For ten years Ross and Rachels on/off love story has been on our screens. On examination it was more "off" than "on" and the time it was "on"
was surprisingly short lived. They really dont get together until episode 38 and that only lasts until episode 63. They don't get back together again until episode 231.
(Sorry if I just gave away the ending for you. But if you didn't already know how it ended, then this site is obviously not for you now is it!) So for 10 years we watched
as they danced around the enevitable, and for the most part I think we were happy to do so.
We agonised over how close they came yet how far they were. And for some the agony has been all to real. For those that cannot connect on this level
there was plenty else to relate to. The chase touched every base. There was joy, laughter, sorrow, heart-break. Trying to get together, getting together,
getting dumped. Kissing, holding hands, knowing glances, secret smiles. Other relationships came and went. While one was dating the other was single.
Through all of this we took sides. "He was wrong, she was right." say the girls. "He was on a break." say the boys. Misunderstandings and bad timing
abound. For example, Ross's vocal inflection when asked about Rachel's side of THE LIST could not be captured on paper by Chandlers highly impressive
and powerfull computer. The cold words "Shes not Rachel" did little to comfort Rachel as she contemplated her fat ankles. Had she heard Ross say it,
or more importantly how he said it, all may have not been lost.
Sure at times it was frustrating and at other times it was even annoying but thats love. Of course there were plenty of other stories and characters to keep us entertained
and keep us watching, but an episode with a development between Ross and Rachel was always special. And for the die hard fans of romance (who all related
to one of the protagonists at some stage) FRIENDS is about this love story. It may be fiction, it may be drawn out, but the relationship went through so many
altered states that we can all relate to at least one epsisode. And in realting to at least one, as an experience that we can sympatize with or rejoice with,
we then lay the foundation to argue that all the other ups and downs that they encountered, while not relevent or moving to us, may well be the cherished
episode of someone else.
So how does the Ballad of Ross and Rachel go?
Well the very first episode introduces us to Rachel, and Ross's crush on her. Since childhood, or least school, he has had feelings for her. Over the
course of the first season he tries to come to terms with his feelings and express them to Rachel, but he can't. Its not for the want of trying mind you.
In "THE ONE WITH THE BLACKOUT" and "THE ONE WHERE NANA DIES TWICE" he tries to get it out but fails. In "THE ONE WHERE THE
MONKEY GETS AWAY" he tries again and this time he is doing well until Barry (who Rachel left at the alter) barges in confessing his love for
Rachel. This hic-up in Ross's long term plan is cured in a matter of three episodes when Rachel learns a little more about Barry and promptly
dumps him. Its about now when Chandler lets slip to Rachel what Ross has been openly hiding since the first episode. But its a little late as Ross
is on his way to China, in hot pursuit of a dinosaur bone. Despite Rachels best attempt to stop him at the airport shes too late and Ross boards
the plane. The cliffhanger is as painfull for us as it is for Rachel.
In the opener of season two we find Rachel returning to the airport for Ross's arrival home from China. But Ross returns with Julie, his new girlfriend.
Now Rachel and Ross have swopped emotional states, with Rachel sending out the vibes and Ross being totally oblivious to them. Rachel is
hurting and this is well portrayed when Ross is on the phone to Julie while Rachel is sitting in close proximity. Ross is saying all the things to Julie that Rachel
wishes he would say to her, but she grins and bears it with a series of humorus expressions, noises (it is after all a comedy) and swift page flicking of a fashion magazine she would otherwise be engrossed in. But the magazine has now become nothing more than a prop to fiddle with and pretend she is interested in. Then the call comes to
an end, or at least tries to. "No, you hang up........O.K....one, two, three......Well you didn't hang up either......Come on you hang up,.....You!......You!.....You!..",
at which point Rachels whips the phone from Ross's hand and hangs up for him. Realising her moment of madness she reasons "I thought you were talking
to me".
Monica now encourages Rachel to move on. She tries to take this advice and begins by dating a friend of a friend. But the date is more of a theropy sesion
for Rachel as she blathers on endlessly about Ross and Julie and the cat. One cocktail follows another until she decides (in her now inebriated state)
that the only way to get closure is to tell Ross she is over him, on the phone, to his answering machine. The next morning when Ross asks how the date went,
Rachel recalls little of the night before. He nonchalantly picks up the phone to check his messages and triggers Rachels memory to the message she left.
In an effort to avert Ross from hearing the confession of closure, from a relationship he never knew existed, she jumps on his back screaming "give me the phone, give me the phone". But its to late. He knows.
She knows. The rest of the world knows. The cat is out of the bag and Ross and Julies cat will have to wait, or will it?
"you're over me? you're over me?.....When were you ......... under me?" Ross struggles with this momentous revelation. The timing is all wrong, he is happy
now. He has Julie, and they're getting a cat. Later that night he shows up at Central Perk while Rachel is locking up. He wants to set the record straight,
that while he has loved her since the ninth grade it was too late to work things out. He leaves abrubtly and Rachel disolves into tears (along with millions
of viewers, not me mind you). Ross reappears moments later. Rachel struggles to unlock the door, the humor breaks the tension, for them and for us
( it is after all a comedy). And then it happens. They embrace and kiss and now the cat may have a new home, or will it?
Ross is still dating Julie and has to chose. In an effort to be helpfull Chandler suggests making a list with the aid of his new computer. Ross thinks aloud
while Chandler types.
CONS: Rachel: spoilt / too into her boobs / kind of ditzy / just a waitress / chubby ankles.
CONS: Julie: she's not Rachel.
Rachel discovers the list and on paper it looks bad, real bad. Rachel now tells Ross that nothing can ever happen between them.
U2 highten the emotion with a song that Ross requests on the radio along with his plea for forgivness. "With Or Without You"
moves millions to tears again (not me mind you) before Rachel reaches for the phone. We automatically assume to ring Ross, but as it turns out she rings
the radio station and in another humourous moment (it is after all a comedy) the song is interupted by the D.J. who sides with Rachel.
In "THE ONE WITH THE PROM VIDEO" a picture paints more words than Ross could ever say. While viewing a video of Rachel and Monicas prom
night, Rachel is moved at Ross's well meaning attempt to come to her rescue when her date,Chip, lets her down. Rachel never knew that while she
was in tears at the thought of her prom night being ruined, Ross was donning his Dads tux to save the day. By the time he was ready to be her "night in shinning armour"
Chip arrived and was leading Rachel out the door. Ross was visibly distraught on the video, and the gang felt for him, none more so than Rachel. His
heroic attempt had been his secret for all those years and now it was out, and he was embarrassed by it. That told us something about Ross. He genuinley cared for Rachel and
wanted her to be happy, at any cost, even at the cost of his own happiness. Rachel stood up and strode towards him. And without a word they kiss.
For the next 23 episodes Ross and Rachel remain a couple. But in the middle of season three Ross becomes his own worst enemy. He becomes jealous
of a professional relationship Rachael has with a work college, Mark. Ross is highly suspicious of Marks motives for helping Rachel find such a good job.
Ross sends flowers and a singing telegram to her work place. The song was cheesy. But the straw that broke the camels back ( or should I say the pallet
that broke the camels back) was in the episode "THE ONE WHERE ROSS AND RACHEL TAKE A BREAK".
Rachel couldn't get out of work to celebrate their anniversary so Ross took it upon himself to create a candlelit dinner for two right in her office. He meant
well (as guys usually do), but he set her desk on fire. That didn't help to ease tension. Later when Rachel arrived home, Ross was waiting for an apology.
But Rachel felt she was the one owed the apology. Things got heated and Rachel suggested they take a break. Ross thought this was a good idea, but he had
in mind getting some frozen yogurt and discussing it again when they had both cooled down. Rachel didn't have this kind of break in mind. "No Ross, I mean
a break from us", she clarified.
Ross was devastated and ended up in a bar to drown his sorrows. His sorrows where well and truly fitted with their concrete boots when Chloe, the girl from
the Xerox store, recognized him. Next morning he woke up with a hangover, and a Chloe. At this stage Rachel was feeling remorsefull and decides to
tell Ross she is sorry, to his face , at his place. Ross manages to keep Chloe and Rachel from seeing each other at that point. But Ross is now desprately
back tracking to cover his trail from the night before. Eventually Rachel finds out when Gunter lets it "slip". Naturally Rachel is devastated and no
longer sorry. Its over!
Ross still loves Rachel and "THE ONE WITH THE TINY T-SHIRT" brings this home as Rachel returns Ross's stuff. We later discover that Rachel
didn't give back everything however, she kept some momentoes of precious memories they shared. In the meantime Pheobe, with Rachels approval,
sets Ross up on a date with Bonnie. Rachel thought Bonnie was bald. She wasn't. Ross and Bonnie get on well and her commitment to them is evident
when she shows up at the beach house where the gang had gone to spend the weekend in "THE ONE AT THE BEACH". Rachel is jealous and convinces
Bonnie to shave her head again. This leads to the season three finale and cliffhanger where Rachel reveals she still loves Ross......
Season four opens with "THE ONE WITH THE JELLYFISH". The Friends are still at the beach house and Ross has decided to break up with Bonnie
which takes all night. In the meantime Rachel has composed an 18 page epitome to their break-up which she wants Ross to read before things go any further.
Ross agrees to read it but falls asleep in the process (mostly due to his busy night breaking up with Bonnie). A short while later Rachel is anxious to
know how he feels about the letter, and Ross realises that to admit he fell asleep while reading it would probably not go down to well. So he tells Rachel
want she obviously wants to hear at that moment, which is, he agrees with everything in it. Rachel is overjoyed and so is Ross, until he realizes what he
has agreed to. Rachel outlined in her letter that she expected Ross to accept full responsibility for their break-up. Ross tries to move on but
eventually he breaks when Rachel compliments him for being man enough to admit he was wrong and take the blame. That did it. They row and Ross storms
out. The brief re-union is over.
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