Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel Green is one of the most popular characters in Friends, with the actress shooting to the A-list due to the show’s success. Rachel arguably had the most dedicated character arc, with everything from her work-related exploits to her romantic life explored in the 10 years she was onscreen.
Brought up as a spoiled woman who relied on her father, Rachel’s move to the city forced her to make many decisions on her own. She came to appreciate her efforts as they bore fruit, and it’s interesting to see just how different her life turned out because she was brave enough to do so.
When She Ditched Barry At The Altar
Rachel came to the realization that she’d never lived for herself and that she was making a mistake marrying a man she didn’t love. The problem was that this struck her on her wedding night, prompting her to escape from the bathroom after she couldn’t handle the stress.
While Rachel was very remorseful toward Barry afterward and repeatedly apologized, none of the great things that happened in her life would have been possible if she hadn’t run away. She would have most definitely gotten divorced and never learned to be independent, and her decision to ditch Barry enabled her to explore who she really was.
When She Cut Up Her Credit Cards
One of the life lessons Friends taught through Rachel was that it’s okay to be scared as long as a person is making positive changes. Rachel was still relying on her father’s money, which prevented her from getting a job and truly living the struggle that leads to independence.
She caved in when her friends told her to cut her credit cards to eliminate all temptation, and even though it troubled her at the time, Rachel never regretted it. She went on to pay her dues, climb the ladder to success, and ultimately made a good living out of her own money that even made her father admit he was proud of her.
When She Decided To Go After Ross After Learning About His Feelings For Her
Rachel learns that Ross is in love with her after Chandler accidentally blurts it out, which leaves her confused about her own feelings. She initially thinks she shouldn’t pursue Ross, but then takes a leap of faith to go and pick him up at the airport and hopefully begin a relationship.
It blows up in her face at the time since Ross shows up with Julie, but the decision works in the long run because Rachel realizes who she truly loves. Had Rachel decided against going after Ross, she would’ve been stuck in an endless cycle of unsatisfying relationships without knowing how she really felt.
When She Performed At Barry And Mindy's Wedding To Prove She Wasn't Embarrassed To Be There
Rachel made a pretty brave decision by accepting Mindy’s invitation to be her maid of honor when she married Rachel’s ex, Barry. However, she was met with scorn and derision by the guests, who bought into Barry’s lies that she was mentally addled.
Other factors led to the night being even more embarrassing and Rachel contemplated leaving but decided to stay and perform a song instead. She successfully stuck it right to Barry’s face by stealing the moment as the guests joined in with her performance to forget the wrong image of Rachel that Barry had tried to instill in them.
When She Broke Up With Ross The First Time
The break up of Ross and Rachel remains a heated conversation, with certain Friends fans hating Rachel for the way she handled it. However, her decision to end the relationship was the right thing to do for both of them, seeing as Ross was unable to support her growing career and she felt burdened by it.
Free from that pressure on her shoulders, Rachel went on to devote more time to her career and landed herself in a high position. It made Ross see that she was genuinely enthusiastic about her work, with the topic never becoming a factor for them in the future because he came to respect Rachel better.
When She Quit Central Perk
Rachel became a bit too comfortable at her position in Central Perk, even though she hated being a waitress. She worked there for years because it gave her a steady paycheck, but the job also interfered with her true dreams of a fashion industry career.
In one of Rachel’s shocking moves in Friends, she quit on a whim without having any other job lined up. She regretted it at first since she was left unemployed with no other opportunities, but that fear led to Rachel putting all her efforts into getting the job she wanted and she landed one at Bloomingdale’s.
When She Didn't Pursue Ross During His Divorce From Emily
Some of the fanbase of Friends think Rachel was a bad friend when she went to crash Ross’ wedding to Emily, but the truth is that she never went through with it. She then didn’t make a move when Ross was reeling from the separation with Emily, despite having a clear shot at him.
It was the right thing to do because Rachel would have just confused Ross further and caused him more trouble than he already was in. While she admitted she was in love with Ross, it had more to do with Rachel gaining closure over the whole situation.
When She Explained Her Job Interview Mistakes To Mr. Zelner
Rachel was once very unconfrontational, with just about everyone walking all over her. She took initiative when she applied at Ralph Lauren, however, where she overcame extreme embarrassment at her job interview. As it happened, Rachel first gave her prospective boss a kiss goodbye and later confronted him when she mistakenly thought he was hitting on her.
Rather than avoid going back, Rachel made the decision to explain the misunderstandings and was honest about how badly she wanted the job. Mr. Zelner appreciated her candor to take a shot at her, which ended up being the best job Rachel had in the series.
When She Stayed With Joey To Care Of Emma
Ross and Rachel couldn’t reconcile their feelings for each other or their stubbornness over not confronting them, which made them a bad fit as roommates at the time. Rachel decided to go back with Joey, where she raised Emma for the next two years.
It was the right move because Joey gave Rachel the space she needed, while it also greatly helped Joey mature, as he became a loving caretaker for Emma. The unproblematic setting led to Ross and Rachel settling in a good space as parents to provide Emma the loving environment she deserved.
When She Got Off The Plane
The finale saw Ross race to the airport to tell Rachel about his love for her, although she was so shaken up that she decided to get on the plane regardless. It was only when she called to say goodbye that she realized she wanted to be with him, and Rachel decided to get off the plane.
It’s virtually impossible to exit a plane bound for takeoff, but Rachel’s insistence to do so was the best thing she did, as she reunited with Ross. It was the last decision she made in the series, which gave her and Ross a happy ending to conclude the love story that had been on and off for 10 years.