Friends: The Reunion [2021]

Friends wasn’t my favorite show growing up, yet HBO Max’s trailer for the reunion made me feel nostalgic and I ended up watching.

The long-awaited Friends: The Reunion special is finally here. And as much as I enjoyed reliving some of the moments, it’s sadly not the best reunion I’ve seen this year. In fact, the nearly two-hour show is inevitably hard-pressed to justify the hype. While some parts felt more like a James Corden show, it was more genuine (as much as genuine can be when you’re getting paid to just show up) when it lets the cast casually reminisce.

On the other side, what annoyed me the most was random cameos. Yes, Friends had a lot of amazing guest stars and side characters, but did we really have to squeeze in some of them in the most random (and sometimes useless) way?

We all know from the trailer that Lady Gaga shows up to sing the infamous “Smelly Cat” with Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe. Sadly, watching the whole thing felt just too rehearsed and awkward. Did HBO Max really had to squeeze Lady Gaga there? Definitely not. But it’s a good move to publicize up the reunion since nothing much is there.

Plus, I get that all of the cast are big stars now, but watching Matthew Perry being overshadowed by everyone else was just awkward.

Finally, head’s up to Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow. They haven’t aged a bit. As for the boys…. Matt LeBlanc looks like Joey’s grandfather.

Should you watch it?

If you’re a fan of Friends (the show), this reunion is a must watch. Just get ready to laugh hard and sometimes cry.

Where can I watch it?

You can stream Friends: The Reunion exclusively on HBO Max in USA and Crave in Canada.