Undoubtedly, Friends is one of the most significant shows in the history of television, and over the course of its ten seasons, it made its mark on both the industry and society. Like any show that enjoys widespread popularity, it has been loved and hated by many, and its main characters were often criticized for their actions. Particularly, the most controversial characters on the show were Rachel Green and Ross Geller, played by Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer. One of the biggest reasons why these characters were so heavily criticized was their on-again-off-again relationship throughout the seasons.
To this day, audiences still debate whether or not Ross and Rachel were on a break the night he decided to sleep with another woman, as well as many other topics that are still being discussed. While their relationship had many fans all over the world, plenty of people did not approve of it at all. That is why, when Rachel decided to quit her dream job in Paris to get back to Ross in season 10, a large part of the audience got very upset. Naturally, there must have been tons of motives that made Rachel stay in New York City apart from Ross. However, there were also several valid reasons for her to choose Paris instead. Check them out.
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6 She Worked Extremely Hard to Get That Opportunity
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Rachel is among the characters with the most significant evolution over Friends’ 10 seasons. She is introduced in the first episode as a spoiled child, who, completely dependent on her father and fiancé, has not worked a day in her life. After running away from her own wedding, she is forced to do something she’s never done before: stand on her own two feet. Unsure of what to do with her life, she lands her first job as a waitress at Central Perk, a position she wasn’t very good at nor liked very much, but it helped her break into the workplace. A few years later, Rachel discovered her passion for fashion and swapped Central Perk for a job as a personal assistant at Fortunata Fashions. As her duties in this position were disappointing, she kept searching until she landed a job at Bloomingdale’s and, later on, at Ralph Lauren, both places in which she grew a lot as a professional.
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After getting fired from Ralph Lauren due to an interview with Gucci, Rachel assumed that everything was lost, but that was not the case, as Mark, her former colleague at Bloomingdale’s, offered her the job of her dreams at Louis Vuitton. The woman who was offered the chance to move to Paris was completely different from the one who first arrived at Central Perk in complete distress, and that was thanks to her own willpower and her friends’ support. The offer from Louis Vuitton is the result of years of hard work, self-improvement and sacrifice, and that is why it was a shame for her to let her dream slip away.
5 Ross Tried to Sabotage Her By Bribing Her Former Boss
When Rachel took the job offer at Louis Vuitton, Ross was not happy about it. Totally sure that she was only in it for the money, he made it his priority to keep her in New York City no matter the cost. Initially, he showed up at Mr. Zelner’s office, Rachel’s boss at Ralph Lauren, and tried to get him to rehire her. But, faced with the man’s refusal and after finding out that he had a young son who loved dinosaurs, Ross decided to bribe him with a private tour of the Museum of Natural History in exchange for hiring Rachel back into his company.
He almost succeeded, if not for Louis Vuitton increasing their offer to Rachel, prompting Ross to bribe Mr. Zelner again, this time with a pterodactyl egg in exchange for a raise in Rachel’s salary. His efforts didn’t work out so well, because in spite of the raise, Rachel still wanted to go to Paris: she wasn’t motivated by the money, but rather by the opportunity to work for a major brand in one of the world’s fashion capitals. It is only then that Ross understood Rachel’s true motivations and decided to stop boycotting her dreams. However, if his plan had really worked, it would have only been a matter of time before Rachel found out, and that would have certainly led to a major breakdown in their relationship.
4 Ross Was Never Supportive of Her Career
From the very beginning of the show, Ross was happy and satisfied with his career, which by that point was already quite stable. Rachel, on the other hand, walked a very different path, and it took her a little longer to reach her goals. Unfortunately, along the way, she could not count on Ross for support. He never really valued Rachel’s work as much as it deserved, and in fact, many times he complained to her since he felt she was putting her job before him. Such was the pressure Rachel felt regarding this issue, that after he broke into her office to celebrate their anniversary in the midst of a busy workday, she made the decision to pause the relationship because things were not working out. Moreover, every time he escorted her to work events, it was out of jealousy or other motives that had nothing to do with supporting her career, even though she always supported his.
3 He Could Have Moved With Her to Paris
This is possibly one of the most angering reasons for fans regarding Rachel’s decision-making: she didn’t even have to give up her dream in order to give her relationship with Ross a new chance. If the couple really wanted to stay together, Ross could have made the big move and relocated to Paris with her, at least for a while. Of course, this option would bring with it a few complications for Ross, as it would mean abandoning his city, his job, his home, and even being away from his son Ben. While it would have been difficult for both of them to adjust to a new place, and for Ross to get a new job, they would have been able to enjoy a fresh start in their relationship. Yet this totally feasible option was not even considered by either of them: Rachel, unaware of what Ross felt for her, was just planning to leave, and Ross, for his part, was only focused on keeping her in New York City to have her around.
2 They Could Have Pursued a Long-Distance Relationship
Naturally, moving to a remote country and leaving everything behind to try your luck with a partner can be a pretty risky. And given Ross and Rachel’s background throughout the show, there was no guarantee that this would go well. In fact, it is quite possible that, faced with a new and vulnerable circumstance such as landing in a new country, the couple experienced some very shaky moments. However, even if moving to Paris together seemed too risky, there was another thing they could have tried: having a long-distance relationship.
Of course, it’s not the same as having your partner at walking distance and getting to see them every day, but at least it would have given Rachel the opportunity to pursue her dreams while also allowing the couple to explore their feelings. Thanks to technology, they could have stayed connected over distance and flown in to see each other as often as their jobs and obligations allowed. Perhaps that distance would even help them work out all of those issues that were not quite settled between them. Unfortunately, neither of them considered this option either, so it is imposible to determine how things would have worked out for them.
1 Making That Choice Damaged Her Career Significantly
This is another major reason why many of Rachel’s fans were disappointed with her decision to get off the plane and go back to Ross. As we have seen, it was very hard for her to get the chance to work in one of the world’s fashion capitals. From her first job as a waitress to this offer at Louis Vuitton, Rachel learned a lot, not only as a professional, but also as a person. She developed a sense of responsibility towards herself and others, learned to stand on her own two feet and to fight for her dreams. She knew how lucky she was to have landed this job offer, which, even though it arrived as a result of her constant efforts to excel and improve, was not an opportunity that is given very often, especially in the fashion industry.
Therefore, when she made the sudden decision to get off the plane and went after Ross, not only was she giving up on her dream, but she was also seriously damaging her career: she had already accepted the offer, and the company had made the necessary arrangements to welcome her to Paris. Turning down such an important deal on such short notice could potentially shut many doors in the industry and exclude her from future opportunities. Moreover, although it is not stated at the show’s finale, it is very likely that, upon deciding to stay, Rachel would have taken back her job at Ralph Lauren, a position she no longer found fulfilling, which would be detrimental to her professional development.
