Why the special episode makes you want to (re) see the series

Since it is impossible not to fall in love with a baby cat (or worse, a baby otter), difficult to remain unmoved in front of Friends: The reunion. Since this Thursday morning, the special and long-awaited episode of the reunion of the actors and actresses of the series, is available in France on the Salto platform (in the United States on HBO Max), to the delight of Friends addicts. But not only.

Not counting among the big fans of the series (it does exist, yes), we thought we would keep a reasonable distance from this nostalgic reunion, expected since the end of the series 17 years ago. We obviously expected a predictable avalanche of strong emotions and a festival of “ amazing “And” i missed you so much “. Bingo.

But we have to admit that this special episode is not all about that. Surprise guests, crazy anecdotes, making-of … Friends: The reunion is incredibly effective and above all makes you want to (re) see the ten seasons of the series (during the next reconfinement).

A friendly and instructive reunion

Remained mysterious until its release, the device chosen to celebrate this meeting is rather clever. For 1h40, he alternates reunions on the historic film set, talk-show interviews by the presenter James Corden (in front of the reconstruction of the fountain of the credits), but also archive images and testimonies of more or less known fans. A real dive into the heart of the universe Friends, as moving as it is instructive. The making-of images show in particular the shooting conditions of the episodes, in front of a real audience and with a real bond between the cast and the spectators. An interaction difficult to detect when you only know the VF of the program, which was punctuated by recorded laughter.

The special episode is also full of anecdotes scribbled by James Corden, some of which are particularly tasty. We learn in particular the enmity between David Schwimmer (Ross) and Marcel, his monkey friend in the series, who ate worms on the shoulder of the actor. In a more spectacular register, we discover how Matt LeBlanc (Joey), with his shoulder in full grip, tripped over a chair (supporting images).

Tears and gossip

We’re not going to lie to each other, this meeting is above all a mega shoot of nostalgia. Besides that, the anniversary shows of the star Academy, it’s cat pee. In addition to the reunion and the communicative pleasure that emanates from it, the actors and actresses return to the filming locations, find their favorite accessories (including the large armchairs) and unvarnishedly share their memories. If it sometimes drips a little too much good feelings, we can guess the real bond that united them, beyond their characters, and we understand a little more to what extent this alchemy could have contributed to the success of the series. And hard to remain indifferent to the farewell sequence, even if we have never seen the last episode of Friends. We also challenge you not to cry in the last few minutes, or at least to have red eyes. But that’s not all…

A (big) gossip lurks right in the middle of the meeting, subtly brought in by James Corden. We leave you the pleasure of discovering it for yourself, but let’s say that two protagonists of the series were slightly overwhelmed by their feelings (it takes place at 1:17 of the program and in addition to being crisp, it gives a fuck).

More cult scenes than ever

Friends: The reunion, So it’s a lot of tears, but a lot of laughter too. In particular because the actors replay certain striking scenes, intertwined with the original scenes. Big crush for the sequence where Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe) resumes with Lady Gaga her song Smelly cat (“You stink the cat”, in French), a must. Sequences that will delight fans, and others too. Because these scenes replayed (the questionnaire of the episode The one who won the bets), or evoked (the double hand of Joey), offer a perfect overview of the humor of the series, and frankly make you want to get started to understand what we have missed.

Likewise with the appearances of the secondary but emblematic characters of Friends : Gunther, Janice… “real” fans will probably be frustrated by the absence of some protagonists, but for others, the frustration eventually becomes that of not being part of this bunch of friends.

A red carpet of stars

It is not always understood why, but many stars appear in this meeting. Some have absolutely nothing to do with the series, like David Beckham, Justin Bieber (disguised as a satellite potato), BTS and even Malala. It’s not always of great interest, but it’s always nice to see them.

Others, on the other hand, like Reese Witherspoon and Tom Selleck, played the game and responded. Watching this special episode is moreover to realize the number of personalities who gave the reply to Rachel, Chandler or Monica: Danny DeVito, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt… It is clear that we may have missed something.

But the advantage with Friendsis that we can make up for lost time, and better late than never right? (Keep in mind that the series has 236 episodes)