The main characters of Friends almost had a completely different dynamic as the writers planned a romance between Rachel and Chandler.
Friends had two main couples thanks to Ross and Rachel, and Monica and Chandler, but this almost didn’t happen as the writers planned a Rachel and Chandler romance, which would have definitely worked. Although Friends came to an end many years ago, there are some behind-the-scenes details that keep emerging or that re-spark conversation among fans. Some of these details make way for “what if” scenarios as they were ideas that would have completely changed Friends, and not always for the better.
There are many things in Friends that were key to the show’s popularity and identity, such as it being set in New York City, the characters always going to the same coffee shop, a couple of running gags, and the roller coaster romance between Ross and Rachel. Although Friends shared the spotlight between all six main characters, it definitely focused a lot more on the many ups and downs in Ross and Rachel’s relationship, with Monica and Chandler’s romance providing something different and more stable. However, these two pairs might have not happened had the writers gone with one specific plan: getting Rachel and Chandler together.
Why A Rachel/Chandler Romance Could Have Worked
Among the ideas the writers of Friends had for the show and that ultimately never happened was a romance between Rachel and Chandler. The writers of Friends were serious about this, so much so that they tested the ground with the episode “The One with the Flashback”, set a year before the series’ first episode. In it, Central Perk was a bar, and one day, Rachel arrived with her friends to celebrate her engagement. Chandler tried and failed to flirt with Rachel, who quickly rejected him.
However, at the end of the episode, Rachel was seen in the car with her friends fantasizing about going back to the bar and having sex with Chandler, and that’s the closest there was to Rachel and Chandler getting together. The audience didn’t react positively to the idea, but Chandler and Rachel would have actually worked. Chandler and Rachel have a lot more in common than it seems, such as both having corporate jobs (the only ones in the group to have them) and constantly struggling with romantic relationships, which could have helped them bond at a deeper level. Chandler and Rachel are actually one of the most underrated friendships in Friends, as though they didn’t share much on-screen time together, every time they did they proved they had a solid friendship.
Rachel and Chandler were able to laugh with each other but also showed how much they cared and were very honest with each other, all of this making a strong foundation for a romantic relationship. One of their most memorable moments together, which showed that they were compatible in different ways and could have a fun relationship, was when they shared a cheesecake, to the point where they ate one from the floor in the hallway.
Rachel & Chandler’s Relationship Would Have Completely Changed The Show
Having Rachel and Chandler getting together in Friends would have changed the series in different ways. Ross and Rachel’s toxic relationship would have gotten worse, as Chandler is Ross’ best friend and he definitely wouldn’t have taken it well if they had a romance, especially after his and Rachel’s “we were on a break” mess. Depending on how long their romance would have lasted, there might have not been a Monica and Chandler relationship, so Friends fans would have never had one of the most solid and fun couples.
Rachel and Chandler having a romance would have also changed the whole group’s dynamic, and if they broke up, that would have been yet another hard hit for the group after Ross and Rachel’s messy break-up. Although Rachel and Chandler would have worked together, it was for the better that the writers of Friends decided not to go with it.
