The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special Feels Incomplete Without Its Cast

Anybody else feeling old? The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special just dropped and, I gotta be honest, I have mixed feelings.

Going into this, I was expecting a big celebration of the show's legacy, but instead it felt surprisingly small. The main focus is on Miley Cyrus and her parents, plus appearances from Alex Cooper, Selena Gomez, and Chappell Roan. While those were fun cameos, for a big milestone like this, you really want to see the original cast like Emily Osment, Mitchell Musso, Jason Earles, and Moises Arias. Even Dolly Parton would have been a nice surprise. Much of the supporting cast made it seem like they weren't available. This could’ve been filmed at any time and then released for the anniversary, so what was really going on there? Without the full cast, it didn't quite capture the magic of what made Hannah Montana such a cultural phenomenon. Yes, Cyrus is the star of the show, but there was a whole ensemble there that supported her.

There were some interesting revelations throughout the special. Cyrus shared that she took some advice from Dolly Parton and dropped teases about a Hannahversary event before there was even talks of one. They also brought on Gary Marsh, the former head of Disney Channel, to talk about casting Cyrus. Even though she was more of a risk, he went with her because she had star potential. She revealed she was Team Jake in the Jake, Jesse, and Hannah love triangle. She also talked about having a crush on Mitchell Musso, dating Dylan Sprouse, and that the reason the Jonas Brothers went on the Hannah Montana tour was because she was dating Nick Jonas.

I do wish that there had been a bit more fan integration. This is a show that changed people's lives and meant a lot to a whole generation. The fact that they brought Chappell Roan to talk about how much Hannah inspired her seemed random, but maybe could’ve worked better if there were other celebrity guests who shared how they were impacted by Cyrus. Or even if they had fans meet Cyrus to share their fan stories, reactions, and how much she meant to them. Bringing the fans in more could’ve made it feel more personal, emotional, and reflective of the impact the show had.

That said, the performances were the best part of the special. Cyrus sang “The Best of Both World,” “This Is The Life,” and “The Climb,” as well as debuted a new original song called “Younger You.” Paired with flashbacks to performances when she was just starting out on the show, you can really see how much of a confident, seasoned performer she has become. It really felt like we were watching Hannah Montana as a grown up musician.

While it was great to see Cyrus reflect on her own personal journey, I would have loved to see a little bit more of a reunion that honors the full Hannah Montana family and the fans that were so inspired by her.

The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is airing now on Disney+.