Regardless of being some of the beloved and acclaimed sitcoms so far, Associates isn’t with out its faults. A variety of these faults lie within the easy incontrovertible fact that some storylines and jokes haven’t aged effectively.
Nevertheless, most individuals may also agree on how terrible Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) was at occasions, which solely turns into extra obvious on rewatches. It’s arduous to strike factors towards any of the characters since they’re so beloved, nevertheless it’s fairly well-known that Ross is probably the most divisive character of all of them. Certain, he had his good moments, and he isn’t an terrible particular person by any means, however some moments stick out as his worst, so let’s discuss it.
- Launch Date
- September 22, 1994
- Seasons
- 10
- Studio
- Community
- NBC
10 When He Wouldn’t Let Phoebe Consider Her Mom Was a Cat
“The One With The Cat” Season 4, Episode 2
Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is the wild card of the Associates gang. She marches to the beat of her personal drum and infrequently has among the kookier storylines. One in all these is in Season 4, when she finds a stray cat in her guitar case and instantly feels a reference to it, believing the cat to be her mother reincarnated. One thing else about Phoebe is that she had a wildly totally different upbringing from the remainder of her pals. Her mom took her personal life when Phoebe was only a youngster, leaving her to develop up with no mom, and even dwelling on the road for some time. Her believing that the cat is her mom is definitely unusual, however not all that out of the peculiar for Phoebe, and it’s actually bittersweet.
Her pals go together with her perception, all that’s, besides Ross, who may be very vocal about how he feels concerning the scenario. He finally ends up discovering a flyer for a lacking cat that matches the outline of the one Phoebe discovered, and reveals it to Rachel, who agrees that it’s the identical cat, however she doesn’t inform Phoebe, which angers Ross. He then gruffly informs her that her mom’s spirit isn’t within the cat, hurting her emotions within the course of. Phoebe does find yourself getting him to see the scenario from her viewpoint when she asks him: “Have you ever ever misplaced a guardian? Then you definitely don’t know the way it feels when one comes again.” Certain, it’s somewhat foolish, however couldn’t he have simply gone together with it to spare her emotions?
9 When He Began Relationship Joey’s Girlfriend Simply Hours After They Broke Up
“The One In Barbados, Half 2” Season 9, Episode 23
In Season 9 Joey (Matt LeBlanc) begins courting Charlie Wheeler (Aisha Tyler), a lady who on paper is Ross’s excellent match. She’s a paleontology professor, sensible, distinguished, and exquisite. However she and Joey hit it off and stay collectively for a superb portion of the season. That’s, till the Season 9 finale when the gang goes to Barbados to see Ross give a speech. On the journey, Joey and Charlie notice they’re not as suitable as they thought and determine to breakup. It’s amicable, albeit disappointing, however any unhappiness doesn’t final lengthy.
Shortly after her breakup with Joey, Charlie tells Ross she has emotions for him. At first, Ross needs to attend and speak to Joey about her confession since they only broke up, which is the fitting and admirable factor to do. However not even a minute later he goes again on his choice and decides to kiss Charlie, which Joey simply so occurs to see. This then kicks off the Joey and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) saga, which Ross had the audacity to be mad about, regardless of kissing Joey’s ex-girlfriend mere hours after that they had damaged up.
8 When He Refused to Let Rachel Be Impartial
“The One With All of the Jealousy” Season 3, Episode 12
Talking of Rachel, Ross and Rachel have been the “it” couple of 90s tv. After harboring a crush on her just about his complete life, Ross ultimately finally ends up successful Rachel’s coronary heart and the pair start what’s, at first, a very candy relationship. However by Season 3 the cracks started to point out. There’s, after all, the entire “We have been on a break” debate, however one among Ross’s worst moments in his relationship with Rachel got here far sooner than that.
When Rachel lands a job at Bloomingdale’s, she’s ecstatic, she’s lastly making steps in direction of a profession she loves. Ross, nevertheless, is jealous of her male co-worker and doesn’t match her enthusiasm. In “The One With All of the Jealousy”, Ross makes a number of over-the-top gestures at Rachel’s work, akin to filling her desk with love notes, flowers, a quartet, and even an ill-fated impromptu picnic. Rachel finally ends up having to reassure Ross that she loves him and isn’t going to depart him for a co-worker. In the meantime, Ross will get off scot-free regardless of not trusting Rachel, and refusing to let her have any independence in her new job.
7 When He Overreacted After Discovering Out Monica and Chandler Are Relationship
“The One With The Woman Who Hits Joey” Season 5, Episode 15
“The One The place All people Finds Out” is one among Associates’ hottest episodes, as it’s the episode the place Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) lastly reveal their relationship to their pals. We see some hilarious reactions from the characters, most famously Phoebe, who cries out “My eyes!” after seeing the pair undress each other in entrance of a window. However it’s Ross’s response that’s the most eyebrow-raising. After sharing their thrilling information with their pals, Monica asks that nobody inform Ross but, since they’d love to do it themselves. Nevertheless, Ross finally ends up seeing them by the window, very similar to Phoebe had. Solely, his response isn’t as humorous, and he begins screaming “Get off my sister!”
Minimize to the following episode, “The One With The Woman Who Hits Joey,” and we see the complete confrontation of Ross after discovering out about Monica and Chandler, and to say it’s an overreaction could be an understatement. He begins yelling at them by the door, directing his anger particularly in direction of Chandler. And whereas it’s comprehensible he’d be protecting of Monica as a result of she’s his sister, his response was means overblown. Particularly since he dated Rachel, who’s Monica’s finest buddy, and Monica was the primary to encourage them.
6 When He Wouldn’t Rent a Male Nanny
“The One With The Male Nanny” Season 9, Episode 6
A variety of Ross’s worst moments stem from his overwhelming jealousy and insecurity. One in all his most insecure moments was when he and Rachel have been looking for a nanny for his or her daughter Emma. Everybody who utilized was not somebody they felt comfy caring for their daughter, they usually made an settlement that they might solely rent somebody they each felt comfy with. Finally, one other applicant named Sandy (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is available in, and he’s excellent. He’s nice with Emma, he’s type, he has an extended historical past of being a nanny. Rachel believes he’s the proper rent. Ross doesn’t agree, and the one cause he doesn’t agree is as a result of Sandy is a person.
Due to Ross’s insecurity and, let’s face it, poisonous masculinity, Rachel begrudgingly agrees to not rent Sandy. As an alternative, they find yourself hiring a feminine nanny, and Ross is instantly okay along with her being employed as a result of he’s drawn to her. They follow this nanny for a couple of episodes, and it turns into a operating gag that Chandler and Joey additionally assume the nanny is engaging. It’s simply a particularly bizarre and poisonous storyline. Justice for Sandy!
5 When He Cheated on His Girlfriend With Rachel – Extra Than As soon as
“The One The place Ross Finds Out” Season 2, Episode 7 & “The One At The Seaside” Season 3, Episode 25
Ross and Rachel are a magnetic drive. They all the time handle to seek out their means again collectively it doesn’t matter what broke them up initially. It takes them some time to admit their emotions and start courting although, with Ross even courting one other girl earlier than starting a relationship with Rachel. That girlfriend is Julie (Lauren Tom), who’s tremendous candy and really a very nice accomplice for Ross. However throughout his relationship along with her, Ross learns about Rachel’s emotions for him, and the pair find yourself sharing a kiss, main him to decide on between the 2. As thrilling as it’s that Ross and Rachel lastly made a transfer, it was nonetheless dishonest, and it wasn’t the final time Ross would cheat on a girlfriend with Rachel.
In Season 3, the gang goes to a seaside home, and Ross’s new girlfriend Bonnie (Christine Taylor) comes alongside. All through the episode, Rachel flirts with Ross within the hopes of getting again collectively, however her plans are thwarted when Bonnie unexpectedly arrives. Nevertheless, she ultimately finds a second to inform Ross she nonetheless has emotions for him, and Ross kisses her, but once more dishonest on his girlfriend with Rachel. Out of the blue, his stance on the “We have been on a break” ordeal makes much more sense.
4 When He Mentioned the Improper Title at His Marriage ceremony
“The One With Ross’s Marriage ceremony, Half 2” Season 4, Episode 23
Emily (Helen Baxendale) is likely one of the least-liked facet characters on Associates, however regardless of your emotions on her, there’s one second all of us have sympathy for her and that’s at her and Ross’s wedding ceremony. The pair have a whirlwind romance, and determine to marry quickly after they start courting. They’ve their wedding ceremony in London, which Rachel opts to not attend as seeing Ross marry another person is just too robust for her. Nevertheless, she ultimately modifications her thoughts and flies to London to shock him. She initially plans to inform him she loves him, however when she sees all that he’s achieved to make the marriage excellent for Emily, she realizes she will’t get between them.
Ross doesn’t fairly have the identical inhibitions although, and as he’s standing on the altar delivering his vows to Emily, he finally ends up saying Rachel’s title as an alternative of hers. It’s a twist that rocked tv, nevertheless it’s additionally one among Ross’s worst moments. Emily ought to have left him on the altar proper then and there and saved herself the heartache and humiliation that adopted.
3 When He Didn’t Get an Annulment
“The One After Vegas” Season 6, Episode 1
When the gang heads to Vegas within the Season 5 finale, viewers are led to imagine that Chandler and Monica are going to elope. Nevertheless, the season ends on a mega plot twist when a closely intoxicated Ross and Rachel come stumbling out of the chapel as an alternative. They’re not collectively at this level, in order that they determine to annul the wedding, regardless that Ross virtually begs Rachel to not annul it as a result of he doesn’t need to get divorced once more. She insists although, and he tells her he’ll maintain it.
He doesn’t, after all, one thing he reveals to a shocked Phoebe. He once more reiterates that he doesn’t need to have three divorces. He ultimately decides to undergo with the annulment, solely to find that he and Rachel would each have to seem in courtroom to ensure that it to be granted, and since he already advised her it was taken care of he can’t try this. So he continues to maintain up the facade for a number of episodes, and it’s one of many extra vindictive issues he’s achieved.
2 When He Dated His Pupil
Season 6 Episodes 18, 19, 21, 22, 24
When Ross takes on a instructing gig, he finally ends up studying that one among his college students has a crush on him through nameless instructor evaluations. Any regular instructor would both ignore the analysis or carry it as much as their boss. Not Ross although. As an alternative, he finds out which of his college students despatched the analysis and discovers to his delight that it’s a younger girl named Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden). Ross and Elizabeth find yourself courting regardless of her being a school pupil. His school pupil to be exact. It’s a really uncomfortable energy dynamic as Ross, a person 10+ years older than her, very a lot, doesn’t match into her way of life. He polices her outfits, doesn’t enable her to go on spring break alone, and customarily treats her like a trophy.
Ross additionally will get uncomfortable when Rachel begins seeing Elizabeth’s dad Paul (Bruce Willis) and claims how bizarre it’s for him. Which, certain, perhaps it’s bizarre to your ex-girlfriend so far your new girlfriend’s father. However not less than the age hole between Paul and Rachel was much more respectable, and really made sense, since they have been each at comparable locations in life, in contrast to Ross and Elizabeth. The entire storyline was unusual and predatory, and even for Ross it was wildly out of character.
1 When He Tried to Make a Transfer on His Cousin
“The One With Ross And Monica’s Cousin” Season 7, Episode 19
As dangerous as Ross saying the unsuitable title on the altar, or not getting he and Rachel’s drunken marriage annulled was, there’s no worse Ross second than when he tried to make a transfer on his personal cousin. Forward of Monica and Chandler’s wedding ceremony, Monica and Ross’s cousin Cassie (Denise Richards) involves city. She initially stays with Monica and Chandler, however Chandler can’t cease gazing her, and it makes her uncomfortable, so she then stays with Ross. Ross takes observe of Cassie and the way her seems have modified through the years, and unfathomably thinks that she is giving him alerts that she is concerned with him.
At one level, his internal monologue causes that she needs him, and so he decides to make a transfer and tries to kiss her. His personal cousin! His flesh and blood! It’s fully gross, and actually, the entire storyline concerning Cassie is bizarre. She is portrayed by Denise Richards, so it’s comprehensible that the characters discover her magnificence, nevertheless it got here off wildly predatory. Even Phoebe discovered herself drawn to the ladies on the finish of the episode. It’s an episode that has not aged effectively in any respect (although I’m undecided it ever did), and it’s simply Ross’s worst second.