‘Friends’: Did Chandler Bing Hint at His Future Interest in Monica Geller During the First Season of the Show?

When fans last left their favorite friends, Monica Geller and Chandler Bing, were headed to the suburbs to raise their family. While their relationship came as a surprise, fans quickly developed a deep appreciation for the pair. In fact, most fans believe Monica and Chandler were the best couple to come out of Friends. Writers have long insisted that they didn’t plan their eventual coupling from the beginning of the series, but some fans have noticed there were hints of romance early on.

Monica and Chandler were meant to be Ross and Rachel’s polar opposites

Friends writers have said that they kicked around the idea of Chandler and Monica getting together after a few seasons of the show, but Ross and Rachel’s relationship was just too intense to toss another romantic storyline into the mix. Once that relationship seemed to run its course, they were free to unleash the next couple.

The goal, however, was to ensure Monica and Chandler’s relationship didn’t look or feel like Ross and Rachel’s courtship. Ross and Rachel were so intense, and fans were so invested in the concept of Ross finally getting the girl of his dreams, that Monica and Chandler had to be different. The writers pulled it off. By having Chandler and Monica’s relationship start as a secret situationship, the writers managed to keep the relationship super mellow. Not only did they manage to create a relationship that was the anthesis of the leading romantic story arc, but it resulted in some of the show’s funniest moments.  

Fans think Chandler hinted at his interest in Monica during the show’s first season

While Monica and Chandler’s relationship started as a hookup, there were some clues, early on in the series, that Chandler had feelings for Monica. A Reddit user points out that the first indication of Chandler’s interest in Monica came in the show’s third episode.

During a scene in Central Perk, Rachel was stymied when Phoebe mentioned a date didn’t end well. To help Rachel understand dating lingo, the gang gives her examples of common brush-offs. Monica, Joey, and Pheobe offered broad examples, but Chandler’s scenario was pretty specific. He said, “..Or “you’re such a nice guy” means “I’m going to be dating leather-wearing alcoholics and complaining about them to you.”

In season 1, fans were introduced to Monica’s ex-boyfriend, Fun Bobby. Fun Bobby wore a leather jacket. In season 2, when Monica rekindled her relationship with him, it was revealed that he was an alcoholic. Fans have theorized that Chandler was directly referencing Monica in episode 3. He also made his interest known when he suggested that they should be each other’s backups if they weren’t married by 40.

Monica and Chandler’s relationship story arc was a result of natural chemistry

Even though it looked like Chandler hinted at his interest in Monica from the very first season of the series, showrunners insist that their relationship wasn’t planned from the start. Several crewmembers have suggested the decision to develop a romantic connection between characters was a result of the actors’ chemistry. Writers also didn’t know if the hookup would materialize into an actual relationship.

Vulture notes that fan reactions to the London hookup really drove the storyline forward. The classic scene was filmed three separate times in front of three different live audiences in London, and each time, the audience reacted with glee. The reaction of the audiences let writers know that they had something with Chandler and Monica, but they still didn’t lock them into a significant, romantic relationship right away. There was an exit strategy in place if the television audience didn’t go for the concept. That’s probably what made the television relationship so great. Fans loved how organically their romance developed.