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Friends: The reunion

When Friends came out in 1994 it became an instant fan favorite. People fell in love with the unique premise of the show, the story of six friends who are like family, and once those fans started watching they couldn’t stop. Eventually, the show came to the perfect ending, giving each of the characters an amazing swan song, and satisfying the audiences. But the thirst for Friends wasn’t quenched with that final episode, and for years fans have been asking for a reunion, and we finally got one.

Friends came out in 1994 and lasted ten years, ending in 2004. The television show followed the story of a group of six twenty-something friends, all on their adventure to figure out life. The show features Courtney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller. The show was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and directed by James Burrows. The reunion on the other hand was directed by Ben Winston and featured the same all-star cast as the series, with a few surprise guests in Justin Bieber, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Kit Harington, and more.


When I started watching Friends my freshman year of high school, I fell in love. The characters, the stories, the jokes, everything about it was magical. I knew that every time I turned on the show I would smile and laugh. I have so much love and admiration for the show, that I’ve actually never watched the final episode, I guess I couldn’t quite bear the idea of saying goodbye to my “Friends”. But, every time I reach about halfway through that final season, I click it back to season one and start it all over again. The Friends gang had the relationships that everyone wanted, they weren’t perfect, but supported each other when they fell, they made fun of each other, but they still loved each other, which made them everything to their fans.


I wanted more than anything to be like the ladies of Friends; Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe. They were confident, strong-minded, independent, powerful, and funny, everything I wished to be. Phoebe always struck a special chord with me, she was the most like me, unique, dorky, and wasn't afraid to be herself. Every time I watched, I was reminded that I was perfect exactly as I am, and never needed to change. I didn’t quite understand it then, but I was seeing an early example of what a strong, independent woman looked like, and it was everything to me. I remember, being in high school, trying to dress like the girls of the gang, hoping that I would somehow catch a whiff of their confidence. The boys, on the other hand, I just wanted to date, well except Ross.

When they announced that a Friends Reunion was coming up, I was overjoyed, but the closer it got the more I got a bit nervous. I’ve loved this show for nearly six years now, and I have become pretty attached to the characters, and the idea of seeing them all grown up was a bit scary. But, within moments of starting the reunion, I was in tears and laughing all at once.


The actual reunion was pretty solid. My only complaint was that a lot was going on, there was an interview section, a section of just the gang talking on set, the directors talking, fans talking, and more. I would have been satisfied just watching the actors and actresses being interviewed and reacting to scenes and bloopers. But it was absolutely incredible to be able to see all of my characters all grown up and talking about their experiences.

Overall, I loved being able to just sit and watch the gang fall right back into their normal relationships. Laughing together, watching old bloopers, telling stories, talking about experiences, and reminding each other over and over again not to wait this long to get together. It almost felt like I was let into a little secret meeting and had the time to laugh, cry and grieve the final finale of the show I have loved for six years with my “friends.” If you're a Friends fan, I guarantee this one you won’t want to miss.


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