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.
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
FRIENDS, Matt LeBlanc, Elle MacPherson, ‘The One With The Routine
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 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.
