Janice Litman Goralnik
From Friends Central
| CHARACTER | ||||
| Janice | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| First appearance | The One With The East German Laundry Detergent | |||
| Last appearance | The One Where Estelle Dies | |||
| Number of episodes | 19 | |||
| Portrayed by | Maggie Wheeler | |||
| | ||||
| Name | Janice Litman Goralnik | |||
| Gender | Female | |||
| Relatives | Sid (husband) Gary(ex-husband) Unnamed daughter (with Gary) Aaron (son, with Sid) | |||
Janice (full name Janice Litman Goralnik (née Hosenstein)) is a recurring character on Friends. She was Chandler Bing's long-time on-again, off-again girlfriend. She is known for her irritating, nasal voice and her trademark cry of "OH MY GOD!".
Janice is also considered one of the most popular and humorous recurring characters in the entire series.
[edit] History
Though she is Chandler's girlfriend from the start of the show, Janice isn't seen until the fifth episode, when Chandler enlists Phoebe to help him break up with her. Later that season, Chandler invites her to a New Year's party in a desperate attempt to have someone to kiss, but can't stand being around her and breaks up with her again before midnight. After a few episodes, Chandler and Janice hook up again after she turns out to be his blind date set up unknowingly by Joey. He breaks up with her again the next day (after they sleep together) which happens to be Valentine's Day.
In the beginning of Season 2, a lonely Chandler decides to call Janice, only to discover that she is married and pregnant. In the last episode of Season 2, Chandler befriends a mystery woman over the Internet, and when she turns out to be Janice, decides to get back together with her. This time, the relationship lasts well into Season 3 and ends when Chandler discovers that Janice still has feelings for her ex-husband. He tells her to get back together with him for the sake of their child.
In the middle of Season 4, Janice and Chandler meet once again. When telling the group why he must end the relationship, he says "You know all those little annoying habits she had before we fell in love? They're all back, and she's picked up like nine new ones!" He decides to end their relationship before it starts with a "pre-emptive strike", but cannot, instead telling Janice he is being transferred to Yemen. When Janice follows him to the airport, Chandler is forced to buy a ticket and actually fly to Yemen. It was not actually his plan to go all the way to Yemen but Janice wanted to see the plane take off as a final goodbye.
In the middle of Season 5, Janice makes an appearance when she and Ross begin to date (she still thinks Chandler is in Yemen). Ironically, Janice ends the relationship because she finds Ross too be whiny and annoying. Ross is worried about telling Chandler this but Chandler is merely amused. Then Ross makes a speech about who friends can't go out with and gives an example of "other friends' relatives" and then Chandler, who is seeing Monica secretly at the time, says he is angry about it and that Ross should remember that "he forgave him... and also gave him $27." She appears in Season 6 only as a voice-over on a mixed tape she made for Chandler during their relationship.
In Season 7, Monica inadvertently invites Janice to dinner when she discovers that Monica and Chandler are engaged. This leads to Janice inviting herself to Monica and Chandler's wedding. In a desperate attempt to get Janice to cancel, Monica claims that Chandler still has feelings for her and could not bear Janice's presence at the wedding. Janice leaves in surprise and wishes them a lifetime of happiness, although this is tempered when she whispers to Chandler as she leaves "You call me when this goes in the pooper" to a horrified look from Monica.
At the end of Season 8, when Rachel is preparing to give birth, she and Ross are horrified to discover that Janice will be sharing the same hospital room. At the hospital, Janice reveals that she is married to a nearly deaf man named Sid. She teases Chandler by claiming the baby is his. She cackles hysterically and confesses that it is a joke moments later, pointing out that she and Chandler haven't slept together in years. After her baby, Aaron (who is hinted to be very unattractive), is born, Janice predicts that he will marry Emma.
She appears briefly in Season 9, where she and Sid are undertaking fertility tests in the same clinic as Monica and Chandler, joking that the doctors gave Chandler "the kiddie size" cup.
In the final season, Janice planned to move in next door to Chandler and Monica in Westchester. In order to prevent this, Chandler suggested that they pick up where they left off and that he never stopped loving her (we actually learn her full name at this point). Fearful that they might ruin their marriages, Janice removes her bid on the house, although she does kiss Chandler one last time.
[edit] Personality
Janice is portrayed as extremely annoying, with an extravagant fashion sense, a loud, nasal exaggerated New-York accent, and a loud annoying laugh. Her trademark expression is "OH... MY... GOD!" with noticeable pauses in between each word and hands flapping in sync. Some speculate that she is a parody of Fran Drescher.
[edit] Appearances
Janice has appeared in every season of Friends, except Season 6, where only her voice is heard on a mix tape that she had previously made for Chandler while they were dating, as well as appearing in a clip show.
Janice's total appearances are 3 in the first season, 2 in the second season, 6 in the third season (this was when Chandler was willingly in a relationship with her), and 1 appearance every season thereafter (although in the season six episode only her voice can be heard).
