Going down memory lane tends to be bittersweet.

In an exclusive sneak peek at her appearance on Thursday’s episode of theLiterally! With Rob Lowepodcast,Jennifer Anistonreflects on reuniting with herFriendscostars for the beloved show’srecent HBO Max reunion special.

“We didn’t know what it would look like. I mean, we’ve been hearing about it for a long time. We knew that people wanted [it] — fans really wanted some kind of reunion,” recalls the actress, 52. “But why unwrap the perfectly packaged [series]? You know, leave it where it was. Let’s not disrupt it.”

“So when Ben Winston, our producer-director, came to each of us with his idea, it just resonated with all of us,” she continues. “And it didn’t sound like something that would cheapen or tarnish something that was perfectly left in its place.”

Jennifer Aniston.Leon Bennett/Getty Images

jennifer aniston

The final product, a nearly two-hour special that included a sit-down interview with hostJames Corden, celebrity appearances, table reads of classic scenes and more, was an emotional affair for all involved. It marked the first time Aniston and her costarsCourteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc,Matthew PerryandDavid Schwimmerhad reunited in an official capacity since the sitcom ended in 2004.

“I think it really took us all down way harder than we anticipated,” Aniston tells hostRob Lowe. “Because in your mind, you think, ‘Oh, this will be really fun to time travel.’ It turns out, oh, ouch — it’s kind of hard to time travel.”

Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Friends

Terrence Patrick/HBO Max

friends reunion

“Going back there, it’s nostalgic in a way that’s kind of also a little melancholy, you know,” she adds. “Because a lot has changed and we have all gone down different roads, not so easy and some easy … for each of us.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Asked whether there was anything that needed to be edited out, Aniston says: “There was a period where we were all kind of in a puddle.”

“I don’t think we broke David,” she continues. “But even LeBlanc broke at one point. You know, Mr. Tough Guy. You know, our brother. Mr. Impenetrable. Our big brother who would kill anybody if they looked at you wrong. Even he got a little misty.”

Friendsaired for 10 seasons on NBC from 1994 to 2004. Since the finale, some of the stars havereunited off-screenover the years, and all but Perry, 52, appeared at frequent series director James Burrows'2016 tribute special.

The full episode ofLiterally! With Rob Loweis out Thursday.

source: people.com