While Friends has been off the air for some time now, people just can’t stop quoting the show and binging reruns. Since a reboot or revival isn’t coming any time soon, all we can do is re-live our favorite moments of the show and continue analyzing the characters’ lives.
Rachel Green is the gang’s resident fashionista, later known for her signature haircut. Throughout the course of the show, she removes herself from the privilege of her father’s money and re-takes her independence by proving she can make it on her own. In between her on-again, off-again relationship with Ross, she goes through many different dating experiences. Some are good, while others are just… not.
Josh
Josh is one of Rachel’s earlier boyfriends, and he is one that simply isn’t right for her at that stage in her life. Josh is younger and likes to spend his time partying, which is something he does plenty of. He’s interested in the physical parts of the relationship, but that’s about where it ends.
He doesn’t bring much personality to the show, which makes him arguably Rachel’s most forgettable boyfriend. Plus, he actually steals from her, which easily makes him the worst person she dates.
Chip Matthews
When Monica and Rachel were in high school, Chip was Rachel’s boyfriend. At one point, he dumped her for another girl on Thanksgiving because he heard that the new girl was promiscuous. After that went nowhere, he asked Rachel to take him back, which she was happy to do. They went to prom together, even though he showed up late, and then he abandoned her there to go and sleep with another girl. All in all, this guy was a jerk.
Later in the show, Chip goes on a date with Monica and she realizes he is still the same jerk he was in high school, complete with the same job.
Kash
Kash is someone who is only part of the show for one episode, but he doesn’t prove himself to be one of her most likable either. This brief relationship takes place when Rachel is pregnant, which is a period when she actually doubts herself a little in terms of confidence.
That isn’t helped by Kash. When Rachel reveals that she is pregnant, Kash doesn’t react very well and that is why they don’t end up staying together. This proves that they’re not a good match together and that Kash himself isn’t a great partner for her.
Paolo
In season one, episode seven, The One With the Blackout, Ross is attacked by a cat. Rachel meets Paolo when the feline in question turns out to be his cat. She is immediately attracted to him and starts dating him, angering Ross, who is incredibly jealous. However, despite his good looks and lust-worthy Italian heritage, Paolo isn’t the one for Rachel.
He proves this when he makes a pass at Phoebe, thus ending his romantic endeavors with Rachel and helping her realize she deserves better.
Tommy
Played hilariously by Ben Stiller, there’s very little to like about Tommy, who is well-known as ‘The Screamer’ within the show. He is only part of the series for one episode, but he certainly makes his mark, and not in a positive manner.
Tommy has major temper issues, being unable to control his reactions to different situations. When something goes wrong, or against him, Tommy completely loses his cool and often goes on a major rant. While it takes the full episode for Rachel to see that for herself when she does, this relationship quickly comes to an end.
Barry Farber
In the show’s pilot episode, we meet Rachel when she arrives at Central Perk having just left her fiance at the altar. That fiance is Barry Farber. It turns out that Barry had been having an affair with Rachel’s best friend, Mindy, who was supposed to also be their maid of honor. Mindy and Barry end up going on the honeymoon they had planned.
Rachel hooks up with him again later on but ends up telling Mindy about it and the two confront him. He later marries Mindy, but can’t make that one last, either. Something about having multiple affairs really makes a guy look bad, you know?
Russ
This is the guy Rachel briefly dates in season two, episode ten, The One With Russ. However, it’s clear that Russ is literally the same person as Ross, down to the looks and mannerisms. Fun fact: he’s even played by David Schwimmer, but he chose to use an alias in the credits to keep things mysterious.
The conversation between Russ and Ross is hilariously painful. Rachel doesn’t realize the similarity at first, much to the shock of everyone else. In fact, she just thinks he looks like Bob Saget. But once she sees it, she can’t unsee it and the relationship is over. Her dating someone who is exactly like Ross makes it clear that she still has feelings for Ross.
Danny (The Yeti)
Danny is actually a very kind and caring individual, who showcases that throughout his time dating Rachel. While they don’t get off on the best footing, with Rachel and Monica actually using a bug bomb against him as he looks like ‘The Yeti’ after his time in the Andes.
However, when they eventually get into a relationship, he is attentive and wants to spend time with Rachel, seemingly ticking every possible box for her. However, his incredibly close relationship with his sister is what puts her off, and ultimately, that is the right call for this particular relationship.
Mark Robinson
Mark is basically an obstacle that comes between Ross and Rachel. He’s a key factor in the whole “were they on a break?” controversy. In season three, Mark gets Rachel her job at Bloomingdale’s, which ultimately launches her career in fashion. However, Mark has a crush on Rachel and makes Ross extremely jealous.
This leads to the first break up, and Rachel starts dating Mark. But she realizes she’s only dating him to get back at Ross, which is extremely toxic for everyone involved, and they break up. Later on, at the end of the series, it’s Mark who gets Rachel the job in Paris, but she decides to stay in New York with Ross.
Tag
While Tag is younger than Rachel, he’s super fun and really attractive, and he really likes Rachel. But even hiring him as her assistant in the first place (in season seven) because he’s attractive is not a good move on Rachel’s part. He’s really not qualified for the job, but he’s “pretty.”
However fun and pretty he is, though, Tag just isn’t on the same maturity level as his older girlfriend. Eventually, on her 30th birthday, Rachel realizes she should be with someone she actually has a future with, and they part ways.
Joey Tribbiani
Let’s be clear: We love Joey, but he is not suited for Rachel and their whole relationship is awkward. For many fans, this entire plotline was cringe-worthy and a terrible decision. Some fans did support the union, but it ultimately wasn’t meant to be.
Joey develops feelings for Rachel in season eight, but it’s not until season ten that Rachel returns them. He would be a good boyfriend for her in theory, because he cares so much about her and accepts her for who she is (something Ross tends to have trouble doing). They try things out as a couple but somehow can’t get past kissing and don’t have any sexual chemistry between them. Also, Ross really isn’t okay with the union even though he pretends he is. So there’s that, too.
Paul Stevens
Paul is really great for Rachel. He appears in season six when Ross starts dating one of his students (Paul’s daughter, Elizabeth). He’s cool and tough and he and Rachel genuinely have a good time together. He even takes her to his mother’s cabin for a little getaway.
Of course, he’s mean to Ross, but that’s understandable because he’s being a protective father. However, Rachel seems to break him when she convinces him to open up about his emotions. All she wants is to know a little more about him, but instead, she unleashes the floodgates and can’t close them again.
Gavin
When Gavin and Rachel initially interact, they don’t get along and Gavin doesn’t come across well in the slightest. He is rude about taking over her job due to her maternity leave, but when Rachel gets to know Gavin properly, he begins to show a much softer side to himself.
This period of time when Rachel is struggling proves to be the exact time Gavin is needed. He helps pick up her confidence and he truly cares about her. It is just not the right time for them to actually be in a relationship, which is a shame, as he’s someone who had great potential.
Joshua
Rachel and Joshua could be really good together, but Rachel blows it because she’s so obsessed with Ross and Emily’s relationship. When the two meet in season four, Joshua is a newly divorced guy who wants to take things slow. He’s really nice and seems genuine, but Rachel can’t get over the fact that Ross and Emily are speeding through their new relationship. Once Ross and Emily reveal their plans to get married, Rachel is irked.
She tries really hard to get Joshua’s attention and eventually scares him away when she starts talking about marriage, which tends to be a trigger word for newly divorced people. When Joshua tries to come back to give things a second chance, Rachel answers the door in a wedding dress and that’s a wrap on this relationship.
Ross Geller
Whether you love or hate Rachel and Ross together, it’s pretty commonly accepted that Ross is Rachel’s endgame. Ross has loved Rachel since high school. Despite his many relationships and marriages, Rachel is the one who is always on his mind. Rachel also has a strong love for Ross.
The two go through some pretty terrible ups and downs, from the question of whether they were really on a break to the extreme jealousy on both sides, but that shows the struggles that people face in some relationships. The fact that they share a child helps cement the fact that they are endgame. In the words of Phoebe, he’s her lobster.
