Even though Friends has been off the air for over 15 years now, it’s one of those shows that remains in the lexicon. Whether it’s because of nightly reruns on Nick At Night or people streaming it on Netflix, it has managed to stick with viewers for a lot longer than its 10 seasons. Part of the reason is that the show hit so many perfect notes and when it was on a roll it was doing everything right. There were times though, that certain characters had arcs that just fell flat. We’ll take a look at the 5 best character arcs in Friends, as well as the 5 most disappointing
Best: Ross And Rachel
We really can’t talk about Friends without talking about Ross and Rachel. The will-they-won’t-they push and pull between these two characters is really what launched the show. As viewers, everyone was dying to see them get together and we watched as Rachel’s spoiled, clueless character developed and learned how to live without her daddy’s credit card.
Ross, on the other hand, was awkward and uncomfortable, and, though in later years it morphed into a more exaggerated character trait, in the beginning, it was a quirk he had to overcome. When they finally kissed, it was an event, and, because it was before the days of DVR, everyone was watching when it aired.
Best: Chandler And Monica
The storyline that started at the end of season 4 and carried well into season 5 was one of the best arcs the show ever had. When Monica and Chandler hook up at Ross’s doomed-from-the-start wedding and then keep on hooking up once they get home provided some of the funniest moments in the shows run.
In this season, Monica hasn’t quite gotten to crazy levels of neurotic about, oh, everything to do with control and was a surprisingly perfect partner for Chandler. Chandler, on the other hand, fumbles through figuring out everything to do with being in a relationship and finally figures out that what he’s got with Monica is too amazing to give up on. The build of their relationship and the humor it provided (that bathtub scene when Joey pops in to ask about chicken!) is near perfection.
Best: Monica And Richard
Monica and Richard had fantastic chemistry and even though there was the age gap, Tom Selleck was so perfectly mustachioed and still had so much swoon-worthiness going on that it didn’t matter. In fact, it was the arc that carried them through to the end of their relationship. When they broke it off, fans were crushed, but it made perfect sense. Monica wanted a family someday, and Richard’s had already grown up and moved out.
Best: Phoebe And The Triplets
Throughout the seasons, Phoebe was always the friend who would come out of left field with some new insanity. She has a secret identity, Regina Phalanges, she’s been possessed, she thinks a cat is her mother… need we go on?
Despite all her quirks, Phoebe has delivered some of the most comedic moments on the show (My eyes! My eyes!). But, in the case of Phoebe and the triplets, it’s an incredible arc where Phoebe is building a relationship with her brother Frank that she only recently reconnected with. She ends up being a surrogate for Frank and his ex-teacher/new wife. This story is about giving and receiving, receiving and giving… actually, it’s about Phoebe doing something selfless for someone she loves.
Best: Rachel’s Pregnancy
At the end of season 7, the show left viewers with the cliffhanger of Rachel being pregnant, but we don’t know who the father is. Season 8 rode that wave for a few episodes until she finally tells Ross in episode 3 and the hilarious culmination of how it happens, hey Ken Adams (we’re looking at you, Joey), perfectly underscores Rachel and Ross’s relationship at this point in the series.
Worst: Ross And The Teenager
All of the characters in Friends were simplified down into the lowest denominator of their personalities at some point. For Ross, the arc when he is teaching at NYU shows him at his possible worst. He starts dating a student and tries to fit in by acting her age rather than his own age.
Beyond the slickly ick factor of him dating his student, the show throws in her Dad, guest star Bruce Willis, who then starts dating Rachel. It makes sense that the show would want to capitalize on Matthew Perry working with Willis on The Whole Nine Yards, but it was an arc that didn’t do any favors to Ross.
Worst: Rachel And The Yeti
Rachel has had some major ups and downs in her character arc over 10 seasons, but this arc with her and the neighbor Danny was not so fun to watch. Much of the first half of season 5 was dominated by the Monica/Chandler story, and it feels like the other characters took a backseat for a bit.
Rachel is trying to get over Ross, who said her name at his wedding to Emily (did you say it in Ross’s voice?), and she latches onto the idea of the new neighbor Danny. There’s a regatta gala thrown in the mix, a fog bomb, and very inappropriate bath time with Danny’s sister. All in all, this arc was a bit of a mess, and it felt more like the show couldn’t figure out what to do with Rachel for a bit.
Worst: Ross And Rachel
Ross and Rachel make the list for best and worst arcs on the show because their wishy-washy relationship over the years did sometimes get a little irritating. One of the most annoying arcs was when Rachel can’t get over the fact that they were on a break when Ross slept with someone else.
Sure, it sucked, and it was not a good look for Ross, but, at the same time, it became an annoying crutch for the show. When the crew goes to the beach house and Rachel writes Ross a letter and makes him admit that he was wrong about the break, it’s almost hard to watch as Rachel becomes just a little too self-righteous.
Worst: Janine
Ugh. Who invited her? Friends always had an incredible list of guest stars that would pop into the show for an episode or an arc that took place over the course of a few episodes. There were many guests that hit the right note and even elevated the comedy. Janine, played by Elle MacPherson, moves in with Joey when Chandler moves in with Monica.
There’s nothing wrong with the performance, Janine is just an unlikable character. She acts superior to the rest of the gang and doesn’t like Monica and Chandler. Sorry, but you can’t come in for a few episodes, state that you dislike two of the beloved main characters, and then not expect to get the boot.
Worst: Joey Moves To LA
There were a few reasons why Joey moved to LA at the end of season 10. In the real world, Friends was ending, and the network certainly wanted to cling to any piece of the gem that they could. They created a new show called Joey in which viewers got to watch Joey get an acting opportunity that he couldn’t turn down.
Reality aside, the reason this arc is on the dislike list is that Joey is quintessential New York and out of all of the group, Joey is the one who really values his friendships the most. It felt wrong to take him away from New York and from the other Friends members. Even though Chandler and Monica were moving to the burbs, they would have had a room over the garage for Joey. No doubt about it. His leaving felt like it was the opposite of everything that Joey represented. We’ll just have to image that he moved back once his show was canceled.
