From the opening scene, it was clear that romance was going to be a huge part of Friends. After all, the pilot begins with Monica telling her friends about a guy she is dating, Ross mourning the end of his marriage, and Rachel running out on her wedding! Throughout the show, dating was key, and everyone was looking for that special someone - even if it took them a long time to get there.
Some relationships were clearly endgame - like Ross and Rachel, even though they took the entire series to actually make it work. Others, though, didn't make it in the end, even though fans were rooting for them - and some were expected to be short term flings, and ended up being so much more.
Surprised Everyone: Joey & Janine
When Joey started his roommate search, he was clearly hoping to find a female roommate that he could date, and everyone warned him against it. When Janine, a gorgeous model, took the room, the assumption was that this could never work. She was out of Joey's league, he was being pretty creepy, it was inappropriate, and it just seemed like a long shot. However, Joey and Janine surprised fans when they not only got together, but when it was Janine's dislike of Monica and Chandler (not issues from living together) that broke them up.
Rooting For: Monica & Pete
When Monica met Pete in the third season, she was less than enthusiastic about dating him, but he was clearly sweet and charming, and fans knew that this would end up being more than just a one-date storyline. And when it was revealed that Pete was actually a multi-millionaire, it was thrilling to think that Monica might end up his super-rich wife! When she found a note about custom 'ring design' and he told her that he had something big to talk to her about, everyone thought that this would be a proposal... and it was so disappointing to realize it was a new passion for ultimate fighting (and one that broke them up in the end).
Surprised Everyone: Rachel & Joey
As far as Friends romances go, Rachel and Joey's is probably the most hated on the show. The two obviously got along, had a great time living together, and were great friends.
But after all of Rachel's history with Ross, and given their larger romantic incompatibilities, it was a huge surprise when they ended up getting together. Especially when Rachel didn't initially want this to happen, and turned Joey down, and considering that Joey was in another relationship at the time, too.
Rooting For: Phoebe & David
Phoebe and David got together early on in the series, and had an incredibly cute first meeting, when Phoebe called out David for talking during her set at the coffee house... and it turned out that he was telling his friend how beautiful he thought she was. No wonder fans had a soft spot for these two from the very beginning, and they had phenomenal chemistry and a great partnership. It simply wasn't meant to be, though, as David's career ended up getting in the way.
Surprised Everyone: Monica & Richard
Monica's relationship with Richard was definitely one that raised some eyebrows, as he was not only much older than her, but a friend of her parents who had known her since childhood. Many fans and characters found it difficult to stomach the idea that a man would be attracted to a woman that he remembered as a child swimming in his pool, but these two had a surprisingly sweet dynamic in the end. They didn't work out, as Monica wanted children and Richard didn't want any more, but they were still a huge part of the show.
Rooting For: Rachel & Joshua
Rachel didn't have too many relationships early on that fans were excited about. Paolo was a sleazy creep who hit on her friends, Barry was her awful ex who cheated on her, and most of her other early relationships were either incredibly short lived, or Ross. However, it seemed like things would be different with Joshua, who she met as a client while working as a personal shopper. She clearly had a huge crush on him, and he seemed like a great guy - it was a shame when she messed that up because of some unfortunate insecurities and a mistake in a wedding dress.
Surprised Everyone: Phoebe & Mike
When Mike first appeared on the show, it seemed like he would be unlikely to last the episode. Joey set him up with Phoebe essentially at random, after he lied to her about finding her a date named Mike, and then just yelling 'Mike' in the coffeehouse to see if anyone would answer to it.
From that, it would be easy to assume that Mike was going to be a one-and-done punchline, but he ended up sticking around and even marrying Phoebe. Fans loved him as soon as they got to know him, but no one would have expected that.
Rooting For: Ross & Charlie
Ross was known for his terrible luck with relationships - and part of that was down to some pretty terrible decisions on his part. He dated a student, he cheated on Rachel (or maybe they were on a break...), he married a woman he had only known for a few weeks... he just didn't make great relationship choices! However, when he met Charlie, it seemed like they would be perfect for each other. She was in his field, on his level intellectually, seemed to like him, and they had great chemistry. Of course, this quickly went out the window, and she fell for Joey before dating Ross in the end, but at first, this seemed like it would be a great idea.
Surprised Everyone: Monica & Chandler
Monica and Chandler end up as an incredible couple, but no one would have seen this coming. They even had a conversation early on in the show about the possibility of getting married rather than end up alone, and decided against it! Then, when they had a fling in London, it was easy to assume that it would just be a fling - especially given the potential complications! In the end, though, fans were happy to be surprised by how well this worked.
Rooting For: Ross & Rachel
This may be a slightly more controversial entry, as not everyone loved Ross and Rachel from the start... but they were clearly being set up as the central couple from the very beginning. In the pilot, Ross says that he just 'wants to be married again', and it's at that moment that Rachel runs in in a wedding dress. A great joke, sure, but also the start of the longest on-again, off-again relationship of the series. And from the moment that Phoebe declared them Lobsters, fans were on board.