Actor David Schwimmer's Ross Geller is the most hated character on Friends. We may have differing opinions on Chandler, Phoebe, Joey, and Rachel but when it comes to Ross, the fandom finds him ridiculous. There are plenty of reasons. He hated it when Ben played with a Barbie, he parlayed historical artifacts with Rachel's boss, he had issues with Rachel's male nanny.
Ross may have had his flaws but those were scriptural. Here's the thing, Ross' physical comedy outshined Matthew Perry's class act. It's high time people stop dragging Ross's name through the mud for he was a genuinely good guy. Here are 10 reasons why.
Absolutely Supportive
Ross handled responsibility very well. You can't say the same for Joey or Chandler. Chandler was a commitment-phobic who dreamt of settling in loneville and as for Joey, it didn't take him more than a shower to get over a relationship.
When both Carol (Season 1) and Rachel (Season 7) came to him with news about their pregnancies, Ross handled each bombshell pretty well. He was caught off guard at first, but we very well know how supportive a father he was. Doctors' appointments, rushing to hospitals, getting them pregnancy books, talking to the fetus. He's supportive when friends need it most.
Constantly Pled Monica's Case To Their Parents
What's that thing that Monica said about changing her parents and wanting Ross' for herself? Jack and Judie Geller treated their children differently. Ross was a medical marvel, their firstborn child. They thought Judie was barren before him. Whereas Monica was the kind of woman who didn't want to have it all, the kind who would never get cancer. Ross needed to shoot for the stars with his museum and getting his papers published.
In "The One With The Sonogram At The End," and "The One Where Rosita Dies," we see Ross constantly trying to take some of the heat off Monica. He called their parents on their unfairness to Monica. He gave his father an angry lecture about saving all of his stuff from childhood and keeping none of Monica's.
Gave Away His Ex-Wife
Whether or not Susan was fair to Ross is an endless debate. But she certainly did reach down his throat, grab his heart, pull it out his mouth and wrap it around his neck. She also got all the good stuff when she moved out. Ross, on the other hand, got screwed.
But when Carol's parents were embarrassed to give her away to Susan, she almost called off the wedding. Her ex-husband, Ross talked her into marrying Susan. "If my parents didn't want me to marry you, no way that would have stopped me. This is your wedding. Do it," said Ross. He even gave her away, making her wedding an unforgettable affair.
Bought Phoebe Her Own Bike
Poor Phoebe lived on the streets, mugged people to stay alive. Her mother had killed herself and her stepfather was in prison. She never had a normal, healthy childhood. When she explained she'd never owned a bike, Ross did something really special. He bought her the exact kind of bike (pink with purple tassels and bell included) that she'd wished for as a little girl. What's more, he even took her to the park to teach her to ride it.
Paid Joey For a Date
Joey and Ross were at crossroads with each other when they were both dating the same girl, Kristen Leigh. Even though Ross didn't want to be the guy up against Joey when he learned that the was, he decided to compete for Kristen. One of the pre-conditions was the hundred dollar limit that they both set to spend on the date. Despite the cut-throat competition with the lady's man, Ross let Joey borrow $94 dollars for the date.
Missed His Big Night For Rachel
When Ross and Rachel were broken up, it seemed like there was no going back. No matter how apologetic Ross was or how in love they both were with each other. In "The One With The Chick And The Duck," Ross proved to be a bigger man when he missed out on his important and televised Peruvian fossil panel for Rachel's sake.
Rachel, who'd been hit in the ribs by Monica, had an office party to attend. Ross delayed himself to help Rachel dress for the party, but when her injury worsened, he completely missed his own event to get Rachel to the hospital. All it took from Rachel was, "Oh wait, you are not coming with me?"
Stepped In to Take Rachel To The Prom
During their high school prom, Rachel and Monica decided to go together from the Geller residence. Ross, who was obsessed with Rachel since forever, was coincidentally home for the holidays. The doorbell rang, and Roy Gublick was alone. Rachel's date, Chip Matthews had stood her up. She almost backed out of the prom. Ross stepped in. He rushed up the stairs to grab his father's tux. He even picked the flowers out of the vase for Rachel. But by the time he came downstairs, Chip was back. Ross kept quiet and let her go.
Picked Up His Friends
When Ross and Rachel broke up, it became really difficult for them to be in the same room together. There was too much anger and neither of them could keep calm. For a brief time, Ross and Rachel made separate plans without each other and invited the rest of the gang.
When Rachel took the gang to the ski trip to her sister's cabin, Phoebe's car ran out of gas. Because Ross wasn't a jerk, he located them and drove all the way there to pick them up. He filled Phoebe's car with gas and let them go without any guilt. What's worse, he ran out of gas himself as his friends drove away.
Forgot That There Was A World With Lab Coats And Blazers
Ross got Joey a job as a tour guide at his museum. Things were going pretty smoothly until Joey learned that Ross couldn't lunch with him in the cafeteria due to rank segregation. The scientists sat separate from the tour guides.
Being a good guy, Ross tried to end rank segregation at work the very next day, by speaking up against it. He passed on Dr. Phillips' offer for a seat and invited Joey to sit at the middle table with him. He even made a whole speech about it.
"We work in a museum of natural history. And yet there something unnatural about the way we eat lunch. And I want you to know it took a tour guide to show this scientist the error of his ways. You might even say he took me on a tour of myself. Now I say we shed these costs that separate us and we get to know the people underneath."
Monica Couldn't Have Asked For A Better Brother
Remember Ross's best man's speech at the Mondler wedding? He gave the sweetest toast to Monica by saying she was the greatest sister that anyone could have ever asked for. But it's the other way round, really.
First off, Ross stood by Monica's decision when she wanted to date their parents' friend, Richard. He lent her money when she was broke. He always made a strong case for Monica in front of Jack and Judie. He had "the talk" with Chandler right before his marriage to Monica. He looked all night for Chandler when the latter took off. There are countless other times when Ross went out of his way to show how much he loved Monica, thus proving he was the greatest big brother imaginable.