Reunion (TV series)

Last updated
Reunion
Reunion (TV series).png
Intertitle
Genre Drama
Created by Jon Harmon Feldman
Sara Goodman
Starring Will Estes
Chyler Leigh
Amanda Righetti
Dave Annable
Sean Faris
Alexa Davalos
Mathew St. Patrick
Composer John Frizzell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (4 unaired)
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesClass IV Productions
Oh That Gus!, Inc.
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network FOX
ReleaseSeptember 8 (2005-09-08) 
December 15, 2005 (2005-12-15)

Reunion is an American drama television series that aired on Fox in late 2005. The series was intended to chronicle 20 years in the lives of a group of six high school friends from Bedford, New York, with each episode following one year in the lives of the six, beginning with their high school graduation year 1986. Each episode also featured scenes in the present where Detective Marjorino (Mathew St. Patrick) is investigating the brutal murder of one of the group during the night of their 20-year class reunion in 2006. The identity of the murder victim was not revealed until the fifth episode, "1990".

Contents

Due to low ratings, the series was canceled after only nine episodes (four more episodes had been ordered but were not aired in the US), and the identity of the killer remained unrevealed in the aired episodes.

Characters and plot

Each episode also features scenes in the present where Detective Kenneth Marjorino (Mathew St. Patrick) is investigating the brutal murder of one of the group during the night of their 20-year class reunion, the identity of which was not revealed at the start of the season. Although his motives are initially secret, viewers quickly learn that Marjorino has harbored a 20-year grudge against Will Malloy, Craig Brewster, and their friends for what he perceives to be unfulfilled justice for the death of his father in a car crash that also involved a car occupied by Will and Craig (both of whom had been drinking that night). Although he maintains his composure, it becomes apparent that Marjorino is letting the case consume his life.

In each episode, viewers are introduced to additional minor characters who may or may not have significantly affected the past. These include Amy, the secret child of Will and Sam; Meghan Phillips, her adoptive mother; Paul Phillips, her adoptive father and future abusive lover of Carla; Peter, Carla's future husband; Pascal, Aaron's one-night stand and eventual wife; Chloe, their love child; Noelle, their second child; Henry, Sam and Craig's son; and Rachel, a former secretary of Craig Brewster with whom he had an affair early in his marriage to Sam and who resurfaces in an attempt to ruin both of their lives. The show was canceled prior to the addition of another significant minor character: Katherine Clark, the daughter of a rival Congressman of Craig Brewster and future fiancee of Will Malloy.

Other plotlines

Cancellation

Originally, Reunion was intended to last for 22 episodes, with each episode chronicling one year in the life of the six main charactersfrom their graduation in 1986 to the murder of one of them the day of their high school reunion in 2006. However, after a promising start, [1] the show's ratings dropped, failing to hold the viewers from its lead in, The O.C. , whereupon Fox announced the series would not be continued beyond the thirteen episodes already ordered. [2]

While it was speculated the cancellation might lead to a change of the formatpossibly skipping or combining some years to reach 2006 and reveal the murderer by the now-final thirteenth episodeseries creator Jon Harmon Feldman originally announced the show would simply end with 1998, with the identity of the murderer unrevealed. [3] However, after ratings continued to fall in December 2005, Fox announced – both in the media and on their official website – that the "1994" episode eventually would be the last, and the remaining four episodes filmed would not air. Fox later gave away outlines the episodes "1995", "1996", "1997" and "1998" to websites. On June 7, 2006, the episode "1998" was shown in many countries, but not the USA.

During the Television Critics Association press tour, Fox Entertainment president Peter Ligouri addressed reporters regarding the show's abrupt end. Ligouri stated there were several ways to go with the killer's identity. However, "the best guess was that particular time that it was going to be Sam's daughter", whom she gave up for adoption early in the series. The reason why the murder occurred still remains a mystery.

The Brazilian channel SBT, at the end of episode 13, inserted a narrator telling an alternative end (freely invented) for the drama: the killer would be Craig's father, Russell Brewster. [4]

Unreleased plot

Sam was the one who ended up dying, so everybody was trying to cover their tracks. [The shooter] was supposed to be her daughter, who later down the road would have come to work for Carla. She [Carla] tries to get them reconciled, but someone breaks into the apartment of Craig Brewster, while Sam was there with her daughter. In a struggle with this intruder, Amy accidentally shot Sam.[ citation needed ]

When the 13th episode aired on the SBT channel in Brazil, additional information had been added. A narrator explained that an adult Amy, angry over being abandoned as an infant and being abused by her adopted father, accidentally shoots and kills Samantha. Will and Craig call Craig’s high-powered dad, Russell (Gregory Harrison), for help. The big twist is that, when Russell arrives, he discovers that Samantha is still breathing and secretly suffocates her because of Sam’s earlier affair with Will. His crime is eventually discovered and he’s brought to justice. Dave Annable verified the events of this ending in October 2006.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"1986" Jon Amiel Teleplay by: Jon Harmon Feldman
Story by: Jon Harmon Feldman & Sara Goodman
September 8, 2005 (2005-09-08)4752826.63 [5]
In the pilot, we are introduced to six friends in 1986, while one is being interviewed by the police in 2006. Carla is in love with Aaron, Aaron is in love with Jenna and Jenna is in love with everyone but Aaron. Meanwhile, Craig and Will are best friends, and after Will takes the rap for Craig's drunk driving incident, we discover Craig's girlfriend, Sam, is pregnant with Will's baby. She's about to go to London, Craig's about to go to Brown and Will's about to go to Jail. Fast forward to 2006--one of the group has been murdered, and the rest of them are all suspects.
2"1987" Michael Katleman Jon Harmon FeldmanSeptember 22, 2005 (2005-09-22)2T68515.19 [6]
Carla and Samantha are still in London. Samantha goes in labor. Will has been released from prison, and needs to cope with what others think of him. In the present, Carla is still telling her story to Detective Marjorino. The detective gets more evidence to tie in the recent murder to events that happened a few years ago. Aaron, Craig and Jenna are also in the episode.
3"1988" Rick Rosenthal Gina Fattore September 29, 2005 (2005-09-29)2T68524.55 [7]

The competition between Craig and Will for Samantha grows, causing Will--who now works for Craig's father--to cross some ethical and legal lines. Samantha has finally tracked down her daughter in New York. After the adoptive parents warn her to stay away, she and Carla hatch a plan to keep tabs on the child. The appearance of Jenna's mother threatens to overshadow her movie premiere, and Aaron tries to mend his broken heart in Seattle. Detective Marjorino's interest in the murder investigation is revealed to be more than just professional.

This episode includes airing of Alan Replica's song 'We're on Automatic' at Jenna's birthday party.
4"1989" James Frawley Mark GoffmanNovember 3, 2005 (2005-11-03)2T68533.57 [8]
A wedding brings out old rivalries as Samantha must finally choose between Craig and Will. At the same time, Will pays the ultimate price for the one crime he did commit, after he brings down the family of a close friend. Aaron returns from Seattle with a secret, and Jenna puts her own career ahead of Carla's. Detective Marjorino learns he's carried a grudge against the wrong man for 20 years, and one of our friends receives an anonymous letter--from someone who claims to know who the murderer is.
5"1990" Lou Antonio Jennifer Johnson November 10, 2005 (2005-11-10)2T68544.02 [9]
In the present, Marjorino is happy because he found someone important in his case and will get a statement. If the previous episodes didn't give us enough info about who died, this one will. In 1990, Jenna is shooting a movie in Los Angeles but is forced to come back home to Bedford when she learns her mother is dying of AIDS-related pneumonia. Craig has a meeting with his father's accountant about the company. Craig wants to keep his father's company afloat but things are not going to be easy. Carla is afraid that the secret of her becoming Amy's nanny so Sam could see her will soon be discovered. Aaron meets a beautiful French woman named Pascale while on a Prague train heading for Brussels. Will is in the Army to be shipped out to Kuwait in the Gulf War.
6"1991"Rick RosenthalJesse SternNovember 17, 2005 (2005-11-17)2T68553.88 [10]
PRESENT: Two teenagers, who are having a few beers by the East River, discover something that was thrown in the water (remember what it is?). Marjorino has a chat with one of the six friends. PAST (1991): Will, back from Kuwait, visits Jenna at her new house by the beach. He has to do a favor for a friend from his unit. Craig and Aaron work together and have a secretary named Rachel. While Craig is not there, a man named Lloyd drops by their office and has an offer for Aaron. Carla is still Amy's nanny. It's Amy's first day in school. Carla has Paul come with her to pick up Amy at the end of the day but the child is nowhere to be found.
7"1992"Michael KatlemanBruce ZimmermanDecember 1, 2005 (2005-12-01)2T68564.07 [11]
Things get testy when the six friends gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving 1992. Aaron brings as his date, his co-worker Rachel, whom he doesn’t realize has a motive for wanting to come: Craig. Jenna brings her movie-star husband and it quickly becomes apparent that the marriage is a sham. Sam thinks something is going on between Rachel and Craig and she wonders if she picked the right guy. Will brings his girlfriend Vanessa, his former Army buddy’s sister, but is still carrying a torch for Samantha, while Russell Brewster shows up and demands that Will be thrown out, still blaming him for the collapse of the Brewster Group. Meanwhile, in the present day, Detective Marjorino’s 20-year obsession for revenge against his father’s killer and now the investigation of Samantha’s murder is taking a toll on his marriage.
8"1993" Michael Lange Teleplay by: Edgar Lyall
Story by: Scott Shepherd
December 8, 2005 (2005-12-08)2T68573.79 [12]
PRESENT: Craig and Will visit Sam's grave. They are joined by a young man who claims that Sam deserved to die. Eventually, all the other friends arrive to visit Sam's grave. PAST (1993): It's Samantha's birthday, and she is now a medical resident. She has a rough day where a patient of hers dies. We later find out that she is the mother of the young man at the grave in the present. Craig wants to become a state assemblyman. At Bedford High School, Jenna meets the students to tell them about her career. Also, Aaron learns that Pascal got pregnant from their one night stand 3 years ago, and he is now a father to Chloe.
9"1994" Milan Cheylov Gina FattoreDecember 15, 2005 (2005-12-15)2T68583.54 [13]
PRESENT: Rachel is questioned & is a possible suspect for Sam's murder. PAST (1994): A hopeful Carla gets her romantic hopes crushed by Aaron and another man named Peter. Aaron's Pascale is pregnant again and Craig's old cheatee wants to ruin his name. Craig and Sam are interviewed by a reporter named Elise concerning Craig's political life and the campaign. Of course, the reporter dug some dirt about them and throws it in their face to see their reactions. Sam is outraged by the reporter when she finds out Craig might have cheated on her again. The other friends will help the couple do some damage control. Later in the episode, the friends and their loved ones celebrate Christmas. Jenna's latest flame is named Brad. Will, Sam, and Pascale also appear. Will still likes Sam.
10"1995" Elodie Keene Jennifer Johnsonunaired2T6859N/A
PRESENT: Something happens to Marjorino in a dark alley that will send him straight to the hospital. Will was on the scene and accompanies the detective in the ambulance. PAST (1995): Sam and Craig set Will up for a blind date with Katherine Clark. The four of them have supper at Sam and Craig's loft. Will and Katherine seem to hit it off. But Will's smile will soon vanish when he learns more about Katherine's family... Carla gets a proposition she can't refuse. Aaron and his wife go to couple's therapy. Jenna learns one of her boyfriend's secrets. Pascale also appears.
11"1996" Jesús Salvador Treviño Mark Goffman & Jesse Sternunaired2T6860N/A
PRESENT: Craig's mother recently died and we learn Henry is responsible for the Marjorino accident. PAST: In 1996. Katherine and Will are ready to take their relationship to another level. Will meets with Katherine's father. The three of them go hunting together, which results in a fight between Will and the Congressman. Then something horrible happens and Katherine's father is killed. Carla and Jenna are at Sam's house where they talk about Katherine and Will among other things. Carla and Peter are trying to have a child, after their recent elopement. However, while working at the hospital, Sam receives some test results for Peter, which seem to say he has leukemia. Single father Aaron has to take care of 13-month-old Noelle and five-year-old Chloe and also cope with work. After a hectic day and many problems, he calls on one of his best friends to help him out: Jenna.
12"1997"Rick RosenthalTeleplay by: Jon Harmon Feldman & Jennifer Johnson
Story by: Jon Harmon Feldman
unaired2T6861N/A
After Pascale left Aaron, it seems Jenna moved in to help take care of Chloe and Noelle. When Pascale comes back and wants custody, a court battle ensues. Through the trial, we become aware that while Jenna was living with Aaron, their relationship was not totally platonic. Meanwhile, Carla is at the hospital with Peter, who is sick with leukemia. The doctor informs them that the chemo is not working as well as they had hoped, but in some cases, a bone marrow treatment can be quite effective. Carla meets with a medical claims officer who explains bone marrow treatment is not effective. However, he insinuates that if Carla were to sleep with him, he could find a way to get her the money. Carla is thoroughly disgusted and calls Aaron to ask for money. Aaron says his assets have been frozen due to Pascale's suit. Carla finally decides giving the claims officer what he wants may be the only way to save her husband. Contemplating what she is about to do, Carla receives a call from Aaron saying his assets are unfrozen and he has money they can borrow. Finally, Will learns the truth about Amy.
13"1998"Elodie KeeneBruce Zimmermanunaired2T6862N/A
It is 1998 and Craig is turning 30. Aaron decides to throw him a party that will lead to unfortunate endings for both of them. Jenna finally gets a significant working proposal, but it's in New Zealand. Sam tries to fix things up with Will as they join forces to search for Amy in Maine. Carla encounters someone from the past.

Related Research Articles

<i>Law & Order: Trial by Jury</i> American legal drama television series (2005–2006)

Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American legal drama television series about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the fourth series in Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation for trial, as well as the trial itself. The series was first announced on September 28, 2004. The series premiered on Thursday, March 3, 2005, and ended on January 21, 2006. Its regular time slot was Fridays 10/9 p.m. ET on NBC. The last episode aired on Court TV months after the series' cancellation.

<i>Joey</i> (TV series) American sitcom

Joey is an American sitcom created by Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan. It is a spin-off to Friends, with Matt LeBlanc reprising his role as Joey Tribbiani. It premiered on NBC on September 9, 2004. Midway through the second season, the show was placed on a hiatus but returned on March 7, 2006. Only one episode aired before the show was pulled when it was overshadowed in ratings by American Idol. NBC canceled the series due to low ratings in May 2006.

<i>Complete Savages</i> American television sitcom

Complete Savages is an American sitcom that was broadcast on ABC from September 24, 2004, to June 17, 2005. It was part of ABC's final TGIF comedy line-up until 2018. The show was created by Mike Scully and Julie Thacker and executive produced by Mel Gibson. It was cancelled after its first season due to low ratings.

Blind Justice is an American crime drama television series created by Steven Bochco about a blind New York City police detective. It was introduced mid-season on March 8, 2005, to fill the time slot left by Bochco's highly successful NYPD Blue, which had just aired its final episode after a 12-year run. The show ran for only one season, with 13 episodes broadcast.

<i>Lost</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of the American serial drama television series Lost commenced airing in the United States and Canada on September 21, 2005, and concluded on May 24, 2006. The second season continues the stories of a group of over forty people who have been stranded on a remote island in the south Pacific, after their airplane crashed forty-four days prior to the beginning of the season. The producers have stated that as the first season is about introducing the survivors, the second season is about a 1970s scientific Dharma Initiative research station which the survivors discovered on the island and refer to as "The Hatch". The second season aired Wednesdays at 9:00 pm in the United States. In addition to the regular twenty-four episodes, three clip-shows recapped previous events on the show. "Destination Lost" aired before the premiere, "Lost: Revelation" aired before the tenth episode and "Lost: Reckoning" aired before the twentieth episode. The season was released on DVD as a seven disc boxed set under the title of Lost: The Complete Second Season – The Extended Experience on September 5, 2006, by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

<i>The Bedford Diaries</i> American TV series or program

The Bedford Diaries is an American drama television series that premiered on March 29, 2006, on The WB and concluded its first season on May 10, 2006. The series was created by Tom Fontana and Julie Martin. This series was canceled on May 18, 2006, after one season.

<i>Commander in Chief</i> (TV series) American television program

Commander in Chief is an American political drama television series that focused on the fictional administration and family of Mackenzie Allen, the first female president of the United States, who ascends to the post from the vice presidency after the death of the sitting president from a sudden cerebral aneurysm.

<i>24</i> (season 5) Season of television series

The fifth season of the American drama television series 24, also known as Day 5, premiered on January 15, 2006, on Fox and aired its season finale on May 22, 2006. The season five storyline starts and ends at 7:00 a.m. – the same time frame as the previous season.

<i>Traveler</i> (American TV series) American TV program

Traveler is an American thriller drama television series that ran from May 10, 2007, until July 18, 2007, on ABC in the United States. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Television.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> (season 8) Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The eighth season of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered September 19, 2006 and ended May 22, 2007 on NBC. The series remained in its 10pm/9c Tuesday timeslot. With the introduction of a new partner for Detective Stabler, early episodes of season 8 took on a significantly different focus when compared to those of previous seasons.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> (season 6) Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The sixth season of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered September 21, 2004 and ended May 24, 2005 on NBC. It aired on Tuesday nights at 10pm/9c. In January 2005, when the season was halfway through airing, Mariska Hargitay won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama becoming the first regular cast member of any Law & Order series to win a Golden Globe.

<i>Desperate Housewives</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of the American dramedy-mystery television series Desperate Housewives commenced airing in the United States on September 25, 2005, and concluded on May 21, 2006. The season continues the story of the Wisteria Lane residents, while their seemingly perfect lives in the suburban neighborhood are shaken by the arrival of the mysterious Betty Applewhite. Broadcast in the Sunday night time slot at 9.00 ET, the season aired twenty-four regular episodes, including a two-part season finale. In addition, three clip shows were produced for the season, in order to put the previous events of the show in perspective. "All the Juicy Details" aired before the eleventh episode, detailing the most memorable events of the season's first half, whereas "The More You Know, The Juicier It Gets", which aired before the twentieth episode, prepared the viewers for the highly anticipated season finale. "Time to Come Clean" aired three weeks before the inception of the third season, and reviewed the previous mysteries of the series before introducing the new story lines. The second season had fourteen roles receiving star billing, out of whom eleven were part of the first season's main cast. The main story lines of the season were Susan Mayer's relationship with her former husband, Gabrielle Solis' upcoming motherhood, Lynette Scavo's return to work and the death of Bree Van de Kamp's husband.

<i>Veronica Mars</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of Veronica Mars, an American drama television series created by Rob Thomas, premiered on UPN in the United States on September 22, 2004. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Television, Silver Pictures Television and Rob Thomas Productions, and Joel Silver and Thomas served as the executive producers.

<i>Scrubs</i> (season 4) Season of television series

The fourth season of the American comedy television series Scrubs premiered on NBC on August 31, 2004, and concluded on May 10, 2005, and consists of 25 episodes. Heather Graham guest starred for an extended run for the first 8 episodes and then another appearance later in the season. Colin Farrell, Matthew Perry, Molly Shannon, Clay Aiken, and Tara Reid guest starred. This season was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

<i>Scrubs</i> (season 6) Season of television series

The sixth season of the American comedy television series Scrubs premiered on NBC on November 30, 2006 and concluded on May 17, 2007 and consists of 22 episodes. The series moved to Thursdays at 9:00 pm as a part of NBC's Comedy Night Done Right. Guest stars in the sixth season included Keri Russell and Michael Weston. This season featured the series' musical episode, "My Musical".

<i>Criminal Minds</i> (season 1) Season of television series Criminal Minds

The first season of Criminal Minds premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and concluded on May 10, 2006. The season consisted of 22 episodes.

<i>Criminal Minds</i> (season 2) Season of television series Criminal Minds

The second season of Criminal Minds premiered on CBS on September 20, 2006, and ended on May 16, 2007. Lola Glaudini left the show after six episodes and was replaced by Paget Brewster three episodes later while Kirsten Vangsness was promoted to series regular.

<i>Criminal Minds</i> (season 3) Season of television series Criminal Minds

The third season of Criminal Minds premiered on CBS on September 26, 2007 and ended May 21, 2008. The third season was originally to have featured 25 episodes; however, only 13 were completed before the Writers Guild of America strike (2007–08). Seven more episodes were produced after the strike, bringing the total number of episodes to 20 for the third season. Mandy Patinkin wanted to leave the series, since he loathed the violent nature of it. He was replaced by Joe Mantegna several episodes later.

<i>Medium</i> (season 4) Season of television series

The fourth season of Medium, an American television series, began January 7, 2008, and ended on May 12, 2008. It aired on NBC.

References

  1. "'Reunion' Keeps Hold on 'O.C.' Viewers". Zap2it. September 9, 2005. Archived from the original on November 16, 2005. Retrieved December 9, 2005.
  2. "'Prison' Breaks 'til March; 'Reunion' Ending Early". Zap2it. November 29, 2005. Archived from the original on December 2, 2005. Retrieved December 9, 2005.
  3. "No End in Sight for 'Reunion'". December 5, 2005. Archived from the original on December 7, 2005. Retrieved December 9, 2005.
  4. Vidoni, Anderson (October 30, 2006). "Reunion ganha final alternativo no SBT" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
  5. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 09/05/05 THROUGH 09/11/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. September 13, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  6. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 09/19/05 THROUGH 09/25/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. September 27, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  7. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 09/26/05 THROUGH 10/02/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. October 4, 2010. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  8. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 10/31/05 THROUGH 11/06/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. November 8, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  9. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 11/07/05 THROUGH 11/13/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. November 15, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  10. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 11/14/05 THROUGH 11/20/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. November 25, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  11. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 11/28/05 THROUGH 12/04/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. December 6, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  12. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 12/05/05 THROUGH 12/11/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. December 13, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  13. "WEEKLY PROGRAM RANKINGS FROM 12/12/05 THROUGH 12/18/05" (Press release). ABC Medianet. December 20, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2010.