It was Sunday afternoon when the fam gathered in the Fortress of Ineptitude to take in what may be the most anticipated TV event in years, the Friends Reunion special on HBO Max.
I was NOT particularly keen on seeing the beloved young people of Friends ravaged by time and old age but discussion of the special is such a part of the zeitgeist right now that I felt I could not ignore it.
1) Matt LeBlanc has grey hair and a dad bod. Meanwhile, Jennifer Anniston has the unmitigated temerity to not age! How awfully rude of her.
2) Does James Corden really have to be in everything? Corden's interview section was the weakest part of the special.
3) The best part was seeing the cast chill out on the reconstructed set and just chat among themselves about their experiences on the show.
4) Yes, Matthew Perry seems oddly reserved but I didn't get the impression others have insinuated that Perry is in the middle of some kind of physical/mental/emotional/spiritual breakdown. Yes, Perry's struggles with addiction are well known but I think it's just a matter that perhaps Perry is by nature a quiet, reserved guy that contrasts with the quippy, gregarious persona of Chandler Bing.
5) Lisa Kudrow performs "Smelly Cat"? Great! Lisa is joined by Lady Gaga and a gospel choir? Why?
6) There are testimonials from around the world from fans of the show with revelations that the show did more than just make people laugh but it held people learn, grow and feel better about themselves.
7) The behind the scenes tales of the casting process provides us a clip with a clip of Matthew Perry's last job before being cast on Friends, the pilot of a show called LAX 2164 set at a spaceport in the future. LAX 2164 was not picked up as a series and the pilot never aired which is a damn shame. LAX2164 needs to be exposed to a wide audience for immediate mockery.
8) Maggie Wheeler who played Janice shows up. It's a relief to know Maggie doesn't actually sound like Janice. James Michael Tyler who played Gunther pops in a for a lame Zoom call.
9) There's a fashion show of Rachel's bridesmaid dress (complete with the skirt hem stuffed in the back of the model's underwear), Ross's "Spud-nick" costume (a giant potato that is also a satellite) and also Ross's "Holiday Armadillo". For some reason, Justin Bieber is on hand to dress as the giant potato.
10) We also got classic clips and some bloopers that were good for a giggle.
Ultimately, the Friends Reunion special may not be a great thing but is a gentle and pleasant reuniting of this classic cast for a journey of nostalgia and affection.
Later today is a bonus Tuesday TV Touchbase about my absolutely favorite episode of Friends.
Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.
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