Phyllis seemed so dim witted, self centered and abrasive. Mary was simply a sweetheart. Did it make sense that these two would be friends?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ek5O2C3F5aY/TQbDwjb9QzI/AAAAAAAABXg/gulWtAzbCh8/s320/claris+leachman+and+mary+tyler+moore.jpg

Phyllis was the Eddie to Mary's Wally. Most people seem to have that one friend that pretty much no one else can stand, particularly people who are patient and forgiving, like Mary.

My guess is that Phyllis thought they were closer friends than Mary ever did. Mary probably more or less tolerated her. Once she found Rhoda, you never really saw Mary confide in Phyllis on anything personal. She just trusted and respected Rhoda more, I think. She did like Phyllis on some level, but it wasn't nearly as strong as the feeling for "Ro".

When I was a kid watching this show, I wondered the same thing. The character of Phyllis did not have one likeable quality.

It was established in the pilot that Mary and Phyllis had known each other for years (how, I don't recall), but I don't see that they were THAT close. Mary obviously loved Bess, Phyllis' daughter, and Bess loved "Aunt Mary". I could never see Mary confiding her soul to Phyllis like she would do to Rhoda.

I agree with Retro4life, we all have that one friend. I'm not a complete sweetheart, but I am patient and pretty tolerant of everyone, and I didn't realize how, I guess, untolerable one of my friends was until my best friend pointed it out to me. I knew that she would get annoying and/or irritating after a small period of time, but usually, the friends never allow themselves to be alone with that one person for that long.

I hadn't recalled that in the pilot it was stated that Mary and Phyllis went back a little way...but I always felt that the relationship of M and P was based largely on the fact that Phyllis was Mary's landlord.
I mean, Mary had that cute apartment, so you're always gonna try to be on good terms with the landlord, right?
I agree, Phyllis was more the friend you put up with vs. the one you confide in, but she certainly was interesting and entertaining in her own way, and Mary easily possesed the smarts and charm to handle Phyllis' outrageousness at any point if needed.
Rhoda's situation was more similar to Mary's, and she was more trustworthy, and let's face it, she was a riot, so no surprise Mary and Rhoda were so close.
So, no, I'm not surprised Mary and Phyllis were friends, but it obviously wasn't to the level of Mary and Rhoda.

^ I agree with that, and I'm also going to add that Mary and Rhoda had a lot more in common. Mary and Rhoda were both single and childless, and Phyllis was a married mother who was a bit older than them. Let us also not forget that Phyllis secured that wonderful, homey apartment for Mary just so Rhoda couldn't get it!!

Mary even says to Rhoda in one episode she really loves Phyllis:.." but what

is it about her?".

Phyllis to me,is what you can a fairweather friend,ready to be a friend when

it suits her but when Mary needs her help,like the time Mary slept in and

needed a lift,Phyllis made such a fuss about having to reschedule,Mary took

the bus.

In the Phyllis spinoff Phyllis gets Mary to come to San Francisco in the 2nd season as she has an "emergency",its a tease to her co-worker,she later tries to ring Mary back to say it wasn't true but Mary arrives in SF and isn't happy!