There could not definitely be a more bitter-sweet surprise. F.R.I.E.N.D.S Reunion was an amazingly emotional time. David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston, who played the role of Ross and Rachel respectively, just admitted that they had a major crush on each other. Oh. My. God. (impersonating Janice) was everyone’s reaction. This news left the audience, and fans shook that they had a crush on each other in real life too. No one can believe that David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston channelled all their real-life affection into Ross and Rachel. Hence that explains the beautiful on-screen chemistry between them on the show.
David Schwimmer said on F.R.I.E.N.D.S Reunion that he had a major crush on Jen, and at some point, they both were crushing hard on each other, and they would cuddle on the couch often between the shots. Jennifer Aniston said while remembering the first time when Ross and Rachel kissed on the show, that she recalled saying to David that it would be such a bummer if they actually kissed on a national TV. And everyone remembers what happened in that coffee shop. She added that they both channelled all of their love and affection for each other into Ross and Rachel.
Fans’ Reaction on Twitter
Just like everyone else, Twitter too cannot wrap its head around this part of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Fans keep on tweeting that “Ross and Rachel’s first kiss had so much more meaning now,” “No wonder that Ross and Rachel’s chemistry felt so real… It was!”, “Rachel and Ross liked each other in real life? OMG, what?” The fans were waiting for a very long time for the whole cast together again, and that happened on HBO Max’s one-hour-and-44-minute special F.R.I.E.N.D.S: The Reunion. It began in a very emotional way.
The entire cast entered one by one back onto the soundstage where they had shot this show and found their iconic sets recreated. The six members from the show- David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, and Matthew Perry entered one by one. They walked all around, recalling memories and sharing stories of the scenes they shot during their ten years on this set. This reunion made this show, even more, the greatest on television.
Overall, The Reunion was hosted by James Corden. It was exciting and a traditional live discussion in front of a non-studio audience. The audience was seated in front of the iconic fountain outside on the Warner Bros. Ranch backlot. Corden asked a bombshell question about if any offscreen romances happened among the cast to which Jennifer and David replied. They both admitted that during the making of season 1, they both had a huge crush on each other, but nothing had happened between them. They both channelled their feelings into the characters’ relationship, making their on-screen chemistry even more beautiful. There is no clear evidence to prove how true that is, and even MattLeBlanc says bullshit after their confession, jokingly.
We all saw the behind-the-scenes footage of Jennifer and David on the set cuddling and flirting with each other and Ross and Rachel’s first kiss in Season 2, Episode 7. In “The One Where Ross Finds Out,” to which Jennifer said that it was their first kiss in real life.
There is another classic of Will That/Won’t They from this time of television. But it is way too tough to beat Ross and Rachel regarding their relationship set not just on the show but the decade. Sam and Diane of Cheers defined the 1980s, except they both hooked up in the Season 1 finale. Therefore, Shelley Long quitted the show in Season 5. Meantime, Ross and Rachel were together for the ten seasons of Friends. Even when they were not in a relationship, the tension remained. But thankfully, in the final episode, they both were reunited. It is hard for the characters to leave the actors who play them, especially when love and romance are involved, but in Jen’s and David’s case. There was a good reason for everyone to think that there was more going on between the two.
Bottomline
The Reunion played the clips of Ross and Rachel’s first kiss and had the dialogues from everyone’s script. Jennifer and David performed their dialogues from the same scene on the Reunion. This whole new context made us understand that it is far more than the hold for the cameras. It was a real first kiss between them who cared a lot about each other, and their affection never became anything more than that one moment. But for all of us, it was one hell of a moment. Ross and Rachel were the leading interest for almost everyone. When the show first aired in 1995, it blew everyone’s mind.