"Hi, I'm Chandler. I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable."
Hopeless, awkward and desperate for love, viewers immediately fell for the witty and quippy Chandler Bing when Friends premiered in 1995. With his signature sarcasm and wry warmth, it was abundantly clear Matthew Perry was born to play the role. And it's part of the reason his death hit the world so hard: We all really lost a friend.
Perry died at age 54 in an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home Oct. 28, a shocking loss for everyone who loved him, including his Friends co-stars.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow said in statement provided to E! News. "We were more than just cast mates. We are a family."
In hard times, many people turn to entertainment as a comfort, and it feels bittersweet that Friends has long served as one of TV's most-heavily relied on spirit-lifters. And we can't think of a better way to help cope with the loss of Perry than by rewatching some of his best work on the NBC sitcom.
So, if you feel like adding a little Bing to your binge-watch plans, E! staffers picked their standout Chandler episodes to rewatch in honor of Perry:
It's a tough task to single out any one Chandler moment—he had so many—but I may have to go with the flashback one where he finds out he lost a toe (while rocking that whole Miami Vice, Flock of Seagulls '80s look, bonus points) thanks to Monica. Then she puts a turkey on her head, adds a hat and sunglasses, does a little dance and "I love you" slips out of Chandler's mouth. He may try to take it back, but we all know he means it. And just like that, they've reached the next level of their relationship.—Natalie Finn
Matthew Perry is the reason why I started watching Friends. I grew up with his sister so I heard about the show through our community in the '90s. Friends became my favorite show and is still my favorite of all time. It’s difficult to pick a favorite Chandler moment since they are all soooo good, but “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” is genius. Phoebe finds out about Monica and Chandler and she tests him with flirtation. The writing and comedic delivery is top notch.—Jacqueline Uddo
Could this be any harder? There are so many hilariously funny Chandler Bing one-liners that I still quote on the regular ("Did I just say, 'If I wear a guy?’” "I get my ya-yas from Ikea. You have to put them together yourself, but they cost a little less." "I'm not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?").
But if I had to pick my favorite Chandler-centric episodes, I would say the one where he’s trapped in an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre. Because even as I type this I can hear the delivery in my head. And while the one where everyone is late is a Friends classic for many reasons ("I'm breezy!") the Chandler-Joey fight over the chair and the cushions, which are, of course, the essence of the chair stands out. So in the words of A.A. Milne, get out of my chair, dillhole.—Sarah Grossbart
For some reason, it's always stuck with me that Chandler gets the last line in the series, when Rachel, who didn't get on the plane, suggests they all go for coffee. In his signature sarcastic tone, Chandler asks, "Where?"
What made that simple but effective moment land even harder was knowing that Perry himself requested being the friend to have the last word. (Could he be any more of a Chandler?)
"Before that final episode, I’d taken [co-creator/EP] Marta Kauffman to one side,” Perry wrote in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. "‘Nobody else will care about this except me,' I said. 'So, may I please have the last line?' That’s why as we all troop out of the apartment, and Rachel has suggested one last coffee, I got to bring the curtain down on Friends."
If that didn't hit you right in the feels, Perry's next observation is sure to do so.
"I love the look on Schwimmer’s face as I deliver that line— it’s the perfect mixture of affection and amusement," Perry shared, "exactly what the show Friends had always given to the world."—Tierney Bricker
"The One with Mrs. Bing" : Mrs. Bing is a confident sexually adventurous outspoken woman. Her discussion with Jay Leno has Chandler reacting as any child would when a parent is being cringe AF.
"The One with the Baby on the Bus": Shenanigans ensure when Chandler and Joey are left in charge of Ben, Ross' son.
"The One with the Princess Leia Fantasy": Janice and Chandler going strong while the friends all question how to support the relationship. —Renee Lyons
One of my favorite episodes is season five’s "The One Where Everyone Finds Out."
This is an obvious pick but for good reason: it’s outrageously funny trying to see the gang mess with one another over a secret almost all of them are privy to. But amid all the ploys to outwit one another, Chandler lays it all out there by professing his love for Monica, cementing their place as the show’s central couple. (Sorry not sorry Ross and Rachel!)—Meaghan Kirby
Friends is streaming Max.