What if Ross and Rachel Hadn't Ended Up Together?

What if Ross and Rachel Hadn't Ended Up Together?

These two were more than just “Friends.” We’re looking at what the show (and our lives) would look like if Ross and Rachel’s romance hadn’t ended in the happily ever after that it did. We’ll also be going even further back to look at what the show would be like if these two had never gotten together in the first place.

“Friends”, starting in 1994, was a show about six buddies living in New York, a successor of sorts to “Seinfeld”. But the way in which “Friends” differed from its predecessor was its focus on the romantic entanglements between characters. From the very first episode, the tension between Ross and Rachel was revealed, setting up ten seasons to come of will-they-won’t-they action. It would be interesting to ask the question: where would “Friends” even be without Ross and Rachel? Would viewers tune in every week if they weren’t desperate to find out what the next step in their relationship was?

Let’s also talk about the extreme amount of cultural influence this couple had on our everyday lives. So many sitcoms that followed in “Friends’” footsteps attempted to capture the Ross and Rachel magic by crafting couples who were outwardly friends, but who the audience could tell had romance in their future. On a more micro level, the way we even frame relationships in our real lives can be traced back to these two. If you’ve ever referred to anyone as “your lobster”, you’ve got Ross and Rachel to credit. And of course, there’s the legacy of the “we were on a break” saga. As you probably remember, in season three, Ross and Rachel decide to take “a break” after incessantly fighting about Rachel’s coworker, Mark. That very night, Ross sleeps with another woman, and began the dialogue of what a break really constitutes. Even today, you’ll be able to drum up a heated argument among fans if you ask them who was right, Ross or Rachel. Okay obviously Rachel, but that’s neither here nor there.

But let’s talk about the characters themselves, and where they would have ended up had their romance been halted at various points throughout the series. How would the rest of the series had looked, for example, if Ross hadn’t said Rachel’s name instead of Emily’s at the altar? Though she was a little high strung, before this mishap on their wedding day, Ross and Emily’s relationship seemed pretty promising. Yes, they may have rushed into things a little, but Ross was always looking for someone to settle down with. They could have easily lived happily ever after and Rachel probably would have gotten over the whole thing relatively quickly. Of course, this would have made for very dull television. Ross’s life would have taken a totally different trajectory, and maybe he would have even ended up living in England rather than New York. Following that logic, he may have even lost touch with most of the group over time, embracing his new life with Emily. Let’s just say, we’re pretty grateful that’s not how things panned out.

If Ross had been happily married to Emily, he definitely wouldn’t have gotten married to Rachel at the end of season five when they were both drunk in Vegas. That would mean that they wouldn’t have to end their marriage– and that Ross wouldn’t have three divorces under his belt at such a young age. We won’t go as far as to say he would never get divorced again, because that seems to be inevitable for him.

If Ross did stay with Emily though, what would have become of Rachel’s love life? Is there any way that if Ross wasn’t in the picture, things may have worked out between Rachel and Joey? Fans almost universally hated this pairing because it just felt so unnatural, and we would agree that these two weren’t destined for true love regardless of the circumstances.

Now of course, one thing worth mentioning is that whether you ship Ross and Rachel together or not, if their relationship didn’t progress past the early seasons, they never would have had Emma. And in fact, by the time Rachel finds out she’s pregnant at the end of season seven, things seem to have cooled off between her and Ross. Having a baby together definitely rekindles their romance, and brings them closer together.

But now let’s ask a different question. Let’s say that Ross and Rachel’s relationship was exactly the same throughout the entire series leading up to the final episode. If you’re a fan (or even if you’re not) you probably know that Rachel famously gets off the plane and abandons her dream job in order to be with Ross. If “Friends” were made today however, would the creators have kept this fairy tale ending? Or would they have gone with something a little more progressive? I think we can safely say that in 2018, Rachel would have stayed on the darn plane and pursued her career with Louis Vuitton. Her career in the fashion industry is really important to her, and it seems like it’s finally her chance to make it big. Considering today’s social and political climate, having her choose her job over her relationship would be a no brainer.

And so where would things stand if Ross and Rachel didn’t get back together in the end? In all likelihood, Rachel’s life would probably be pretty great. She’d be working with a famous fashion house in Paris with her daughter by her side. Ross consistently held her back in her work life while they were dating, and she only thrived after they broke up the first time. Who knows, maybe having the Atlantic Ocean between her and Ross would help her find a healthy, functional relationship with someone new. Because let’s be real, even if we may have loved them together for the entertainment value, it’s pretty obvious with some perspective that Ross and Rachel weren’t exactly right for eachother, nor did they treat each other very well. Feel free to disagree, but we’re going to say that Rachel would probably be better off without him!

What do you think? Would Ross and Rachel have been better off apart? Let us know in the comments!