15 'Friends' Reunion Moments We Loved—And Two We're Still Wondering About

Could this BE anymore emotional?

15 'Friends' Reunion Moments We Loved—And Two We're Still Wondering About

In 2001, before we had smartphones or even MySpace, I got to attend a taping of Friends. It was season eight, episode five, otherwise known as “The One with Rachel's Date,” when Rachel was newly pregnant and going out with Kash, Joey's Days of Our Lives co-star. I vividly remember every scene—even the music ("Rio" by Duran Duran) that played when the director yelled “moving on!” from a scene. And you better believe I still have the yellow and white hacky sack with the Friends logo that I caught during an audience giveaway. 

But my story isn't new. Every Friends fan has one. Whether you had “The Rachel” haircut or a photo on the famed orange couch at the Warner Bros. Television Studio Tour, Friends meant something. Whether you watched it on NBC in 1994, on VHS or DVD, or later on Netflix and then HBO Max, it holds a special place in your life. As co-creators Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane have said since the show became part of the zeitgeist, Friends "is about that time in your life when your friends are your family.”

And since the series signed off in 2004, fans have been wondering when they'd be reunited with their favorite friends once more. Hard to believe it's been 17 years, but that day has finally come. 

The bottom line: It was well worth the wait. It was funny, emotional, surprising, and incredibly heartfelt. After one of the most tumultuous years, having the Friends cast back in our living room was the collective hug we all needed. 

And yet, I was nervous. As a die-hard Friends fan, I feel like I've read and seen everything there is to know about the show. Aside from seeing all six cast members in the same room together again (by the way, the fact they had only been together once in 17 years is a disgrace, but we'll let it slide for now), I worried if the show would actually reveal anything new and different. (Spoiler: It did.) I was nervous that the mile-long list of previously announced guest-stars would take away too much time from the only people we cared about (some could have been cut). And knowing that the cast filmed the reunion over two full days, would the special be edited down to an hour, or would we get more? (Thankfully at 1 hour 44 minutes, I felt genuinely fulfilled by the end.) 

Certain moments resonated more than others, and several questions still remain. And now that it's here, all I want to do is talk about it with other Friends fans. So, without further ado—and after having watched it twice already—here's what stood out, and what I can't wait to watch again.

The Best Moments

Actors aren't great at letting their guard down when they're not in character, but seeing each cast member—starting with David Schwimmer and ending with Matthew Perry—walk through the door of the original soundstage was chill-inducing. Not only did we get to experience such a profound moment with them, but to them. Seeing their genuine reactions as they saw each other and the sets was incredibly moving. For the first time, I realized this reunion wasn't just for us fans—it was for the actors, too. 

If someone was to “win” the Friends reunion, it's Matt LeBlanc. He not only remembered pretty much every episode and moment, but genuinely seemed to get the biggest kick out of revisiting Joey.

LeBlanc made reunion come to life, offering up tidbits like the fact that a forgetful Courteney Cox would write her lines on Monica and Rachel's kitchen table and always leave her script in the sink. Other moments I loved: When he recounted the story of Cox's secret script to her, while wiping her tears away with a napkin. When Perry asked LeBlanc why he didn't take the entire foosball table as a memento (since he admitted to taking the original balls), the latter reminded the former it was because the table “got smashed at the end.” I also loved when he recounted watching “The One With All the Resolutions” with his daughter, Marina, and loving Schwimmer's choices in the scene where Ross tried to pull up his leather pants.

Lisa Kudrow wasn't in the original scene where Ross played quiz master, so it was nice to have her this time. And kudos to Schwimmer for getting back into character as Ross and taking the game as seriously as we all do. 

When the creators opened up about how difficult the casting process was, there wasn't a whole lot of new information in there (though LeBlanc's story about how he nearly broke his nose was quite the graphic description). Still, actually seeing the clips from the shows that could have prevented Perry and Aniston from joining Friends—Perry's 2194 and Aniston's Muddling Through—were really something.

Given that we didn't have smartphones when Friends was on the air, we haven't seen a lot of behind-the-scenes footage other than what was released on the DVDs through the years. That's why it was so cool to see the personal moments once a scene was over, like in the pilot where Schwimmer continues to stir Aniston's tea while she is in Rachel's wedding dress, or when the two embraced long after the director yelled cut in the final episode (when Rachel gets off the plane). And then there was the impromptu wrap party later that evening where they all hung out and signed the “flats” (the set walls). Seeing those moments made me feel like we were getting new footage from existing episodes (which, technically, we were). 

I always wondered how a group of people that good-looking—and working that closely together—never hooked up. Sure, I read all the interviews where they said they had this “pact” that they'd never cross that line, and I guess I believed them, but still…

Well, fast forward to the reunion, where for the first time (as far as I know) Schwimmer and Aniston admitted they were crushing hard on each other during those early seasons. “I had a major crush on Jen,” Schwimmer revealed. WHAT? If that wasn't enough, Aniston added that “it was reciprocal.” But then Schwimmer said because they were in other relationships at the time, they never crossed that boundary. LeBlanc—with the line of the night—muttered “bullshit” under his breath, but later said he was kidding. 

Schwimmer and Aniston explained that Ross and Rachel's first kiss in Central Perk was indeed their first kiss ever, and I believe them. But all that BTS footage of them cuddling on the couch and being playful with each other…it's hard not to wonder what could have been. 

I love Lady Gaga, but I was certain I didn't need her in this Friends reunion special. I was wrong. When she walked through the doors of Central Perk dressed like Kudrow's Phoebe, I was floored. The duet between the two was organic and pure, and there was a wonderful moment at the end when Gaga thanked Kudrow for giving a voice to all those who felt different. 

Remember the days of going to a concert to see a favorite band from the ‘70s, ’80s or '90s? Most likely they sound good, but nothing compared to if you had seen them in their heyday. The same can often be said of recreating certain iconic moments from TV shows or movies. It's fun, but usually never as good as the original. Not for this cast. When Kudrow screamed, “My eyes! My eyes!” or when Schwimmer launched into his high-pitched scream, it was as if we went right back to 1999. And damn, it was good.

To this day, my favorite episode of Friends remains “The One Where Ross and Rachel…You Know.” Ross and Rachel have just become an item, Monica falls for Dr. Richard Burke (Tom Selleck's first appearance), and Joey buys new barcaloungers for him and Chandler. (I will still never get over the line where Chandler says to Joey, “You have a Cheeto on your face, man.”) They literally never move from those chairs the entire episode.

So, not only was it rewarding to see LeBlanc and Perry recreate the moment, but it was fascinating to hear that Perry originally didn't care for the plot line. He thought the idea was stupid at first, until LeBlanc explained that the brilliance of the story lied in the fact that it was such a simple plot device. Once they did the scene, Perry loved it. The rest, as they say, is sitcom history. 

Years ago, Matt LeBlanc told me about the episode when he injured himself on set and had to go to the hospital. It happened during “The One Where No One's Ready,” where Ross has a big paleontology gala, but Monica's consumed with the aftermath of her breakup with Richard, Phoebe gets a hummus stain on her dress, Rachel's upset with Ross, and Chandler and Joey get into the most childish fight about who can sit in the comfy chair. (But honestly, the episode will be remembered for Joey doing lunges in all of Chandler's clothes and saying, “Look at me, I'm Chandler! Could I be wearing any more clothes? Maybe if I wasn't going commando!”)

As simple as that episode should have been—they were only on one set, and all the characters were together—it went completely off the rails when LeBlanc dived into the chair and dislocated his shoulder. They had to shut down filming and resume that particular episode weeks later, once LeBlanc was fully recovered. Although LeBlanc shared that story before, it was the first time I can recall ever seeing the footage of it happening. And while it was hard to watch, it made for a much more descriptive story among the cast and gave me a greater appreciation for the episode. (Here's another “fun” fact from that episode, courtesy of my past interview with LeBlanc: “The audience was full of Diet Coke contest winners flown in from all over the country, so they all got flown home and then flown back for another week. It cost Coca-Cola a lot more than they anticipated. What are you going to do?”)

Honestly, I could watch all 236 episodes of the cast just watching themselves and doing commentary. It was enlightening to see what they remembered, what they didn't, and what they found funny. I had already seen a lot of the bloopers, but watching them watch themselves as it was happening was too good.

If there was anyone I didn't expect to make an appearance, it was character actor Larry Hankin as cranky, old neighbor Mr. Heckles. What started off as a humorous moment given that none of the girls could remember his name turned into a really sweet surprise when Hankin appeared in character wearing his signature robe. Just imagine if Paolo (Cosimo Fusco) had shown up!

Most of the guest appearances (Gunther, Jack and Judy Geller) didn't amount to anything more than just seeing the actors that played them, but it was nice to hear Maggie Wheeler actually reveal new information about playing Chandler's on-and-off girlfriend, Janice. She'll always be remembered for saying “Oh. My. God!” but we tend to forget her nasally laugh was just as brilliant. “It was born in the moment,” Wheeler revealed, adding that it came about because she needed a way to hold it together when acting opposite Perry. 

Something else I loved? Seeing Perry's genuine admiration for his co-star; and once Wheeler walked off stage, LeBlanc whispered, “Aww, love her.” Janice and Chandler may not have been each other's lobster, but it was a match made in casting heaven.

I thought the fashion segment was just going to be random models wearing iconic outfits, so there was something absurdly amazing about seeing Cara Delevingne, Cindy Crawford, and Justin Bieber strut down the runway. The cast couldn't believe Bieber dressed up in Ross's Spudnik costume, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. But again, the win belongs to LeBlanc, who donned Chandler's clothes again and hammed it up on the catwalk (lunges and all). The only thing better would have been if Cole or Dylan Sprouse (who played Ross's son, Ben) had made a surprise appearance as the holiday armadillo. 

If you weren't bawling yet, then I imagine this was the moment when the waterworks came. Set to a melancholy score with footage of a mainly unknown cast dancing at night in a freezing fountain, it just reminded you of a much more innocent time. Then you had a serious Matthew Perry reflecting about what the show meant to him, and I might as well have needed a towel to dry my tears.

And Two Things We're Still Wondering About…

Let me preface this by saying that I'm sure there is a lot more footage we didn't see (in fact, I know there is), but I would have much rather heard Tom Selleck talk about playing Dr. Richard Burke in more detail than Mindy Kaling or David Beckham discuss their favorite episodes. (Nothing against you, Mindy or David!) Same for Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles as Judy and Jack Geller. You could see how exited the cast was to see both Selleck, Gould, and Pickles, but to not give them proper airtime was uncalled for. If HBO Max decides to eventually release bonus footage from the reunion, I hope we get to see more of them. And you too, James Michael Tyler (Gunther).

I'm sure the producers of the reunion special reached out to as many guest stars possible, but if they could get Thomas Lennon (who appeared in one episode), why couldn't we get Ross's first girlfriend, Julie (Lauren Tom)? Or his first wife, Carol (Jane Sibbett), and her wife, Susan (Jessica Hecht)? Or what about his second wife, Emily (Helen Baxendale)? Rachel's ex-boyfriend, Joshua (Tate Donovan)? Ross's son, Ben (Cole and Dylan Sprouse)? Rachel's mom, Sandra Green (Marlo Thomas)?  Ross's ex-girlfriend, Charlie (Aisha Tyler)? Or Phoebe's husband, Mike (Paul Rudd)? Is it too much to ask for a second reunion?

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour West Coast editor. You can follow her on Instagram at @jessicaradloff14. 

This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Jessica Radloff