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Thinking about iconic TV couples, Rachel Green and Ross Geller from Friends come to mind. They are a good example of a complex yet adorable relationship. These two go through it all during the show's ten seasons - laughs, tears, and moments that stick with fans.
What was the love story of Rachel and Ross on Friends all about and what all went down during its course? Let's take a trip down memory lane, starting with Ross' schoolyard crush to when they finally get their act together.
Here's a lowdown on their rollercoaster romance on Friends.
Ross and Rachel's relationship timeline on Friends
1) Ross’ high school crush
Ross's crush on Rachel goes all the way back to their high school days when he had a secret thing for his sister Monica's BFF. Rachel had no clue about it though.
In one episode of Friends Season 10, "The One Where the Stripper Cries," there's a flashback where Ross tries to kiss Rachel at a college party, but ends up kissing Monica instead.
And then in a Season 2 flashback, in "The One with the Prom Video," Ross comes to Rachel's rescue when she's left without a prom date. It shows how much he cared for her, even back then.
2) Seasons 1-2 saw their budding romance and heartbreak
Rachel's drama as a runaway bride in the very first episode of Friends brought her crashing back into Ross's world. Although Ross kind of hinted that he had feelings for her right from the start, Rachel was all caught up with this guy named Paolo, so their love story had to wait a bit.
But you could feel the sparks flying between them in those early moments, like when they kissed in the laundromat episode. Then, when Ross came back from China in the second season with a new girlfriend, Julie, Rachel started to see Ross in a different light. That's when she realized she had feelings for him too.
They shared their first kiss in the episode where Ross finds out, but things got complicated when he made that infamous pros and cons list about Rachel and Julie in "The One with the List." He couldn't decide who to pick for real love.
3) Seasons 3-4 were the “we were on a break” era
In Friends Season 3, Ross and Rachel's relationship is a rollercoaster of jealousy and misunderstandings. Ross' fears about Rachel's co-worker, Mark, came to a head in the episode everyone remembers, "The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break." That was the moment that shook their whole thing to its core.
Then, in Friends Season 4, they both tried to heal by seeing other people—Rachel started dating this guy named Joshua, and Ross, well, he ended up with Emily. But things got super dramatic at Ross and Emily's wedding in London. It was the big day, right? And in the heat of the moment, Ross accidentally called out Rachel's name when he should've said Emily.
Talk about an awkward silence in the room! That's the kind of stuff you can't just ignore. It changed their relationship forever.
4) Seasons 5-8 saw a marriage, parenthood, and complications
Ross's marriage to Emily fell apart because he couldn't shake off his feelings for Rachel. Then, in Friends Season 5, Rachel and Ross ended up in a surprise situation when they got hitched while they were both tipsy in Vegas ("The One in Vegas").
And, yep, you guessed it, they had to go through another divorce in Season 6. The show got emotional in Season 8 when Rachel dropped the bomb that she was expecting Ross's baby ("The One with the Red Sweater").
They started to deal with being parents together, which brought them closer, but they weren't a couple again. It was a bit of a rollercoaster as they figured out their relationship while facing these new challenges.
5) Season 9-10 was the final chapter
In Friends Season 9, Rachel and Joey had a little fling, which mixed things up with Ross. But, deep down, Rachel and Ross's bond just kept on going strong. In the big finale episode called "The Last One," Rachel had to decide between her heart and a dream job in Paris.
Spoiler alert: she picked Ross over the job, and they finally got back together.
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Friends is on HBO Max, so enjoy Rachel and Ross's love story there!
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