With no Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing around us anymore, this year’s Thanksgiving has just gotten a little sadder. Like many American sitcoms, FRIENDS was synonymous with celebrating holidays by crafting several specials throughout their run, including Christmas episodes, Halloween episodes, etc. But the most prominent one remained the Thanksgiving episodes and Chandler’s unequivocal hate for them.
Throughout the sitcom’s decade-long run, each season witnessed a Thanksgiving episode, with most of them becoming instant classics. The recurring theme among them remained Chandler’s hate for the holiday, which was linked back to his childhood.
Chandler Bing’s Hate for Thanksgiving Was a Result of His Childhood Trauma
Compared to most American sitcoms, FREINDS took the Thanksgiving-themed specials more seriously, which fans keep on revisiting. The thing that remains prominent in these episodes is late Matthew Perry‘s Chandler’s hate for it, which is reasonable considering this was the day when his parents parted ways. While Chandler’s backstory is briefly mentioned in the first season of the acclaimed sitcom, it’s in season five’s The One With All the Thanksgivings, which gives us a full flashback.
Unanimously considered the best among the ten, it takes fans to the fateful evening of 1978’s Thanksgiving when Chandler’s parents tell him that they’re getting a divorce.
“Now Chandler dear, just because your father and I are getting a divorce doesn’t mean we don’t love you,” said Chandler’s mother, played by Morgan Fairchild.
Not long after the exchange, their housekeeper abruptly enters and says, “More turkey, Mr. Chandler?”, kickstarting Chandler Bing’s decades-long hatred towards the holiday.
Matthew Perry’s Death Has Reportedly Brought the FRIENDS Cast Closer Than Ever
While it has been almost a month since the beloved FRIENDS Star’s tragic demise, this has led to his co-stars becoming closer than ever per reports. Following their decade-long journey with Matthew Perry on the iconic show, a source close to the A-listers reported that the entire cast has become closer than ever in order to deal with this tragedy. The source told Life & Style:
“They’re processing it in different ways and sharing when they’re ready. If there is any good news, it’s that the cast is even closer than ever before.”
Even though Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing hated Thanksgiving with a passion, his stance on the holiday kept on evolving with the series. By the last season, Chandler even offered Monica to help her with the Thanksgiving meal, showcasing his growth throughout the 10 seasons.
Friends is available to stream on Max.
