FRIENDS: Why Joey & Rachel's romance was unnecessary

Over the years, fans of the popular sitcom, Friends, have put forth several grievances concerning the plot of the series. One of the predominant conversations among them chronicles Joey and Rachel's romantic relationship in the concluding season of the show.

Most who watched the show hold the view that the angle was completely unnecessary and did more harm than good to the show. The makers of Friends started hinting at their relationship during seasons eight and nine of the show. However, it was only in season ten that the two got together.

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There was a weird chemistry between Joey & Rachel

Fans of Friends hold differing opinions when it comes to the portrayal of Joey Tribbiani and Rachel Green's relationship on the show. While some think their romantic relationship in seasons eight, nine, and 10 of the show was interesting, others say that it was not required.

In seasons eight and nine, the audience got a glimpse of Joey's increasing fondness towards Rachel, which eventually led him to express his love for her. However, unfortunately, Green turned him down and many thought that the incident was the last time the makers would try to experiment with their relationship. However, to everyone's surprise, things start to take a turn towards the end of season nine when Rachel starts to develop feelings for Joey.

After some back and forth the two eventually got together but their relationship at the beginning of season 10. Soon, the two realized that they were better off as friends, and parted ways. Their relationship did not resurface after that. It was almost as if it never happened.

Fans of the series thought Joey and Rachel's relationship was a bad attempt by the makers to prolong the reunion of Rachel and Ross during the last few episodes of the series.

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Joey & Rachel’s romance was rushed

As mentioned, many thought that Joey and Rachel's relationship was developed as a ploy to lead to Ross and Rachel's relationship towards the end of the show. With the makers hinting at their relationship throughout the final seasons, it seemed a bit unfair to offer the two such little time together.

Joey and Rachel were a couple for approximately three episodes in season 10 of Friends. Even after they broke up, they quickly returned to their former dynamic without any transitional phase, which seemed a bit rushed. The final season then ended with Rachel and Ross getting back together.

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Why Rachel & Joey would have never ended up together

Rachel and Joey would never have ended up together. As mentioned already, the arc chronicling the two's relationship seemed like a ploy to lead to the end of the show where Ross and Rachel get together.

Rachel and Joey's relationship was built up for two seasons but was only explored for a while. Following that, in a matter of few episodes, Rachel professed her love for Ross by "getting off the plane."

Moreover, many feel Rachel and Joey were never really a match. The two were extremely different in terms of their personalities and were not even each other's "type." Although Joey professed his love for Rachel initially, the two never got together. It was only when Rachel started to develop strong feelings toward him that the two started dating.

However, they were not able to date for too long as they discovered that they were incompatible. While discussing why things would not work out between the two, they took the example of Monica and Chandler.

They figured that despite Monica and Chandler being friends before, the two worked so well as a couple because they were not very good friends, which left room for them to know each other through their relationship.

Rachel and Joey on the other hand were extremely close friends. So close, that they even lived together in the same house. This left no room for the two to learn new things about each other as the two already knew everything that they had to.

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Why did they try to put Rachel and Joey together?

Fans think that Rachel and Joey were put together in Friends to do justice to the events in the previous seasons of the show. All through seasons eight and nine of Friends, the makers teased at a romantic relationship between the two. Not giving them a chance at the relationship would only mean that the incidents of the previous seasons were in vain.

Since the show's beginning, Joey and Rachel's relationship has been entirely platonic. The two flirted with each other occasionally but things never went beyond that. It was only in season eight of the show that things started to take a turn. After everyone found out that Rachel was expecting Ross' child, Joey decided to help her out. He first offered to marry her and then eventually took her in to take care of her.

However, both these things were done by him due to his strong friendship with Rachel. It was only when the two started to live together that Joey started falling for her. Unwilling to cause hurt to Rachel and Ross, the actor decided to keep his feelings to himself.

However, when Ross came to know about it, he urged Joey to let his feelings be known. Tribbiani finally reveals his feelings towards Rachel at a restaurant. Unfortunately, she did not reciprocate.

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When and why did Joey and Rachel break up in Friends?

Joey and Rachel broke up in season 10 episode 3 of Friends after failing to get intimate with one another several times in a row and realizing that they were incompatible as a pair. The two were together as a couple for only three episodes.

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All ten episodes of Friends are available on Netflix.