Friends is known for delivering one iconic episode after another, but there was one episode about Chandler and Monica’s honeymoon that had to be completely rewritten. The show follows a cast of six 20-somethings living in New York City and learning to navigate the trials and tribulations of adulthood while leaning on each other for support. The 90s sitcom ran for 10 seasons and has audiences continuing to tune in decades later to catch the characters’ chemistry, one-liners, and “will they, won’t they?” romances.
As the show continues to get revisited today, there are a number of shocking Friends moments that have aged badly that have been called out by viewers. Thankfully, there was one instance that was caught before it was aired and was rectified correctly, allowing it to be saved from a swarm of controversy. Friends season 3, episode 3, “The One Where Rachel Tells Ross” focuses on Ross finding out that he is the father of Rachel’s unborn child, Chandler and Monica going on a chaotic honeymoon, and Joey and Phoebe lying about a gas leak to enter Rachel and Monica’s apartment. While this ended up being a typical episode of Friends, filled with laughable moments, the episode originally had an entirely different plot that was badly timed and needed to be rewritten at the last minute.
One Episode Had To Be Changed Following 9/11
“The One Where Rachel Tells Ross” episode of Friends was released exactly one month after one of the most tragic events in American history, 9/11. The episode was originally supposed to follow the story of Chandler and Monica being detained at the airport after Chandler makes a joke about a bomb, but luckily, the Friends storyline was canceled. After seeing a sign that reads “Attention: Federal law prohibits any joking regarding aircraft hijacking or bombing,” in typical Chandler fashion, he quips, “You don’t have to worry about me, ma’am. I take my bombs very seriously.” After everything is cleared up, another unfortunate incident occurs. When on the phone with Joey, Monica sarcastically says “No, I want you to stand there and wait for the entire place to blow up.” Chandler and Monica are then taken to an interrogation room, where they must clear themselves of being involved in any illegal activity.
After 9/11, this episode of Friends was quickly rewritten to a different plot surrounding Chandler and Monica, in order to be mindful of cultural sensitivity following 9/11. Now, instead of Chandler and Monica going through a series of events related to misunderstandings about bombs and plane hijacking, they find themselves having honeymoon frustrations. While in the airport, on their way to their tropical honeymoon, they notice that another newly-married couple is getting all the sweet perks they desire, leading to some serious envy and competition.
Why Friends Was Right To Change The Storyline
Doing a quick rework of this episode was absolutely the right decision. Considering it was airing so close to the events of 9/11, cultural sensitivities surrounding air travel tragedies were especially high. Given the comedic nature of Friends and the way people turn to it as an escape, it was not appropriate for it to contain a plot that would be triggering to audiences, and it would have turned them off from the show.
If this plot line had not been changed, it could have been added to the lineup of infamous Friends moments that audiences have found distasteful in today’s day and age. From fat shaming, transphobia, cultural appropriation, and toxicity toward women, this would have been another plot point that did not sit well with audiences. Thanks to the quick rewrite, viewers instead received an episode that represented the best elements of the show, with it being a light-hearted and culturally sensitive episode that celebrated Chandler and Monica’s sweet romantic timeline and highlighted their quirks as a couple.
