Why did Rachel move in with Joey?

Last Modified Mar 6, 2025 12:57 EST
Why did Rachel move in with Joey?
Rachel and Joey (Source: Screengrab from Friends)


After Phoebe's apartment catches fire in the episode "The One Where Ross Dates A Student" from season six, Rachel moves in with Joey. In the episode "The One With The Holiday Armadillo" of season seven, Phoebe's apartment is badly reconstructed (with only one bedroom), and she ends up enjoying living with Joey so much that she chooses to stay with him.


The American comedy Friends was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. It aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004 lasting for 10 seasons with 236 episodes. The program revolves around six friends in their 20s and early 30s who reside in Manhattan, New York City, and stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer.


Why does Rachel move in with Joey again?

The first half of season nine features Rachel and Ross living together as non-romantic roommates. Following a fight with Ross after Rachel kisses her coworker Gavin (Dermot Mulroney) and gives her number to a man she met at a bar, Rachel moves back in with Joey and leaves Ross.


Read More: In what episode of Friends did Rachel see Joey in the shower


How did Rachel end up living with Joey?


Rachel never had an apartment of her own. She lived with Monica for the first five seasons before moving in with Phoebe. She moves in with Joey after being forced to leave due to the fire. She moves in with Ross after she becomes pregnant when Ross feels excluded. After a fight after Emma's birth, she leaves and spends the remainder of the show with Joey. She likely returns to live with Ross following the series' conclusion.


Did Joey love Rachel?


The storyline of Joey's love for Rachel first appeared in season eight, when Joey discovers he has more than just platonic feelings for his longtime buddy after going out on a date to have some fun with her outside the apartment.


Rachel starts to feel something for Joey at the end of season nine. In season 10, Rachel and Joey had a fleeting effort at romance. They decide to start dating when Joey admits that he still feels something for Rachel. However, they split up in season ten, both because they discover they are not a good match and because Ross is offended by their affair.


Why didn’t Monica end up with Joey?


Although Monica and Joey were supposed to end up together, the show's plot was altered by the actors' on-set chemistry. "Friends" co-creator and executive producer Marta Kauffman told The Hollywood Reporter that as the ensemble members' natural connection grew, many aspects of the show evolved.


Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry), for example, were only meant to be together for a short time before Monica ended up with Joey (Matthew LeBlanc). However, the Joey and Monica narrative was dropped because the audience reacted so favorably to Monica and Chandler's on-screen reunion.



FAQs About Rachel and Joey

  1. In season 10, Rachel and Joey had a fleeting effort at romance. However, they split up in season ten, both because they discover they are not a good match and because Ross is offended by their affair. 


  1.  Following a fight with Ross after Rachel kisses her coworker Gavin (Dermot Mulroney) and gives her number to a man she met at a bar, Rachel moves back in with Joey and leaves Ross.


  1. During dinner, Joey revealed his feelings to Rachel, who had rejected him when she was expecting Ross's daughter Emma. 


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