Reunion Information

Reunion is an American 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".

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

• Craig Brewster: the spoiled son of real estate mogul Russell Brewster and future politician, played by Sean Faris.
• Samantha Carlton: Craig's high school sweetheart and wife, played by Alexa Davalos.
• Will Malloy: Craig's best friend, Sam's secret admirer, and the father of Sam's secret daughter Amy. In early episodes we learn that Will is a priest in the present time, played by Will Estes.
• Aaron Lewis: slight geek who left MIT to sell technology and start an Internet company in its early days that blossoms to a multi-million dollar company, played by Dave Annable. His marriage to Pascal is compromised by his obvious lifelong affection for Carla.
• Carla Noll: Played by Chyler Leigh, is Aaron's best friend and hidden secret admirer for years, who entered into an abusive relationship with Amy's adopted father as Amy's nanny, and an aspiring photographer.
• Jenna Moretti: The "hot girl" who enjoyed 15 minutes of fame in the late 1980s/early 1990s as an actress before moving back to New York and attempting to get her life back on track, played by Amanda Righetti.

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 accident 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.

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, her adoptive mother; Paul, 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 cancelled prior to the addition of another significant minor character: Katherine, the daughter of a rival Congressman of Craig Brewster and future fiance of Will Malloy.

Other plotlines

• In "1988", viewers learn Marjorino's connection to the friends: his loving father was the driver who died in the car crash involving Will and Craig in 1986. Marjorino harbors intense feelings of injustice and largely believes that his father's killer has murdered the deceased friend. Originally vindictive towards Will, he soon turns his attention to Craig.
• In the fifth episode, "1990" (first aired November 10, 2005) it was revealed that Samantha is the character that was killed.
• In "1992", it was revealed that the present day Craig Brewster, who relies on a wheelchair for movement, is actually not paralyzed and can walk.
• In "1992", it was revealed that a younger Marjorino in fact plotted to kill Will Malloy for the murder of his father, only to be talked out of it by his future wife. In the present day, however, Marjorino's wife leaves him, disgusted that he cannot let go of revenge.
• In "1993", it was revealed that Peter, Carla's husband, died.
• The final aired episode, "1994", features a cliffhanger where Marjorino is run down by a car in an alley and left bloodied and injured. Leaked spoilers on the Internet have speculated that Craig and Sam's son Henry was the driver.
• A dark secret involving Craig and Will, in which Will took the heat for a drunk driving accident when Craig was actually driving the car, since his BAC was below the legal limit. The other man involved, Marjorino's father, died after being discharged, and Will spent a year in prison and lost his lacrosse scholarship after being made an example by the legal system.
• The love triangle between Craig, Sam, and Will, complicated by the child that only Sam knows was fathered by Will.
• The obvious love of Carla and Aaron, who can never be on the same page at the same time.
• Aaron's one night stand and the love child that resulted from it, leading to his marriage to her mother, Pascal.
• Carla becoming the nanny of Will and Sam's love child, Amy, to keep Sam in her life, and her ensuing relationship with Paul, Amy's adoptive father, that quickly turns abusive.
• Will being forced by the FBI to help bring down Russell Brewster for illegal practices, the same man who gave him a job to help rebuild his life after prison.
• Craig's entry into politics and winning a seat on the State Assembly.
• Jenna burning out in acting after ending her farce marriage to the gay producer who helped her build her career.
• The tension between Carla and her future husband Peter, and Aaron and his wife Pascal, over not only their devotion to their friends, but also their devotion to each other.
• Craig's affair with his mentally unstable secretary, Rachel.
• The mutual attraction between Jenna and Craig.
• Will Malloy serving in the army, entering law school, and eventually becoming Craig's campaign manager.
• Sam's addiction to stimulants.
• Sam's belief that she accidentally killed a woman because of the stimulants she was taking.
• Will's army friend's death and Will's affair with the friend's sister.
• In the last filmed episode (unseen in America) it was revealed that Sam and Will's daughter Amy had died in a fire with her adopted mother. If it were true, this would render it impossible for her to be the speculated killer.

Cancellation

Originally, Reunion was intended to last for 22 episodes, with each episode chronicling one year in the life of the six main characters—from 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, 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.

While it was speculated the cancellation might lead to a change of the format—possibly skipping or combining some years to reach 2006 and reveal the murderer by the now-final thirteenth episode—series creator Jon Harmon Feldman originally announced the show would simply end with 1998, with the identity of the murderer unrevealed. 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.

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.

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.

List of episodes

#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)	Aux4=6.63	ShortSummary=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 accident, 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.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}	Aux4=5.19	ShortSummary=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.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}	Aux4=4.55	ShortSummary=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.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}	Aux4=3.57	ShortSummary=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.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}	Aux4=4.02	ShortSummary=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 New York but as to come back home when she learns her mother is sick. 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 in a Prague train heading for Brussels. Will is in the Army.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}	Aux4=3.88	ShortSummary=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.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}	Aux4=4.07	ShortSummary=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.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}	Aux4=3.79	ShortSummary=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.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}	Aux4=3.54	ShortSummary=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.	LineColor=4c72d3 }}