History Main / OldFriend

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': In episode 2, Elrond drops by Durin's home out of nowhere after 2 decades of not seeing each other for politically reasons. Naturally, Durin is pissed off, because his supposed best friend ghosted him for 2 decades in which he became the heir to the throne, got married and had kids, and now he shows up as if nothing happened. It took Durin's wife, Disa, for the two to rekindle their friendship again.

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'' has "Gandalf" (because [[StealthPun he's the Party Wizard]]) who is never seen but is described as exactly having this effect. When he fails to get into town for a planned weekend of fun, the guys try to replicate the results without him and find they can't because they've grown up and their tastes have changed.
* ''Series/GreenAcres'' used this trope when Lisa had relatives visit. In one episode, her mother came and the entire town turned out to welcome her.
* One episode of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' is dedicated to the phenomenon of "[[PerfectlyCromulentWord Revertigo]]", whereby meeting an old friend temporarily turns you into the kind of person you were when you knew them.
* Done repeatedly on all the ''Series/{{CSI}}'' series. Usually one offs, but Sam Braun recurred and was revealed as Catherine's dad.
* Mike Franks played this role at times on ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', usually turning up in time to bring a case to Gibbs's attention.

* Inverted and subverted in the FiveEpisodePilot of ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers''. Inverted in that Monterey Jack is the Old Friend of Geegaw Hackwrench, who brings Chip and Dale to drop in unannounced at Geegaw's home and enlist his help on the case they're investigating. Subverted when it's revealed that he disappeared sometime prior to the series, leaving his daughter Gadget to join the hijinks--and the cast--instead.

Compare BeleagueredChildhoodFriend. Not to be confused with IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine, but can overlap. Contrast OldFlameFizzle, discovering that the friendship (instead of the love) is gone.

This can be the premise of a work or a series. Think ''Theatre/TheOddCouple'' or ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''.

-> '''Martins:''' I guess nobody really knew Harry like he did... like I did.
-> '''Calloway:''' How long ago ?
-> '''Martins:''' Back in school. I was never so lonesome in my life until he showed up.
-> '''Calloway:''' When did you see him last?
-> '''Martins:''' September, '39.
-> '''Calloway:''' When the business started?
-> '''Martins:''' Um, hmm.
-> '''Calloway:''' See much of him before that?
-> '''Martins:''' Once in a while. Best friend I ever had.
-> '''Calloway:''' That sounds like a cheap novelette.
-> '''Martins:''' Well, I write cheap novelettes.
-->-- '''''Film/TheThirdMan'''''

---> '''Spence''': You didn't tell me you were on call... Hey, you know, I have a presentation to give tomorrow. Ask me if I want to go out drinking tonight.
---> '''Turk and J.D.''': ''(sheepish murmuring)''
---> '''Spence''': No. '''I have a presentation'''.

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* In chapter 112 ''Manga/UQHolder'', Touta's adoptive mother takes him to meet some of her old school friends (aka the cast of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'').

* It turns out Crystal and Lunker were {{Childhood Friend}}s in ''ComicStrip/{{Retail}}'''. Notably, she's the ''only'' one of Grumbel's employees allowed to call him by his real name of Mel.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "Griffon the Brush Off", Rainbow Dash's old friend Gilda (a griffon she met at Junior Speedster Flight Camp) comes to Ponyville to visit. When she's not hanging out with Rainbow, Gilda displays a mean streak: she steals an apple from a produce stand, scares Granny Smith, and bullies Fluttershy until she bursts into tears and runs away. When Pinkie Pie tries to turn the situation around by throwing a welcome party for Gilda, the griffon lashes out at the other ponies, calling them dweebs and insulting Pinkie as "Queen Lame-o", and tries to get Rainbow to leave the party with her. Disgusted with Gilda's rude and selfish behavior, Rainbow tells her to go find some "new cool friends someplace else", and Gilda storms out, ending the friendship.
** However, four seasons later, both Rainbow Dash and Gilda make amends with the help of Pinkie Pie and a friendship problem to rebuild Griffonstone.

-->-- '''Film/TheThirdMan'''