Monica & Chandler VS Ross & Rachel: Who is the Ultimate Friends Couple?

Monica and Chandler VS Ross and Rachel

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Top 10 Monica & Ross Sibling Moments on Friends

It’s time to decide who are REALLY lobsters. Welcome to MsMojo and today we’re comparing two iconic sitcom couples: Monica & Chandler and Ross & Rachel. For this showdown, we’ll be considering a variety of different aspects of these couples’ relationships and try to pick a winner. Round 1: Stability There were “will-they-won’t-they” couples that came before Ross and Rachel and many that came after, but many consider them to be the epitome of this sitcom trope. The amount of time that these two are actually in a stable relationship is surprisingly short, and the writers instead favored a constant back and forth that kept audiences on their toes, waiting to see what would happen next. It took them forever to actually get together, and then when they did, there was serious conflict almost right from the start. It’s safe to say that these two are anything but stable. Monica and Chandler, however, are pretty much the polar opposite. They first slept together at the end of season four, which was as much of a shock to viewers as it was to them. Over the course of the next season, they entered into a serious relationship, and from then on, they stuck together through thick and thin. When Chandler accidentally took a job in Tulsa, they made long distance work and when they suffered from fertility problems, their relationship got stronger. There’s no question here, the point for stability has to go to Chandler and Monica. WINNER: Monica & Chandler 1 / Ross & Rachel 0 Round 2: Romance Despite the tumultuous nature of their relationship (or maybe because of it), Ross and Rachel were part of the majority of the show’s most romantic moments. Be it their first big kiss at Central Perk or their kiss after Rachel sees the prom video, these two can just make your heart swell. Perhaps because viewers were never sure where this relationship was headed, they wanted to see them get together even more. They were both all about the big romantic gestures, taking turns showing up at the airport to make a declaration of love. While Monica and Chandler may have had a little less of a storybook romance, their relationship wasn’t without passionate or sentimental moments. In fact, their joint proposal stands out as one of the most emotionally affective things the show ever did. Despite that, though, they have a lot more humor in their relationship on a day to day basis than romance. Whether Monica is putting a turkey on her head to say “I’m sorry” or trying to seduce Chandler while she’s sick, we get more laughs than “awwwws” from these two. Also, you can’t forget about the whole jellyfish incident. This is a slightly tighter race, but we’re sure you’d agree that this point should go to Ross and Rachel. WINNER: Monica & Chandler 1 / Ross & Rachel 1 Round 3: Friendship Out of all the “friends” on this show, we would argue that Ross and Rachel have one of the weakest friendships. When they were younger and went to high school together, Rachel was dismissive of Ross, to the point that he became a member of the “I Hate Rachel Green” club. Ross always had a big crush on Rachel, and from the very beginning of Season 1, all of his interactions with her were colored by those feelings. All of the “nice guy” things he did for her when she was finding her footing in the city were because he wanted to date her, not because he wanted to be a good friend. Monica and Chandler, on the other hand, have been great buddies since we’re introduced to them on the show. Sure, they had a rocky beginning when they first met, but as adults they’re great friends who are there for each other no matter what. Monica offers emotional support to Chandler after his breakups, trying to help him get into shape and even teaching him about the female erogenous zones. Even before they started dating, they joked about getting married one day, hinting at what was to come. There isn’t much of a debate here: Monica and Chandler’s friendship is based on caring for one another platonically while Ross and Rachel’s almost always has other motives. WINNER: Monica & Chandler 2 / Ross & Rachel 1 Round 4: How Iconic They Are There is no denying that Ross and Rachel are one of the most memorable couples in TV history. Intricacies of their relationship aside, the show was often fueled by the audience’s desire to see if these two would end up together or not. Some of the show’s most emblematic moments were about their relationship, be it their “break,” Ross saying Rachel’s name at the altar, Phoebe saying they’re each other’s lobsters, or Rachel finally getting off the plane. If there was one romance that kept “Friends” going, it was this one. Viewers may not have been expecting another major couple to emerge to rival Ross and Rachel’s storyline, but that’s where we found ourselves after Season 4. While Ross is trying to patch things up with Emily, Monica and Chandler’s relationship is building and is front and center in every episode. In the latter half of the series, there was much more of a focus on these two than their predecessors. That being said, though, one would argue that “Friends” went downhill after a certain point (let’s say season eight) and so most of the show’s best and beloved episodes happened much earlier. While Monica and Chandler definitely come in at a close second, there isn’t really a question that Ross and Rachel are the show’s most iconic couple. WINNER: Monica & Chandler 2 / Ross & Rachel 2 Round 5: Compatibility While Ross and Rachel definitely have strong feelings for each other, their relationship is based on this mutual affection more so than any actual compatibility. When Ross makes the infamous list comparing Julie and Rachel, he lays it all out on the line. He has disdain for the fact that Rachel is “just a waitress” and calls her kind of ditzy. Ross is a self-proclaimed intellectual who puts high importance on his scholarly pursuits while Rachel later works in the fashion world. They also don’t really see eye to eye when it comes to issues in their relationship, with Ross needing more attention and often letting his jealousy get in the way. Monica and Chandler are just as different as Ross and Rachel. Monica has a typical type A personality, valuing order, tidiness, and organization. Chandler couldn’t BE more type B, and had little ambition and tends to be messy. Despite this, though, Monica and Chandler have a more functional “opposites attract” dynamic, and they come together in compromise over their differences. Chandler helps Monica relax a little, and Monica helps Chandler get his life in order. Ultimately, neither of these couples actually have much in common. But of the two, Monica and Chandler use their differences to their advantage, while Ross and Rachel’s incompatibilities are often at the root of their issues. WINNER: Monica & Chandler 3 / Ross & Rachel 2 That means Monica and Chandler take this one! Which couple do you like more? Be sure to debate it in the comments and of course, don’t forget to subscribe to MsMojo for more divisive versus battles.