Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) is the most divisive character out of the main group ofFriends, but the real Ross didn’t appear until after the fourth season.Friendsis amongthe best TV shows of all time, and even though over two decades have passed since it ended (and some things haven’t aged well), it’s still very popular among old and new viewers.
Throughout 10 seasons,Friendsfollowed Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), and Ross (David Schwimmer) as they did their best to navigate adulthood in New York City. AlthoughFriendsshared the spotlight among them, it spent a lot of time focusing onRoss and Rachel’s relationship.
Thanks to this, there was extra pressure on those two characters, who in some seasons ended up carrying the entirety of them, but not always with good results.Ross is often labeled as the worstout of the main characters ofFriends, but the real Ross didn’t appear until after season 4, and he was very different.
Ross Becomes A Completely Different Character After Season 4
The first seasons ofFriendswere not exactly the show’s strongest, but season 4, in particular, had some key moments in the lives of the main group. At the beginning of season 4, Ross and Rachel got back together, but only for one episode, while Chandler fell for Joey’s new girlfriend and Phoebe became a surrogate for her half-brother and his wife.
Around halfway throughFriendsseason 4, Rachel accidentally set Ross and Emily (Helen Baxendale) up, and their relationship escalated very quickly. At the end of season 4, the group (minus Phoebe, who was very pregnant by then) traveled to London for Ross and Emily’s wedding, whereRoss accidentally said Rachel’s nameat the altar, ending his marriage before it could even begin.
This whole experience had a negative impact on Ross, especially on his mental health, but allowed for some much-needed character development.
Friendsseason 5 saw Ross trying to save his marriage, but he and Emily eventually divorced. This whole experience had a negative impact on Ross, especially on his mental health, but allowed for some much-needed character development. Thanks to this, post-season 4 Ross can be considered the real Ross, as questionable as many of his moments were.
Friends' Post-Season 4 Ross Is The Character We All Really Loved
It’s A Very Different Ross
Ross’ failed marriage to Emily left him vulnerable, and with that came anger issues that were addressed on-screen, but also, as mentioned above, his struggles helped develop the character.Prior to season 5, Ross’ personality and story were mostly linked to his personal relationships– whether Carol, Julie, or Rachel – but his divorce from Emily gave him a more personal journey.
Friendsfinally let his real personality and sense of humor shine regardless of who he was with.
Ross overcame his anger issues and more and moved on, and though he continued to date before getting back together with Rachel for good,Friendsfinally let his real personality and sense of humor shine regardless of who he was with. Surely, post-season 4 Ross still had some questionable and terrible moments, such as his reaction to a male nanny.
The real Ross had most of the character’s best moments inFriends, and while many love him, others understandably still couldn’t side with him. However, that doesn’t change the fact that post-season 4 Ross was the best and most real version of the character inFriends.
