Friends: 10 Couples That Would Have Made A Lot Of Sense (But Never Got Together)

However you feel about Friends, there’s really no denying that it’s one of the most beloved sitcoms in TV history. Fans rode the Ross and Rachel roller coaster for almost a decade, as they laughed and cried right along with the gang.

Even so, the show has been and remains controversial, really showing its age in some respects. The writers couldn’t please everybody, and they certainly didn’t get every relationship right. Here are some potential couples from the show that could have been great together, if they’d been given the chance.

10 Ross And Janice

“The One With Chandler’s Work Laugh” is a revelation of an episode. Not only do we get to see the depths to which Chandler is willing to suck up to his boss, but we’re also able to (very briefly) appreciate one of the greatest curveball couplings in Friends history: Ross and Janice.

Now, this is only a knee-jerk reaction to Emily re-marrying on Ross’s part, and (of course) Janice has always been Chandler’s one who got away, but they really could have had something here. Ross finds somebody who understands what he’s feeling and allows him to vent about it, which was exactly what he needed at the time. Not a forever relationship, perhaps, but Janice could have allowed him to whine a little more rather than cutting things off before they started.

9 Joey And Phoebe

Ah, yes. This ship. Any coupling between members of the core group is always going to be controversial. For our money, though, Phoebe and Joey would have been fantastic together.

As fans will know, Phoebe expresses interest in potentially being “Mrs. Tribbiani” on more than one occasion. For his part, Joey has also declared Phoebe to be “Stop-eating hot… which is, like, the highest level of hotness.” Yes, they’d run into the Joey/Rachel pitfall (his big-brotherly approach to his relationship to the three women is totally at odds with the idea), but personality-wise, they’d have been a great match.

8 Gunther And Rachel

To be entirely honest, we’re a little torn on this concept. On the one hand, a throwaway fling (perhaps to enrage Ross after the latest falling-out between the two) would be a complete injustice to the kindly, Rachel-besotted Gunther. We’re glad the writers didn’t take that route.

Having said that, there could have been a great storyline here. It was such a poignant moment when Gunther confessed his feelings for his long-held crush before she planned to leave for Paris, but what if he’d done so earlier and she’d responded differently? It’s interesting to think about.

7 Chandler And Susie Moss

On paper, Chandler and Monica’s relationship looked as though it may be a little troublesome. With Monica’s compulsive cleanliness and maturity and Chandler’s relentless joking and goofing around, they seem like a tough fit. Ultimately, though, they perfectly counteract each other.

With all of that in mind, perhaps his fellow joker Susie Moss would have been a good fit? Dubbed ‘Susie Underpants’ at school after fallen victim to a prank of Chandler’s, they meet later in life and she plots revenge, resulting in Chandler being caught in a restaurant wearing only a pair of her panties. Clearly, these two jokers deserved each other and could have worked out (for a time, at least). Throw in the fact that Matthew Perry and Julia Roberts actually dated in real life, and you’ve got a couple with some clear potential.

6 Rachel And Will Colbert

Now, wouldn’t this have been a turn-up for the books? As we know, it’s a common schoolyard tactic to mess with those you secretly have a crush on. In “The One With The Rumor,” Monica invites an old schoolfriend, Will Colbert, to Thanksgiving dinner. Will used to be so overweight that ‘Big Fat Goalie’ Monica was referred to as his ‘thin friend,’ but the adult Will is in fantastic shape and… well, he’s Brad Pitt.

Yes, Will was in the I Hate Rachel Greene Club at high school, but so was Ross (they both co-founded it, in fact) who joined only because he was desperately in love with her. What if Will, who protested that Rachel had bullied him, had actually done the same? He has a lot of the qualities that the superficial Rachel of old would have adored (namely money and looks). Let’s not forget, either, that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were once married.

5 Rachel And Mark Robinson

Sorry, Ross, but we really thought this one was worth dredging up. Of course, fans remember that the early days of Ross and Rachel were fraught with issues, and one of the major ones was Mark.

Mark had a huge role in getting Rachel’s career off the ground, happening to be at the diner where Monica worked while the two women were discussing work woes. He offers to help get her foot in the door at Bloomingdale’s, and later gets her the opportunity with Louis Vuitton in Paris. Ross is convinced that Mark was only helping her for one reason, and continued to suspect Mark. All of this leads to Ross’s infamous night with Chloe from the copy place, but what if Rachel and Mark had engaged in a relationship? He wanted to and they almost did, after all.

4 Joey And Erica

Throughout the course of the show, the ever-lovable Joey always proves himself to be a devoted and loving friend. He also has a unique approach to and outlook on life, a childlike positivity and naïve nature that is the punchline of most Joey-related jokes (along with his lack of intelligence, of course).

As we’ve discussed, lots of these traits make him a good fit for Phoebe, but also for Erica, the birth mother of Monica and Chandler’s adopted children. “It’s a shame you two didn’t get to spend more time together,” Chandler remarks when he notices just how similar they were. What a loving, hilarious couple they would have been.

3 Monica And Don

The concept of soulmates is one that always divides people. Can there really be one perfect partner for everyone? What if you don’t find them? Even worse, what if one of your friends dates your wife’s soulmate and accidentally brings him to meet you both?

This is exactly what happens to Chandler in “The One Where Joey Tells Rachel.” The tall, sophisticated, British, brown-haired, foodie ticks every box on Monica’s list (according to Rachel and Phoebe). Phoebe concludes that it’s a real shame they didn’t meet, making us wonder how things may have gone under different circumstances.

2 Joey And Erin

Throughout the show’s run, Joey proves time and again to be a consummate ladies man. He embarks on short-lived passionate relationship after short-lived passionate relationship, never allowing things to truly blossom. As he says himself, he has only ever been in love once: with Rachel. While he’s super happy with the bachelor’s life, for the most part, he does lose some women who could have been excellent matches along the way. Erin, from Season Seven’s “The One With Ross’s Library Book,” is a prime example.

He hurriedly leaves the apartment the morning after they sleep together and expects Rachel to break the news and see her on her way the next day (as was the custom when Chandler lived there). Instead, Rachel discovers how great Erin is, that she loves sandwiches, beer, and sports, and could be Joey’s perfect match. He starts to think so himself before Erin sadly breaks things off before they begin as she just didn’t feel it. For a moment there, it seemed we might have been looking at a long-term relationship.

1 Rachel And Gavin Mitchell

Gavin Mitchell didn’t make the best first impression on Rachel. When she returned to work after her maternity leave, she discovered he had been filling in for her and become so popular that he threatened her job. He was also super rude and arrogant to her at their first meeting.

He appeared in only two episodes but had time to reveal his tender side (and his attraction to Rachel). They could have embarked on a real relationship, if not for the whole sticky Ross/Rachel situation. As it was, Gavin simply disappeared from the show.