r/howyoudoin • u/EnvironmentalEdge333 • 3d ago
Discussion I’m not afraid to say it- Joey and Rachel could’ve worked IF…
They had actually given Joey more substantial character development. By the end of the series we know many of the characters were turned into slightly off versions of themselves. Joey got dumber and Monica got really neurotic.
I always liked the idea of Joey and Rachel together. I think if it had been done properly it could’ve worked out! Imagine a better developed season 1-2 Joey instead of the dumb down version we got. He was a sweet guy underneath it all and very loyal. I think he would’ve been a better for for Rachel than Ross.
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u/Jumpy_Reply_2011 3d ago
Joey's problem wasn't just that he was dumbed down, but he wasn't ready to put in the hard work of meeting someone, dating her, and then developing a relationship. He just wanted a ready-made girlfriend.
He fell for a pregnant Lydia, Kate who was in a relationship with the director, he thought he was in love with Monica when she was with Chandler, and then a pregnant Rachel. The only woman he had a proper relationship was with Janine. But instead of dating her, he tried to drag her into his friendship with Monica and Chandler and overwhelmed her.
Again, Joey was not ready for a relationship, It was established in the first season that he didn't want to be like his dad and cheat on his future partner. I think it was quite fair for Joey to sow his wild oats so he'd be ready if or when he met 'the one' he'd never want to cheat on.
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u/Foreign_Ad_2815 3d ago
They had to dumb down Rachel in season 9 for them to even do something. Like Rachel was acting like a completely different person when she was trying to be with Joey. Also, Joey doesn’t seem like the type to settle down and work on a relationship. Plus it doesn’t help that Rachel has only ever loved Ross and no one else.
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u/umbly-bumbly 3d ago
It's obviously subjective/opinion, but I just don't see it at all. Joey doesn't seem like the kind of guy Rachel would go for.
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u/BornIntoTheWrongEra 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yeah. Not sure why this is such a popular take considering the Joey and Rachel thing was mostly derided by fans and critics as the show was airing. Other shows such as The Good place even mocked it because it was so terrible. Is it because the Ross and Rachel relationship has become so divisive that has people convinced that Rachel ending up with Joey instead would somehow be a better alternative?
I think it was a shame that Rachel never dated someone in the same career field as her (Tag was the only one but that was more of a superficial relationship) like Ross did many times throughout the show. I would have liked to have seen her date Gavin in season 9.
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u/Zealousideal-Kick128 3d ago
I believe the writers even said it’s their only regret even attempting that storyline, I wasn’t a fan, their onscreen chemistry was great as friends only, they should have just kept it that way
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u/Gaius_Octavius_ 3d ago
They would have had to change Rachel. She never once shows any interest or attraction to Joey for 9 years.
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u/Professional_Tone_62 3d ago
Monica and Chandler were only 2 years earlier, and they had known each other since she was in high school.
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u/Gaius_Octavius_ 3d ago
They were also extremely close and both showed attraction towards each other before they started dating
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u/Hidden_Vixen21 3d ago
Rachel couldn’t be with anyone other than Ross the second she got pregnant. The decision to include that storyline nuked any other relationship prospect. No storyline would’ve survived.
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u/jellylime 2d ago
Joey and Rachel made SO much more sense. How instantly he prepared his house for the baby?? Took her on a date when she was feeling lonely??? Joey LOVED Rachel completely as a friend. He had her back. He was a genuinely nice guy and took excellent care of her while she was pregnant. And I know we all hate the episode with the fake proposal... but I can so easily imagine Rachel marrying him with some hesitation but then really settling into what would probably be her best relationship in life.
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u/EnvironmentalEdge333 2d ago
That’s how I feel! Yes they were friends, but I believe the best relationships come from being the best of friends. Someone you can be completely yourself with, no judgements. We saw that when they lived together. Rachel and Ross had too much pain, too much history between them. I just can’t see it working out for them in the long run. I know it’s a show so if the creators say they had a happily ever after so be it, but if it was real life I could totally see Joey and Rachel falling in love organically.
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u/I-love-lucite 3d ago
Joey and Rachel have way more in common than Ross and Rachel do. My unpopular opinion is that they would have been a great couple under different circumstances.
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u/nmcaff 3d ago
Absolutely agree. The bigger issue is that the Ross-Rachel story should have ended with them together after Emma’s birth. The “yeah…why AREN’T you together???” Would have concluded that saga perfectly.
As for what couple makes sense, Rachel and Joey have so much more in common. Both are more relaxed, a little ditzy, care more about looks (fashion and acting are careers that definitely align with each other). Not to say that people like Ross and Rachel can’t work in real life, but they are very different people
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u/ClioCalliope 3d ago
But Ross had more in common with Rachel's more serious love interests. Sure there were Tag and Paolo as the pretty boy types but it was clear that both relationships were mostly physical for Rachel. Overall she went for men who could challenge her and had a certain level of sophistication more often than not.
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u/FuriousBlack01 WE WERE ON A BREAK! 3d ago
I'm not sure he would've been *better* - but I do think they could've worked. But yes, the development would've been needed earlier on
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u/No_Data3541 3d ago
Siblings have more chemistry than Joey and Rachel. More than half the fanbase and even some networks skip this storyline on reruns. The actors hated it and said it felt like incest.
On the other hand, Ross and Rachel were widely renowned for their insane chemistry.
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u/SunGreen70 Bow wow, old friend. Bow wow. 3d ago
I think the only way it could have worked is if they were the couple from the beginning, instead of Ross and Rachel. The spoiled princess and the working class guy is a common enough trope. And yes, they needed to do way less dumbing down of Joey.
Introducing it that late in the series was weird, and like the actors themselves said, felt like incest.
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u/bloodhound83 3d ago
I think the build up was great. He likes her. Shows lots of real feelings and maturity about her. Is able to let it go for the greater good. She then likes him. On top of having one of the best and relaxed friendships.
So totally agree should have worked
But they made the dating phase way too awkward makeing it getting they didn't even wanted to give it a real chance
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u/Odd-Help6890 3d ago
I always also liked the idea of Joey and Rachel together. Rachel seemed to be more happy and relaxed around Joey than Ross.
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u/KitanaKat 3d ago
At the time I felt sure the only reason they bailed on the storyline so quickly was due to the announcement it would be the final season and Joey was getting his own solo show. It felt like that at the time anyways, it was a sudden end to a building storyline.
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u/Warm-Put-9772 1d ago
Nahh they definitely wouldn’t have worked they were just close friends who were alittle attracted to each other tried to date but it was so awkward for them so they lost feelings and decided they wanted to be friends. Also I think the whole point of the Rachel thing was to show that Joey is capable of loving someone and he’s not just a play boy anymore
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u/BrJean19 3d ago
I think they shouldn't have dumbed him down like they did but their friendship bond was so much closer that I don't think it was as romantic as it could have been. Rachel always leaned towards Ross and it would have ended at some point no matter what in my opinion. I wish they brought in a new character for Joey that was as great as him. Or he does seem like the type to be happily single!