From rom-coms to musicals to holiday movie schedules and beyond, TV and film provide a lot of mood-lifting fodder for those who aren’t feeling quite at their best. But as far as my own frowns are concerned, few things can flip them around faster than the palpable buddy-vibes oozing from Keanu Reeves and Norman Reedus during their shared episode of the latter’s AMC series Ride. The two actors have always come across as the most unpretentious celebrities possible, and the installment makes for some truly heartwarming viewing for anyone who needs something to smile about. And it doesn’t even take the whole ep to do the trick, as there are clips online that offer quick jolts of Ted Logan-esque zen.
Keanu Reeves made his debut in the four-episode sixth season of Ride with Norman Reedus, and it felt like he should have been the natural co-lead from the start. (Maybe in Season 7, AMC. Hint. Hint.) The episode takes place in Utah, with Reedus noting right from the start that he’s riding around the state with Johnny Utah himself, in reference to the beloved character Reeves portrays in the skydiving action romp Point Break. But it’s The Matrix films that perhaps unsurprisingly are the first from the actor’s filmography to come up, as seen in the clip below, which seems like it’s going to veer into some sincerely deep talk before it all reverts back to loud silliness.
Considering how much Norman Reedus’ motorcycle love bled into his Walking Dead character’s connection to that mode of transportation, it’s almost a wonder that Reeves’ film career isn’t full of characters who are known for zipping around, since he co-founded the company ARCH Motorcycle in 2011. (Scenes from Chain Reaction, John Wick 3 and the Matrix franchise being notable exceptions.) In the clip below, he talks about why he got into the hobby, even though he’s not a self-professed “speed demon.”
While those obviously center on fairly straightforward episode footage that taps into specific conversation moments between Keanu Reeves and Norman Reedus, the multi-clip video below is the truest mood-lifter of them all, since there's so much about it that just screams, "Aw, shucks, pal." We should all be so lucky to have a Reedus or Reeves in our lives.
Seriously, every time the Bill and Ted star is reading from a landmark plaque or speaking Wikipedia facts from memory (while admitting that he's probably getting them wrong), it makes me wish there was like a Keanu Reeves travel buddy hologram that could be used on vacations across the country, or even just a trip to the grocery story.
Now, Reedus has been accompanied by a wild assortment of guest stars throughout the six seasons of Ride thus far, from his TWD fam (Andrew Lincoln, Michael Rooker, and more) to his Boondock Saints co-star Sean Patrick Flanery to comedian Dave Chappelle to MCU vet Josh Brolin and beyond, with Easy Rider legend Peter Fonda closing out the first season. And the other Season 6 guests included Yellowstone and Lost vet Josh Holloway and Jackass icon Johnny Knoxville, who could have both easily also served as go-to good mood medicine if the Reeves episode had not been in the mix. But it was, and it’s about as perfect as comfort TV can get.
Ride with Norman Reedus wrapped up its truncated Season 6 run in October, but all episodes can be streamed in full with an AMC+ subscription. While waiting for next season to come roaring down the highway, head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else is debuting in the meantime.
