Ranking the 10 Best Couples on ‘Friends’
Over the course of 10 seasons, the only things the central six characters in Friends went through more than Central Perk coffee were significant others.
Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Chandler (Matthew Perry), and Ross (David Schwimmer) proved to be a revolving door of fleeting flings, long-term relationships, drunken Las Vegas marriages, and every shade of bad date in between.
The show, which premiered 30 years ago on September 22, 1994, defined the era of “will they/won’t they?” romances with Rachel and Ross’ on-again, off-again relationship. It made audiences fall in love with the unexpected pairing of detailed-oriented Monica and sarcasm-machine Chandler.
Yes, it was a show about friendship. But it was also a show about love in its many forms. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Friends, we ranked the top 10 couples from the series.
10. Frank Jr. and Alice
Phoebe is initially – and rightfully – unsure of younger brother Frank Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi) dating his much older former teacher, Alice (Debra Jo Rupp). But after one episode watching this odd pair, there was no doubting their love. What’s so beautiful about them is that Alice could have been a lesson Frank Jr. had to learn to grow up. A memory of youth looked back on with fond memories. But when you looked past the aggressive PDA and their rush into marriage, these two were completely committed to one another in ways some of us wish we could find. When they ask Phoebe to be the surrogate for their children, it just solidified how devoted they were to each other and their little family.
9. Jack and Judy
Monica and Ross’ sibling bond was always central to the core group dynamic, so it made sense why their parents were a part of so many key moments in the series’ past and present. Jack (Elliott Gould) and Judy (Christina Pickles) were there for the prom tape. They were there for the secret-laden Thanksgiving dinner with the bad English trifle. They were also there for all those fateful Thanksgivings in the past. What that showed us was that their love was built to last. None of these storylines were about their toxic marriage or wandering eyes. It was about them being a steady presence in the lives of their children for 30 years, supporting Ross unconditionally and criticizing Monica unrelentingly. But there was always love between them and for their kids. It was the kind of romance everyone else on the show was looking for.
8. Monica and Pete
In the brief era where Monica worked as a waitress at a 50s-themed diner, it took some convincing but she finally gave in to the advances of her relentless customer Pete (Jon Favreau) and went on a date. The man had a few things going for him: He was kind, attentive, and he was a millionaire who could fly her to Paris on a whim. The problem was, rich people always want more, and Pete wanted something even more elusive than money — he wanted to be the Ultimate Fighting Champion. His persistence to be the best, in a sport he wasn’t particularly good at, doomed their relationship because Monica didn’t want to sit by and watch him get bloodied to a pulp every night. Outside the ring though, he treated Monica like a queen, and she got to quit the diner for his restaurant, even if that never came to fruition when they broke up.
7. Phoebe and David
When Phoebe called out two nerdy scientists for talking over her music in Central Perk, she wasn’t aware that she was meeting who she would, for a time, refer to as the love of her life. David (Hank Azaria) was perfect for our kooky Pheebs, a shy chemist who was yanked out of his periodic table life by her free spirit. Their story was cut short when he got a research job in Minsk right after they met, but they left such a deep impression on each other, they continued to meet throughout the show’s run.
6. Rachel and Joey
Were they really that bad? No. Did they decide to give into their attraction for one another in the thick of Ross and Rachel reunion fever? Yes. So of course the masses saw Joey as a bump in the road more than an actual romantic prospect. But 20 years later, it would actually have been interesting to see what more time with this couple would have looked like. He loved her so much. He was basically Emma’s second dad, and they were steamy when it counted. The stars just couldn’t align for these two like they did for some of their other friends.
5. Janice and Chandler
Yes, some viewers groan when Janice (Maggie Wheeler) comes on screen and, sure, she had a voice that sometimes only dogs could hear. But growing up means finally realizing that Janice was the best! She was funny, she kept everyone on their toes, and she adored Chandler in ways that even he struggled to appreciate until it was too late. He did have to flee to Yemen that one time to get away from her, but she also knew when needed to cut and run from him later. She gets a bad rap, but Janice deserves her flowers for putting up with this group and some of Chandler’s harder-to-love qualities.
4. Rachel and Ross
For a moment in time, Rachel and Ross were the biggest pop culture couple in the world. Their ups and downs, and the everlasting debate on whether they were on a break, are the stuff of TV legend today. They don’t rank higher here because, to be honest, it all got a little tired by the end. And we still aren’t convinced Rachel ditching the plane and her dream job in Paris to run back into his arms was the right move. But all that being said, those early days of their flirtatious looks in the laundromat, the missed opportunities of their youth, and that kiss in the rainy doorway of Central Perk were incredibly effective in building a couple you wanted to root for — even when they didn’t make it easy.
3. Monica and Richard
Let’s put this out there right away: We love Monica and Chandler (as you will see below). But we would be lying if we didn’t ponder the possibilities of what Monica’s life would have been like if she had made it work with Richard (Tom Selleck). Forget the age gap: Who can blame Monica for falling for her parents’ ophthalmologist friend? Selleck in the ’90s was almost too handsome to look directly at. You almost needed those special glasses they give you at the eye doctor. Richard was also an effortlessly cool grown up, which stood out among the 20-somethings Monica and the rest of the gang were dating at the time. He was the man you make a life with, and had he wanted kids like Monica, her life might look very different.
2. Phoebe and Mike
Few episodes of Friends are funnier than Phoebe meeting the hoity-toity parents of Mike (Paul Rudd). For one, it showed just how Phoebe saw the world around her, from a kid living on a street to an adult finding her place in a middle-class adulthood. She was still figuring it out when this handsome piano player swept her off her feet, and then made her meet his parents who dismissed everything about her. Mike’s rebuke of their concerns was a chivalrous move, but Phoebe understanding who she is and standing up for it made her ready for the serious and life-changing love that she found with Mike. The comedic energy that percolated between Kudrow and Rudd was so engaging as a viewer, you couldn’t help but cry when they got married in the street outside Central Perk in a snowstorm. No one could have loved Princess Consuela Banana Hammock quite like Crap Bag.
1. Chandler and Monica
The fun part about rewatching Friends is being in on the secret that even its characters didn’t yet know — that Monica and Chandler were meant for each other. The big reveal of them in bed together in London was the kind of leap-off-your-couch twist that great loves should inspire. Whereas Rachel and Ross were linked for the audience in Episode 1, the satisfaction of Monica and Chandler’s burgeoning romance came from four seasons of getting to know them. Getting to know how they were drastically different, and why that made them a perfect match. By their wedding in Season 7, they became the driving force of the series, the familiar center around which everyone else orbited. Many shows would try to tear them apart to keep things interesting, and one reappearance by Richard nearly did. But by that point, watching them struggle wouldn’t have been exciting as a viewer. Watching their true love deepen was so much more rewarding.
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