29 Noteworthy Couples From Friends That Were Not Endgame

Ross and Rachel were the Will They/Won't They couple of the '90s.

Monica and Chandler were the unlikely surprise that reminded us, "Hey, relationships can be healthy and work!"

Phoebe finally found love and family with Mike played by Paul Rudd of Clueless fame.

And Joey ... was Joey.

Hopefully, our favorite friends spent the past couple decades enjoying their happily-ever-afters. Still, it was a long road getting there.

There were lots of bad dates and failed relationships along the way. Nobody can argue that Monica and Chandler don't belong together. As for Rachel and Ross? Well, that one depends on who you ask.

Still, some of those couples along the way were pretty great. Then again, some were truly terrible. We created a list of the most notable non-endgame couples on Friends.

Joey and Monica

Before London and a fanbase overwhelmingly shipping Chandler and Monica, the writers had planned to put Joey and Monica together. It was constantly teased in the early seasons, but never more so than on Friends Season 3 Episode 6, "The One With The Flashback."

When Joey first moved in, Monica had a serious crush on him. He seemed into her too, and it might have become something if he hadn't stripped naked when she asked him in for lemonade. Monica was affected in all the wrong ways.

Ross and Carol

Remember Ross's first wife, Carol? Yes, we know she is a lesbian, but she also genuinely loved Ross, and he genuinely loved her. They were together for a long time before Carol realized her sexuality and it seems they were pretty happy together for a while there.

Rachel and Barry

This relationship was terrible, but it was also the catalyst for Rachel moving in with Monica. The whole series would never have happened if Rachel hadn't dated this two-faced, weak, lying, j-hole of an orthodontist. Should we thank him?

Chandler and Aurora

Aurora was significant because she was the first girl we saw the socially awkward Chandler be really into.

Also, she was clearly out of his league. Seeing him fall for and then end things with this beautiful Italian woman because she couldn't commit to just him showed us a side of the softer Chandler underneath the humor, and we liked him.

Phoebe and David

David and Phoebe may have only been a couple for one episode, but it was clear their feelings for each other were strong and real. Circumstances tore them apart, but David would often pop back up in New York and remind us how sweet he was and how sweet the two were together.

Originally the writers had planned for Phoebe to end up with David in the final season. But Mike won over the audience, and David got left in the cold. Poor David.

Monica and Young Ethan

The first long-term relationship we saw Monica in was with a charming young man who it turned out was just a little too young for her. As in statutory rape too young.

Ethan lied about his age until after he and Monica did the deed. Most high-school seniors would love to lose it to an older woman, but even if he was sincere when he said he loved her, the whole thing was just too icky for Monica.

That's a good thing because, you know, illegal.

Rachel and Paolo

Paolo was supposed to be Rachel's fun, passionate fling. He was hot and foreign. Of course, he barely spoke English.

Then there was the time he hit on her friend while they were together. This relationship was pretty awful, and while a girl can understand why she was with Paolo, she's far better off without him.

Joey and Ursula

Despite many teases, Joey never dated Phoebe. He did, however, date her twin sister Ursula.

That counts, right? No?

Joey was pretty nuts over Phoebe's sister. Ursula was kind of a bitch though.

She dropped Joey like a hot potato after they hooked up and never even let him know it's over. I mean, Joey's surely done this to countless girls, but we don't know those girls, and we care about Joey.

Ross and Julie

Julie was not a bad person or a bad girlfriend. She genuinely cared about Ross, and they had similar interests and careers. She worked to get along with his friends, and they were going to buy a cat.

Ross was using Julie to get over his feelings for Rachel, but he did seem to like her.

The only bad about this relationship was the part where Ross cheated on her with Rachel. Not great with fidelity, is he?

Chandler and Susie Moss

This relationship is notable for a lot of reasons. One reason is that it's Julia Freakin' Roberts! Chandler dated Julia Roberts (sort of)!

However, it is also notable because she's the girl who left him in a public bathroom in nothing but her underpants! Since she was faking the relationship, it's a good thing these two didn't work out, but man are we grateful to her for that scene!

Monica and Richard

Before Chandler and Monica were a blip on the radar, Richard was the great love of Monica's life.

The relationship was flawed in that Richard was 21 years Monica's senior. Still, he wasn't just going through a mid-life crisis as he got his jollies with a 20-something twinky. He truly loved Monica, and she loved him.

These two split because Richard, already a grandfather, didn't want to have more kids, and Monica, understandably, did.

Years later, he decided he did want those things with her, but she was already with Chandler. The timing was just never right for these two, but their love was beautiful.

Joey and Erika

This couple was mostly notable because Brooke Shields played Erika. Still, having a stalker is a pretty big deal for an actor. Joey got the dream and the nightmare when a hot crazy woman tried to eat his hand at a restaurant.

In the end, the only way to get rid of her was to speak her language. We can only hope that someday Erika got the help she needed from a doctor not named Drake Ramoray.

Chandler and Janice

Was her voice annoying? Yes. But was Janice a bad person? Not even a little.

Janice cared deeply for Chandler, and at one point he cared for her too. This is another couple who just had terrible timing.

If the writers had gone with their original plan for Monica, Chandler probably would have ended up with Janice and would that really have been so bad?

Ross and Bonnie

Bonnie was, unfortunately, a plot device. She was a rebound meant to make Rachel jealous so that she and Ross would get back together and break-up again 10 seconds later.

According to Phoebe, Bonnie was "the best" as well as "very sexually aggressive."

She was hot, talked a bunch about sex, and sometimes shaved her head. We didn't get to know her too well, but the baldness thing was pretty memorable.

Phoebe and Gary

Gary was the first guy we saw Phoebe date for more than one episode.

He was a charming cop with a cute accent who met Phoebe when she impersonated a cop using his badge. Their romance was adorable, and it was nice to see Phoebe get some lovin' for once.

If only he didn't shoot birds.

Rachel and Joshua

Rachel's relationship with Joshua was never much of a relationship. Joshua was coming off a divorce and not looking for anything yet. We didn't get to know much about him, but he was a little strange, yet not all that tolerant of Rachel's strangeness.

Rachel came on way too strong and acted weird during most of their interactions. It is no surprise he ran after she proposed and opened the door to him in a bridal gown. Rachel was not at her best with Joshua, and Joshua, well, he just wasn't that great.

Good riddance.

Joey and Kate

Kate is the woman Joey should have ended up with. There. I said it.

Kate was the first girl we saw Joey genuinely care about. They had mad chemistry together, but while they started antagonist toward each other, Kate also thought Joey was the sweetest guy.

Joey, a guy who never listens to girls when they talk, stayed up all night listening to Kate tell him about her life and her family.

He stayed up to watch her sleep. That's love, even if they never said the words. It broke his heart for her to leave for a job, but he supported her and got why she had to go.

Why, show, why?

Ross and Emily

Emily and Ross had a whirlwind romance, getting engaged after just a couple of months.

They were sweet together, but Ross's inability to let go of Rachel screwed it up. A lot of people felt Emily was too controlling in the end, but after what Ross did? I get where she was coming from.

The fact that she couldn't trust him anymore meant that they were doomed to fail, but if they had taken their time instead of getting married so soon, maybe they could have built something beautiful.

Chandler and Kathy

Chandler fell in love with Kathy while she was dating Joey.

First rule of Friends: Don't Get Between The Friends!

It may not have been intentional, but by kissing Chandler, Kathy almost broke apart one of the best BroTPs in history. Plus, how could Chandler trust her after that? He coudn't really, and in the end, she cheated on him too. This one we could have lived without.

Monica and Pete

Monica and Pete were meh. The story was okay; a computer genius billionaire woos Monica.

She isn't attracted to him until they kiss, and then she is. It was a cute story. The thing is, that kiss may have lit the spark to Monica's fire, but it didn't do the trick for the viewers. There just wasn't any chemistry.

And then he decided to become a boxer? That was out of left field. This wasn't a bad relationship by any means, but did we need it? Not really.

Rachel and Danny

Rachel is often attacked for her superficial ways, so when a cute guy turns out to be a formerly scary guy who she insulted, it causes a cute little flirtation.

The back and forth with Rachel and Danny was charming -- right up until he started getting inappropriate with his sister. After that Rachel had to end it, and frankly, we would too.

Joey and Janine

Joey dates another big name, and this one is a doozy. Elle Macpherson, actress, and model of Sports Illustrated fame played Janine, Joey's new roommate.

These two were only together for about an episode, and Joey mostly just liked her because she was hot, but come on, Elle Macpherson.

Ross and Elizabeth

Remember when you were younger, and you thought teacher/student relationships were hot and not wrong and creepy?

Then you probably loved Elizabeth and Ross. Hopefully, now that you are older and wiser you can see how wrong this coupling was.

Did Ross even like anything about her other than the fact that she was pretty and too young for him?

Meanwhile, we can't help but feel bad for this sweet, naive girl who came on to a professor and snuck around with him, then pelted him with a water balloon when he dumped her.

Rachel and Tag

Speaking of inappropriate relationships, remember when Rachel hired a hot 24-year-old to be her assistant, ogled him, took pictures of him, and told everybody he was gay?

There was nothing okay about Tag and Rachel together. She was his boss, and what she did was sexual harassment. He may have been into it later, but that does not make it okay.

Seriously, Rachel, you're better than that.

Joey and Cecila Monroe

This was one of those times where Joey was actually good to the person he was dating. Cecilia Monroe (played by Susan Sarandon!) was going through a tough time in her career. Joey was kind to her, and they had a nice connection.

This relationship was never meant to last, but while it did, it was very sweet. They were what the other one needed right then and that's okay.

Ross and Mona

What was wrong with Mona?

Seriously, she was the sweetest, kindest, most forgiving and understanding hot girl in the world.

Ross abandoned her at the movies. He constantly forgot about her. He withheld the fact that his ex was carrying his baby! And she just went along with it and kept forgiving him.

In a way, he judged her for not breaking up with him sooner.

Rachel and Gavin

Aren't love/hate relationships adorable? Gavin was the jerk at Rachel's office who covered for her when she was on maternity leave. She was worried he was out for her job, and he probably was, but he also helped her out a few times.

These two had mad chemistry, and the storyline potential was there, but it was forgotten for more Rachel and Ross drama.

Shame.

Ross and Charlie

Charlie was part of a love triangle between Joey, herself, and Ross. She was also the only moderately significant black character to ever be on the show. She and Ross connected over their careers, interests, and both being relatively attractive, but in the end, she was still in love with her ex.

These two were okay, but the token black girl thing is really what gets her on this list.

Rachel and Joey

This is the one you' ve been waiting for! This is the one a good portion of the fans feels should have been endgame! These two were good friends who, somewhere down the line, started to feel for each other.

They had chemistry until, suddenly, they didn't, and decided they were better as friends. The show wanted Ross and Rachel together in the end, and it was a choice that splits fans down the middle.

I don't know if they were a good couple, but I can admit they had potential if the writers hadn't squandered it.

Do you agree with our list? Let us know in the comments.

Leora W was a staff writer for TV Fanatic..