RW Homecoming: New York (2021)

[snarts]

19 hours ago, shantown said:

I randomly caught a bit of the cast reuniting "for the first time in 20 years" on a new E! special about reality tv. I'm curious about when it was filmed vs when the reunion show was filmed. They had Heather, Julie, Norm, and Eric (in person!) there - no Kevin or Andre or (unsurprisingly) Becky. I wonder if it was when they were still in New York after Eric recovered? A different time? They weren't as overwhelmed about seeing each other on E! so my guess is filmed after. Was still interesting!

I watched as well.  The way Andy said it the first time in over 20 years that they'd been in the same room together, coupled with another comment about how many years it'd been since the show (28 vs. the actual 29), made me think it was filmed prior to the Paramount+ reunion.  Like in late 2020.  I actually checked to the air date to see if was a re-run I'd missed.  The show is part of a series so I wonder if it was the pilot episode and filmed awhile ago?

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, snarts said:

The show is part of a series so I wonder if it was the pilot episode and filmed awhile ago?

I looked it up and it's being produced by Bunim Murray.  I wouldn't be shocked if the E! series was the jumping off point for Homecoming. 

[moonchild81]

the episodes are still airing now / there's going to be about 6 or 7 / every thursday at 9 / they filmed this in late 2020 i think   / I asked Eric on instagram he said the special with Andy was filmed before homecoming

Edited April 7, 2021 by moonchild81

[docmatt]

I just rewatched the first episode of the original season. It's remarkable how unguarded and open they all seem. Very unlike later casts who have watched and planned their "character."

Also, my favorites now, Heather and Julie, are my favorites from the original run and ones I don't really care for, Becky and Kevin, are still the ones I can do without.

[snarts]

Just watched the last episode. Sad that it's over. Even sadder that Eric couldn't join them at all. Love the vibe they had on the two days and it was great to see Jon Murray. 

[shantown]

It's a real bummer that Eric was never able to join them in person. I wish they could have put him in a hazmat suit for the last episode. 

Much like the first episode, I shed tears several times throughout this final episode. During a lot of Kevin's speech. Watching them break into the control room. When Jon and George came in. Celebrating Julie's birthday and the Julie and Heather hug. Andre's song.

I hope that Eric, Heather, Julie, Norm, Kevin, and Andre find a time to get together again in person soon. Like Heather said, they have such a unique bond and those six at least really seemed to appreciate the chance to come back together again and reminisce. I really appreciated the chance to get to watch it. This was just such a wonderful show.

[Miss Slay]

That was beautiful. I'm so happy they made this show. What a lovely last episode that was a testament to the original series.

But now I will be canceling my subscription to Paramount +. 😃

[funnygirl]

"A Koooorpi on the wall"... Drunk!Julie is a delight.

I really love Heather and Julie's friendship, and Heather's vibe in general.

I've so enjoyed seeing this crew back together again, I only wish the season was a bit longer and that Eric could've made it into the house. 

[txhorns79]

I felt like the series got swallowed by Kevin and Becky's fight.  Sitting here now, I can use Google and learn more about what life is currently like for Heather, Eric, Andre and Julie, but watching the show they all mostly felt like background to Kevin and Becky, with the one episode reserved for Norm.  I enjoyed seeing the cast again.   However, I wish they did more with the concept and broadened the focus.   

[Marisagf]

I teared up at the Heather/Julie hug.  I just didn't want this to end.  I really wish they could have kept it going long enough for Eric to join them.  And I wish Becky's drama didn't suck up so much airtime.  Overall, I totally enjoyed watching this show.  🙂

[marybennet]

I cried about Heather and her dad. 

[Glade]

This was really good, and listening to Kevin and everyone else have these important discussions and just have fun together...it's so easy to forget that Becky even exists, once everyone stops trying to get though to her, she's completely over and that's wonderful.  I'm glad they made this, and I'd watch the homecoming for any season up to New Orleans 1 (when I stopped watching the first time around,) but especially for San Francisco--there must be so many fascinating unaired clips from that season they could bring out.

Edited April 9, 2021 by Glade

[DearEvette]

Aw, I am sad it is over.  I loved seeing the behind the scenes stuff and getting the production perspective from the two producers and knowing they kept in touch with all of them over the years,

I loved seeing Heather's footage with her father and she is so correct about the importance of the image of a black girl being seen with her dad.  It is a representation (one of many) that is often overlooked.  Makes me appreciate even more how important the reality show, Love Is Blind made Lauren Speed's relationship with her dad feel like on that show. 

This was such a moment of synergy for this show since so much of Kevin's "storyline' in the original show was his reaction and frustration and anger surrounding the beating of Rodney King.  You could tell he was very raw about that and as a viewer at the time, as young black woman, I was very much aware of where he was coming from and agreed with him a lot but at the time felt his anger was too raw and revealing.  Kinda like how the roommates on the show this time around was trying to save Becky from herself, aware as how she would come off -- I was like that with Kevin in '92.  Afraid he' be perceived as an 'angry black man' and what his portrayal would mean to other young black men.  Knew that his confrontation with Julie in the original show would never be viewed with even handedness -- black men in conflict white women never turn out well for the black men regardless if he is in the right.  And now I am glad he let that show. Current events vindicate him publicly (most black people even back then knew he was right).  And now his confrontation with another white woman (Becky) takes in a very different hue.  I mean, this is storytelling 101 complete with character growth, redemption and a villain (white fragility), they couldn't have scripted this better if they had tried!

I am very sad that Eric never made it to the house.  That had to be so frustrating for him.  So apparently this was filmed early January of this year.  I am hoping he had the chance since then to meet up with at least some of them in person. 

Heather B once again ends up my MVP with Julie a close second  Their friendship is lovely to see.  But Heather added humor and warmth to the whole vibe. Also her flirty relationship with Eric was fun.  And I love her journaling idea: "What I know" and "What I learned"

I just plain old enjoyed this.

[shantown]

18 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I loved seeing the behind the scenes stuff and getting the production perspective from the two producers and knowing they kept in touch with all of them over the years,

Yes! I loved innocently sweet that was. Totally out of a different time! It makes sense because it was such a pioneering experience for both sides of the camera. That so many of these relationship grew genuinely offscreen over the past 29 years had a real impact on me as a viewer. At some point you get too old to make new "old friends" so I think that's why coming back to this cast after so long felt so reassuring.

[ljenkins782]

15 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I felt like the series got swallowed by Kevin and Becky's fight.  Sitting here now, I can use Google and learn more about what life is currently like for Heather, Eric, Andre and Julie, but watching the show they all mostly felt like background to Kevin and Becky, with the one episode reserved for Norm.  I enjoyed seeing the cast again.   However, I wish they did more with the concept and broadened the focus.   

Agreed. this last episode was so good, as was the first episode. This is what I tuned in to see, a mixture of nostalgia, where-are-they-now, questions answered from long ago, unseen footage, and the roommates enjoying themselves.

The section with the show runners was so interesting and I feel like there was so much more they could have mined from that kind of thing. Seeing them openly discussing the "storylines" that they were focusing on in order to give the show some framework, I definitely wanted to see more of that. It made me realize that they did have an episode devoted to each of them where we got to see more in-depth about each person, but it felt fairly natural and woven into the overall story. Like Heather's recording studio footage or Julie's dancing, it didn't necessarily feel like "this is the Julie episode or this is the Heather episode," it had a real day in the life feel. And I notice that Eric tagged along in both Heather and Julie's "episodes," lol. 

Also, watching them be so warm and parental toward this original group, it made me wonder what they think of what the show's become. This thing that they created and what it once was vs what it evolved into, I'd love to know the true opinions on that. And actually, same for the cast themselves. What it was when they participated is so different than what it is now, is it embarrassing to be associated with it?

I loved the party and the warm feelings it ended on and that they put Becky aside and moved on with their reunion with the people who wanted to participate. 

[txhorns79]

50 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

The section with the show runners was so interesting and I feel like there was so much more they could have mined from that kind of thing. Seeing them openly discussing the "storylines" that they were focusing on in order to give the show some framework, I definitely wanted to see more of that.

For me that was the most interesting part.  I don't know if it happened in other seasons as well, but it felt like the producers were very hands on with the first season cast.  They had a nice working relationship, and there was real trust between everyone. 

[Stiggs]

OMG, I was not prepared for my emotions. I cried like a baby. 

Kevin both broke my heart and made me so proud. He got a bum deal the first time around, and I'm so happy he got a chance to bring this all full circle. It clearly was important to him. 

Andre's song was lovely and I wish we got to hear it all. 

LOVE the insider stories from the showrunners—I kind of doubt that either of them have invited many other cast members to their weddings. 🙂 I could have listened to them tell stories all night. Can we get more footage of that?

Also, it's impossible for me to hold back tears when I first see an image of Pedro. During a recent trip down a rabbit hole I found out he died like, the day after the last episode of the SF season, and I didn't realize it had happened that fast (In my head it happened a year later, I don't know why I thought that - maybe it was the World AIDS Day thing MTV did in 95?).

Julie and Heather B...that's something incredibly beautiful. Their friendship is precious, and that hug made me bawl. I want to invite them to be Golden Girls with me but I'm not cool enough, lol. 

I wish there were more episodes. 😞 I'm gonna miss the original 7 strangers. It was nice having them back. They really were the best cast. I mean, Tami and her girl group in season 2 were hard to beat, lol, but this group was just magic. 

[funnygirl]

2 minutes ago, Stiggs said:

I wish there were more episodes. 😞 I'm gonna miss the original 7 strangers. It was nice having them back. They really were the best cast. I mean, Tami and her girl group in season 2 were hard to beat, lol, but this group was just magic. 

Tami's girl group REALITY and their smash hit "Prisoner of Your Love". 😅

[Giuseppe]

2 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

it made me wonder what they think of what the show's become. This thing that they created and what it once was vs what it evolved into, I'd love to know the true opinions on that. And actually, same for the cast themselves. What it was when they participated is so different than what it is now, is it embarrassing to be associated with it?

I was almost yelling at them to ask this question! Lol. It would have been the first thing I asked if I'd been in their position. I would've wanted to know if any of the original 7 would have applied to the show after it had morphed into a fight and hook up fest. I'm pretty sure the answer would've been a resounding "no", but I really wanted to hear everyone's opinions.

I, too, cried throughout the whole episode and agree that this is the shit I wanted to see. Kevin and Becky was unfortunate, but I didn't need like half of the episodes devoted to it. Really wish we could get several more episodes of what this last one had.

I love to see genuine friendships on TV, and Julie's and Heather's is something very special. It is wonderful to have a friendship like that in life. 

I wonder if the end scene before the credits rolled is a hint that, yes, there are more reunions being planned?

[Stiggs]

3 hours ago, funnygirl said:

Tami's girl group REALITY and their smash hit "Prisoner of Your Love". 😅

“I’m a slave to your lovin’!” I will be 90 and still know the words to that song, god help me. 😂

Oh, I too, am mad we were deprived of Heather B and Pa footage in 1992! So glad they aired it, especially since HB’s dad has since passed. 
 

So glad Becky stayed away...

[snarts]

One of the things I find is often overlooked in discussing reality TV, specifically The Real World, is its contribution to LGBTQ rights.  So many kids could finally see people like Norman, Beth A, Pedro, Dan, Genesis, Ruthie, Danny, etc. on TV and know that they weren't alone.  That montage, coupled with watching Norman get all misty, had me in tears.  

[gesundheit]

9 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

Also, watching them be so warm and parental toward this original group, it made me wonder what they think of what the show's become. This thing that they created and what it once was vs what it evolved into, I'd love to know the true opinions on that. And actually, same for the cast themselves. What it was when they participated is so different than what it is now, is it embarrassing to be associated with it?

I feel like Kevin touched on that a little bit in one of his final talking heads where he was saying one thing he learned this time was not to be ashamed of it. I can see for someone who's trying to be a serious pundit and activist in a world where the generation younger than him sees an affiliation with TRW as a real stain on a serious reputation, he'd have struggled with it. But those early seasons did matter, and it's good that they know that.

Man. That was way too short, that whole thing. And I'm totally in the same boat with everyone really bummed that so many episodes were sucked up by the Becky drama. 

 

(Also, thanks message board people!! I had a few friends who were all giddy over the first episode but everyone seemed to kind of trail off after that and I was so craving people to talk to about it!)

Edited April 10, 2021 by gesundheit

[DearEvette]

17 hours ago, Stiggs said:

“I’m a slave to your lovin’!” I will be 90 and still know the words to that song, god help me. 😂

"I'm a slave, I'm a slave, I'm a slave to your lovin...I can’t resist the fever of your kissin’ and your huggin. "  😂

OMG, I legit just remembered that!  Like just right now.  How weird does memory work?   Lord help me as well.

ETA:  If they are planning on doing more reunions, my fear is it would go the trajectory just like the original run.  The New York cast was so interesting and different and authentic because they had no road-map and no preconceptions.  Every cast that came after felt like they were more prepared and therefore came off as less genuine.  So once again the NYC cast with this reunion have also been somewhat of a trailblazer with no script and no preconceptions and something really authentic has come out of it.  I can only imagine a reunion with other casts trying to decide how they are going to make their new mark this time.

Edited April 10, 2021 by DearEvette

[Hiyo]

A lot of them might also self-edit after seeing what happened with the Beckster...which may or may not be a good thing, depending on how you look at it.

[ljenkins782]

1 hour ago, Hiyo said:

A lot of them might also self-edit after seeing what happened with the Beckster...which may or may not be a good thing, depending on how you look at it.

Yeah, I'm thinking someone like Rachel from SF would look at Becky as a cautionary tale. 

Quote

I feel like Kevin touched on that a little bit in one of his final talking heads where he was saying one thing he learned this time was not to be ashamed of it. I can see for someone who's trying to be a serious pundit and activist in a world where the generation younger than him sees an affiliation with TRW as a real stain on a serious reputation, he'd have struggled with it. But those early seasons did matter, and it's good that they know that.

In a weird way, I feel like it was probably a much bigger stigma for Kevin the first time around even though the show itself didn't carry the reputation it now has. He was writing for some pretty well-known outlets and his participation in this project as himself probably caused some ripples in the circles of journalism who feel the reporter shouldn't be part of the story. And the perception of him that came from the show couldn't have helped.

As far as this last show went, I guess it runs counter to the feel-good nature of the last episode, I still want to know the answer of what really happened in the loft between Kevin and Julie when no one was home. I was thinking of that when Kevin was talking about not being able to ignore the uncomfortable truths, I wonder if Kevin and Julie ever discussed that privately. Considering that that fight was a way bigger deal in the original series than the Kevin/Becky fight, I wonder if not discussing it was part of their pre-show pact not to "go there" on certain agreed-upon taboo topics. 

[txhorns79]

8 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

In a weird way, I feel like it was probably a much bigger stigma for Kevin the first time around even though the show itself didn't carry the reputation it now has. He was writing for some pretty well-known outlets and his participation in this project as himself probably caused some ripples in the circles of journalism who feel the reporter shouldn't be part of the story. And the perception of him that came from the show couldn't have helped.

You can look at Kevin's bio on Wikipedia.  He seems to have done pretty well for himself, writing wise, after the show.  I do recall Julie saying that the show hurt her career as a dancer because people did not want to hire Julie from the Real World.  The idea being her presence would distract from whatever the project was.  I think Heather ran into similar problems with her career. 

 

2 hours ago, Hiyo said:

A lot of them might also self-edit after seeing what happened with the Beckster...which may or may not be a good thing, depending on how you look at it.

I did wonder if part of the reason Heather stayed so quiet about Becky was because she knew it would invite controversy and she didn't want it to bleed into her day job. 

[Miss Slay]

5 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

Yeah, I'm thinking someone like Rachel from SF would look at Becky as a cautionary tale. 

In a weird way, I feel like it was probably a much bigger stigma for Kevin the first time around even though the show itself didn't carry the reputation it now has. He was writing for some pretty well-known outlets and his participation in this project as himself probably caused some ripples in the circles of journalism who feel the reporter shouldn't be part of the story. And the perception of him that came from the show couldn't have helped.

As far as this last show went, I guess it runs counter to the feel-good nature of the last episode, I still want to know the answer of what really happened in the loft between Kevin and Julie when no one was home. I was thinking of that when Kevin was talking about not being able to ignore the uncomfortable truths, I wonder if Kevin and Julie ever discussed that privately. Considering that that fight was a way bigger deal in the original series than the Kevin/Becky fight, I wonder if not discussing it was part of their pre-show pact not to "go there" on certain agreed-upon taboo topics. 

LOL. There is no way they could get the San Francisco cast back together under one roof. Unless, Puck, was zoomed in a la Eric from a different location (whether he had covid or not!). But I'd def watch...with popcorn in hand.

Back to Kevin - I didn't watch the NYC cast in real time, I was too young. So I knew Kevin from his journalism. There were about 5 or 6 writers in music journalism at the time that I really loved. His stuff for Rolling Stone was especially good. And writing for Vibe? That was HUGE in the 90s. Career wise - I've always been impressed by Kevin, it isn't an easy feat to a working writer.

That said, Kevin has gotten A LOT of backlash for his views on race over the last 30 years. MTV re-aired NYC in 2016 and Kevin got dragged on Twitter. I saw it. That can't have been easy. It has taken a great deal of time for non POC to understand where he was coming from. I always appreciated Kevin's place in the loft - and I haven't seen anyone quite like him cast on the Real World since.

I believe Julie and Kevin did discuss their fight privately - and how they wanted to address it. 

I would have loved if they zoomed in Charles Perez, Darlene, or Bill the director...but maybe that's to trashy for this show. LOL.

[ljenkins782]

21 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

You can look at Kevin's bio on Wikipedia.  He seems to have done pretty well for himself, writing wise, after the show.  I do recall Julie saying that the show hurt her career as a dancer because people did not want to hire Julie from the Real World.  The idea being her presence would distract from whatever the project was.  I think Heather ran into similar problems with her career. 

Kevin's success isn't in doubt, but I believe he himself has referenced difficulties he had after the show due to his portrayal. This show was all over the place and there was no forum then for them to respond to how they were portrayed, so each of their "labels" really stuck and his was quite an unfortunate one.

Quote

 

LOL. There is no way they could get the San Francisco cast back together under one roof. Unless, Puck, was zoomed in a la Eric from a different location (whether he had covid or not!). But I'd def watch...with popcorn in hand.

Back to Kevin - I didn't watch the NYC cast in real time, I was too young. So I knew Kevin from his journalism. There were about 5 or 6 writers in music journalism at the time that I really loved. His stuff for Rolling Stone was especially good. And writing for Vibe? That was HUGE in the 90s. Career wise - I've always been impressed by Kevin, it isn't an easy feat to a working writer.

That said, Kevin has gotten A LOT of backlash for his views on race over the last 30 years. MTV re-aired NYC in 2016 and Kevin got dragged on Twitter. I saw it. That can't have been easy. It has taken a great deal of time for non POC to understand where he was coming from. I always appreciated Kevin's place in the loft - and I haven't seen anyone quite like him cast on the Real World since.

I believe Julie and Kevin did discuss their fight privately - and how they wanted to address it. 

I would have loved if they zoomed in Charles Perez, Darlene, or Bill the director...but maybe that's to trashy for this show. LOL.

 

I'm not 100% sure they couldn't get SF back together. Rachel is apparently still friends with Puck and I think the rest of them could possibly bite back their distaste for him for the sake of a moment revisited. Remote possibility, but a possibility.

And if not, I'd be totally fine with a Puck-less reunion or if he has to be a part of it, a cameo over zoom here and there. That was a meaty season in terms of cultural impact and I'd be interested to see them revisit it.

Re: Charles Perez, did Norman out him on TV* or was he known to be gay? I feel like sexual orientation of stars or tv hosts wasn't as openly discussed back then and a lot of people were definitely in the closet. I had watched the Charles Perez show, but I didn't know that until I saw him on RW. 

*I realize that he would have had to sign waivers for his appearance, so I don't mean "out him" in an ambush sort of way, more like, did it make news at the time?

[Miss Slay]

1 hour ago, ljenkins782 said:

 

Re: Charles Perez, did Norman out him on TV* or was he known to be gay? I feel like sexual orientation of stars or tv hosts wasn't as openly discussed back then and a lot of people were definitely in the closet. I had watched the Charles Perez show, but I didn't know that until I saw him on RW. 

*I realize that he would have had to sign waivers for his appearance, so I don't mean "out him" in an ambush sort of way, more like, did it make news at the time?

 

Well, per Norman, Charlez Perez dumped him and then held Real World viewing parties every week so his friends could see him on TV. So I don't think he was closeted.

[charmed1]

I’m so glad I stumbled upon the reunion. I’ve only watched the first episode. I listen to Heather’s radio show a couple times a week. My mom finally got cable while the original RW season 1 was airing and I watched it religiously. I was a really young teen, I think I was a high school freshman. I remember thinking these people were so cool and I couldn’t wait to grow up and live in a loft with a bunch of other creatives. I identified most with Heather B. Since I didn’t start watching until the season had already started, I had a big crush on Norman until the episode aired where he kissed his boyfriend LOL! So began my history of choosing the wrong men. 

[Anela]

I was a teenager when it first aired, and I was obsessed with it, too. It must have been a re-run, when we were at my grandmother's for July 4th, and I watched the episode where they were on vacation, and on a boat. I've just looked it up, and it started in the Spring, so it might have been the first time it aired. I remember the argument between Kevin and Julie, the "will they/won't they?" with Julie and Eric, and I loved Heather B. I liked Andre, too, and Norm. 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Anela

[Cherry Cola]

This was really fun to watch. Except for all the drama of Kevin and Becky that consumed so much. 

Kevin has definitely matured. Julie is annoying to me, even now. Heather is awesome and I want to be her friend. Andre was meh. Eric seems happy and fun. Norm is a sweetie. Becky..eh. 

I liked to see how Kevin handled things this time around. His maturity was definitely showing. I do hate how racist and white privelage are tossed around so easily.  I didn't see Becky as being racist at all. Just lacking awareness. My take is, if you want to educate people, don't hit them with the, you're racist! You need to educate yourself! That puts people on defense.  Talk to them, help them see Where You are coming from instead. 

All in all this was a cool experience. Wish it was longer!! 

Plus, one thing that did bother me. Why did Becky think she didn't need to share that bathroom?!

[For Cereals]

On 4/10/2021 at 12:14 PM, txhorns79 said:

On 4/10/2021 at 9:38 AM, Hiyo said:

 

I did wonder if part of the reason Heather stayed so quiet about Becky was because she knew it would invite controversy and she didn't want it to bleed into her day job. 

I didn’t see it this way.  I think she was very open about not wanting to waste her time.  I appreciate that Kevin tried, even more so in the 2nd conversation by pointing out that Becky should be aware of the problematic things she says, but ultimately, Heather said nope and I get it.  I’ve had that experience before.  Some people I want to have a conversation with, but there are others who are just going to be who they are and only see me as one dimensional as their funny black associate and nothing more, so it’s not a good use of my time.

[Pot.kettle]

I think it's wrong for Kevin to preach so much about racism, and then agree with Norman that they don't want Becky to turn into a "Karen".  What does Kevin and the others think the term Karen means?  It's ok to call white women Karen's, but everything else is racist right??  That's too hypocritical for me.  Shame on that cast for using the term Karen during a conversation about racism.  Duh.  

[Pixel]

It was very disappointing that Becky hasn’t  learned to listen. She was so busy making it all about her and defending herself that she just could not hear what was being said. She really could have learned something. I don’t think Becky’s a racist, but she just doesn’t get it and isn’t willing to entertain other perspectives. 

[Swartz]

Kevin is still the most annoying woke know it all.    

[Swartz]

If I were Becky I'd have left too.  Kevin always wants to be the victim.  Never talks about the real problems that black communities face 

[Hiyo]

Quote

It was very disappointing that Becky hasn’t  learned to listen. She was so busy making it all about her and defending herself that she just could not hear what was being said. She really could have learned something. I don’t think Becky’s a racist, but she just doesn’t get it and isn’t willing to entertain other perspectives. 

This.

[seawind]

On 5/5/2021 at 12:48 PM, Cherry Cola said:

This was really fun to watch. Except for all the drama of Kevin and Becky that consumed so much. 

Kevin has definitely matured. Julie is annoying to me, even now. Heather is awesome and I want to be her friend. Andre was meh. Eric seems happy and fun. Norm is a sweetie. Becky..eh. 

I liked to see how Kevin handled things this time around. His maturity was definitely showing. I do hate how racist and white privelage are tossed around so easily.  I didn't see Becky as being racist at all. Just lacking awareness. My take is, if you want to educate people, don't hit them with the, you're racist! You need to educate yourself! That puts people on defense.  Talk to them, help them see Where You are coming from instead. 

All in all this was a cool experience. Wish it was longer!! 

Plus, one thing that did bother me. Why did Becky think she didn't need to share that bathroom?!

I'm (VERY) late to the party, but just wanted to share my thoughts with the 3 or 4 people left who might read them, LOL... 

Agree with everyone about the nostalgia, the tears, loving the cast (sans Becky), Julie & Heather ruling reality TV, all of it. 

Having watched this during its original run, I freaking loved this, and I believe that the producers OWE us a few more episodes with Eric actually WITH the others (sans Becky). Or on a yacht (S2 cast didn't deserve that, just sayin') or remote island somewhere. Anywhere, I don't care. Because this was WAY too short. Like someone else said, we just got them back. :-( We need a reunion of the reunion!

Kevin & Becky:
1) Becky's "excuse" that she was blindsided by the show running that clip is the biggest heap of BS going. It's a REUNION SHOW; clips are gonna be shown! Though, I was really surprised that THAT is the clip that was dissected, since before this aired, all the articles and talk were about Kevin & Julie's fight.
2) I agree about Kevin's maturity (thank GOD). This was, in a way, a bit of closure I had no clue I even needed. 100% agree about Kevin being right back in 1992 — except, at that time, his fake laughter and, more pointedly, his vile namecalling were so offputting that he himself made it difficult to absorb the points he was trying to make. One of the worst ways to sabotage your case? Calling women bitches and whores; once you do that, any credibility you have goes right out the window. Seeing that Kevin now knows that he didn't exactly present his side in the best way back then (and I do cut him major slack since they were all SO young!), combined with how maturely he handled things with Becky now, speak volumes to his character and to how much he's grown as a person. Thank goodness he was able to keep forging his path after the show ended, I never knew he got so much hate afterward. That makes me really sad. Thank god Twitter wasn't around then — good lord, could you imagine.
3) Becky, on the other hand... just, wow. Wow. My jaw was on the floor the entire time. It's all been said here already, except I do wonder if Norm wasn't the only one who told her to shut up and we just didn't get to see it :-) I kept talking to the screen: "Why isn't anyone trying to stop her? Why isn't anyone telling her to STOP INTERRUPTING KEVIN FOR CRISSAKES!!!" The fact that she did not let him finish ONE single sentence — not one — was just beyond the pale. So was "Isn't anyone going to help me?" WTF.

I think I might like to be Heather in my next life. Can you imagine how different the world would be if we could all react (or, rather, avoid reacting) to BeckyGate the way Heather did — with calm, grace, and wisdom? The joy that woman brought was phenomenal, and I loved every second of it. Like others have said, put Heather and Julie in a show. They could watch paint dry and I'd watch them watch it, because you know it would be hella entertaining.

Last thought: I remember watching the 10-year anniversary special and someone (an audience member, I think) commented on the fact that the other casts that were present (I think 1 thru 4 were there) seemed to still be exhibiting a lot of tension/drama/etc. but that the OG cast was giving off this vibe of happiness and love (paraphrase), sitting in each other's laps, lol. That is still SO true today. I still think it was much too soon after S1 for the S2 cast to be TOO strongly affected by "reality TV" in the same way that the later seasons were — by devolving into the "vapid, drunken hot tub party" syndrome — which I think makes it even sadder that the S2 cast stands in such stark contrast to S1. That group, even to this day, is an unhappy bunch (I say this after having watched all their reunion eps that have aired so far). They're still hard to like, or enjoy even a little bit (and they didn't even have Puck!). Even if you take David and the "blanket incident" out of the equation, you're still left with people who just didn't mesh very well together, and that's too bad, especially coming on the heels of our beloved OG cast (sans Becky, lol). It makes our happy crew stand far, FAR out from the crowd. I'm really just so happy that they're all healthy and (reasonably) happy, and I'll be there for the 30-year reunion with my VHS tapes in my lap. 

[Bastet]

I now have access to Paramount+ via a friend, so promptly started in on this.  Reading here about Becky as the living embodiment of white fragility did not adequately prepare me for actually seeing it.  Oh, good gods.  "I don't want to be the poster child for white privilege."  "Then don't be."  Amen, Kevin. 

Norman tried so hard to save her from herself, even explicitly saying think about how this is going to be edited and aired, and she just kept on.  And then stuck with it even after she'd had time to reflect - when she met with Julie, and then during that video call with Kevin.  That is just truly who she is.  So encapsulated in her bubble, so willfully blind.

Contrast her with Julie.  I love Julie recounting taking her daughter to Selma for the Bloody Sunday 50th anniversary march - the daughter expressed apprehension at being the only white people in the crowd, and Julie said, "You're not in danger, you're uncomfortable.  You need to be uncomfortable sometimes."  And look what that daughter is growing into.  It's lovely.

I had read a lot about Kevin's transformation, his active examination of his and our culture's toxic masculinity and misogyny and devoting his activism to dismantling the patriarchy as well as the white supremacy, but I had no idea how gratifying it was going to feel to actually see the evolved Kevin in such a personal way.  I was on his side in so many arguments back in the day, and then he'd be a sexist asshole.

Other than Becky's nonsense, this has been such a joy to watch.  I love how they very clearly talked amongst themselves before and upon deciding to do it, making a pact about not throwing anyone under the bus or giving the producers something to manipulate (well aware of what reality TV has become).  They're such genuine people.  I feel so bad for Eric not getting to be a proper part of it; it's never going to happen again, and he largely missed it. 

I don't want it to end (I think I have just one episode left to go)!