Friends: ‘We Were on a Break’ Was Never Ross and Rachel’s Main Problem

Summary:

• Ross and Rachel went through many obstacles to end up together.
• The “we were on a break” storyline became so popular it’s basically a meme now.
• However, the main thing the couple should have discussed is not the break itself, but Ross’ behavior.

When you watch a show for the first time, you act exactly the way the writers wanted you to act when they introduced the major storylines. When they throw Ross and Rachel's first kiss at you after laying the groundwork that he was desperately in love with her for many years, you just embrace it.

Or if there's a story about how Joey got into trouble for being silly, you laugh like you're being tickled. Well, the same goes for some of the more dramatic plots. Like the "break" one.

After Ross and Rachel finally got together the second time, after all the "chubby ankles" nonsense was resolved, we thought this might be it: they would start a family, have kids, and the show would probably end in season 5. But that's not what happened.

In the middle of season 3, Rachel got so annoyed with Ross, mostly because of the ridiculous jealousy stuff about Mark, but also because it seemed to her that Ross was not happy with her career choices, that she suggested they take a break in the middle of a heated argument. And Ross stormed out of the apartment.

They both didn't take it well and immediately regretted their decision, so Rachel waited for Ross to call, and Ross ended up in a bar. Due to some sort of misunderstanding, Mark came to cheer Rachel up (and try to sabotage her relationship), and when Ross called and heard his voice, he thought she was getting physical with him.

And our Ross the dummy thought of nothing else but to hook up with another girl, and he will later explain his actions by yelling the legendary "we were on a break" line. But we wonder, does it really matter?

How can a man so deeply in love with a woman leave her the moment things get rough? It's one thing to want to seek comfort in your friends when you're feeling down, but having sex with another girl just because you can is not something you'd do. And then lying about it to your girlfriend's face while the hookup is still hiding in your apartment?

They spent all that time arguing about the break stuff, but for what? The break lasted one night, and that was enough for Ross to make a mistake no one would forgive in 99% of cases. It's a miracle that Rachel later found it in her heart to actually get back with him.

We can only hope that she lost the part of her memory where all the pain of the betrayal was stored.