You Can't Always Find Your Way Back Home: The Hannahversary Flop

Image source: Disney

I, alongside the majority of my late 90s/early 2000s girlies, was super into Hannah Montana as a child. I watched every single episode (most of them multiple times), went to see the movie in theatres, and even played Hannah Montana dress up with my sisters, friends, and cousins. I was often Lola Luftnagle, featuring the bright purple wig in all its glory of course. So it's safe to say I was looking forward to the 20th anniversary special (wow, are we getting old!)

My interpretation of Lola Luftnagle

With that being said, I did not anticipate the wave of joy that hit me during the rockstar intro, which then transitioned into the iconic "Best of Both Worlds" theme song. I couldn't help but smile, do a little shoulder shimmy on the couch, and sing along–the lyrics somehow still ingrained in my brain after all this time. Miley looked absolutely stunning in her Hannah get-up, and didn't miss a beat slipping back into character for the performance. It's a shame they opted for a prerecorded track instead of sticking with the live version, but I digress. It was still very fun and nostalgic.

Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. To me, the special was the epitome of "go girl give us nothing" vibes. While I'm not mad about Alex Cooper being chosen to interview Miley, their conversation gave us hardly any deeper insights into the making of the show, and stayed very surface level. Really the only bombshell we got during the interview was that Miley and Dylan Sprouse dated back in the day, which I don't remember being common knowledge back then. Aside from that, the rest of the information had already been talked about (a lot) over the years.

The bright spot amongst this banality was Selena Gomez's cameo, even though it lasted for 0.5 seconds. Having been one of Hannah's nemeses on the show, it was cool to see them reminisce and reflect as longtime friends, one disney icon to another. But to follow that was the most random guest ever, Chappell Roan. While I do love her, Chappell's presence made literally zero sense. She had absolutely nothing to do with the show other than being a fan and is currently a popstar, which made her feel super out of place. It was almost a bit of a slap in the face to include someone so unrelated to the show, while snubbing practically all of the other cast members.

Speaking of, where was the rest of the cast? Unquestionably the biggest oversight of the special was how singularly focused it was on Miley. While her starpower is undeniable and there is no Hannah Montana without her, the other main characters were a huge part of what made the show so hilarious and endearing. After all, that is what the fans wanted most from the special: a cast reunion. Lilly and Oliver, Jackson and Rico, even Jake and Jesse, were instrumental in the show's success. I really wish they gave them the opportunity to share their experiences of being on the show, and maybe some of their favourite memories and behind the scenes tea. Looking to other franchises that excelled at this, Friends: The Reunion and Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts both recaptured the magic of their heydays, in no small part due to the participation of the full cast (although I would like to state for the record I do not support she who must not be named). The Hannahversary felt incomplete without them, and a little bit pointless.

Regardless of my issues with the content, seeing the recreation of the set and the original costumes was really fun. The secret closet still hit so hard, with the rotating clothing racks and the extendable shoe shelves. How in 2026 are these inventions not standard in every wardrobe? There was such a homey atmosphere in the kitchen-living room set up, and it was nice to see some of the segments taking place there–not to mention the window wave finale call back! Hannah's wig collection is also legendary. It meant so much to me back then as a little girl with alopecia to see one of my favourite pop stars wearing wigs. Perhaps not so coincidentally, my first wig was very Hannah-esque: blond hair with bangs.

Dressing up as Hannah and hamming it up.

What was most apparent through all of this was how beloved Hannah Montana was for so many of us. It's no small feat that 20 years later the fans are still invested. I remember shedding tears during the finale, when Miley heads to college, feeling like we grew up together (mind you, I was twelve when the last episode aired.) Both the show and the music brought so much happiness to me and so many others in my life, from countless car sing alongs and basement concerts to laughing in our living rooms. It warms my heart to see a new generation of young people discovering the show, letting the Hannah legacy live on. I might still be holding out hope for a televised cast reunion (30th Hannahversary anyone?) but I did enjoy being back in the Hannahverse for an evening.