On May 19th, HBO released the full-length trailer to the iconic Friends: The Reunion, which was streamed on Thursday, May 27th. 

It has been over 25 years since the six famous NBC friends have been on screen together, but they are back again. The original release date of the reunion was May of 2020, but it had to be delayed one year due to the pandemic. After several decades of anticipation, the long-awaited special is finally here, and it is a hit. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRXVQ77ehRQ

The special, dubbed “The One Where They Get Back Together,” was aired on HBO Max and featured the beloved Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. The cast discussed and shared memories, games, laughs, and teases. They described how sentimental they all became from being in a familiar setting with their old friends. In an interview with Ellen earlier this month, Courteney Cox (who played Monica Geller) described it as “so emotional,” and that it brought back many memories of being on set. The whole event was taped on the original Friends set, and the actors got to revisit Monica’s apartment, Joey’s apartment, and the famous couch in front of the fountain. 

The reunion was entirely unscripted, and the actors did not appear in character. While Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, Ross, Joey, and Chandler won’t be coming back, we still get to experience an authentic interaction and reflection of the magic behind the show two decades after its finale. “It’s completely unscripted. It’s us seeing each other and they rebuilt the sets on [the show’s original Warner Bros soundstage] Stage 24. It’s done really well, too. But it’s us, and also just cutting around – there are clips and things,” Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay) told the New York Post. 

Appearances from celebrities, fans, fellow cast members, and a live studio audience made the experience even more memorable. Lady Gaga came on to perform a beautiful duet of Smelly Cat with Lisa Kudrow, while James Corden asked the most pressing questions from fans to the cast members. Maggie Wheeler, who plays Janice Hosenstein, also joined the cast in answering questions about the background of her character. South Korean boy band BTS shared the influence that the show had on them: “Friends really had a big hand in teaching me English, and the show really taught me…about life and true friendship.” Fans from around the world chipped in on what a positive impact the show had on their lives. “Friends was a way to boost our morale and boost our confidence and be able to make new friends,” said Samuel and Emmanuel, two avid fans from Ghana.

Without a doubt, the Friends reunion was one for the ages. It was certainly a tear-jerking, wholesome trip down memory lane for both the cast, crew, and audience. I believe that the 25-year anniversary of the classic ‘90s sitcom is not to miss, but not before watching all 10 seasons of the actual show (available now on HBO Max).