17 years later, and the Bright-Kauffman-Crane crew along with the star-cast of the epic Friends phenomenon, once again get it right.
#friendsreunion hits the mark, the very same mark, that made all of us super fans of the series to begin with.
The making and airing of this openly declares ‘nostalgia’ as the defining emotion of our pandemic lives.
At a time, where we even feel nostalgic about eating a meal outside, imagine the power of an entire 2-hour ode to the one series that defined an entire generation’s sense of social self-worth and well-being. The series that gave us one of the first insider’s view of life in everyday New York, at at time when New York = America. The series that gave us an easy entry to modern urban western culture and values. The series taught us the mores of friendship and relationships. The language, and the dos and don’ts of being single adult men and women. And most of all, the series that gave us our best friends, each with their own idiosyncrasies that we all found and related to, in ourselves and in our friends.
The format of Friends: The Reunion, is an interview hosted by James Cordon, against the background of the iconic fountain from the titles, mixed with replay and re-enactment of some of our favourite scenes and dialogues, along with re-visiting different characters, and many behind-the-scenes stories around casting, relationships and moments through the 10 seasons. Just like the original series, it has the right balance of high humour and emotions, and yet feels like it’s just natural everyday life. The actors have all obviously aged significantly, but that just reminds us of the passage of time and doesn’t take away from their connection and emotions, that comes out like a pleasant surprise. Like a reassurance to the audience, that everything’s fine, nothing has changed.
It perfectly hits the sweet spot for fans, who have grown up on Friends, and perhaps in the last 17 years, haven’t realised how much they’ve missed it. Not realising how much the world has changed, since the airing of the last season in 2004. World post 9/11, the 2008 recession years, death of liberalism, Trump, right-wing extremism, global warming, civil wars, terrorism, migrant crisis, social media, surveillance capitalism, e-commerce, and now the pandemic.
After all that we’ve been through these last 17 years, #friendsreunion comes as a dose of time travel, reminding us of a time when iPhone wasn’t even invented. A time where we found out rumours about our friends by peeping into the neighbour’s window (when Phoebe finds out about Monica and Chandler by seeing them through the window of ugly-naked-man’s house). A time, when the word social meant getting together with friends at a local cafe (Central Perk). A time when being funny didn’t rely on using explicit language (Could it BE any funnier).
A time when being inclusive wasn’t a big political statement. A time when the future was still full of possibilities. A time when we were still discovering ourselves and the world. A time when the future was not written. A time when we were all a ‘work-in-progress’, un-defined, un-formed, un-perfect. A time when everyday ups and downs were enough to keep us going from one day to the next, without any grand ambition of a glorious future. A time when these everyday moments with the people we love were all that we needed.
A time that we forgot over the years, that we are only now being forced to see again. Sitting at home 24 x7 now, sometimes distraught with the confined lives we are living, #friendsreunion comes as a fresh breath reminder that this is what it was all about. Just being with friends and family, every day. That’s what we’ve always loved. What more do we need.
Towards the end, they take the obvious question of ‘whether there will be another season to continue the Friends journey’. And they give the only answer that could be. Friends remains as one of the best memories of our content lives. It’s almost perfect. Re-opening anything that perfect would indeed be the worst mistake of our content lives.
If Friends was the feel-good television that we all went to at the end of our days, all those years ago, #friendsreunion hits the exact same spot, satisfying the feel-good vibe we all very much need right now.
17 years later, and you still gave us, the same comfort-meets-humour, wrapped in a warm hug that reminds us that it’s okay, we’re okay, all is well. Thank you Friends for all those years, and thank you for the reunion.
Time, to re-start season 1 episode 1, for the 18th time!
