iCarly Season 3 Episode 6 Review: iReunited and It Felt Okay

With Freddie by her side, Carly makes up for lost time at Ridgeway’s reunion on iCarly Season 3 Episode 6, “iReunited and It Felt Okay.”

The episode bridges necessary details from the Nickelodeon series for those who haven’t seen it in a while — or ever. For instance, the acknowledgment of Freddie experiencing his senior year without Carly and Sam is nice, like Sam’s inclusion in the photos on iCarly Season 3 Episode 3, “iMake New Memories.”

“iReunited and It Felt Okay” cleverly crafts a set that plays on Ridgeway Junior High School nostalgia without revisiting the actual set pieces from the original show. Instead, iCarly finds familiarity in new and returning guest stars that punch up Freddie’s senior year and redefine Carly’s.

The Season 3 trailer teased that James Maslow would reprise his role of Shane from iCarly Season 2 Episode 1, “iSaw Him First,” which aired in 2008. It didn’t, however, reveal the return of Skyler Day as Magic Malika, who only appeared on iCarly Season 2 Episode 24, “iSpeed Date,” as Freddie’s date to the Girls’ Choice Dance.

So, when Malika appears in a puff of smoke (as usual), it’s as big a surprise for us as it is for Carly. That feeling sets in tenfold when Malika and Freddie break into a “Sneak Sisters” dance just after Barry and Toby reveal Freddie’s nickname of F-Train.

Both reiterate that iCarly knows Freddie Benson is a total catch.

The script, written by Eliot Glazer, represents that through Freddie’s multitudes — he’s funny, smart, a good dad, and a hopeless romantic. Nathan Kress’ delivery of “Am I dating a high school dropout? Am I a bad boy?” is excellent. His execution of Freddie’s swoon-worthy dialogue about “Mr. iCarly” being his favorite nickname is even better. 

Creddie never disappoints, nor do Spencer and Harper when they’re paired up for a B story. Jerry Trainor and Laci Mosley are hilarious. The pacing of the “being on the news joke” right into the Nick Cannon one is perfection. The entire Spoppers and Spoppettes audition process is absurdly silly — in the best way.

Even so, iCarly roots this story in nostalgic details from Spencer’s history on the Nickelodeon series that rival Carly and Freddie’s high school reunion.

The origin story, if you will, of Spencer’s children being his means of making money for art supplies after dropping out of law school is a top-tier, undeniably accurate Spencer Shay move. Potter revealing herself as Spencer’s kin through her love of spaghetti tacos and how she’s prone to random fires is just iCarly one-upping itself.

Both storylines are tell-tale signs that this show knows its audience and its history.

iCarly also knows how to expand that history in a way that never cheats the viewing experience of the original series but enhances that of this one. For instance, context clues make it so it’s not a total surprise that (former) Principal Franklin relays Carly’s incomplete in gym, but it organically bridges the gaps in time between the shows.

By exploring that missing time, “iReunited and It Felt Okay” addresses Carly’s valid emotions about formative milestones and the community she missed out on while she was in Italy. Miranda Cosgrove leans into that sentiment while embracing Carly’s sense of humor about all people and things gym, including Shane.

Cosgrove hilariously sells calling the rope a “raggedy bitch” when Carly completes the Lance Armstrong Fitness Test, even though iCarly doesn’t entirely sell why Shane is on the beam in the gym’s ceiling. But the jokes still land because Maslow matches Cosgrove’s energy with the physical comedy he honed on Big Time Rush.

Since Shane only appears on one episode of the original series, iCarly and Maslow have all the room to take this character anywhere.

Making him a dead-pan gym teacher who gives Millicent detention is perfect — Shane now connects to Carly’s past and Millicent’s future. This tether opens up future opportunities to explore Millicent’s time at Ridgeway Junior High School.

Either way, “iReunited and It Felt Okay” maintains the precedent of Shane leaving an interaction with Carly injured. As iCarly often does, it improves on the original series by building on that and breaking new ground — this time, Carly helps him. And it’s a fun blocking distinction that Shane is stuck at a height rather than the opposite.

Coincidentally, “iReunited and It Felt Okay” is another stellar example of iCarly reaching new heights in Season 3.

Whether it be a high school reunion or Spencer’s Mount Spence-More installation, this show knows its niche sense of humor and isn’t afraid to lean all the way into it. The scripts keep getting funnier and more self-aware as they recognize the power of nostalgia and mold it to their advantage.

The ensemble continues to one-up themselves with laugh-out-loud performances that make space for peaks at the characters’ vulnerabilities. Not to mention, the cast continues to welcome the best and most surprising (Magic Malika!) guest stars that make iCarly all the more exciting to stream every week.

So, as Freddie moves Carly’s tassel on her mortarboard to end an era, “iReunited and It Felt Okay” moves iCarly farther into its best season yet.

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New episodes of iCarly stream on Thursdays on Paramount+. Try Paramount+ for free, right here.

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