‘The One About Matthew Perry’ Review : 4-Part Series Revisits ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S.’ And His Addiction Struggles

Any die-hard fan of “F.R.I.E.N.D.S.” will tell you that the cast members truly feel like their own friends. To spend ten seasons with a show, and then continue rewatching it for decades after, builds that friends-like-family sense of warmth and love. The collective grief that fans experienced when Matthew Perry passed away was the sharp, specific pain of losing one of your own. While millions love the show, there is a special subset of us who were, above all, friends of Chandler Bing. Speaking as someone for whom “F.R.I.E.N.D.S.” was always the ultimate comfort show, I found myself unable to watch it after his passing. I simply couldn't bring myself to press play; the series had transformed from a source of comfort into a painful reminder of the tragic loss of a man who spent his life making us all laugh.

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‘The One About Matthew Perry’: Everything We Know About Netflix’s Three-Part Docuseries

Months after his passing, I finally found my way back to watching “F.R.I.E.N.D.S.”, which made it easier for me to attempt the documentary, ”The One About Matthew Perry.” The first episode relies heavily on an archival interview from 2009 of Perry with Kevin Pollack. From there, the documentary shifts into what feels more like "The One About ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S.’"—focusing on the legacy of the series and featuring heartfelt reflections from his actual friends. His sister also joins the tribute, sharing insights into his early life and his ultimate journey to landing the role of a lifetime.

The first episode offers only surface-level glimpses into Perry’s life, failing to reveal anything deeply profound about the man himself. Instead, it relies on superficial anecdotes — like his behavior on the set of ”Fools Rush In” or trying to escape the shadow of Chandler Bing, his brief relationship with Julia Roberts, and gifting his sister a car — all of which feel like mere snippets from Page Six. It isn't until the very end of the first episode that the documentary finally gets real. The four-part series touches upon the turning point of his life: how a freak jet ski accident triggered his long and difficult dependence on pain medication. And it suddenly hits hard.

The second episode dives deeply into the chapter of his life dominated by addiction. Everyone from his former girlfriend to his sister opens up about his struggles, recounting his time at a highly restrictive rehab facility and the constant public scrutiny surrounding his shifting weight. A close friend from recovery provides crushing details of their routine, which included attending three rehab sessions a day. These emotional accounts are seamlessly interspersed with archival voiceovers of Perry himself, reflecting on his severe dependency on chemicals and alcohol. The final season of “F.R.I.E.N.D.S.” and its cultural impact features in Episode 2 as well. 

Alan Sorkin’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” was to be the next best thing for Perry, but the show didn’t click with the audiences.  Ironically Perry’s character on the show was on Vicodin because of back surgery.  Following that, he wrote, created, and starred in ”Mr. Sunshine” — which was also cancelled — these facts pop up in any basic Google search of his filmography, alongside his numerous promotional talk-show appearances. This highlights the core issue with a large portion of the docuseries: it relies so heavily on easily accessible information that any dedicated Matthew Perry fan will already know everything being shown.