Ella Risbridger

She can be on a late night TV show and everybody instantly recognises her.

She is the kind of novelist that your friends who don't read have read every book.

Rachel has read every one of her books.

Rachel is a huge fan of Chandler's mum, which we don't talk enough about.

How weird that must be for him.

They just don't do enough with Chandler's mum.

You know what?

I actually, I understand the Chandler's dad storyline is problematic in many ways.

But in other ways, you do have that very moving scene when they go to tell him about the engagement.

Yes, we were just talking about that.

Yeah, yeah.

You know, I don't know if Chandler's dad is trans or is a drag queen or what.

The show is not specific, I guess, because it was the 90s and there was not like a clear distinction in what pronouns people were going to use.

But nonetheless, there is a deep resolution for me in the storyline of Chandler and his father.

In that they go to the drag show, they meet Chandler's father on her own terms.

They see her as she is.

They don't like meet her afterwards when she's like out of drag.

they meet Helena Handbasket.

And that's the only name we have for Chandler's dad, I think, is Helena.

And Grace also, that moment where it's, where like, I think a lot about that Vegas moment where at the Vegas drag show and they're just making eye contact and Helena realizes and Chandler knows and Monica knows and they're all just like being like, we're having this very intimate family moment that we can't have in any other way because this is the only way that you, Helena, can ever be yourself.