For over a decade, a Mean Girls reunion has been demanded by fans of the early aughts classic. To many, the comedy is more than a throwback favorite — it's a cultural touchstone and is still as relevant today as it was when it was released in 2004. Well, guess what? We finally got that much-anticipated reunion, and it's not a sequel or a cameo. It's a…commercial?
A ton of the original cast members returned for a Black Friday commercial for Walmart, and provided an update as to where the characters are now. Lindsay Lohan reprises her role as Cady Heron, who is now apparently a guidance counsellor at North Shore High School (and still saying grool); Amanda Seyfried returns as Karen, still working as an instinctive reporter; and Lacey Chabert is Gretchen, now mom to a mini-Plastic.
“At North Shore, some things never change,” Lohan-as-Cady says via voiceover. “On Wednesdays, we still wear pink.” The almost two-minute commercial is packed with references to the original movie, from Gretchen's STRDLGRL license plate to a cameo from Rajiv Surendra, who played Cady's fellow Mathlete Kevin Gnapoor to a cameo from Missy Elliott herself, whose song “Pass That Dutch” is forever associated with the Plastics' slow-motion prowl of North Shore High. And we can't forget Daniel Franzese as Damian, who is now running the Winter Talent Show. Of course.
While some of the cast has gotten together over the years, this commercial is far bigger than an Instagram post or social media shoutout. “It was so nice being back together after all these years. It was great catching up with everyone," Lohan told People of the experience. “It was wonderful to spend the day with Amanda and Lindsay and it was so much fun getting to reminisce and be together again,” Chabert added.
However, one rather important person was missing from the reunion: Rachel McAdams, who played queen bee Regina George. According to Page Six, McAdams did not return to reprise her role as Regina for a very simple reason.
“Rachel McAdams didn’t want to do it,” a source told the outlet. “They were all offered it. But the three of them loved being together for their reunion. They had a great time talking about being moms, and it was definitely a loss not having Rachel there.” Maybe not, but it was definitely a loss for the fans. Let's just imagine McAdams-as-Regina was too busy being a lacrosse superstar, just like the last time we saw her. You know, hectic athletic schedule and all.
If the reunion commercial wasn't enough for you, People has confirmed that Walmart will drop a new Mean Girls commercial every single Wednesday from November 1 until Black Friday, November 24, plus an extra one on Cyber Monday, November 27. Will Aaron Samuels show up? Could Regina actually end up making an appearance? What about Regina's mom, Amy Poehler, or Ms. Norbury, AKA Tina Fey? How many more references do you think they can pack in? Answer: The limit does not exist.
Watch the full Mean Girls Walmart Black Friday commercial for yourself below:
This feature originally appeared on Teen Vogue.
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