Friends: 5 Best Things Rachel Did For Joey (& 5 He Did For Her)

How does Friends continue to be so beloved, all these years after coming off the air? Partly because certain channels seem committed to showing re-runs of the show 24/7 until the end of time itself. Partly because it’s such a money-spinner for streaming services. But largely because it’s just so relatable for so many.

Navigating the difficult years of early adulthood with a loyal group of friends in tow is something so many viewers can relate to. All the core friends have been invaluable to each other in so many ways, but today we’re focusing on just two of them, Rachel and Joey, and the best things they did for each other.

10 RACHEL: Sharing Her Fashion Expertise With Joey

The Rachel we first meet when Friends begins is a spoiled, selfish young woman, whose wealthy doctor father entirely funds her life (and that of his sisters). Unlike Jill and Amy, though, Rachel eventually learns the value of supporting herself and develops a successful career in fashion.

As such, the gang often turns to her when they have doubts about how to dress. In one instance, Joey was auditioning for the part of an impeccably-dressed character, so asks Rachel what he should wear. Rachel takes him to work and offers him, among many other things, a unisex shoulder bag. Joey wasn’t convinced at first, but grew to love the bag and hated having to part with it.

9 JOEY: Making The Apartment Baby-Friendly

If Joey Tribbiani is known for anything, it’s for his many, many romantic liaisons. As his roommate, as Rachel got closer to giving birth, she became concerned about how having a baby in the apartment would disrupt Joey’s lifestyle. She decides to move out, so as not to disrupt his life, without discussing it with Joey.

On hearing about this, Joey is distraught. He surprises Rachel with his ‘plan’ for the apartment, including a crib and where it would go. Granted, it’s a crib he found on the street and there’s a wild animal of some sort living in it, but otherwise, this was an incredible gesture.

8 RACHEL: ‘Saved’ Joey From Katie

In “The One With The Girl Who Hits Joey,” the actor has found himself in a real romantic bind. Katie, his new girlfriend, is very sweet and a lot of fun, but she’s also excitable and expresses her affection for Joey with playful punches on the arm. Sadly, as Joey explains, she doesn’t know her own strength. She’s very petite but hurts Joey without knowing she’s doing it.

Trying to find a way to let her down gently, he meets Katie in Central Perk (wearing several sweaters to try and cushion the inadvertent blows). Rachel happens to be there, the two women talk, and Katie gives Rachel a playful punch too. Discovering that Joey was actually right, Rachel fights back and Katie demands that Joey sticks up for her in their fight or she’ll walk away and not come back. That works out well for Joey; a way of breaking up with her without actually having to… break up with her. Thanks, Rach!

7 JOEY: Always Being There For Rachel While She Was Pregnant

As with all of the main cast, Joey went on quite a journey of personal growth along the course of the series. As the seasons went on, we learned a lot more about his character, and his sweet and loving side came to the forefront more and more often.

This was never more evident than during Rachel’s pregnancy. Her fraught relationship with Ross meant that the pair weren’t quite sure where they stood with each other, and Ross had entered a new relationship with Mona. While all of this was happening, Rachel lived at Joey’s, so he was constantly on top of everything regarding her pregnancy. So much so, in fact, that when Joey took her to the hospital when she was suffering from Braxton Hicks contractions, the doctor mistook him for the father-to-be.

6 RACHEL: Teaching Joey To Sail

Well, “was patient enough to try to teach Joey to sail for a while” would be more apt. In a typical Joey storyline, the actor purchases himself a sailboat after some confusion at a silent auction. Rachel’s father is a boat enthusiast, so she knows how to sail and offers to head out onto the water to teach him.

Naturally, Joey learns very little, distracted by beer, sandwiches, and pieces of Styrofoam shaped like Mike Tyson. Still, he appreciated the offer, and the two resolved the issues that arose and enjoyed the time together.

5 JOEY: “The One Where Joey Dates Rachel”

We’ll get to the duo’s ill-fated and controversial romance later. For now, though, we’re going to take a look at the episode “The One Where Joey Dates Rachel,” which is full of more adorable moments between the pair.

When Rachel tells him how much she misses dating, Joey decides to take her out for a nice evening. His romantic feelings for her haven’t quite started to develop yet (though they do as a result of the ‘date’), it was simply a loving act of friendship for his roommate.

4 RACHEL: Getting Joey His Job Back

Joey Tribbiani, as fans know, finished the series as a successful soap opera star. There can be no doubt that he deserved to, having paid his dues several times over as a struggling actor. At one point in the series, he was a waiter at Central Perk, but lost his job when he closed the coffee shop to go to an audition (he shouldn’t have been working by himself, but Gunther had also left to get his hair dyed).

Learning of this injustice, Rachel goes to confront Gunther. Besotted with Rachel as he is, the manager immediately relents and gives Joey his job back.

3 JOEY: Stopping Everyone From Laughing At Rachel’s Trifle

As unusual as it is for Joey to teach Ross tact, this very scenario arises in “The One Where Ross Got High.” Rachel has been trusted to make the Thanksgiving dessert, but the recipe book’s pages are stuck together. As a result, she famously makes “half an English trifle and half a shepherd’s pie!”

Ross and Joey are both in a hurry to leave and attend the party that Joey’s attractive roommate is holding, so Ross thinks she should just hurry up and serve it. Joey reminds him that everyone will make cruel jokes about the dessert, so sends Ross to distract Rachel so he can teach everybody to ‘act’ as though they liked it instead. That’s a true friend.

2 RACHEL: Letting Joey Down Gently And Lovingly

Is there’s any Friends storyline that remains controversial among fans, it’s Rachel and Joey dating. Many believe that this was a mistake which didn’t fit in with the show at all. Even so, it’s tough to deny that the plotline didn’t bring us some of the most poignant moments in Friends history.

The scene at the restaurant in which Joey finally confesses his love is heart-breaking.  Rachel is completely thrown at first, but soon breaks down and states that she doesn’t even want to lose Joey as a friend. They sit and silently embrace for so long that the restaurant staff start to wonder what’s wrong with them.

1 JOEY: Putting Their Friendship First When Their Relationship Failed

Ultimately, the pair decided that they just didn’t work as a couple. Joey, after a lifetime of flitting between women, could have been put into an impossible position by this. Things were definitely incredibly awkward between them both soon after his confession, after all.

Instead, though, they shared another heartfelt discussion, in which they wondered whether they were actually even closer friends than Chandler and Monica (explaining why they had found it so easy).  The platonic relationship between Rachel and Joey was made even stronger by this experience, which is a real testament to true friendship.