One of the most unforgettable moments in Friends is the “break” between Ross and Rachel, and a theory suggests that Ross had a different idea of what a “break” is due to his past experiences with his ex-wife, Carol. The 1990s saw some of the most popular sitcoms in TV history, and among those is Friends, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. Friends became one of the greatest TV shows of all time and addressed topics that many TV shows didn’t back in the 1990s, but it has also drawn some criticism for how some characters were depicted and the bad examples they were, as is the case of Ross Geller (David Schwimmer).
Friends followed the lives of a group of six young adults in New York City, who did their best to balance their social, personal, and professional lives while also dealing with everything adulthood threw their way. Although Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, Joey, Rachel, and Ross were all the main characters of Friends, the show focused more on Rachel and Ross and their roller-coaster romance, which was at the front and center of various episodes, including the pilot and the series finale. The most memorable moment in Ross and Rachel’s relationship, and which was constantly mocked by the rest of the characters, was their infamous “break”.
Ross and Rachel officially got together in Friends season 2, but the following season, a failed anniversary celebration led to a heated argument between them, fueled by Ross’ jealousy over Rachel’s friendship with her coworker, Mark. This argument ended in Rachel calling for a “break”, and a couple of hours later, Ross slept with Chloe, the girl from the copy place. The following morning, Rachel wanted to get back with him, but after learning what Ross did, she officially broke up with him. Whether Ross and Rachel were “on a break” or not and the terms of a “break” have been debated among Friends fans for years, and a theory tries to put an end to this discussion by suggesting Ross’ idea of a “break” was very different from Rachel’s because he had a more open “break” with his ex-wife, Carol (Jane Sibbett).
Ross and Carol met in college, and they married before the events of Friends, as by the beginning of the series, Ross was struggling to come to terms with the end of his marriage as Carol fell in love with Susan (Jessica Hecht). This left Ross feeling very insecure and paranoid in every relationship he was in after the divorce, and it might have shaped his concept of a “break”, too. A theory posted on Reddit suggests that Carol and Ross were on a break at some point and it was a “break” with a lot of liberties, in which they were both allowed to be with other people. Ross believed that the same applied to his break with Rachel and saw nothing wrong in sleeping with Chloe that same night, but that obviously wasn’t the same concept Rachel had.
The author supports the theory by pointing out that Ross claimed that Carol was the only woman he had ever been with, but in another episode, it was revealed that he got drunk and slept with the lady who cleaned his and Chandler’s room in college (he believed it was Chandler, but he reminded him that it was him who did that). This might have happened during Ross’ break with Carol, as they were allowed to be with other people, but Ross kept counting Carol as the only one. While this theory gives an explanation to the plot hole of Ross’ love life, it also feels like a way to justify Ross’ actions from that particular night, and that might not sit well with most fans of Friends. Surely, the concept of a “break” will depend on each person and couple, and Ross and Rachel didn’t have the best communication at that moment and were driven by raw emotions, leading them to make decisions they regretted soon after.