The quality of reunions for classic TV casts has only been improving. And the most anticipated of them, “Friends: The Reunion” (HBO Max, streaming) has the kind of things that will make fans very happy.
That the cast — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — reunites together at all is a big deal. It’s been 17 years since the show ended, and they’re all solidly in their mid-50s. Like a lot of us they’ve changed in all those years. Some have added weight, another’s face is frozen in Botox, two wear glasses for a table read.
But there’s laughs, highlights, bloopers, and a lot of tears. What’s more there’s a backstage emotional undertow revealed for the first time that may make you rethink the entire series.
The reunion was initially supposed to be one of the biggest parts of the HBOMax launch last year; COVID delayed it actually being held. But the streaming service will certainly benefit from the longish, movie-length event. Their holdings include each of the 236 episodes, after all.