Nathan from Seattle and Rachel from San Francisco try to convince us that we are watching a live reunion. We all know that it's taped. Thus begins my agony. Rachel looks about a million times better than she did on the most recent reunion show, having grown out her unfortunate "Courteney Cox Arquette in Scream 3" bangs. She's wearing a lavender sweater and yellowish leather pants that clash horribly, though. Nathan is Nathan: a hick.
Okay, I know you all really want to know what everyone looks like, so I'll start with that. Matt, Julie, and Jamie are sharing a couch in the front. Julie has cut her hair to about shoulder-length and dyed it red. It's very much in the anime style of Willow on Buffy with the ends flipped out. She's very shiny and puffy-looking. Although I think the red hair might suit her in some way, she doesn't look good. Matt looks the same as he did during the season, but he's wearing these Elton John blue-tinted sunglasses and python pants. He also has a blue button-down shirt on with the two middle buttons done, which makes him look like he has a big beer gut busting out. Jamie looks pretty much the same, except that he has shaved his head in a Dawson's Creek season premiere Pacey kind of way. Of course, if you read Melissa's interview on this site, you knew that.
Behind them, on a couch, are David, Kelley, and Melissa. David looks bigger somehow, and he's wearing yellow-lensed rectangular sunglasses. He still looks like one of the Boyz II Men to me. Kelley looks great. Her hair is a little longer and much fuller, and she has on a halter top. Melissa also looks fabulous. Her hair is a little longer than it was during the season, and she's wearing a green sleeveless rollneck sweater with jeans. And braces!
Sitting in a chair all by his lonesome is Danny. He's got a weird haircut that I don't really find flattering, but somehow he manages to pull it off and look cute. He's wearing a blue sweater, and not a gray one.
The first question Rachel asks is about the kiss between Matt and Julie. Matt says he just wanted to get out of there. Julie giggles and says that they didn't show the part where Matt went to kiss her and she turned her head. Julie cracks herself up with that one, but no one else laughs. Nathan asks whether it's hard to watch yourself on television. Matt gives a non-answer that amounts to "Yes." Rachel asks Julie to compare Jamie and Matt in the kissing department. I think if they are hiring in the kissing department, Julie should get the job. Julie doesn't answer. Rachel tells Nathan that on-camera kisses can be trouble. Hee! See, because Nathan cheated on his girlfriend during his season. My God, Rachel and Nathan are terrible.
Rachel asks how they feel now that the show is over -- whether they feel like a Miss America who has lost her crown. She directs the question to Danny. Danny pulls a face, while Kelley comments, "Danny, do you feel like Miss America?" Everyone laughs. Danny can't describe the feeling. Melissa is thankful that she can pick up her prescription in peace. Nathan notes that they all seemed "motivated to leave on a good note," and asks Jamie if he thought some people were faking it. Jamie gives a long answer that amounts to, "No." Matt butts in and says that it was important to finish on a positive note, and that they're all friends. Everyone applauds.
Rachel asks whether anyone misses the cameras. They all say no. Nathan specifically asks Melissa, who says, "Why you gotta ask me?" She says she doesn't miss getting caught doing stupid things. Nathan asks David if he would have done things differently to avoid the confrontation at the end. David says he has no regrets. Rachel asks if they think the whole David confrontation seems unfair now. Silence. Silence. Kelley finally answers that she thinks it's "kind of crappy" to have to watch it in front of the studio audience and everyone. Also, she doesn't think it was as bad as it looked.
Nathan asks what they think of their portrayal on camera, and how accurate it was. Matt gives the party line about how it all happened, but it's only eleven hours out of five months. Matt is happy. Nathan directs the question to Jamie, who says that it's "all good," which is interesting given that he didn't watch the show and has complained about his portrayal in the past. Kelley says she thinks that things don't get explained enough. Thank you! There are a lot of awkward pauses in this thing. As we go to commercial, we see Danny greeting Paul the Blur.
On the way back from commercial, we see Kelley talking to and about Peter. Rachel says that was "so romantic." Well of course she thinks so -- she's married to Sean. Kelley says she's still with Peter, and they've talked about marriage. Nathan says that having a relationship on camera is tough, especially when you're an idiotic hick like Nathan, and he wants to know if the cameras accelerate the relationship. Kelley says that the cameras didn't really "elevate or de-elevate" their relationship.