The Reunion by Kayla Olson
For all the Emilys who inspired and encouraged me while writing this book—
Emily Bain Murphy, my friend through every mountain and valley;
Emily McClendon, who sharpens me on and off the tennis court;
Emily Wibberley, whose books made me fall in love with rom-coms; and
Emily Henry, whose rom-coms made me finally decide to write one of my own
And for everyone who always
wished for Topanga’s hair;
cheered/cried when Ross and Rachel finally had their first kiss; and
had Big Opinions on whether Joey should choose Dawson or Pacey in the end.
This one’s for you.
Girl on the Verge Lands Twentieth-Anniversary Reunion Special at Fanline
By Elijah Jones // Senior Editor, Arts & Entertainment, Sunset Central
Beloved teen drama Girl on the Verge—hailed by critics as “iconic” and “trailblazing”—has officially been picked up by streaming giant Fanline for a long-rumored twentieth-anniversary reunion special.
Shattering record after record over the course of its six seasons, the breakout hit launched its young actors to superstardom, most notably Liv Latimer and Ransom Joel, whose fictional counterparts were on-screen sweethearts. The success of the pop culture juggernaut remains unmatched by any teen drama.
While undeniably a hit, Girl on the Verge was not immune to criticism: with great devotion came great expectation, and the fandom proved tricky to please when the show took its final bow. With its infamously abrupt cut-to-black ending—in the middle of Liv Latimer’s final line, no less—many fans have vocalized their desire for closure (numerous think pieces defended the choice, however, praising it as “brave” and “borderline revolutionary”).
Fans and critics alike have to wonder: Will the world finally get the answers they’ve begged for in this reunion special?
Whatever the case, it will be good to see the original cast together again. In the (nearly) fourteen years since the polarizing series finale, its stars have gone on to varying degrees of success in Hollywood but never on the same silver screen. Ransom Joel has headlined many a box-office smash since his days on Girl, most recently as Hunter Drew, the titular character in a trio of espionage thrillers. Liv Latimer took a decidedly quieter route, pivoting to the world of low-budget indie films, turning out magnificent performances in each. Sasha-Kate Kilpatrick and Ford Brooks, who rounded out Girl’s original core cast, have both appeared in a number of projects but have yet to break out in a significant way beyond the show that made them household names.
Sources close to the project report that scheduling conflicts nearly prevented the entire original cast from returning for the reunion, but at long last, the fully scripted, hour-long episode is a go. Shooting is scheduled for this summer, with plans to air in the fall.
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1
I’d forgotten just how hot it feels under a spotlight.
“All right, Liv, we’re going live in five… four… three…”
A production assistant motions for quiet, and the chorus of chatter fades in the Java with Jade studio. For a split second, it’s just me and Jade Johnson and the hum of the electricity powering her sunny morning-show set. I shift in my seat, a plush armchair upholstered in brightest white. It’s comfortable, even if I’m not entirely so.
My relationship with the press: it’s complicated.
I pick a focal point, anything that will ground me here in this singular moment—the coffee, dark in its bone china cup—and just like that, I’m prime-time TV starlet Liv Latimer again, not just Liv who regularly tosses her hair up in a messy bun and wakes up with morning breath like the rest of the population.
“Liv!” Jade says, her voice a song even with just the one syllable. Her teeth are next-level perfection. “It is my absolute pleasure to have you here on the show—can I admit I’m just a little starstruck right now?”
She laughs, and I laugh, and it all goes down like honey. “Thanks, Jade. Can I admit the feeling’s absolutely mutual?”
“It’s not every day I get to sit down with someone who was such a fixture of my adolescence,” she goes on. “And now I’m dating us both—it cannot possibly be two decades since Girl on the Verge premiered!”
“Unbelievable, right?” I match her energy, careful not to surpass it. “I think it feels like less time has passed because we were on the air for so long.”
“Six seasons.” Jade takes a sip from her coffee and sets the mug back down on the low table between us. “What was that like, growing up with the whole world watching?”
It’s hardly the first time someone has asked—I’ve gotten every question under the sun. People will take as much as you give them, Livvie, my father used to say. Be careful to keep some things for yourself. I need something sharp and quotable, something relatable and true that doesn’t actually require me to part with some private piece of myself I’ll never get back.
“It was exactly how you’d expect,” I say, like even this doesn’t feel like giving too much away. You’d think I’d be used to it at this point, scraping slices of my soul into sound bites, but it has never gotten easier. “It was a lot of pressure but also a lot of fun.”