In this series of posts, I will examine 4 different Will-They Won't-Theys on television. I plan on delving into various couples that I believe are benchmarks of the Will-They Won't-They criteria. I chose the couples based on the following criteria:
- The couples had to be picked from tv shows that have ended
- The couples had to be ones I was very familiar with, so I could be fully schooled in their journey over the whole series.
- The couples had to be Will-They Won't-Theys and not just be a couple that was together the whole series.
I decided to begin with Ross and Rachel, Friends.
The couple to base all Will-They Won't-Theys off of. I have loved Ross and Rachel ever since I began watching Friends, which was around age 9 or so (Yeah, my parents let me watch Friends at age 9. Thanks Mom and Dad!).
- Pre-Relationship:
- Pre- Show. Ross has been in love with Rachel since the 9th grade but was always unable to confess his feelings for her.
- 1x01 "Pilot." Rachel stumbles into Central Perk after running out on her wedding right as Ross says he wants to be married again. Enter fate. Also, he confesses he had a crush on her in high school and she admits that she knew and he kind of mentions asking her out.
- 1x02 "The One With The Sonogram At The End." Ross and Rachel console each other over their respective failed relationships.
- 1x05 "The One With The East German Laundry Detergent." Ross helps Rachel do laundry and she kisses him; after which he promptly runs into a washing machine.
- 1x18 "The One With All The Poker." Ross lets Rachel win at poker because he knows she needs the money and it will make her happy.
- 1x22 "The One With The Ick Factor." Ross gets jealous when Rachel has dreams about Joey and Chandler. At the end of the episode she has one about Ross and he overhears and they almost kiss but Carol goes into labor.
- 1x24 "The One Where Rachel Finds Out." Ross buys Rachel a thoughtful birthday present and Chandler lets slip that Ross is in love with her. Rachel realizes that she has feelings for Ross too and goes to meet him at the airport.
- 2x01 "The One With Ross' New Girlfriend." Ross comes home from China with a new girlfriend, Julie, and Rachel is upset and jealous.
- 2x02 "The One With The Breast Milk." Rachel gets jealous of Monica hanging out with Julie.
- 2x04 "The One With Phoebe's Husband." Rachel gives Ross bad relationship advice hoping it will break him and Julie up.
- 2x07 "The One Where Ross Finds Out." Rachel tries to date another guy and drunkenly leaves Ross a message saying she was over him. He realizes she has feelings for him. They kiss!
- 2x08 "The One With The List." Ross tries to decide between Julie and Rachel and ultimately chooses Rachel because Julie "isn't Rachel." But Rachel finds the list and becomes angry with Ross and they don't date. Le sigh.
- 2x09 "The One With Phoebe's Dad." Ross lets Rachel make a list about him but then gets upset at what she says.
- 2x10 "The One With Russ." Rachel dates someone who looks and acts exactly like Ross (played by David Schwimmer).
- Finally Get Together: 2x14 "The One With The Prom Video."
- Rachel realizes that Ross was going to take her to prom and how he has loved her since the 9th grade and kisses him.
- Broke Up: 3x16: The One With The Morning After.
- A terrible day for everyone in America. Ross and Rachel fight over Mark and her new job and she suggests they go on a break and he sleeps with some ho-bag copy girl. Boo. BREAKS ARE NEVER A GOOD IDEA GUYS! NEVER!
- Got Back Together: 4x01 "The One With The Jellyfish."
- Realize they still have feelings for each other. Um, duh.
- Broke Up: 4x01 "The One With The Jellyfish."
- Realize they still disagree about the break thing that broke them up. Also, drama ensued from Rachel's letter: 18 PAGES FRONT AND BACK!
- The Story Continues:
- 3x19 "The One With The Tiny T-Shirt." Rachel goes on a date with Mark from her office, prompting Ross to ask for his things back. However, at the end of the episode he decides to let her keep her favorite shirt of his.
- 4x23 "The One With Ross' Wedding." Rachel flies to London to stop Ross' wedding, but after seeing him with Emily decides against it.
- 4x24 "The One With Ross' Wedding." Ross says Rachel's name at his wedding, but still gets married to Emily. Alright.
- 5x24 "The One In Vegas." They drunkenly get married. Drunk words are sober thoughts, guys.
- 6x02 "The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel." Phoebe is convinced (rightly) that Ross still has feelings for Rachel because he is reluctant to divorce her.
- 6x14 "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." Rachel is jealous that Ross is dating her sister. Ross decides to not date Jill because he doesn't want to ruin a chance with Rachel ever again. Chandler cries and wonders "why those two just can't work it out." Echoing the thoughts of America, dude.
- 7x01 "The One With Monica's Thunder." They decide to have a "bonus night" but end up not doing it.
- 8x02 "The One With The Red Sweater." It is revealed that Rachel is having Ross' baby after they ended hooking up a few months back.
- 8x18 "The One In Massapequa." Ross and Rachel pretend to be married to appease his parents and spend the night telling stories about their elaborate fake wedding and Ross tells the story of how he really would've proposed if they had stayed together. They share a significant look at the end of the episode. (Side note- this is probably my favorite episode of Friends ever).
- 8x22 "The One Where Rachel Is Late." Ross and Rachel almost hook up to induce her labor.
- 8x24 "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby." Rachel has their daughter, Emma.
- 9x09 "The One With Rachel's Phone Number." Rachel and Phoebe go out and she gives a guy her phone number but later regrets it when she realizes she may want to be with Ross. The guy calls Rachel and Ross answers the phone and doesn't give her the message.
- 9x13 "The One Where Monica Sings." Ross gets jealous after Rachel kisses Gavin and they realize their situation isn't working and Rachel moves back in with Joey.
- 9x14 "The One With The Blind Dates." Phoebe and Joey realize that Ross and Rachel are meant to be and set them up on bad blind dates.
- 10x02 "The One Where Ross Is Fine." Ross acts like he is okay with Rachel and Joey dating but it is apparent he has some issues after he gets wasted on a double date with them and Charlie.
- 10x13 "The One Where Joey Speaks French." Ross comforts Rachel after her father has a heart attack in "Rachel Green's room!" She tries to sleep with him but he won't let her. She admits that the subject of the two of them will never be "off the table."
- 10x14 "The One With Princess Consuela." Ross is jealous because Mark takes Rachel out to dinner to discuss a job offer, which prompts Chandler to say one of the best lines of the series: "Its 7 years ago! My time machine worked!" Ross is then shocked and upset after Rachel says she is moving to Paris.
- 10x15 "The One Where Estelle Dies." Ross tries desperately to get Rachel her job back at Ralph Lauren because he doesn't want her to leave for Paris. He eventually convinces her to move to Paris because he realizes it will make her happy.
- 10x16 "The One With Rachel's Going Away Party." Ross gets upset because Rachel says goodbye to everyone but him. They fight and Rachel later tells him she didn't say goodbye because it would've been too hard and he meant more to her than anyone else. They kiss.
- 10x17/18 "The Last One." Ross and Rachel sleep together and he realizes he doesn't want her to leave. He goes to the airport and tells her he loves her and she leaves anyway. Later he finds a message from her on his answering machine where she says she loves him too. She gets off the plane. America rejoices.
- Status At End of Series: Together. Finally.
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