Yahoo News 'Friends' Couples Ranked From Best to Worst
When it comes to the 236 episodes of “Friends,” many of the couples have dedicated fanbases. Some strongly believe that Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) were the best pair from the start, while others insist that best-friends-turned-soulmates Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) were the most compatible of all.
More from Variety
Of course, Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) and Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) each had their own romances to write home about — from David and Mike to Kathy and Janine. But which pair tops them all?
Variety looks back at 34 pairings from the 10 seasons of the NBC sitcom, which aired from 1994 to 2004, ranking them from worst to best.
34. Rachel and Paolo
It was pretty clear from the start that Paolo (Cosimo Fusco) would be only a fling for Rachel, but when he made a pass at Phoebe? Goodbye. (Choosing to ignore Rachel’s one night with him after that!)
33. Rachel and Barry
Although “Friends” began after Rachel left Barry Farber, DDS (Mitchell Whitfield) on their wedding day, they briefly rekindled their relationship… even though he was marrying her maid of honor. Rachel then even served as her maid of honor. But also, he used to make out with her sister? Gross.
32. Joey and Ursula
The only sweet moment between Joey and Ursula was when Phoebe was pretending to be Ursula in order to end the relationship so that Joey wouldn’t be ghosted!
31. Ross and Emily
If there could be a negative spot on this list, Emily (Helen Baxendale) and Ross would be on it. Joey had a gallon of milk in his fridge longer than they got to know each other before saying “I do.” Was it out of character for Ross to say Rachel’s name at the altar? How would Emily know? She didn’t even know this man!
30. Rachel and Danny
The Yeti (George Newbern) appeared in three episodes, first fogging Rachel then finally, going out with her thanks to Monica making the push. It ended as quickly as it started, though, due to his creepy relationship with his sister.
29. Ross and Carol
This may be the only relationship that Ross isn’t responsible for ruining. Ross and Carol (Jane Sibbett) split because they had one very similar interest: women. Plus, despite leaving him for Susan, he still walked her down the aisle at her wedding so their friendship surpasses all romance.
28. Ross and Elizabeth
The fact that Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden) was in five episodes is still baffling; the only reason this relationship had any value is that it brought us Paul (Bruce Willis). Dr. Gellar made many poor choices; dating a 20-year-old student (when he was 32) was definitely one of them.
27. Ross and Bonnie
Poor Bonnie. Christine Taylor’s ball of energy was always too much fun for Ross anyway, but the fact that he was repulsed by her after she shaves her head, and then cheated on her by kissing Rachel… while they were all away for a weekend in Long Island? Only Ross.
26. Joey and Janine
Joey’s loyalty to his friends runs deep… so deep that he broke up with (and kicked out!) the girl (Elle Macpherson) he chased for weeks because she didn’t like Chandler and Monica.
25. Ross and Julie
From the moment viewers saw Julie (Lauren Tom) step off the plane with Ross, we all knew it was doomed. They moved fast (it is Ross after all), and nearly adopted a cat together. But Ross dropped her immediately once he found out Rachel was pining over him. Well, not immediately… he first cheated on her by kissing Rachel.
24. Rachel and Joshua
Rachel couldn’t help falling for Josh-you-a (Tate Donovan) while fitting him for suits at Bloomingdale’s. But even though he stayed when she wore her nighty to dinner with his parents, he ran away from her fast when she pulled a Ross and started talking about marriage a few dates in.
23. Monica and Bobby
Fun Bobby (Vincent Ventresca) with a drinking problem was never The One for Monica, but he was fun while it lasted… until he accused Monica of having a problem.
22. Rachel and Gavin
One of the biggest unsolved mysteries of “Friends” is what happened to Gavin Mitchell (Dermot Mulroney) after his kiss with Rachel. Did Super Gavin stay at Ralph Lauren? Anyway, these two had a fun banter, and could have had something — if not for the complications with Ross!
21. Joey and Charlie
Charlie (Aisha Tyler) was kissing Ross within five minutes of breaking up with Joey. That’s all.
20. Rachel and Tag
Another “Friends” unsolved mystery alert: Did Tag Jones (Eddie Cahill) get fired as Rachel’s assistant after she dumped him? Tag was a good guy, even risking his job for her. Ultimately, it was a timing issue – she ended it because she wanted to start a family, and he was 24. Clearly, she made the right choice. A few episodes later, Tag reappeared asking to get back together. When she told him she was pregnant, he disappeared.
19. Monica and Pete
Although Jon Favreau’s character was absolutely hysterical and he had quite a bank account, he was never a match for Monica. But kudos to her for giving it a fair try — then walking away when she knew it wasn’t it!
18. Joey and Kate
Dina Meyer’s actress played too many games with Joey — and when she finally started to like him, she left town.
17. Phoebe and Eric
OK, it was always creepy that Phoebe dated her sister’s ex-fiancé, played by Sean Penn, even if it was just for a day.
16. Phoebe and Gary
Gary (Michael Rapaport) had so much potential, and was the first man Phoebe was actually ready to move in with… until he killed an animal in front of her. (Obviously, he did not know her well enough to ask her to move in.)
15. Joey and Kathy
Since this romance was basically a primer for Chandler to find love, that makes it fun. But clearly, Kathy (Paget Brewster) and Joey weren’t as compatible as her next romance. I mean, he bought her a pen for her birthday.
14. Ross and Mona
Mona (Bonnie Somerville) and Ross were cute – she showed interest in his odd taffy facts! – right until they weren’t. She should have run for the hills the first time he hid the tiny fact that Rachel was pregnant with his child. Another red flag for Mona should have been when Ross couldn’t have the “where are we” talk. Luckily, after he lied about Rachel moving in, she was out. (Also, she should have kept the pink shirt.)
13. Rachel and Paul
This neat guy, whose daughter dated Ross, unfortunately, had no experience in therapy processing his feelings… so, it’s a no. (Fun fact: Bruce Willis ended up on the show after losing a bet with Perry during “Whole Nine Yards.”)
12. Chandler and Janice
Was Janice (Maggie Wheeler) annoying? Sure. Was she also a safe landing place for Chandler? Yes… right until he moved to Yemen to avoid the breakup conversation.
11. Ross and Charlie
This is the perfect example of how what works on paper doesn’t always work in real life. Ross hooked up with her minutes after she and Joey broke up and she went back to her (unstable!) ex pretty quickly after seeing him again.
10. Chandler and Kathy
This relationship started with Kathy cheating on Joey with Chandler and ended with Kathy cheating on Chandler with her costar… even though he was a tiny bit to blame. Still, it was pretty sweet to see Chandler completely head over heels — and there’s never been a sexier haircut.
9. Frank and Alice
Giovanni Ribisi and Debra Jo Rupp’s Frank and Alice may have been many years apart in age, but their love and quirkiness couldn’t have been more charming.
8. Rachel and Joey
Although one of the most controversial romances in the show, it’s not the worst. In fact, these two kind of made sense and were cute together (sorry, not sorry)! My biggest complaint is that if the writers actually wanted to try a Joey-Rachel relationship, that should have happened long before the final season.
7. Carol and Susan
One of the longest-lasting couples on the show was Carol and Susan (Jessica Hecht), who seemed to easily get along from the moment Carol left Ross for her. Plus, their wedding was the first lesbian wedding to air on American TV!
6. Monica and Richard
Much like Phoebe and David (see next entry), Monica and Richard (Tom Selleck) never quite had timing on their side. Like many, he didn’t want to settle to get married again or have more children… until he got jealous that she was ready to do so with Chandler.
5. Phoebe and David
To be honest, timing was Phoebe and David’s (Hank Azaria) biggest obstacle. As he says, maybe if he hadn’t have lost all that time to Minsk!
4. Ross and Rachel
An unhealthy relationship at best, most of Ross and Rachel’s sweetest moments were when they weren’t actually dating. When they were, it was mostly a mess — pros and cons lists, messy breaks and so much jealousy. Sure, Ross was Rachel’s lobster, but on the compatibility scale, they fall short.
3. Judy and Jack
After more than three decades together, Monica and Ross’ parents Judy (Christine Pickles) and Jack (Elliott Gould) still couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Gross to Monica and Ross but amazing to the rest of us.
2. Chandler and Monica
Sometimes what you want is in front of you all along. On second (or third, or 10th) watch, Chandler and Monica were noticeably draped over one another from the start. While strictly friends — she explicitly said she’d barely sleep with him if he were the last man on Earth — they always had full trust and love for one other as individuals. That meant that their drunken hook up in London easily transitioned into a life partnership.
1. Phoebe and Mike
“Wonderfully weird,” as Mike (Paul Rudd) put it in his vows, this couple proved that love definitely isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Despite coming from opposite backgrounds and at first, not wanting the same futures, Phoebe and Mike were meant to be from the moment Joey accidentally set them up.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
