‘Friends’: The Real Reason Chandler’s Roommate Before Joey Disappeared
Before Joey Tribbiani moved in and became Chandler Bing’s roommate, effectively launching the best bromance in television history, Chandler had a different roommate. Kip was mentioned a few times during the 10-season run of Friends. Somewhat expectantly, there were conflicting stories about why he moved out. A season 5 episode might have explained what happened once and for all.
Chandler Bing mentioned Kip for the first time in season 1 of ‘Friends’
Chandler’s roommate before Joey was mentioned a few times during the show’s 10 seasons, but he was never seen. Chandler, technically, wasn’t the first one to mention him. In the seventh episode of season 1, “The One With the Blackout,” Joey referenced “Chandler’s old roommate” when he walked into Monica and Rachel’s apartment with a Hanukkah menorah. He did not call him by name.
A few episodes later, Chandler mentioned Kip by name when he and Joey had to figure out how to replace their broken kitchen table, revealing why Kip moved out. Chandler told Joey that he and Kip had bought a hibachi before Kip married and moved out. Chandler said that things got “ugly.”
Since Chandler had no hibachi, one has to assume Kip took it with him when he went. Is that really why Kip moved out, though? According to Rachel Green, it wasn’t.
Rachel revealed that Kip was ‘phased out’ because he and Monica broke up
According to Rachel, Kip didn’t just run off and get married. In the season 5 episode, “The One With the Kips,” Rachel explained that Kip was in the original friend group but was “phased out” after he and Monica Geller broke up. According to Rachel’s telling of the story, Kip and Monica’s breakup was so bad that the duo couldn’t even be in the same room. Eventually, she said, the group “phased” Kip out.
Rachel wasn’t there to experience the situation, though. Rachel moved in with Monica in the Friends pilot. By the time she showed up in the city, Joey and Chandler had already been roommates for some time.
There is a plothole regarding Chandler’s roommate before Joey, but it’s not what you think
While some Friends fans assume a plot hole exists around Kip’s disappearance, both explanations may be correct. In season 1, Chandler claimed Kip ran off and got married. In season 5, Rachel said he was phased out after a breakup. While some fans don’t believe both things could have happened, it is plausible. Assuming Kip continued to live with Chandler for a bit after the breakup, it’s possible he met someone else and got married quickly.
Since two different people explained the disappearance of Kip, they could have two different perspectives on the tipping point. There was, however, a plot hole involving Chandler’s roommate before Joey. In season 1, Joey claimed he knew “all about Kip.” Later, in season 5, he seemed confused by the mention of the man.
