Both the cast and fans have celebrated more than 30 years of Friends. Largely, that’s thanks to the series greatly influencing what TV friendship goals– whether platonic, romantic or friends-to-lovers–look like. Between the six, each relationship is as unique and special as the last, and also stands true of the show’s couples. Case and point: Chandler’s proposed storyline of cheating on Monica wouldn’t have equated Ross and Rachel’s “on a break” arc, so, let’s dive into it.
The deep-cut trivia of Season 6’s planned script centered around Chandler Bing’s jealousy of Monica Gellar going out to lunch with ex-Richard Burke (Tom Selleck). Which surfaced after the death of Matthew Perry, through an interview with actor Lisa Cash, who was to play the other woman. She shared that Matthew Perry axed the cheating idea because he feared it would alter the show, and its fans’ perception too much.
Now, Cash has revealed to NBC News why the late actor was spot on with the nixing. Agreeing with Perry’s stance on the alternate beat, she said if it had aired, it’d be entirely different from the longstanding R&R break discourse. In her explanation, she highlights that the status of the respective couples were in completely contrasting places and would’ve elicited a wildly different outcome, saying:
I think he was very right. The Ross and Rachel (David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston) thing, ‘They were on a break,’ but this wouldn’t have been on a break. This would have been a decision he would have made while they were together.
I agree with both of them. Regardless of where you lie between the break debate, there’s more gray area to maneuver in Ross’ decision. If Perry hadn’t convinced the writers to cut Chandler’s active cheating on Monica, while they were clearly together, the series may have taken a hard left turn and never bounced back.
And even for the some fans who disliked Chandler and Monica’s courtship, I believe the inevitable breakup would’ve altered too much. With the six being so interconnected, it would’ve bled into each dynamic with vast outcomes. And likely, could’ve led to Chandler being exiled, or cast as a villain. So, I’m personally glad that Lisa Cash, who was originally scripted to be a hotel employee who sleeps with Bing, was rerouted to be Ross and Rachel’s flight attendant.
If the bomb dropping Chandler Bing cheating scandal had been pulled off, who knows what kind of butterfly effect it absolutely would’ve had in television and movies, including this year’s 2025 TV calendar. It certainly wouldn’t have read as ambiguously and endlessly debatable as the Ross and Rachel on a break moment. I, for one, am pleased not to know what could’ve been.
If you’d like to dive back into or check out Season 6, all of Friends is available to stream with a Max subscription.