5 Friends Relationships That Should’ve Lasted Longer

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The TV show Friends famously ended with most of the characters paired up. Ross and Rachel finally got together, while Monica and Chandler moved to the suburbs to start a family. Phoebe also found lasting love with Mike. However, throughout the show’s ten seasons, some relationships didn’t get the attention they deserved, and it was nice to see the core group find happiness. Only Joey was still single when the series concluded.

While the final couples on Friends provided a heartwarming conclusion, several earlier relationships also had potential. Over the show’s ten seasons, Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey all dated various people, and a few of those romances deserved a longer run.

1. Joey Tribbiani & Rachel Green

Joey and Rachel remained close friends throughout the entire series. However, during season eight of Friends, Joey developed romantic feelings for Rachel while they were living together and she was pregnant with Ross’s baby. Joey confided in Ross about his feelings, which was awkward for Ross given his past relationship with Rachel. Despite this, Ross encouraged Joey to explore his feelings and pursue a relationship with Rachel if he wanted to.

Joey confessed his feelings to Rachel, but she rejected him. There was a funny misunderstanding after Rachel had her baby where she thought Joey was proposing, and she said yes! They didn’t actually get engaged, though. Later, in season nine, the situation flipped – Rachel found herself attracted to Joey after dreaming about kissing him.

Joey began dating Charlie Wheeler, a paleontology professor, but it became clear she was more compatible with Ross. After Joey and Charlie split up during a trip to Barbados, Joey realized Rachel had romantic feelings for him, but he didn’t reciprocate, wanting to respect Ross’s feelings. However, when he unexpectedly saw Ross kissing Charlie, he changed his mind and kissed Rachel.

In the tenth season of Friends, Joey and Rachel tried dating, which was complicated by Ross’s feelings. They quickly discovered they were better suited as friends than as a couple because they couldn’t develop a romantic connection. Ultimately, Rachel and Joey stayed close friends, and the series concluded with Rachel and Ross rekindling their relationship.

Honestly, looking back, I think the show really dropped the ball with Rachel and Joey. They should have ended up together! They just fit so well, and the fact that they started as friends made their connection feel so much more real and solid. They genuinely understood each other on a level nobody else did. Plus, Joey was amazing with Emma, Ross and Rachel’s daughter – he loved her like she was his own kid, and that was really sweet to watch.

As a longtime viewer, I always figured Friends would end with Rachel and Ross together, but honestly, it was a mistake. Their whole relationship was messy, and let’s not forget Ross’s betrayal – even if it was during a break! It felt very much like a classic 20-something romance: lots of drama, not a lot of stability. Looking back, the connection Rachel had with Joey felt far more grounded and mature, especially considering they were both in their 30s. It was a more believable, healthier pairing, and I think the show would have benefited from going that route.

Ross always considered Rachel the great love of his life, but she didn’t feel the same way. Meanwhile, Joey was deeply in love with Rachel, and she returned his feelings. They had a strong connection and seemed like a perfect match that could have gone the distance.

2. Chandler Bing & Janice Litman-Goralnik

A recurring joke in Friends revolved around Janice (Maggie Wheeler) constantly showing up in Chandler’s life, even though he found her irritating as a partner. They dated briefly in the first season, with Chandler breaking up with her and then asking her out again on New Year’s Eve, only to break up with her once more. Later, she surprisingly ended up as his blind date on Valentine’s Day, but Chandler ended things again after that night. Surprisingly, Janice reacted calmly, insisting Chandler was secretly in love with her, he just hadn’t realized it yet.

During the second season of Friends, Chandler became worried about ending up alone after the death of their neighbor, Mr. Heckles. He attempted to get back together with Janice, only to discover she was married and expecting a daughter. Later in the season, Chandler connected with someone online, and was shocked to find out it was Janice – and that her husband was being unfaithful.

In the third season, Chandler and Janice rekindled their romance and appeared to be building a lasting relationship, even expressing their love for each other. Unfortunately, Joey unexpectedly caught Janice kissing her husband, leading to a breakup initiated by Chandler, who didn’t want to disrupt her family life. In a dramatic turn, Janice then confessed to Chandler that she believed he was her soulmate.

Janice returned in Season 4, fresh off a divorce, and briefly rekindled things with Chandler. He soon regretted it, even going so far as to pretend he was moving to Yemen to end the relationship. While Chandler eventually started dating Monica, Janice continued to pop up unexpectedly in their lives.

Chandler mistakenly gave Monica a mixtape that originally came from Janice, which led to an awkward situation when Janice invited herself to their wedding and Chandler had to pretend he still had feelings for her. Their paths continued to cross in surprising ways: Janice and Rachel both had babies around the same time and even shared a hospital room, Janice went to the same fertility clinic as Chandler and Monica, and she almost bought the house next door to them, again requiring Chandler to feign attraction to her.

As a huge Friends fan, I always felt a little sad about Chandler and Janice. He definitely had his moments where he couldn’t stand her, but honestly, she was the first woman he truly loved. She was so good to him, and he felt that too. Everyone agrees Chandler and Monica were the show’s power couple, and they were amazing, but part of me always wondered what could have been with Chandler and Janice. They really could have been together forever, you know? “Oh my God!” it’s just a thought!

3. Phoebe Buffay & David

David, played by Hank Azaria, was a kind but shy and awkward scientist – a stark contrast to the direct and confident Phoebe. They first met in the first season when David accidentally interrupted Phoebe’s performance at Central Perk, prompting her to angrily ask what he wanted. He immediately charmed her by telling her she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and they started dating. However, their relationship ended when David had to move to Minsk, Belarus for his research on breaking down tiny particles.

David visited Minsk during both seasons 7 and 9 of the show. The second time around, he discovered his research couldn’t work out, so he asked Phoebe to marry him. Unfortunately, Phoebe had already said yes to Mike, and that was that.

Phoebe and Mike eventually found happiness together, but their relationship hit a rough patch when Mike hesitated to remarry after his divorce, leading to a temporary split. Meanwhile, David was completely devoted to Phoebe and would have been a steadfast, loving husband. He truly admired her, and after everything she’d faced, she deserved someone who saw her as special. Many felt Phoebe and David were a perfect match.

4. Monica Geller & Pete Becker

Pete (played by Jon Favreau) was a wealthy man who met Monica on Friends while she was a waitress at the Moondance Diner. He immediately fell for her, but she didn’t feel the same way at first. He later offered her a job at a restaurant he owned, which she initially refused, feeling it would be inappropriate. However, after he surprised her with a kiss, she found herself attracted to him, and they started dating.

Monica and Pete were falling for each other, but they eventually split up. Pete was determined to become a professional fighter, even after a serious injury. Monica couldn’t bear watching him risk his health and decided she needed to move on.

Pete’s sudden involvement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship felt forced, like a way to create drama and drive a wedge between him and Monica. Before that unexpected turn of events, they had a genuinely happy relationship, and it seemed like it should have continued for much longer.

5. Monica Geller & Richard Burke

In the second season of Friends, Monica started dating Dr. Richard Burke (played by Tom Selleck), an older family friend who was 21 years her senior. They reconnected at a party where Monica was working as a caterer. Initially, they kept their relationship hidden from her parents, but eventually told them during a birthday celebration for her father, which came as a big surprise.

Monica and Richard shared a loving relationship, but they ultimately went their separate ways at the end of season 2. The reason was that Richard didn’t want more children, while Monica dreamed of becoming a mother. They briefly reconnected later on, but realized a lasting relationship wasn’t possible and decided to end things again.

During the sixth season of Friends, Richard unexpectedly returned, just as Chandler was about to propose to Monica. He confessed he’d reconsidered his life and wanted to get married and have a family with her. But seeing how happy Monica was with Chandler, he graciously stepped aside and let them build their life together.

Despite their age difference, Monica and Richard shared a genuine connection. Richard even confessed that Monica was the only other woman he’d ever loved, besides his wife. After experiencing a lot of heartache, Monica finally felt secure and truly loved with Richard, something she hadn’t felt before. While Monica and Chandler ultimately belonged together, Monica and Richard deserved a chance to see where their relationship could have gone.

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2025-11-10 00:11