‘Friends’: 3 Things About Rachel Green That Would Not Fly Today
Friends fans largely agree that Rachel Green is the character who grew and developed the most over the show’s 10-season run. She started as a spoiled, self-proclaimed princess who couldn’t even make coffee and ended the series as a self-assured professional. Still, Rachel didn’t shed all of her bad habits and troubling thought processes. There are three things about Rachel that absolutely would not fly today.
Despite her emotional growth, Rachel Green was still pretty shallow
Rachel may have grown a ton from the show’s pilot to the Friends finale. Still, a couple of her very worst qualities seemed hard to shake. No matter how much she changed, Rachel was still pretty shallow when the screen went black on the show’s 10th season.
A Reddit user points out that when Rachel pursues a love interest, she bases her interest solely on their looks. For example, she knew nothing about Joshua, Danny, or Tag when she decided she wanted to date them. The men who pursued her were less physically attractive, and she made them work for a chance to date her. She was also incredibly shallow when receiving gifts, often exchanging items or simply handing them back to the gift giver.
Rachel only wanted to be with Ross Geller when he was happy with someone else
Rachel and Ross Geller’s relationship was tumultuous. While Ross is often cited as the least liked Friends character, Rachel also had a hand in the toxic nature of their relationship. Most fans agree that Rachel did jerk Ross around an awful lot. In fact, you could argue that Rachel only ever wanted to be with Ross when he seemed happy with someone else.
Rachel knew Ross was interested in her for years, but she only seemed desperate to be with him once he met Julie. Even when she headed to the airport to meet him, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to start a relationship. Once he stepped off the plane with Julie, Rachel was suddenly resolute in her feelings. In season 3, she broke up with Ross after he slept with someone else but suddenly wanted him back when he started dating Bonnie. Later, she decided she was in love with Ross again once he met Emily. She completely changed her mind after the relationship was no longer salvageable.
Rachel was also pretty ruthless about getting what she wanted when she decided she wanted Ross again. “Balding” his girlfriend, ruining his plans for Emily’s going away party, and crashing his wedding to Emily were all pretty awful things to do to someone you supposedly love.
Rachel Green never owned up to her mistakes
Rachel also had a habit of refusing to take responsibility for her mistakes. She tried to sidestep fault even when it had detrimental effects on other people’s lives. Rachel never took ownership of her role in the break fiasco. She also attempted to pin both their Las Vegas marriage and their unplanned pregnancy on Ross. In both situations, Rachel was the instigator.
Ross wasn’t the only one of her friends that she tried to pin mistakes on, though. Rachel initially tried to blame Phoebe Buffay for the fire in their apartment. Later, after Rachel moved in with Joey because the fire was her fault, she attempted to get Phoebe booted from Monica and Chandler’s apartment so she could move back in.
Rachel’s good qualities surely outweigh her bad. When compared to the other pals, most of her indiscretions were relatively small. Still, she had a few qualities that were certainly problematic and would be less accepted today.
