‘Friends‘ is one of the most influential sitcoms in the history of television, but some of its story arcs have not been standing the test of time. One such arc involving Ross Geller became too uncomfortable when he made a move on his cousin, giving fans serious doubts about the morality of his character. This and other arcs set the ugly side of Ross in a clear perspective.
Ross Makes A Move On His Cousin
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The most pathetic act on Ross’s part occurred in Season 7, Episode 19 (“The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin“). Cassie (Denise Richards), a West Coast cousin visiting New York City, stayed with Ross in the middle of the season. When Ross noted how beautiful Cassie was, he was given no choice but to act for a kiss.
The cringe-worthy moment is when Ross just leans in for a kiss, and Cassie pulls back in horror. Yes, it’s aimed to be comic gold or whatever, but for a lot of viewers, it just got so sick and weird on so many levels. Crossing so many lines, of course, made poor Ross come off like he didn’t know the first thing about social norms. For a paleontologist with an outstanding IQ, this was a bit off-the-wall and too creepy for just about anything.
A Continuing Pattern Of Bad Moves
Ross was not the only one responsible for giving viewers some kind of discomfort; there were other storylines that did constant torments to viewers of the show. From extremely jealous episodes concerning Rachel’s relationships to controlling behavior, so much of his antics teetered on the borderline of cross behavior. But the whole cousin thing was just a brand-new level, leaving most viewers questioning why the writers had to deal with such a plot.
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While Ross was supposed to be an awkward and klutzy guy, scenes like this were beyond mere endearing flaws. They drifted into a space that made audiences look at him less as the lovable underdog and more as the guy who seemed to overstep the mark a lot.
This cousin storyline is the most debatable arc in Friends. While the show deviated from an overall comedic series, it brought controversy regarding its tone and its taking of an odd standpoint on Ross.
