Reboot or Reunion: Hollywood needs to know when there has been too much of a good thing

Everyone has a TV show that, when it ends, they wish they could get just one more season, or see where the characters end up later in life. But, when someone says “I need more of this show,” they may not always be sure what they are signing up for. 

Because of the amazing stories that have been created so far, Hollywood continues to leech them for reboots, retellings and reunions.

At some point there comes a line between whether the reboot is what’s best for the series as a whole, or whether producers and actors are just looking to receive another payroll. Should we as viewers, who so desperately crave more from the series that we love, stand for reboots or reunions? 

Growing up, my only wish in life was to be accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Harry Potter series was the first chapter books I ever read, and not to mention, the movies transported me to another world. Even though fans never wanted to say goodbye, after a certain point, the series had come to its end. 

Over the years there were countless talks of another movie coming out and even a prequel series called “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was made. Which personally, didn’t do much for me. If you’re gonna give me something, I want quidditch and Diagon Alley, not a new storyline.

Luckily, on Jan. 1 this year, the cast and crew came back together to put on a reunion of sorts. Even though there was no big picture moment, the reunion transported viewers back in time and took them through what the cast was thinking while growing up on camera. 

It gave a perspective that we had never seen before: all of the home videos, special moments on set and emotions of the cast. Instead of adding on a pointless story, we got to see what it was really like to be in the world of “Harry Potter.” 

It brought back such a feeling of comfort for me that I ended up rewatching the entire series over the rest of my winter break. A good reunion should do exactly that. It should remind the audience of why they fell in love with the story, cast and the magic in the first place.

One reunion that didn’t stand out that much for me was “Friends.” As a loyal watcher of the show,who even tried at times to base his personality off of Chandler Bing, the reunion was just a disappointment. 

A common rule of a reunion should be letting the viewers know what they are getting. With “Friends” telling us several different things about what the reunion was going to be, it left me hanging in the end. 

One thing that the “Harry Potter” reunion did really well was they told us what we were getting and when we were getting it. There was no room for a let down like there was in the “Friends” reunion. 

Major news dropped over the summer when it was announced that HBO MAX would be releasing a reboot of “Gossip Girl.” Many fans were excited to see their favorite characters back on the screen… until it was revealed that it would be a new cast. 

The show basically follows the same premise as the old version, but this time in a much more modern-day, savvy way. It’s like writers in Hollywood are just trying to rewrite the same material just with a more millennial-oriented fan base. 

For me, “Gossip Girl” would have been much better off with a reunion than a new series that makes the show way too focused on follower count and political correctness. 

Another reunion that was given a millennial stamp of approval by writers, but quite the opposite by viewers was the new “Sex and The City” reboot titled “And Just Like That.” I’m sure many people have heard of it seeing as it’s getting hate on TikTok all day, everyday.

The general consensus is that the characters are written completely differently than how they would have acted in the original series — the first red flag. The show talks a lot about trying to adjust in a racially equal and pronoun-oriented society, but the way that the dialogue is written makes the show seem even more out of touch — the second red flag. 

The major problem with the show is that one of the main characters in the original didn’t sign on to come back for the reboot. That alone is the cardinal rule of a remake of a show, that if not everyone in the original production is happy to do a reboot, then they should do a reunion or leave it alone. 

Even though some may not be as good as promised, reunions are the far better option compared to a reboot. It gives the viewers another opportunity to connect with the original story without feeling forced to rewatch another season that is guaranteed to be 10 times worse.