads: “I shit here.”
Friends: The reunion is now streaming on Max. For more information, see the video below.
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