Over the last week, fans of the iconic Nickelodeon duo Drake and Josh were stunned by the tragic reveal that these brothers may not be hugging anymore. In a series of tweets, Drake Bell revealed that his once partner in crime Josh Peck did not invite him to his wedding to longtime girlfriend Paige O’Brien, on June 17th. Bell, in tweets that have since been deleted, wrote, “When you’re not invited to the wedding the message is clear…” and “True colors have come out today. Message is loud and clear. Ties are officially cut. I’ll miss you brotha,” leaving many fans wondering if this really could be the end.
Though Peck never officially responded, it has since been revealed that the two were never as close as their back and forths on Twitter made it seem. These revelations come as a major shock, as only three days before the drama unfolded, the two had both reminisced about the good times in matching throwback posts over social media. Only time will tell if these two will be able to find a way to mend fences, but for now, the bromance seems to officially be no more.
So, in honor of a friendship that defined the 2000’s, here a look back at some iconic moments that are sure to hit you right in the feels.
1. Where It All Began
While they may be known for the TV show about their brotherly antics, the duo actually got their start back on another prominent Nickelodeon series,
The Amanda Show. Audiences were first introduced to the acting duo during the sketch show surrounding Amanda Bynes. Even in the early days their ability to play off of one another was hard to deny in skits like “Tony Pajamas,” where Drake played the titular character in the parody of an Italian mobster, where Josh played his idiotic sidekick. In the same way that All That paved the way for The Amanda Show, it was moments like these that paved the way for Drake and Josh’s inception.
2. Grandfathered Reunion
Despite Peck telling wedding attendees that he and Bell had not spoken in three years, they collaborated together once again one his most recent show, Grandfathered only just last year. The show, which was canceled after just one season, included the likes of John Stamos, who did manage to get a ticket to the big event. This reunion lit a fire of hope in fans belly of the possibility of a possible Drake and Josh reboot, as the episode was riddled with innuendos to some of their most classic moments. From jokes about Oprah, to the last “Hug me brotha!” fans may ever get, the two played off each other as if the show’s finale in 2007 was yesterday.
3. Megan!
When all the drama began unfolding, the internet blew up, with people all pointing a finger at one culprit: Megan. From the Peruvian puff pepper, to hiding a paintball gun in a boom box, Megan’s dubious pranks were a staple of the show. From this the iconic trio was born, with Megan putting the brothers in some of the most ridiculous (and most notable) situations during the series. Interestingly enough, Miranda Cosgrove also didn’t manage to snag an invitation to the wedding, nor did any of Josh’s other cast mates from the show. While Drake may have been his brother on the show, it seems that Peck didn’t feel the need to invite any of the Drake and Josh family to the wedding either. *Wipes single tear from cheek*
4. Poor Oprah
One of the weirdest and certainly most memorable aspects of the show was Josh’s undying love for Oprah Winfrey. This obsession makes the episode where he hits her with his car pure gold. Long before OWN, Drake and Josh were poking fun at the love between a boy and his favorite daytime talk show host. Moments like these make you remember the genius that was 2000’s comedy. And how the simplest things could make us laugh. Who knows, maybe Oprah is the perfect person to help these two resolve their differences. If she can’t do it, who can?
5. “I Ain’t Calling You A Truther”
While the show had many moments that will go down in history, one line that showed just how well these two played off of each other was their hilarious exchange in the 2005 episode, “Foam Finger.” In an episode dedicated to fighting over a foam finger, Josh says the infamous line “I ain’t calling you a truther!” which has gone down as one of the most quotable moments of the entire series. The line became so popular, it’s even defined on Urban Dictionary. This season three moment proves just how compatible the two were with one another and makes you ache for the day when they can come back together and make us laugh like it’s 2005 all over again.
6. All The Hugs
Honestly, what problems can’t be solved by a really good hug? Out of all the signature moments that came out of Drake and Josh, the iconic line “Hug me brotha,” is one fans will never forget. The staple of their relationship, it became the mantra that defined these two characters and the brotherly love that kept us coming back for more. Even more telling was Bell’s slight reference to the line in his tweet establishing that ties had been cut, saying “I’ll miss you brotha” — effectively crushing all of our hearts. Now while the drama is still fresh and these two obviously have some issues to work out, we can only hope that someday these two will be back to brothers and hugging it up yet again.