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11 Episodes Of Friends To Stream In Honor Of Matthew Perry’s Birthday

Courtesy of NBC

August 19 should be an official national holiday, for it was on that historic day in 1969 that Matthew Perry was born. Now, some may know Perry for his film roles such as 17 Again and Fools Rush In, but for most of the world, he’s best known as Chandler Bing. Chandler is the undisputed best Friends character.

He’s the one who shared a vestibule with Jill Goodacre. He’s the one who spent Thanksgiving in a box. And he’s the one had the good sense to marry Monica! Chandler Bing is the actual best, and there’s no better way to celebrate his portrayer’s birthday than with a marathon of the best Chandler Bing episodes of Friends!

Now, this is actually much harder than it sounds, because every episode of Friends is a great Chandler episode. Even when he was just there with a few quips while Ross and Rachel were on a break, he was stealing the show. Still, I feel confident that the following 11 episodes couldn’t BE anymore Chandler-approved if they tried!

And thankfully, every episode of Friends is streaming on Netflix, so the Chandler goodness is just a few clicks away.

1. “The One with the Blackout”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP9kTTDi1VU

The blackout episode is a classic from top to bottom, but it’s Chandler’s internal monologue while he’s stuck in a vestibule with Jill Goodacre that truly steals the show. From his complete inability to flirt — “gum would be perfection” — to his excited phone call to the rest of the gang, Chandler’s blackout subplot is one of the show’s funniest moments.

2. “The One Where Mr. Heckles Dies”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXdMSImRZyM

When the gang’s grumpy upstairs neighbor dies, Chandler fears that he might end up just as alone and irritable as Mr. Heckles one day. It’s a poignant episode that allows Chandler to think about how he presents himself to the world, while also coming to understand just how loved he is by his group of friends.

3. “The One with the Baby on the Bus”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M05m5jMzTIU

To be fair to Joey, this one is a two-man show. When he and Chandler end up babysitting Ben, they decide to use the baby to pick up girls. This ends up with the guys losing little Ben on the bus, and later realizing they can’t identify the baby when they go and pick him up. There’s lots of panicked Chandler in this one, and no one does panic quite like Perry.

4. “The One Where Eddie Won’t Go”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJEO1HfcK-0

Chandler becomes increasingly creeped out by his bizarre roommate Eddie, and determined to dislodge him from the apartment so that Joey can move back in. Not only are Chandler’s interactions with Eddie hilarious, but the lengths to which he goes to in order to bring Joey home are actually quite touching.

5. “The One with the Cuffs”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBdrWyPS3-0

Rachel and Chandler are an underused pairing on Friends, but they get their time to shine in “The One with the Cuffs.” After he makes out with Rachel’s boss, Chandler finds himself handcuffed in the office, and he’ll do anything to get his freedom — even if it means potentially putting Rachel’s job on the line.

6. “The One with Chandler in a Box”

Friends highlighted the friendship between Chandler and Joey in all of its glory in this perfect Thanksgiving in which Chandler serves him time for betraying Joey’s trust by spending the day in a box.

7. “The One with All the Rugby”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNow-C64MeM

Alternately, this one could be called the one where Chandler is so desperate to break up with Janice that he goes to Yemen.

8. “The One with All the Thanksgivings”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doKRZM_Uvko

Monica’s worst Thanksgiving also involved Chandler losing a bit of his toe. Thankfully, the two’s present-day holiday goes much better when he spontaneously tells Monica that he loves her.

9. “The One with the Proposal”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7z3ylDKFeY

Need a good cry? Just turn on this amazing episode and watch as Chandler desperately tries to plan the perfect proposal for Monica.

10. “The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath”

The later days of Friends were hit or miss, but Chandler’s constantly interrupted bath is a gem. The poor guy just wants to enjoy his bubbles, OK?

11. “The One with the Mugging”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2M34-WY118

Chandler’s job was a long-running joke on the series, but by Season 9, he exited the world of business for an advertising gig. Seeing him try to compete with the youngsters at his new job makes for a funny plot that truly highlights how much the character had grown.

Perry has moved on from Chandler, but there’s still no better way to celebrate the actor’s birthday than by marathoning his greatest Friends hits!

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