From 'Friends' to 'Sex and the City,' here are the biggest reunions and comebacks of 2021
As the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, our favorite stars from the most iconic TV shows and movies came together for virtual reunions. But as Hollywood began to safely reopen this year, fans were taken on a nostalgia trip as reboots and comebacks were announced.
From Friends to Sex and the City, let's take a stroll down memory lane and see some of the biggest reunions of 2021.
'Friends: The Reunion'
It's the one where they get back together. 17 years after Friends left the air, the popular 90s sitcom's stars—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Leblanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer—reunited for a long-awaited special to the delight of fans all over the world. Filipino fans couldn't BE any more excited about the special, as they crashed HBO Go as soon as it started streaming.
In Friends: The Reunion, the cast sat with host James Corden on their iconic couch to reminisce about their experience on the pop culture phenomenon. They also revisited sets from the original show and chatted with celebrity guests including Tom Selleck, the late James Michael Tyler, Reese Witherspoon, and more.
The friends also recreated some scenes for the special like their trivia game where they answered questions about the show.
'Blue's Clues'
This year, Blue's Clues celebrated its 25th anniversary and for the occasion, Nickelodeon brought together former hosts Steve Burns and Donovan Patton, and the show's new host Joshua Dela Cruz. Burns even gave fans the closure they never knew they needed when he apologized for disappearing from the show abruptly in 2002.
While their first reunion happened over social media, the hosts finally got together in person to perform You Can't Spell Blue Without You during the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York.
Having a blast with our Nick Jr friends at the @Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
— Nick Jr. (@nickjr) November 25, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends! ? #BluesClues25 #MacysParade pic.twitter.com/2rtvxVvK90
'13 Going on 30'
Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo made fans' wishes come true when they came together in February. The duo starred as best friends-turned-couple Jenna Rink and Matt Flamhaff in the 2004 romcom 13 Going on 30.
"Reconnecting with an old pal, Anyone know where we can get Razzles in Canada?" Ruffalo wrote on Twitter, alluding to the couple's go-to candy in the movie.
"Wishing dust worked! And I got a perfect day with my old pal," Garner captioned with the reunion photo.
'iCarly'
Here's another reunion Nickelodeon kids will love: the iCarly reboot! Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress, and Jerry Trainor returned to reprise their roles on the hit sitcom, which now streams on Paramount+. Sadly, Jenette McCurdy didn't return for the new series.
The reboot follows the all-grown-up Carly, Spencer, and Freddie who try to relaunch their once-popular web show.
So far, fans have received the revival well, and it's already getting a second season.
'Sex and the City'
Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte are back in HBO Max's Sex and the City revival titled And Just Like That.
The reboot brings Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis in the busy streets of New York again, and this time, their characters will be dealing with the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.
Sex and the City broke ground in the early 2000s for its frank portrayal of female friendships and sexual relationships. And who could forget the iconic fashion trends that spawned from the show like tulle skirts and oversized flower brooches?
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' villains
Since those of us in the Philippines haven't seen the movie yet, there'll be no spoilers here, but we will talk about the comebacks we already know from the trailers.
Spider-Man: No Way Home brings back the biggest villains that Peter Parker went toe-to-toe with across the different movie series. Alfred Molina's Doc Ock from Sam Raemi's trilogy and Jamie Foxx's Electro from the Amazing Spider-Man series are confirmed to be in the movie. Sandman and the Lizard will also make a reappearance. While we're not sure yet if Willem Dafoe is coming back as the Green Goblin, we do know that the villain will also be in the new Marvel flick.
And if rumors are true that previous Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are joining Tom Holland, then this will be a superhero reunion of epic proportions.
Broadway
After closing for over a year, Broadway returned to the stage in the fall, bringing back shows like The Lion King, Hamilton, Wicked, and Chicago to crowds in New York.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jimmy Fallon showed how much they're excited for the return of plays in theaters with a performance about every musical they couldn't wait to see. For this, they brought together Broadway legends Olga Merediz, Phylicia Rashad, Kristin Chenoweth, Christopher Jackson, Laura Benanti, and Jimmy Smits.
However, the threat of the Omicron variant has been forcing some productions to stop.
Cinemas in the PH
Meanwhile, here in the Philippines, cinemas also just recently made their comeback in November, seeing the return of movie patrons. Blockbusters like Dune, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Encanto, and more have made their local theater premiere while Metro Manila Film Festival's entries are awaiting to hit cinemas later in December.
The movie house experience, however, has changed since you can no longer eat inside cinemas and only fully vaccinated individuals are allowed.
