Photo: Getty Images
On Saturday, actor Matthew Perry passed away at age 54 at his home in Los Angeles, tragically drowning in his hot tub. Since then, fans have been appreciating his talent by rewatching some of his movies and shows, chief among them, Friends. However, some have uncovered a somewhat troubling scene from the sitcom's seventh season that is in such poor taste now that many viewers are asking for its removal.
It's in the season's fifth episode, "The One With The Engagement Picture," and in it, Perry's character "Chandler" and Courteney Cox's "Monica" are taking photos to announce their engagement. During the shoot, "Chandler" struggles to smile so "Monica" says to him, "What is the matter with your face? Like, this picture is supposed to say 'Geller' and 'Bing' to be married. Not local woman saves drowning moron." The photographer in the scene laughs at this comment and "Monica" chides him, responding, "Hey don’t laugh at him, he’s my drowning moron."
One fan posted the scene on TikTok writing, "This scene doesn't sit right after hearing the cause of his passing today."
Others agreed, saying things like, "Nah they gotta cut this scene out now," and, "This scene will never be watched in the same way again at least I can't."
However, not everyone is in favor of getting rid of the scene. One commenter stated, "Everyone saying delete this scene was too young or not even born when this scene happened...let the show stay how it was intended!" and another suggested, "I think he would like it. He had the best sense of humor."
In the meantime, along with fans, the surviving cast members of Friends are in mourning. This week, they released a joint statement that said, "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
If you want to appreciate Matthew's work as 'Chandler Bing,' Friends is currently streaming on Max.