Summary

• 2 Fast 2 Furious established Roman and Brian as childhood best friends, but the franchise didn't fully utilize their dynamic in later movies.
• The chemistry between Brian and Roman in 2 Fast 2 Furious led to some of the most hilarious moments in the franchise.
• Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and partially Furious 7 missed the opportunity to explore the friendship between Brian and Roman.

The best thing about 2 Fast 2 Furious, one of the worst Fast and Furious movies, was sadly forgotten by the franchise. It is very difficult for a sequel to match the quality or success of the original movie, and 2 Fast 2 Furious is one of the best examples of it. The sequel to The Fast and the Furious is the second worst-rated entry in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes. Although it made sense for Fast and Furious to move away from the 2003 disappointment, it ended up ignoring one great thing about the film.

Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto did not return in 2 Fast 2 Furious, but Paul Walker reprised his role as Brian O’Conner. 2 Fast 2 Furious introduced two of the franchise’s most important characters, Tyrese’s Roman Pearce and Ludacris’ Tej Parker, both of whom appear in every Fast and Furious movie from the 2010s and beyond. Although the legacy of 2 Fast 2 Furious continues through Roman and Tej, the former’s role in the franchise changed a lot after his debut.

Brian & Roman’s Friendship Is The Best Thing About 2 Fast 2 Furious

2 Fast 2 Furious had the difficult mission of recreating the first movie’s magic but without Dominic Toretto. It is no surprise that the sequel tried to replicate what had worked for The Fast and the Furious, including but not limited to Brian working undercover alongside someone who had recently been released from jail. Rather than building a relationship between Brian and a new character from scratch, 2 Fast 2 Furious cleverly established that Brian O’Conner and Roman Pearce were childhood friends who would now have to reconnect and work together. In many ways, Roman was Dominic Toretto’s replacement for the sequel.

Fortunately, Roman was not another Dom Toretto. Instead, 2 Fast 2 Furious went for a very different route and made its co-lead into a funny, not-so-brave character who brought a new dynamic into the saga. The chemistry between Paul Walker and Tyrese works greatly in 2 Fast 2 Furious, and their interactions lead to some of the most hilarious moments in the entire franchise. There is a bit of tension between them at the beginning of the movie, as Roman blames Brian for his arrest, but they soon become “best friends forever again.” 2 Fast 2 Furious has many flaws, but Roman and Brian’s friendship is a highlight of the saga.

Fast & Furious Ignored Brian & Roman’s Dynamic After 2 Fast 2 Furious

None of the Fast and Furious movies after 2 Fast 2 Furious recaptured how great Roman and Brian could be together. It must be noted that they would only be in the same movie again eight years later in Fast Five, which acted as a crossover story bringing together all the different corners of the franchise. Fast Five was the first time Roman met Dom, which seemed like the perfect setup to explore these two important relationships Brian crafted over the years. However, this opportunity was wasted, and Roman has barely any remarkable scenes with Brian or Dom in Fast Five.

While Roman was a funny character in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast Five reimagined him as the solely comic relief of a larger team of heroes

While Roman was a funny character in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast Five reimagined him as the solely comic relief of a larger team of heroes. As a result, rather than being the guy who is always joking, Roman becomes the one people are always laughing at. Additionally, it is almost like Fast and Furious forgot Roman and Brian were childhood best friends from Fast Five onward. The dynamic between Roman and Tej is also great, but the saga should not have ignored Brian and Roman’s friendship. This could’ve made Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and Furious 7, the last of which was tragically Paul Walker’s final movie, more special.