It has been more than two decades since ‘Friends‘ left gave up their keys to the iconic apartment and left fans in tears. The 2021 reunion brought all the actors back to set, reminiscing about the “Days of Their Lives” along with leading us into the inside world of the series with many unknown facts and moments revealed.
It goes without saying that Ross and Rachel are the iconic couple in the history of sitcoms, but there was a possibility that Ross might have ended up with Emily. Years later, the world finally got to know why Emily’s character was written off the show when there was a chance where it seemed as though she could be Ross’s very British lobster.
Why Ross and Emily’s Relationship Was Killed On ‘Friends’
Contrary to popular belief, Rachel was not the only reason why Emily left Ross in season 5. James Burrows, the director of ‘Friends‘, revealed the reason for having altered a key character from the script in his memoir. He explained that Emily, who was Ross’s wife, was nearly recast because of the lack of chemistry shared between Helen Baxendale and David Schwimmer. It is an undeniable fact that no one shared better chemistry than Jennifer Aniston and Schwimmer, so anything less than that came as a huge disappointment.
Burrows wrote in his memoir that Helen Baxendale “was nice, but not particularly funny, Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand”. He further continued, “In sitcoms and any type of romantic comedy, the funny is just as important as the chemistry. We discovered that any new girlfriend for Ross needed to be as funny as Rachel.”
Related: How ‘Friends’ Finale Failed Rachel
Burrows also acknowledged that it is not easy to recast because of tight shooting deadlines or other logistical considerations. But, “You need someone who gets laughs. Sometimes you start an arc and it ain’t working out, so you have to get rid of that person. If it’s a day player, it’s a quick goodbye. Burrow also added that if the chemistry was on point, then the writers might have worked on the script accordingly.”
Of course, the bar had been set high. Ross and Rachel were the primary couple on the show. Although later seasons helped to establish Monica and Chandler’s love story as an aspirational relationship and, eventually, marriage goals. They clicked, they supported each other, and most importantly, they understood and balanced each other’s “crazy.”
Was Ross Geller An Ideal Partner For Rachel?
Ross and Rachel were the iconic ship back in the ’90s, and now, when viewed under the modern lens, it seems to be a pretty toxic relationship. It was pretty obvious since the first episode that Ross was in love with Rachel, but somehow the timeline didn’t match for quite some time.
Although subconsciously, Ross never moved on from Rachel, instead dealing with a mature outlook, he kept dating other women just to get over his high school crush, and also almost ended up walking down the aisle with one.
In case you missed it: ‘Joey’: Why ‘Friends’ Spinoff Was Doomed From The Beginning
One of the most problematic traits displayed by Ross was his controlling behavior and jealousy, especially when it came to Rachel’s job and her dynamic with Mark. Among all the friends, Rachel had the most obvious character growth – breaking free from wealthy parents to working at Central Perk, to finally getting a break in the fashion industry. When her personal growth reached its peak, instead of being supportive and happy, Ross became erratic and insecure about her co-workers and constantly intruded on Rachel’s work.
Ross definitely tried to dictate her life, and the “we were on a break” fiasco brought out his conflicted morality. But it’s also true that he balanced the scales with nice, selfless gestures too. Maybe, in retrospect, it’s visible why Rachel was attracted to him while holding her own ground. And even though the Geller-Green relationship hasn’t aged well with time, there’s no denying the comfort brought to fans by ‘Friends.’
