A Nonprofit Had to Take Down Its Version of Friends Showing Chandler Getting HIV

But Casey House hopes to return with proper approvals

In the 1980s, the phrase “a very special episode” became synonymous with the way shows would tackle weighty social issues like racism or child abuse.

The 1990s hit comedy Friends, however, generally avoided “very special” territory except for the occasional rough breakup and the dual infertility diagnoses faced by Monica and Chandler (which sparked a bit of backlash for being too light with a serious topic).

Now a Canadian nonprofit has retroactively created the heaviest Friends episode ever—one in which Chandler finds out he’s HIV-positive.

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