Ross Geller Was The Only Villain Of Friends’ Most Hated Love Triangle

Summary:

• Friends was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 90s, airing from 1994 to 2004.
• Ross and Rachel were deemed as the main ‘will they-won’t they’ couple of the series.
• This led to many characters falling victim to their romance and fans’ hatred, including Ross’ ex-wife Emily.

Friends fans will be forever grateful for the many wonderful moments and sweet jokes the show gave them. It was a great success and a great stroke of luck to find a cast of actors who had such chemistry with each other and could portray their characters so well through thick and thin.

From Monica Geller, portrayed by Courtney Cox, to Joey Tribbiani, portrayed by Matt LeBlanc, all of the actors are now as beloved as the others by long-time fans. However, back when the show first aired, viewers definitely had their strong opinions on how the characters should end up.

Ross Geller, portrayed by David Schwimmer, as well as Rachel Green, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, were destined for each other in the eyes of the audience. Although the writers seemed to agree and kept finding reasons for them to get back together, every bump in the road of their relationship was met with backlash.

The partners they chose for themselves were not even close to being approved by the fans. Considering the general misogyny on television in that decade, Ross' female partners had to deal with much more hatred.

Ross and Emily’s Wedding Going Wrong

In the season 4 finale, after only six weeks of dating, Ross and Emily are finally in London, ready to tie the knot. The decision isn't met with much enthusiasm, but no one seems to mind. And even Rachel, who already knows that she is still in love with Ross, manages to keep from saying anything.

At this point, all we have is the oblivious bride, Emily, who is happy to be here with the man she believes she loves, Rachel, who is respectful enough to sit back and give her ex the space to continue with the life decisions he makes, and Ross, who ruins the wedding by calling Emily by Rachel's name during the ceremony.

While the blame at that moment is pretty clear to everyone involved, the show plays Emily as the person who keeps Rachel and Ross apart. In shock, she decides to go through with the wedding and spends much of the following season rightfully angry at Ross and his behavior.

Although the situation itself doesn't leave much room for discussion, Emily's righteous anger and jealousy make her the villain of the piece and the cause of this whole messy love triangle. In the end, Ross asks her to blindly trust him, and her refusal ends the doomed marriage.

Whether you think Ross was the one to blame for all the drama in the first place, or you still don't really like Emily, you might be interested in re-watching seasons 4 and 5 of Friends. You can stream the show on MAX.