‘Friends’: Why Joey Was the Perfect Partner for Rachel Green
Friends is a show that’s almost synonymous with the late twentieth century, but it still retains a significant amount of popularity today. You can find Friends merch and trivia games at many stores, and its move from Netflix upset many fans who enjoyed rewatching old episodes. It even received its own reunion special nearly twenty years after it ended! Therefore, it makes sense that people are still talking about Friends, and debating various aspects, from the sociopolitical implications of the show to the ways that the characters interacted. Ross, and his relationship to Rachel Green, is especially controversial — and though this on-again off-again relationship was a central plotline for years, some fans think that Ross wasn’t a good partner for Rachel. Instead, some fans contend, Joey would be much better.
‘Friends’ explored the lives of six friends in New York City
Friends was meant to be a relatable show for viewers in their twenties into their thirties. The eponymous friends all lived near each other: Monica, a somewhat neurotic chef and Rachel, her slightly ditzy high school best friend live together across the hall from Chandler, a sarcastic accountant and Joey, an aspiring actor. Monica’s brother, a paleontologist named Ross, also is in the group, as well as the post-modern hippie Phoebe. The relationships — friendly and romantic — between them push along long-running storylines, but there are just as many hijinks and odd occurrences across the show, making it less of a drama than it might seem like. The show was incredibly popular — and as evidenced by the reunion, streaming numbers and availability of merchandise, it still is!
Ross and Rachel’s romance spanned all ten seasons of the show
Ross and Rachel had a romance that spanned the entire length of the show. The show begins with both Ross and Rachel leaving relationships: Rachel runs away from the altar, and Ross is getting a divorce. Ross has a crush on Rachel from the beginning, but many things get in the way: Ross’ shyness around Rachel, other relationships, and various miscommunications that are staples of the sitcom genre. It takes over a season for them to first get together! However, Ross’ insecurities lead to their first break up, and make it difficult for them to sustain a relationship when they get back together. However, their feelings for each other get in the way of more relationships, including when the two get married in Vegas. The two even end up co parenting platonically, and it’s only at the very end of the show when they decide to seriously try and make things work.
Joey and Rachel should not have broken up
One of the relationships that Rachel gets into while she’s out of the relationship with Ross is with Joey. The beginning of their relationship is an accident: Rachel tells Joey she’s not interested at first, and Joey accepts this. However, at the hospital when Rachel is giving birth, Joey accidentally drops an engagement ring he was holding for Ross, and Rachel accepts the accidental proposal. They don’t go through with the engagement, but Rachel develops feelings for Joey, and they try dating for a little bit before the complications around Ross end things.
One fan on BuzzFeed shared some arguments for Joey and Rachel. Joey and Rachel had a more stable friendship, which gives a stronger basis for a romantic relationship. Additionally, Joey seems to have a lot more respect for Rachel than Ross did; when Ross would deride Rachel’s career and interests Joey actually helped Rachel get into the fashion industry in the first place! Overall, a Joey and Rachel relationship just seems like it would be healthier and better for Rachel especially.
