Friends reunion episode on Binge: Is it worth watching?
The very special one-off episode is streaming now on Binge. But what is the episode actually like? And what are the fans saying?
Spoiler alert: This article contains brief discussion of some events in the Friends reunion special.
The Friends reunion special opens with a message: The six cast members of the show have only been in the same room together once since the series finale in 2004.
And yet here they all are, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc, together again for a one-off, very special, 144-minute long reunion episode, filmed in April and finally available to watch on Binge. In the 17 years since the television show took its final bow, each of its stars has teased a potential reunion. It wasn’t until the launch of HBO Max in February 2020 that it was confirmed, however, with each of the stars being paid between $2.5 million and $3 million to appear on screen, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Some 17 years have passed, but the original Friends soundstage and sets appear to have been fossilised and preserved in amber over at Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, Los Angeles. The door is still purple. The shelves are still turquoise. The props are still there. This will be the location of the reunion special, an almost two and a half-hour long episode in which the cast share stories and reminisce about filming, play games, sing songs and even host a fashion parade of iconic costumes, all mixed with video messages from famous fans as diverse as David Beckham, Kit Harington and, um, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
Schwimmer is the first to arrive because — of course. “Wow,” he chuckles, surveying the original set, toting a backpack for reasons that never become clear. Then comes Kudrow, and then Aniston turns up, glossy and immaculate and already crying. “Where’s the tissue box,” she sobs. LeBlanc arrives next. “What are you guys doing here?” he jokes.
Then Cox, who reveals that she used to keep her scripts in the kitchen sink and her lines written on the table, or in the fruit bowl. Cox is also crying; LeBlanc takes a tissue from Aniston to wipe her tears. Perry is the last to walk in. “Could you be any later?” Aniston demands, grinning.
No matter your level of Friends fandom, these opening five minutes pack a powerful punch. You can chalk it down to the eternal pull of nostalgia, or perhaps it’s just the collective star power of six of television’s most recognisable faces, but seeing this group finally reunited again is strangely emotional. They are clearly close.
Kudrow reveals that, on the first season of Friends, she and Schwimmer would eat lunch together every day. Aniston can remember exactly what Kudrow and Cox were wearing when they first met. (A white peasant blouse for Kudrow, and a baby pink Fred Segal T-shirt for Cox.) The love, and the shared bond of 10 years of starring on a television show together, pours out of them.
And then James Corden turns up. There’s a strange disconnect between the candid interactions between the six stars and the more staged interview set up around the famous Friends fountain that is conducted by Corden. The talk show host is doing his usual, high energy thing, and he brings out a number of guest stars and famous faces to help carry the load, including Cara Delevingne, Cindy Crawford and Justin Bieber, but every minute spent outside of the soundstage and away from the original six, sitting on their sofas and reminiscing about their years on the show, feels like a minute wasted.
But then again, maybe it’s nice just to spend another two hours with your Friends.
And, considering some of these early reactions on social media, the fans certainly agree:
not even 5 mins in and i'm already an emotional wreck thank you for this #FriendsReunion
— s. (@infusedsoju) May 27, 2021
#FriendsReunion speachlessssss *crying* pic.twitter.com/uwAOpEvdlB
— AS (@imariahsa) May 27, 2021
i’m already crying 😠#FriendsReunionpic.twitter.com/BRyX20pawh
— â—œð‘ ð‘¤ð‘’ð‘’ð‘¡ð‘¦ð‘ð‘Žð‘›ð‘‘𑦠🥧𓈒 (@fxbullnblanch) May 27, 2021
You can tell they do care about each other. #FriendsReunion
— Yolanda Nallely (@ynallely412) May 27, 2021
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Where to watch the Friends reunion special episode in Australia?
You can stream the Friends reunion special episode on Binge from 5:02 PM AEST.
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