FRIENDS is a beloved sitcom that has carved a place in the hearts of a whole generation of millennials, and why wouldn’t it? It’s a treasure trove of comedy, wholesomeness, and spot-on punchlines that are guaranteed to put you out of even the worst Monday blues.
Each character was bestowed with their own trademark, of sorts. Monica was the clean freak, Joey’s flirty “How you doin” is still a classic pickup, and Rachel was the spoiled but brave friend. Then there’s Ross, the clumsy nerd, and Chandler Bing, the funnyman.
But you know who else was a good character (and you realize this especially when you’re on your umpteenth rerun of the show)? Janice Hosenstein. Yup, her.
The (Seemingly) Most Irritating FRIENDS Character
A drama queen whose scream would put even a banshee to shame, Janice is the quintessential ex who everyone hates but is forced to tolerate.
Played by Maggie Wheeler in the NBC sitcom, hers is a recurring character who has a long-standing on-and-off relationship (what the Gen Z are calling a situationship these days) with Matthew Perry‘s Chandler Bing.
Besides her obnoxious voice – kudos to Wheeler for nailing that nasally piercing tone by the way – there are a myriad of things that automatically make her a loathsome woman. Her shallow personality, for starters, doesn’t help her case. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, her complete lack of social awareness only makes it worse.
And yet, Janice was, in reality, a good character, great even. You won’t realize this if you’re watching the show for the first time and she’ll appear anything BUT good. But long-time FRIENDS fans know exactly what this means, and this Reddit comment section stands testament to the same.
The predicament here is that she was written as the inherently bad ex-girlfriend who keeps coming back for more despite Chandler’s waning interest in her.
The Most Annoying FRIENDS Character is, In Fact, the Most Mature
Sure, she has her flaws (who doesn’t?), but it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that Wheeler’s character was exaggerated to fit the sexist and stereotypical mold of the “crazy ex-girlfriend” trope. If anything, she’s an affable, caring person who loves her boyfriend and is trying her best to fit in with his friends.
Remember when Perry’s sardonic Chandler lies to her about moving to Yemen, an elaborate ruse he fabricates to avoid Janice and breaking up with her? She’s kind enough to help him pack before the trip, unaware of the lengths her boyfriend would go to just to get rid of her.
And then there was the time when she invited herself to Monica (Courtney Cox) and Chandler’s wedding, which, admittedly, wasn’t the smoothest on her part, but could’ve very well been avoided had the couple been honest with her.
But of course, instead of telling her straight up that her presence was likely to make them uncomfortable on their big day, Chandler begs his wife-to-be to lie to Janice lest she graces their wedding with her presence. So, poor Janice is once again kept in the dark, and for no good reason, at that.
There are endless such instances where seemingly unhinged Janice is, in reality, just a woman trying her level best try to find a footing with the man she loves and his friends.
FRIENDS can be streamed on Max.
