"TV Couples We Wish Never Got Together" - Rachel and Joey

[JamesG]

Every possible combo of pairings on "Friends" among the main cast was explored to varying degrees throughout the show's 10-season run.

While many of these were contained to a one-off smooch or a passing hint of romantic interest, one coupling that had legs was the one between Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) and Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc).



Starting in the ninth season finale, Rachel and Joey's relationship continued into the final season, with Joey eventually securing the blessing of Rachel's on-again/off-again beau Ross Geller (David Schwimmer). After multiple failed attempts to be intimate with each other, Rachel and Joey decided to revert to just being friends by Season 10's third episode.

Rachel and Joey deciding to take their relationship into a romantic direction felt like something that should've happened earlier on the series. This development came off as a forced way to instill some drama between the main ensemble as the show began to run out of steam.



Fortunately, given the divided fan response to the Season 9 cliffhanger, the series knew to squash this coupling quickly, ending the pair's amorous inclinations decisively.

An odd blip toward the end of "Friends", Rachel and Joey's love story was thankfully over before it could gain any real traction.

https://www.tvline.com/2033212/tv-co...-got-together/