Serial Review: The Joey-Phoebe Factor

When FRIENDS began in 1994, everyone assumed eventually the six of them would end up together. Well, the Ross-Rachael pair was the most predictable of the lot. In fact it was the one story line, done to death with. In all the ten seasons of FRIENDS, Ross and Rachael, kept hooking up and breaking up, to the point of having a child together (Emma), and finally they do end up together in the very last episode. Just like all the fans of FRIENDS had always wanted.


Chandler and Monica's love story was quite unpredictable. In of the earlier season, Chandler had suggested that if Monica remains unmarried even when she's forty, then he and she could get together and have a baby. Of course Monica being Monica asks, "Why would I be unmarried when I am forty?" In a certain twist of faith, during their trip to Europe, Monica and Chandler end up spending a night together. What they assume to be a "fun, one nightstand" actually becomes the start of a wonderful relationship. True, this couple went through several issues of their own but they tied the knot, and adopted twins when they couldn't have babies of their own. By far, they are the cutest couple to have graced our television screens till date.

This now brings us to the last two main characters - Phoebe and Joey - who loads of people have felt should have gotten together in the end. In season 1, Joey dates Phoebe's twin sister Ursula stating, "She's hot." The fact that Phoebe and Ursula are in fact identical twins completely escapes him.



Phoebe and Joey share one of the cutest and best friendships to be depicted on screen. When Ursula begins to avoid Joey, Phoebe takes it upon herself to dress up like her twin and tell Joey she's breaking up with him. Of course a little peck on the lips and Joey catches on to Phoebe's little game. But he's touched by her concern for him.

Over the years Phoebe taught him to play the guitar (she named the chords weird things after their shapes), she has played several games she has invented with him. One of them was clearing your mind and answering a series of rapid fire questions, without thinking. When Phoebe gets pregnant with the triplets and has meat cravings, Joey offers to give up meat on her behalf.

Joey's character was dumbed down for some reason from season 1. Phoebe was always shown to be a really crazy person,  but who loves her friends very dearly. And somehow, I personally never saw sparks flying between these two characters. It was a good thing that Phoebe was married to Mike, because he completed her in a way Joey simply does not.

It was refreshing to see that two main characters who were shown from the start to be such amazing friends, remained so till the very end. The cliched happy ending wasn't used for their story, and I am so glad they made all the fans FRIENDS happy, by not making ALL six of them end up with each other.