Throughout the ten seasons of Friends, a lot of changes happened in the lives of the six members of the beloved gang. Both as individuals and in terms of the group itself and their place in it. Perhaps more so than anyone, the most character growth and development came from everyone’s favorite sarcastic… transponster Chandler Bing.
From 1994 to 2004, Chandler Bing gave fans so many fantastic moments and a plethora of hilarious lines. It is safe to say that Chandler, who describes the dream of the phone in the first episode and the Chandler of the finale who asks where the gang should go for coffee, while still sarcastic, is a different Bing. Here are ten of the biggest ways Chandler changed from season one to the finale of Friends.
He Got In Touch With His Father More
Chandler’s strained relationship with his parents becomes well documented from the very beginning of Friends. His parents announced their divorce to him on Thanksgiving following his father’s affair with the pool boy. Since then, their relationship has been very rocky.
Fans meet Nora Bing - Chandler’s mother - early on in the series, but only see Chandler’s father in flashbacks. That was until season seven when Monica convinces Chandler to invite his father to their wedding. From there, his father pops up a few more time, showing a still rocky, but better relationship between the pair.
HE STOPPED GETTING WITH JANICE
Perhaps Friends’ most iconic recurring supporting character, Janice Litman-Giralnik (née Hosenstein), pops up throughout the show as a love interest of Chandler.
The on-and-off relationship ensues until season four when Chandler jets off to Yemen to get away from her. From there, anytime Chandler encounters her, it is met with disdain and desperation to leave the situation (which is usually hilarious), especially since he is with Monica.
His Looks
When fans have their introduction to Chandler, he is a fresh, baby faced mid-20s guy who dresses to his age and with hair matched with the time. Chandler remains a younger-looking, baby faced character for a few seasons but develops hugely by the time of the finale.
Chandler develops a more mature fashion sense, more fitting of his age, ultimately more dad-like. His hair also changes continuously. His face gets more aged, losing its young nature to the point that comparing pictures of episode one and episode two hundred and thirty-six shows clearly a man who has undergone immense change physically.
He Changed Career
Chandler’s career in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration (not as a transponster), is one he is vocal about hating throughout the series. It is, though, one he is very successful in, always being in a great financial place.
In season nine, though, Chandler finally quits his job. He then gets an unpaid internship in advertising before managing to secure a job as a junior copywriter, finally entirely escaping the unhappy rut he was in careerwise.
He Moved Out Of He And Joeys Apartment
Chandler and Joey are Friends’ best, and most iconic duo, and arguably the two closest friends alongside Rachel and Monica. They have some of the shows best moments in their iconic apartment, and when they live in Monica’s apartment too.
In season six, though, the relationship between Monica and Chandler had reached the point where they wanted to live together, bringing the roommate era of Joey and Chandler to an end. It was a bittersweet series of moments in Friends as Chandler told Joey, and when he moved out.
He Fell In Love With, And Married, Monica
Monica and Chandler were good friends at the beginning of the show and had known each other for longer than most pairings. There were moments with romantic undertones between the two, such as when Chandler proposed the two marry when they turn forty if they were single, or the debate on whether or not Chandler would make a good boyfriend.
The two, however, do surprisingly and brilliantly get together in London at Ross’ wedding to Emily. From there, they fall in love, they move in together, they get married, and ultimately became the best and most stable romance in Friends - sorry Ross and Rachel.
He Adopted Twins
The relationship between the two took another big step when they decided to have children. The two tried for a long while following the birth of Ross and Rachel’s daughter Emma, but heartbreakingly found out they had a slim-to-none chance to have children naturally.
From there, the two signed up for adoption, eventually being chosen - after some drama - by a woman Erica. The baby was well on its way as the series finale edged closer when Erica went into labor in the finale. The twist? She gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl named Jack and Erica who Chandler and Monica lovingly took home.
He Moved Out Of The City With Monica
Jack and Erica were not to stay home for long, though. As the babies were approaching, so too was Chandler and Monica’s move out of the city. Going from the apartment to a house in the suburb.
The pair bought themselves a house and announced they are moving away, much to the heartbreak to the rest of the gang, and fans. In the series finale, in the very final scene, the group spends a last moment in the apartment before Monica and Chandler moved away.
He Dealt With A Lot Of His Insecurities
Throughout the early seasons of the show, it is very evident that Chandler is perhaps the show’s most insecure character. His childhood has been the most significant factor in this, leading to his fear of abandonment, his inability to face commitment, and of course, his use of humor as a defense mechanism.
As the show goes on, Chandler deals with a lot of these insecurities. He allows himself to become committed to Monica, while there is a moment of fear, he gets over it, something a younger Chandler would not have been able to do. He learns to overcome various concerns throughout the show, becoming more comfortable in his own body, in his life, and with things of which a younger Chandler struggled to deal.
He Matured
Perhaps more so than overcoming insecurities, Chandler’s most salient point of growth is in his maturity. Everything on this list has one common denominator, an increase in maturity. A move away from the sarcastic, child-like character from season one.
Chandler went from spending an insane amount of time on a barcalounger eating takeout, drinking beer, and watching TV, to making hard decisions about raising children within or out of the city. He started as a hilarious character, but one with a severe lack of responsibility. By the end of the series, though, he stayed hilarious, but his maturity had grown to the point where he had undergone the shows foremost amount of growth alongside Rachel.
