The Best And Worst Part Of Chandler's Relationship With Janice On Friends
Though the iconic sitcom "Friends" had plenty of moments that went too far, it brought us some of television's most popular couples. From Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross' (David Schwimmer) will-they-won't-they dynamic to the strong and secure marriage of Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry), it was hard not to fall in love with the "Friends" cast as they found love with each other. Even the habitually single Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and the whimsical Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) had amazing chemistry — and plenty of fans wanted to see them hook up.
One of the most severely underrated couples from "Friends" was Chandler and his ex-girlfriend Janice (Maggie Wheeler). Janice wasn't well-liked by the rest of the friends due to her loud and abrasive laugh — though we'd argue that she was an icon because of her endearing guffaw. Nevertheless, Chandler and Janice had their own fair share of ups and downs, though their relationship was often the highlight of their shared episodes. Let's take a look at the best and worst parts of their doomed relationship.
Best: they had a lot of fun together
When Janice and Chandler were at their best, they were a great pair. They'd laugh together, try to get along with each other's friends, and they had sincere loving moments when they were truly happy. They looked like they had a blast when they were together — even when they were (unwittingly) left together on a double date. One of the most heartwarming moments between the duo was when Chandler was dating an online mystery woman, who he quickly fell for before even seeing what she looked like. Lo and behold, when it was time to meet in person, his dream girl was Janice herself — proving that the two must have had tons in common.
In Season 3, during Chandler and Janice's longer stint together, the two are shown hanging out with the rest of the gang several times. Despite their comments about Janice's annoying tendencies, they all seemed to get along well enough for Chandler's sake. Janice even prompted one of the first flashback episodes when she asked if any of the friends had almost hooked up over the years. Janice and Chandler's fun chemistry and ability to laugh together were truly among the best parts of their relationship.
Worst: they both had commitment issues
It's arguably easier to come up with reasons why Chandler and Janice weren't a good match: Janice seemed to be a lot more into Chandler, they weren't good at communicating, Chandler was often rude and demeaning behind Janice's back, and so on. But the worst part about their relationship was their commitment issues. Though Chandler was usually the one to get cold feet or lose interest more quickly, in Season 3, Janice was the one who had trouble moving forward in the relationship.
Things were going well for the couple in the third season, despite Chandler's mini-crisis when he gave Janice a drawer from his dresser. They almost broke up after that cringeworthy moment, but were able to talk it out and share their feelings openly. Only a few episodes later, Joey caught Janice kissing her ex-husband, which led to yet another heartbreaking moment when Chandler confronted her about it. Janice's inability to move on from her marriage resulted in her and Chandler breaking up yet again, and serves as a reminder of their baggage that prevented them from staying together.
Perhaps in an alternate "Friends" timeline, Chandler and Janice could've made it. Instead, we'll just have to enjoy their good moments and appreciate their relationship for what it was, and the lessons we learned from it.