In the aftermath of his tragic death this unaired pilot starring the much loved and now sadly much missed Matthew Perry surfaced online. I hope that the company behind it don't rush to take it down, because it is a rare example of the great mans work.
Matthew Perry always wanted to go darker. Read/watch any interview with him post 'Friends' and the vibe always seems to be the same. He appeared in dramas, notably being excellent in an evil role on 'The Good Wife/Fight' and his play 'The End of Longing' was pretty dark too.
What a different trajectory his career could/would have taken if this show had been picked up by Showtime. Gosh, it is dark. This would have been darker than anything Matt LeBlanc did on 'Episodes', his own attempt to shake things up after 'Friends' and the much better than people think 'Joey'.
From the language to the content, this would have shaken up people's perception of Matthew Perry, and could have given him the second act he craved after 'Studio 60' didn't catch on. Would even a short couple of series run of 'The End of Steve' have been better than seeing Perry chase another sitcom hit through 'Mr Sunshine', 'Go On' and 'The Odd Couple' as he later did? Possibly.
But Showtime (and perhaps Perry) knew deep down that the public would never accept him in this role. Or see him act in this way. Sadly that is probably why it took his untimely death for it to see the light of day.
