🌆📺The Sitcom Café☕🛋️

*Please note that there are spoilers in this post*

As we all mourn the untimely loss of Matthew Perry (our beloved Chandler Bing) I would like to dedicate this post to his character. Chandler gave us a lot of laughs, but I would like to highlight the best Chandler moments that did not necessarily involve laughter, but his wholesome most lovable moments.

#10: Phoebe and Chandler Singing Lionel Richie Together

We don’t get to see a lot of Chandler and Phoebe moments throughout the series – one could even say they could be an unlikely duo – but when we do see them in this moment it’s quite heart-warming. We see Chandler going through a break-up and Phoebe coming to keep him company. She sees Chandler in the chair listening and singing along to Lionel Richie and instead of making fun of him (like the friends usually do) she decides to join him and the two share a moment of two friends bonding over a song together. Here, we see a softer side to Chandler, one that is vulnerable and needs comfort from a friend. Phoebe is that friend for him, and it’s important we see this because the 6 of them are friends, they need to have moments together that confirm and reaffirm their friendship.

As this is considered a shared moment between the two and not specifically Chandler doing this for someone, it ranks 10th place. I love this moment but there are better scenarios where Chandler’s genuineness is highlighted.

#9: Chandler Saying Goodbye to Mr. Heckles

When Mr.Heckles dies it affects the group in different ways; for Chandler, it gives him a wake-up call for the kind of person he may be becoming. When he starts to find similarities between the two of them he starts to panic and rethink how he operates in life like being overly critical when it comes to dating women. He sees Mr. Heckles’ apartment as his future, a future that scares him because Mr.Heckles did not have a significant other, a nice place, family or friends. He died seemingly lonely and complaining. When Chandler comes to the realization he can change his ways and he does not have to end up like Mr. Heckles he makes peace with what he saw in the apartment. He commemorates this realization by calmly and peacefully putting Mr. Heckles’ broom (that he used to bang the ceiling with to tell them to keep it down) up against the wall, turning off the lights and simply saying “Goodbye Mr. Heckles. We’ll try to keep it down.”

This is a wholesome Chandler moment, he was panicked and worried the whole episode but lets Mr. Heckles’ passing come as a learning experience, you can see as he smiles and closes the door that he has found peace in knowing Mr. Heckles taught him a lesson that you can change your ways if you want too.

#8: Chandler Consoling Rachel About Her Parents

Here, we have a sweet moment between Chandler and Rachel in the hallway between the two apartments. Rachel is feeling overwhelmed from having both her parents attend a party in each apartment to avoid seeing each other since they’ve gotten divorced. Chandler who is a child of divorce and understands how Rachel is feeling, sits with her and helps her through it until Ross arrives.

This is one of those moments for Chandler where instead of sharing his pain through jokes he empathizes and consoles his friend. One of Chandler’s top moments for sure, since this happens in season 2, we are getting to know the different layers his character has to offer and what it means for him to be a friend.

#7: Chandler Teaching Joey Cups

In season 6 when Chandler moves out to be with Monica he worries how Joey will take care of himself and the bills without him there. After trying to lose several games with Joey in order to give Joey money he realizes he has to invent a game so there is no way he will accidentally win. He invented the card game called ‘Cups,’ in which he makes up points as cards come up for Joey and pretends to lose points when cards come up for him. While this is not as heartwarming as some of his other moments on the show or on this list, it shows how much Chandler cares about his friend Joey. He wants to make sure Joey will be okay and knows that he simply can’t give Joey the money in case he comes off as giving him charity and belittling Joey’s character.

I think it’s a sweet gesture to try and make sure your friend is going to be okay and shows Chandler does not care about money as much as he does helping out his friends.

#6: Chandler Inviting His Father to His Wedding

As we all know by season 7, Chandler has had difficulty with his childhood, especially regarding his parents. He often uses them as the butt of his jokes and constantly blames their behaviours for the reason he acts out certain ways; like using humour as a defence mechanism or why he hates Thanksgiving. So when it comes time for his wedding he is unsure about inviting his father whom he had the most problems with. His father was a headline drag queen at a show in Las Vegas, so Monica convinces him to go with her to see him with the intention of inviting him.

When Chandler looks like he cannot fulfill his goal of inviting his dad after seeing him he accidentally draws attention to himself and gets called on in the show by his father. When his father realizes who he is and finds out he is engaged he sadly wishes them all the best – realizing he wasn’t invited. Chandler sees this and instead of letting it be, he comes around and ends up inviting his dad. They share a nice moment as his father sees Chandler does care about him and wants him to be there. This is a big moment for Chandler as his character has grown from being scared to embracing his father for who he is. He does not let the fact his father might show up in drag to his wedding, at this moment he just wants his father to know he is welcome to come be a part of one of the biggest days of his life.

#5: Chandler Going with Phoebe to See Her Dad

#5 spot goes to this whole episode where Joey and Chandler are there for Phoebe when she finds out the address of her father who left when she was very young. Both Chandler and Joey need to go Christmas shopping so they tag along with Phoebe as her emotional support in hopes they can all go shopping afterwards. However, we do see Phoebe struggling to muster up the courage to get to the front door to ring the doorbell and it takes more time than they thought. Eventually, Phoebe decides this is not the time and she won’t be able to confront her father tonight. Chandler and Phoebe console her and make her feel comforted as she goes through this whole episode.

Unfortunately, because it took so long for Phoebe to come to the conclusion she can’t do it that night, the guys are left with no time for Christmas shopping (doesn’t help they left it to the last minute but that’s not the point here) they have to get their gifts from a gas station. What’s most important is they do not blame Phoebe at all, they know this night was more important to her than getting some gifts and do what real friends should do for each other – just be there with unconditional support and love. It is a nice sentiment for this Christmas episode of Friends, and again shows Chandler cares more about his friends’ well-being than material items or his own needs.

#4: Chandler Confesses His Love For Monica

In this iconic episode; The One Where Everybody Finds Out, we get to witness Chandler telling Monica he loves her for the first time. Now I know that he accidentally lets it slip in The One With All The Thanksgivings, however when Monica calls him out on it and says “YOU LOVE ME!” he gives a panicky response saying “NO I DON’T! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” So although that would technically be the first time he says it, this marks the first time he says it to her and feels comfortable enough to admit it to her, the friends and most importantly himself.

This is a tender moment between the two, it strengthens their relationship, and Monica of course gets to respond this time by telling her she loves him too. They both embrace and it is a loving moment for them to share. Chandler’s character gets more emotional and sensitive after this, we see most of his wholesome moments now involving Monica because she helps bring out the best in his character.

#3: Chandler Coming Home for Christmas

When Chandler’s work moves him to Tulsa he has to commute back and forth between New York and Oklahoma. This put a strain on his and Monica’s relationship, even more so when he was asked to work the holidays and was going to miss Christmas and New Year’s Eve. He feels this is unfair to everyone else in his workplace as well and sends them all home early to be with their families even though he himself cannot. One colleague stays behind to keep him company and ends up hitting on him, this gives Chandler a chance to reflect on his relationship with Monica and he comes to the realization that Monica is the most important thing in his life and he does not want to be away from her any longer.

He chooses love over career, he chooses to quit his job and surprise everyone by coming home for the holidays anyway. This is the first time Chandler leaves his job after 9 seasons working at the same place. I personally find it inspirational – he not only shows us that its important to prioritize family and friends over working a job you hate but also that you can quit your job any time you’re unhappy and can start fresh and new somewhere else. I really enjoyed seeing this growth, we see in earlier seasons he wants to leave his job but ends up choosing to make more money at the same place, now we see him not caring about the money and choosing what truly makes him happy.

#2: Chandler (and Monica’s) Proposal

Of course one of the top spots on the list has to be the proposal between Chandler and Monica. Chandler has come a long way from messing up relationships and being completely lost with himself to choosing to commit to Monica for the rest of his life. We see how much he loves and cares for her in the time leading up to this moment when he actually gets down on one knee and tearfully asks her hand in marriage. This scene doesn’t need too much explanation as to why it’s one of his best moments, if you watch the episode you know how it made you feel. Chandler brought that emotion out of us and to see him so vulnerable and head over heels in love with Monica will always be a top moment for his character.

#1: Chandler’s Talk With Erica

The best and top Chandler Bing moment would have to be in the last season, the episode The One With The Birth Mother. We see Chandler and Monica desperately trying to find someone who will let them adopt their baby, we meet Erica who loves them as a couple but thinks they have different occupations due to a mixup at the agency. Erica’s decision was half based on their personalities and half based on their impressive occupations; doctor and reverend. Monica who wants a baby so badly wants to go along with the mixup in order to get picked as the parents, at first Chandler goes along with it but eventually tells Monica they must tell Erica the truth. He gives Monica perspective on how this is Erica’s baby and she deserves to know who the child’s really going to. This first, shows the kind of character Chandler is, he understands what is ethically right and although he loves Monica he knows they should not lie to get a child.

When they tell Erica the truth she is (understandably) upset and rethinks her decision to have them adopt her baby. Chandler then tells Erica how much the baby would mean to them but especially to Monica. He shares how sad he is he can’t provide a child for her naturally and that Monica deserves to be happy since she already acts like a mother.

Chandler: “You have every reason to be upset. We did lie. But only because we’ve been waiting and trying to have a baby for so long. Now we don’t know how long it’s gonna be before we can get another chance again.”

Erica: “Why don’t you ask the reverend to pray on it?”

Chandler: “Erica, please. Just consider us. Ask them to see our file. Our last name’s Bing. My wife’s a chef and I’m in advertising.”

Erica: “Oh yeah. I actually liked you guys. But it doesn’t matter, because what you did was wrong.”

Chandler: “But you did like us. And you should. My wife’s an incredible woman. She’s loving and devoted and caring. And don’t tell her I said this but the woman’s always right… I love my wife more than anything in this world. And I… It kills me that I can’t give her a baby… I really want a kid. And when that day finally comes, I’ll learn how to be a good dad. But my wife… she’s already there. She’s a mother… without a baby… Please?”

Crane, David, Marta Kauffman, and Scott Silveri. “The One with the Birth Mother.” Friends, season 10, episode 9, NBC, 8 Jan. 2004.

I can’t help but get teary-eyed when that moment comes on, Chandler loves his wife and by being vulnerable, honest and genuine with Erica he convinces her to give them a chance.

Best Chandler Muriel Bing moment.

*This post is dedicated to Matthew Perry. Thank you for all the laughs, emotions, and smiles.

Thank you for being the best Chandler Bing 🙏 May you rest in paradise ❤️💐*

What do you think are Chandler’s best moments? Do you agree with the order in which these moments are presented? What are your thoughts on Chandler Bing? Please let me know in the sit-comments below! 🙂

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