Starring in "Friends", they finally reunited after many years, and the classic bridge section was reproduced

[Global Times special correspondent Luc] The much-anticipated "Friends Reunion" premiered on the streaming media platform HBO Max on the 27th, in view of the fact that the drama also has a huge popularity in China, the domestic video website simultaneously played Chinese subtitle version on the same day, which became a festival for American drama fans.

They are no longer young

When David Humer, who plays Ross in the play, was the first to walk into the studio, the restoration scene in front of him not only made him feel a thousand emotions, but also made the audience in front of the screen burst into tears. In this way, the six leading actors are reunited in the "home", and the time seems to return to 17 years ago. However, the main actors are no longer young, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Cudjo and Courtney Cox, the three heroines are relatively well maintained, and the once sunny and handsome Matt LeBron is now full of white hair and has become a middle-aged uncle with a big belly; the most humorous and funny Matthew Perry is still "deceitful" from time to time, but he has lost the sharp teeth of the past. From time to time, the Gellers and Janice appeared in cameos, and the main actors also recreated the "house robbery" clip, but the title was about the cold knowledge of the filming of the series.

Although the gathering of the lead actors and guests is full of emotion, the American media has not fallen into fanatical praise for the 104-minute special program itself, and the freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes is only 63%. New York Magazine called the reunion "heartwarming and fun," cnn commented: "It's the closest reunion to the Friends script, and 17 years later we're watching with interest how they play those roles seamlessly." "Deadline" believes that "this reunion is always a bit sloppy", and some fans said that "there are too many special guests, we just want to see the sixsome".

The lead actor gained a lot of income and fame

Since its launch on NBC in September 1994, "Friends" has quickly gained popularity with audiences around the world with its humorous stories and vivid character development, and has been named "the most popular American drama". This sitcom about six young people working hard in New York has become a "representative" of American culture in the 1990s, not only receiving high ratings, but also bringing great income and fame to Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBron and other leading actors.

The final season of "Friends" in 2004 was watched by 52.5 million people in the United States, setting a record for a single episode of an American drama at the time. For many Americans, the charm of "Friends" lies not only in the high ratings and 62 Emmy Award nominations, but also in the fact that the characters in the play are as vivid as friends around them, and the six people represent different values, but they can help each other like a family, which represents the tolerance that is most needed in the current society. At the same time, the series also created a pop culture, and Aniston's "Rachel Hairstyle" was also popular, with nostalgic significance of the times. For Chinese audiences, "Friends" is the "best introductory American drama", many people began to chase the drama because they wanted to "practice Oral English Listening", and unconsciously fell in love with the characters in the play, and later local sitcoms such as "Love Apartment" also borrowed a lot from the classic section of "Friends".

Although 17 years have passed, "Friends" is still Warner's "golden signboard", and in 2015, when the copyright of the show was leased to the streaming media platform Netflix, it was deliberately reset, not only the picture quality became high-definition, but also added a lot of abridged clips, bringing huge traffic to the fledgling Netflix. Later, in order to support the launch of its own streaming media HBO Max and attract more new users, Warner not only recovered the copyright of "Friends", but also released a voice for this reunion early in the morning.

In 2014, the 20th anniversary of the launch of "Friends" also held a series of commemorative events - the fictional "Central Park Cafe" appeared on the streets of Manhattan in New York, and the three heroines of Aniston, Cox and Cudjoll also appeared on the "Jimmy Chicken Feather Show" together, reviewing the filming time with the audience and singing the theme song, which is equivalent to a "reduced version of the reunion".

Circumstances vary

In the more than ten years after "Friends", the six protagonists have different circumstances. Although the drama dividend did not make everyone a big star, it had its own career curve in the show business circle. Aniston has developed well, and the "American Sweetheart" image is still quite popular, and last year it was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series with the "Morning News"; LeBron continued his relationship with "Friends" - not only starring in the spin-off drama "Joey", but also starring in another popular industry drama "Inside and Outside the Play" under the same creative team, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for "playing himself realistically" in the play.

Kudrow has done a lot of works over the years, but most of them are supporting roles or short dramas such as "Cyber Therapy", and in last year's American drama "Space Force", she also played the wife of comedian Steve Carrell. Cox also has masterpieces after "Friends" in the "Scream" series and "Mature Girl Town", and also served as the director of several film and television dramas, which is to carry forward her "desire to control" in the play.

Humer starred in the war drama "Brothers" in the later stages of "Friends", and has participated in dramas such as "American Crime Story" over the years, and last year's starring "Unreliable Intelligence Bureau" was well evaluated. Perry has been plagued by drugs and alcoholism for many years, and after receiving treatment, he also exerted his own behind-the-scenes choreography skills, and after 2015, he created the representative drama "Born to Be Wronged".

Source: Global Times