Few characters in the history of television have invited as much controversy as of late as Ross Geller, David Schwimmer's creation on Friends, has. While Schwimmer's performance is undeniably exceptional, Ross himself leaves so much to be desired that one would need a genie to manage all the wish fulfillment ascribed to his character arcs.
While Ross comes up short on these arcs more often than not, he still has a few character journeys that are among the best parts of Friends. While his arc on the show was not as well-developed as someone like Chandler or Monica, he still had stops and starts worth cataloging.
Best: Spray Tan
There weren't a whole lot of great arcs in the final season of Friends. However, "The One with Ross's Tan" is a particularly memorable episode and it features a stellar mini-arc for Ross Geller.
He has nothing to do in this episode except try (and fail) to get a spray tan. Of course, it doesn't go swimmingly for Ross in any capacity. But it's still delightful to watch Schwimmer give the episode his all and to watch Ross try his best, but see the world seemingly work against him.
Worst: Unagi
Schwimmer's physical comedy also provides plenty of hilarity in the famed Unagi episode of Friends. But ultimately, the arc itself, when analyzed and looked closely at, is undoubtedly one of Ross' worst - and most unsettling.
Basically, he spends the entire episode going to nearly sociopathic length to torment and ambush Phoebe and Rachel. It's a creepy thing for him to become obsessed with and the only redeeming element is that karma hits Ross at the arc's closure.
Best: Paleontology
On Friends, the jobs held by the characters seemed hardly to matter. Monica and Joey's passion projects were often in flux, Phoebe somehow pulled rent all on her own in New York City, and Chandler's job revolved around some sort of obfuscated business.
Ross, however, was pretty consistently involved in the fields of paleontology, teaching, and museum work. While he does go on leave occasionally, his job was still pretty steady and it was always delightful to watch Ross' enthusiasm about dinosaurs. This show-length, occupation-based arc was definitely the best of the main six.
Worst: Remember The Children
When Ross and Rachel have Emma, Ross tries to exert his experience over Rachel and do what he believes is best for the new baby. Often times, he doesn't even consult Rachel when making decisions.
This would be a bad enough arc of fatherhood on its own, if Emma didn't also come at the expense of Ben, the first child he had on the show. In fact, when Ross eventually stopped worrying about gender norms for Ben, his son disappeared from Friends entirely. Not a good look for Ross as a dad.
Best: Napping
It must be a testament to how comfortable so many of Ross' arcs are that a story arc as simple as his taking naps with Joey cracks the top five. And yet, it represents Ross at his most fun and innocuous. When he was napping with Joey, he was not wreaking havoc throughout the city streets.
Chandler and Joey were always the best friendship on the show, but it was fun to watch Ross' relationship with them, too. His cuddling with Joey is the best of those arcs.
Worst: Dating Elizabeth
When Ross dated one of his students, Elizabeth, only one good thing came from it. Bruce Willis turned up on the show to portray Elizabeth's father and it was one of the best guest spots in the history of Friends.
Everything else is absolutely horrendous. That Ross would even entertain the notion of dating his student would be enough to launch this arc into the top five worst of his. That he continues with it despite the fact it could lose him his job and everyone tells him it is completely inappropriate is just terrible.
Best: To London
There were other relationships in Ross' history on Friends that were much more tolerable. For example, his connection with Emily was actually pretty charming and it resulted in a solid arc for Ross as he travels to London to marry her.
He definitely botches the wedding they try to hold, but it really does seem like Ross was sincere in all of his actions. He tried his best and when he eventually recognized he couldn't hold on anymore, he let go of his dynamic with Emily. It's one of the few relationships that actually develops Ross.
Worst: Dating Charlie
One relationship that unravels some of Ross' character, however, is when he dates Charlie, portrayed by Aisha Tyler. Charlie herself was a great character, but the way Ross treats her makes for a shoddily constructed arc.
For one, their relationship begins with the betrayal of Joey. From there, Ross shows he never learned from his mistakes with Emily and falls into the same patterns of jealousy and longing towards Rachel, alienating Charlie along the way. It was far from fair to her and another example of Ross at his worst.
Best: Will They, Won't They
Of course, the most prominent relationship held by Ross on Friends is with Rachel, defining themselves as a preeminent example of "will they, won't they" in the history of sitcoms.
Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston had genuine, electric chemistry together. Their story arc together may be profoundly popular, but it was massive for a reason. They were genuinely good together and in the early days of Ross and Rachel, they were tons of romantic fun. It showed the sweet, sensitive side of Ross that fans craved and missed as the seasons went on.
Worst: On A Break
This downfall began when the pairing went "on a break," however. This arc shows Ross at his worst again because he sleeps with another woman in an instant when he thinks that Rachel is hosting Mark, a coworker of whom he was always jealous.
It clearly hurts Rachel to be treated this way and Ross' immense, annoying, unfounded jealousy is what causes it. It kicks off a series-long arc that is undeniably detestable and a testament to how bad Ross' arcs could truly be.