Here's an unpopular opinion: Ross Geller is actual garbage. Also Rachel deserved better. There. I said it. Ross sucks. He truly does. Unfortunately, it took me a few years to realize this and it wasn’t until I decided to re-watch Friends, in order, for the first time, that I finally came to my senses.
All Ross ever does is complain. We get it dude, your wife turned out to be a lesbian, it happens. However, do you really have to bring it up every single second of every single day. Carol is still in your life, you still have custody of Ben, and if I am being frankly honest here, which I am, Ross and Carol did not really have that much chemistry, I could barely picture them being married let alone in love for years like Ross claimed. Maybe that’s a casting fault, or maybe it’s the fact that no one can ever believably be in love with Ross Geller.
Speaking of in love with Ross, Rachel, who isn’t the end all be all herself, definitely deserved a lot more than Ross who never truly valued her. Hidden behind the adorable trope that is a childhood crush, Ross’s obsession with Rachel was based on this idea he had of her. He knew her as a child and clearly she had changed. When he “fell in love” with her again, he fell in love with someone he did not know, all the more exasperated by the fact that Rachel did not even know herself. When she began working and making something of herself, he didn’t like that.
He was incredibly jealous of Mark and wanted Rachel all to himself, constantly asking her to disregard her work and spend time with him. Before that, when he made the Pros and Cons list in order to decide between her and Julie, he referred to Rachel and “spoiled” and “just a waitress”. Are those the words of someone who truly loves Rachel? Just a waitress? Did he forget that she gave up everything she had in Long Island when she left Barry and had to start her life all over. When Rachel made something of herself and got the promotion in Paris, he wanted to take that away from her.
That’s not romantic, that’s making someone give up their dream for you. All Ross wanted was for Rachel to be his arm candy, but then complained that all she was was arm candy. When it comes to Ross, everything is always about him. When Monica and Chandler got engaged and Ross and Rachel hooked up, Ross did not take Monica’s anger seriously. While I will admit that Monica was a bit melodramatic, Ross disregarded his own sister’s feelings and ignored her, just for the possibility of sleeping with Rachel again. I repeat myself, that is not romantic, that is self-absorbed.
Ross also thinks too highly of himself. Sure, he has a Doctorate Degree, and I assume he worked very hard for that, but that doesn’t mean he is better and more deserving of anything than his friends. What he wants to do or buy, always comes first. He honestly thought he could get away with saying THE WRONG NAME at his wedding by being charming, and that he deserved Emily back. When Monica and Chandler got married he made it all about him joking about getting it “right the first time” which was honestly a joke in bad taste.
What’s to expect? Ross acts like a child. His obsession with “kara-tey” and “unagi” is incredibly juvenile. He overacts when someone eats his sandwich which is quite psychotic actually, and throws tantrums when things don’t go his way. Ross never seemed to stop believing that his decade long crush on Rachel was enough to deserve her.
Like a toddler at a playground, he “had her first” and therefore, she “belonged to him.” Not to mention, in high school, he started and “I Hate Rachel Green” Club just because she didn’t like him. Toxic masculinity at it’s finest. That is definitely not the way that a Doctor of Paleontology is supposed to act and the fact that he still believes that his age and education level correlates with his maturity is actually the only funny thing about Ross.
If you know me, you know I find everything funny, everything except Ross. I constantly find myself cringing instead of laughing at his scenes. Although I will admit that probably has to do with the fact that I hate him and therefore every time he breathes, I get mad. Regardless, Ross is the worst character on Friends, Rachel deserved better, and without a doubt, Monica and Chandler were the best couple on the show, if not the history of television.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Let me know!
