E.T. And Elliott Reunites After 37 Years In Heartwarming Thanksgiving Commercial

E.T. has finally come home!

It has been 37 years since we have seen the lovable Extra Terrestrial more fondly known as E.T., from the release of Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming sci-fi film E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. For Thanksgiving this year, the alien had finally reunited with his good pal Elliott (Henry Thomas) for a heartwarming new commercial and the internet loved it. 

Oh how strong the power of nostalgia can be. 

The 4-minute long Xfinity commercial comes with the message reconnecting with your loved ones this holiday. Though not all of us might necessarily have a literal out-of-this-world friend to reconnect with, this commercial was still great to watch. Even if it was made to sell more media to the masses.

The commercial has Elliott introducing E.T. to his family as well as the technology of today, including the internet, virtual reality, and smart television. The joy on Elliott’s face is plain to see as he runs to hug his good friend, John William’s signature score playing in the background definitely helped set the scene and any misgivings we had about Comcast using two of cinemas most iconic characters simply faded away.

Peppered throughout the commercials are callbacks to the original film, including the iconic bicycle ride through the sky that E.T. brings Elliott’s children on. And near the end, the commercial tugs on our heart strings once again by recreating the moment in the original film when it comes time for E.T. to leave Earth, this time with Elliott’s son. It definitely couldn’t hold a candle to the scene from the original film but it was still pretty emotional nonetheless. 

Though we never got ourselves a sequel to E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, this commercial comes pretty darn close and is more than what we could have hoped for. Sure, at the end of the day it might all just be a nostalgia-filled cash grab but it works. 

Welcome back, E.T.