I love my HBO Max, but I’m not going to say they can do no wrong. Case in point, Friends: The Reunion.
By now, you’ve heard about this show that airs on May 27, 2021. I’m mostly glad that the thing is finally going to air because I think it’s a massive distraction. HBO Max is great, and they have other great stuff coming like In the Heights. Friends: The Reunion isn’t that, though. It’s just another sappy clip show hosted by aging hacks. Don’t believe me? Check out the trailer:
So, now you know what you’re in for. Do you really want to watch these OGs sit around the old set, gabbing about the good ol’ days? What are they going to say? “Oh, it was so great to play people in their 20s while I was in my 30s?” The only upside I can see is that it gives us viewers a chance to say, “Wow! Some of them didn’t age well.” I know I’m talking tough here, but I’m probably just protecting my fragile ego. Truth be told…
…I’ll Probably Cry When I Watch it
Yes, you read that correctly. Look, Friends came out in 1994, smack dab in the middle of my college years. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to it because it wasn’t my kind of show. My girlfriend at the time loved it, though. Since I spent a lot of time in her dorm room, I ended up getting pulled into watching it. What can I say? It grew on me.
At the time, Friends was different from the sitcoms I grew up with. It was no Facts of Life, Gimme a Break, or Silver Spoons. Then again, maybe it was. The sitcoms I mentioned spoke to Generation X in our teenage years. Friends gave us a glimpse at an idealized, ultra-hip life we all yearned for after graduating college. What 30-something wouldn’t want to live a zany, madcap life surrounded by their closest friends?
When it comes to Friends: The Reunion…
…I’m a big softie. At 50 years of age, I’m much more nostalgic than I used to be. I’m also more emotional. Watching this reunion will remind me of when I was young, hopeful, and tragically naive. Those days might be long gone, but they’re not forgotten. Ross, Rachel, Monica, Joey, Chandler, and Phoebe might likely take me back there… and the tears will come with it. As silly as it sounds, no one told me like was going to be this way…
A Word About HBO Max
Don’t let my initial grumpiness turn you off this amazing streaming service. If you’re one of the six people who regularly read this, you know that I regularly sing HBO Max’s praises. Yes, part of it is because our Signal Connect Division is an AT&T Preferred Dealer. (AT&T owns HBO.) The other part is the programming. Bottom line: HBO Max has some great shows. Friends: The Reunion might be one of them. You be the judge!
