Friends was a groundbreaking television show that dominated NBC in the ’90s and early 2000s and has gone on to become a binge-able cultural touchstone. The best part of the series was the way the characters interacted with one another, their relationships with each other, and the love stories and friendships that developed and grew on-screen.

When fans look back at Friends, they think of its legendary couples, like Ross and Rachel and Monica and Chandler. Watching these couples kiss or embrace for the first time on-screen was game-changing, sometimes a total surprise, but a welcome one. Other memorable couples, like Phoebe and Mike or Chandler and Janice, didn’t have their first kiss on camera but were bound to be iconic, nevertheless.

10 Ross & Elizabeth (Season 6, Episode 18)

Ross and Elizabeth were a controversial Friends couple. Ross’s inappropriate “professor dating a student” storyline depicted his struggle to find out what he really wanted after having three divorces under his belt by his early 30s.

After one of the college students Ross teaches, Elizabeth, asks him out on a date and comes back to his apartment, the two kiss. Though Elizabeth is young and immature, her crush on Ross is innocent and playful, making their first kiss an adorable kind of awkward, however inappropriate their relationship is.

9 Rachel & Joey (Season 9, Episode 24)

One of the worst storylines on Friends was the brief romance between Joey and Rachel, after Joey discovers that he is in love with his best friend in season eight. Rachel eventually reciprocates his feelings (an entire season later), and the two hook up in Barbados after pining for each other.

Their first kiss was had in secret, though Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe could hear them through the thin hotel walls. The chemistry between the two characters just wasn’t there — and never would be, which is why their “relationship” only lasted a handful of episodes.

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8 Monica & Pete (Season 3, Episode 21)

Monica had some of the most serious relationships of all the Friends characters over the course of the series. Her relationship with Pete was the most boring and lackluster, though, and while their first kiss was cute, it felt forced and ruined an otherwise interesting storyline of Monica rejecting Pete but them remaining friends.

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Monica is convinced for much of season three that she isn’t attracted to Pete and that she likes him in a purely platonic way. It isn’t until he buys her a restaurant that she decides to kiss him to see if there’s a spark. Lucky for Pete, there is, and the two date for the rest of the season until their relationship fizzles out.

7 Joey & Janine (Season 6, Episode 10)

One of Joey’s more long-term relationships was with his season six roommate, Janine (Elle McPherson). Much like Monica and Pete, their relationship began out of unrequited love (Joey pining after Janine, despite her disinterest) and resulted in a short-lived romance.

Their first kiss occurred after they appeared on the pre-taped “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Though it was originally Joey’s plan to plant one on Janine at fake midnight, she ended up kissing him in their apartment afterward. It was sweet and gentle, but much like their relationship and Janine’s character, it was a little boring.

6 Monica & Richard (Season 2, Episode 15)

Monica and Richard’s romance was passionate and serious, though their age gap made it not only difficult to root for them, but also caused problems in their relationship. Even though it didn’t end well, their love started out strong, and Richard seemed to be the perfect match for the mature, ready-to-settle-down Monica.

Monica and Richard’s first kiss occurs at her eye doctor appointment, in which friendly flirting turns into a passionate embrace. It set the tone for the rest of their romance, which was full of love and passion but lacked the potential for a future.

5 Chandler & Kathy (Season 4, Episode 7)

Kathy was arguably Chandler’s best relationship on Friends outside of his eventual marriage to Monica. The two just seemed to get each other, and if it wasn’t for them beginning their relationship by betraying Joey, they might have been a perfect match.

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Chandler and Kathy’s first kiss was a surprise to both of them, occurring after Kathy volunteered to cut Chandler’s hair at his apartment. After leaving her purse behind, the two embrace in the doorway, unable to hide their feelings for each other any longer. It’s a kiss full of chemistry and passion but ends up hurting Joey, in a Friends moment where everyone watching felt bad for him, and wounding the Chandler/Joey dynamic.

4 Joey & Kate (Season 3, Episode 19)

Joey’s play co-star, Kate, is the first woman on the show to really challenge him when she doesn’t return his affection. The two end up kissing before getting in bed together (because the play’s script calls for it), but it is still one of the most intense and steamy kisses in the history of the show because of their dislike for one another.

Joey and Kate could’ve been a good couple due to their immense chemistry, but Kate’s time on the show was short-lived, resulting in Joey’s heartbreak and the end of their passionate embraces.

3 Ross & Rachel (Season 1, Episode 5)

Ross and Rachel’s first kiss surprisingly takes place in only the fifth episode of the first season. When Ross takes Rachel to the laundromat, she gets so excited that she has figured out how to do her own laundry that she kisses him.

The kiss is purely innocent and full of gratitude on Rachel’s part but is the most romantic thing to ever happen to Ross, as he has been pining for Rachel since high school. While it isn’t their most iconic kiss, it is a sweet one, and memorable for fans, as well as for Ross.

2 Phoebe & David (Season 1, Episode 10)

David the Scientist Guy was Phoebe’s “the one that got away.” The two met in the first season and had a brief, but vehement fling, only ending because David had to go to Russia for work.

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Their first kiss occurred not long after meeting and was feverish, much like the rest of their short-lived relationship. David was one of Phoebe’s quirkiest exes on Friends and their attraction was clear, as they embraced and attempted to hook up in David’s lab. If it hadn’t been for time and distance, David and Phoebe very well may have ended up together, but instead, their relationship taught Phoebe to put herself first.

1 Monica & Chandler (Season 5, Episode 1)

Monica and Chandler’s coupling was a complete shock to fans. In the season four Friends finale, Monica emerged from under Chandler’s covers after they spent the night together, and the rest may as well have been history.

Their first kiss after that night (and the first one shown to viewers) was a steamy, passionate moment that occurred on “London time” so that they could continue their overseas affair. The chemistry was on-fire and made fans wish that they had gotten together much sooner and made them even more excited to see how the rest of their relationship would play out.

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About The Author


Emily Proctor
(212 Articles Published)

Emily Proctor is an entertainment writer and avid television fan. She recently graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Communication, Media, and Theatre Arts. In addition to writing for Screenrant, Emily frequently publishes personal essays on her Medium profile and personal blog SheWritesTV.com. She is also an aspiring actress and songwriter.

You can follow Emily on Twitter at @emproct for more of her opinions on pop culture, the latest TV and movies, and links to her work.

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