161 replies to this topic

[jonnypaul12]

Rachel Green. She's got courage, integrity, courage again, and not litigious.

That probably wouldn't work for a forum title, but that's always the first thing I remember when I think of Rachel.

Edited by jonnypaul12, Mar 10, 2006 @ 10:21 AM.

[tamarai]

Rachel Green: "Noooooooo!"

or

Rachel Green: Not Just a Waitress

Edited by tamarai, Mar 10, 2006 @ 11:20 AM.

[RainIsBeautiful]

If Monica's changes to "I KNOW!!!", then Rachel's definitely has to read "Nooooooo!"

Rachel is the only friend I could rarely relate to. I'm not, and I have no friends who are spoiled, sheltered, selfish, and kinda dumb. That's not to say I didn't enjoy watching her mishaps, but more often than not, I was a little annoyed that the "baby" of the group got slightly more attention than everyone else.

[tamarai]

If Monica's changes to "I KNOW!!!", then Rachel's definitely has to read "Nooooooo!"

And then Pheobe's would have to be "Oh No!" Except I have never been able to figure out how to spell it to reflect her funny way of pronouncing it.

I always loved Rachel. She was my favorite, and Janiston is one of my guilty celebrity girlcrushes. Even after she got so skinny (I do want to feed her though).

[tribema]

Rachel, my favorite. When the others started to become caricatures, Rachel was the one who to me at least still maintained some human qualities. It also helped that JA became as good as she did [contrast to Courteney Cox who just became unwatchable]. She really had the deadpan, somewhat snarky humor nailed [I don't think people associate that humor with Rachel. But I do].

Favorite season would be 8 which was pretty much her season alone. So many great eps for her and JA as an actress. I love, love TOW the Stripper and when she tells Ross she'll contact Mona 'in person or via e-mail'. Hee. Just because I know that would totally be my approach, too.

Edited by tribema, Mar 12, 2006 @ 5:32 AM.

[tamarai]

I agree, tribema, Jen can be hilarious, and she also brings the poignant like nobody's business.

Mona! I was having trouble remembering her name in another thread, thanks!

[lulu519]

Rachel was my favorite character (with all the guys tied for a close second). I don't think I'm anything like her, but for some reason, I related to her more than any other friend. On paper, the character of Rachel Green is selfish, self-absorbed, superficial, and shallow. Not great qualities; in fact, I despise people in real life who exude these characterisitics. But Jennifer Aniston made this character work; she made the character likeable, relatable, and believable. Underneath that selfish and shallow exterior was a truly good person with a good heart, and Jennifer Aniston should be given all the credit for that. A lesser actress wouldn't have been able to accomplish that, and the character would have been unlikeable. And everyone knows that an unlikeable character on television makes watching his/her show torturous (ahem, Marissa Cooper on The O.C.).

[payndz]

I always loved Rachel. She was my favorite, and Janiston is one of my guilty celebrity girlcrushes. Even after she got so skinny (I do want to feed her though).

As a guy, I can be totally not guilty about the crush. ;)

I was on-set for 'The One With Joey's Award' as a journalist... and in real life, she's so tiny it's unbelievable! Literally pocket-sized. I just wanted to sidle up to her, shove her in my jacket and make a run for the exit before the security guards gunned me down like a dog.

In terms of the mix of comedy and actual likeable personality, Rachel was always my number one choice, closely followed by Chandler. It would have been so easy for her to be a one-note sitcom caricature, but she had a mix of heart and vulnerability beneath the self-centredness and snark that always carried through whatever the scripts had her doing. (It didn't hurt that I thought she looked cute, as well. She's not 'conventionally' attractive... but damn, she is attractive!)

[JillsSophie]

Late in her pregnancy Rachael was one of her best comedic arcs. Great lines and tension with Ross. My personal favorite was when she was jealous of Rena Soifer as the Baby Store sales clerk.

"Where did he meet her?"
Rachael- "Sluts R Us"

and when she saw her ask Ross out for coffee, calls her a horny bitch and then proceeds to pretend with the stuffed animals "No, you're a horny bitch!", "No you are!". So funny.

[seasidebreeze]

Rachel was always my favorite character.

It seemed like all the others became so one-note by the end, but she remained "normal" and human. She was just the most relatable.

Or maybe it's all because of my ginormous Jennifer Aniston girl-crush.

Edited by seasidebreeze, Apr 23, 2006 @ 2:43 PM.

[Firecat]

I actually think Rachel regressed too. She started to get better, and was a competent, hard worker at Bloomingdales in season 3-4. But then they switched her back to spoiled princess mode, with her goofing off at work, hiring a pretty boy at the office, and dating him, and acting just as immaturely with Gavin later. She got pregnant and claimed to want it, but she didn't want to do any of the work that came with motherhood, and she was too chicken to take responsibility when her daddy yelled at her. She was not some great, mature, independent woman anymore. She was a whiny ditzy bitch, expecting everyone else to clean up her messes.

I copied this from the 'Relationships' thread, because it said exactly what bugged me about Rachel at the end of the series. I hated, hated, HATED pretty much every story involving her career after about Season 4, because they all involved her acting completely unprofessional, and I didn't buy it. It was a regression of the character to get laughs, but I don't think it really made sense.

[Cress]

That was my post. I want to clarify that I liked Rachel in the beginning of the show. I LOVED all the friends really, in the early seasons, because despite their flaws they were relatable and human. Many of the friendships were more playful and fun too, like with Chandler and Rachel or Chandler and Phoebe. There was real affection among them all.

Sure, season 1 Rachel was spoiled and kind of ditzy about stuff like laundry or being a waittress, but she was sweet and generally had a good heart. She did her best to learn how to live on her own, without her daddy's money, and also had to deal with her parents' divorce. I truly felt for her when she pined over Ross in season 2, and I liked her for most of season 3 and 4. The job at Bloomingdales fell into her lap a little too easily; how could she get that job, when her sole other experience was two weeks as a coffee-making assistant at Fortunata Fashions? But even Rachel seemed to sense that, and she really was serious, dedicated, and ambitious in that job, as if to prove that she earned it.

But then maybe after Joanna died, things went downhill fast, as I stated. It's hard for me to continue to like Rachel after that point, when I've lost respect for her, and the writing has de-evolved her previous character growth. (Of course, all the other Friends had been turned into one-note caricatures too. I don't think anyone was immune to it.)

Edited by Cress, May 23, 2006 @ 1:05 PM.

[Wildcard28]

The one episode where I really hated Rachel's behaviour (even though it was one of the funnier epsiodes) was "The One With The Videotape". She knew from the beginning that she was the one who came onto Ross, but lied about it - knowing noone would believe Ross. It's made her seem so petty, selfisn, and downright mean.

[english toffee]

I loved Rachel up until Season 8-9. What the HECK happened to her? Jen Aniston started using this horrible squeaky voice and became this perfect-angel character that Joey was just soooooooooo in love with! Give me a break!

The baby thing really ruined the Joey/Rachel characters.. Joey became a sap too, and I hated their 'romance' which just felt so false and icky to me. Before all of that Rachel really was one of the greatest things on TV!

[Alizesmommy]

Sure, season 1 Rachel was spoiled and kind of ditzy about stuff like laundry or being a waittress, but she was sweet and generally had a good heart.

My feelings exactly!! However, I continue loving her for the whole run of the series except the time where he persuaded that girlfriend of Ross to shave her hair (I can't remember the name)

[mini-mart]

The bald girl was Bonnie.

[SpchProf]

The baby thing really ruined the Joey/Rachel characters.. Joey became a sap too, and I hated their 'romance' which just felt so false and icky to me. Before all of that Rachel really was one of the greatest things on TV!

I found Joey's crush on Rachel believable - basically because of the way Matt LeBlanc pulled it off. The Emmy nomination was justified.

Now the next season, where Rachel had a crush on Joey, wasn't believable to me. That just seemed like lazy storytelling.

[theWoebegone]

I'd like to cast my vote for

Rachel Green: The Hermaphrodite Cheerleader from Long Island

[SpchProf]

BWAH!!! I like it and agree!

[Alizesmommy]

What I like about Rachel was her confidence. I always thought she had this "I have my flaws but I like myself" attitude, even at times she made stupid mistakes.

[english toffee]

Yeah, she got hit by a car and died after promoting Rachel, but then no one knew about the promotion.

[Lady M]

The funniest thing about that was that Rachel's co-worker whom Joanna always insulted was so cheerful afterward. "Did you hear about Joanna?" "I sure did!"

[surfsup79]

Then poor Rachel was upset and the lady comforted her because she thought she was sad for Joanna but she was thinkng about the promotion. "So close!"

Sophie and Joanna cracked me up. "Sophie can you please take your nose out of my butt?"

[Scoithniamh]

Sweet merciful crap. I'm watching TOW Estelle Dies, and this thread title just became particularly ironic. What is Rachel wearing? It's a nubbly red-ish scoop neck sweater, with an additional weird turtleneck collar that may or may not be attached, which has a black leather belt dangling from it. What the hell is that? WHAT IS THAT? I just don't understand it. Is it avant garde?

[auanha]

I just watched that one again to see what you were talking about and, I have no idea WHAT that is....maybe it's just too 2004 for us to comprehend?

[theWoebegone]

I'm watching this one right now, and that weird belt-thing hurts me... especially since I would wear that top were it not just mysteriously growing out of her throat.

[Jake]

Well Rachel Green: Fashionista was occasionally hard to decipher, it still hurts my soul to see her in that outfit she wore in "The Last One"

Hideous, and they think anyone would wear something that looks that uncomfortable on a Trans-Atlantic flight...and why the hell was Rachel flying coach to her new job anyway?

[Mennym]

That was coach? That was a very luxurious looking coach then. I saw that episode just a few weeks before I flew back to England from visiting Canada and trust me if what Rachel was flying was coach I must have been flying cargo!