. But one of my particular opinions ? The Joey-and-Rachel storyline wasn't bad. In fact, it tracked, and I wholeheartedly stand by it.us to root for Ross. They set him up as the underdog who has been obsessing over the popular girl since their teenage days. The will-they-wont-they of it all and the"we were on a break" arcs propel seasons of the sitcom and act as one of the show's main emotional heartbeats. Ross and Rachel’s chemistry is undeniably palpable .
But Ross and Rachel aren't a good couple. If they were your real life friends, you'd call them toxic behind their backs. He's jealous, they have very little in common—other than their friends—and he constantly wants Rachel to fit into the perfect version of her that he created when they were just high schoolers—career aspirations be damned. Fans have, in hindsight, collectively decided that Ross is deeply problematic, but still, we cheered when Rachel got off the plane for him.
Which is why it's jarring when the show makes a left turn into Joey territory. The writers first dipped their toes into the Joey-Rachel storyline in season 8, aptly titled, “The One Where Joey Dates Rachel.” He takes Rachel out because she misses the romance of dating. It’s very sweet and kicks off a series of episodes where Joey must grapple with his growing feelings for one of his best friends who also happens to be pregnant with his other best friend’s baby.
That brings us to season 10, widely believed to be the show’s worst. But I don’t think it’s right to fully discredit the Joey-Rachel arc because of the larger faults and lazy writing of the overall season. It makes sense that Rachel would develop a thing for Joey. They’ve spent years living together; he’s supported her through pregnancy and as a new mom in ways that Ross was never able to; he’s charming and good looking; and they have a much similar outlook on life.
It was the worst and I pretend it never existed...like my ex🤷🏽♀️