Friends: 10 Times We Related To Rachel | ScreenRant
Rachel has had many experiences on Friends. Her character was the one that grew up and evolved the most out of the six friends, as she left her family's wealth and security behind to build her own life. Rachel learned several life lessons in the decade that Friends was on the air, and those lessons still apply in today's world.
Audiences no doubt have their favorite Rachel moments, and they're probably favorites because they can relate to those moments, whether good or bad. Rachel was only human, and life has its ups and downs, after all.
10 When She Was Reading A Scary Book
Rachel and Joey challenge one another to read a book that's typically out of their genre preferences, with Rachel diving into Stephen King's The Shining while Joey takes on Little Women.
Rachel gets invested in it, but it leaves her scared, and she keeps a weapon in the form of a potato masher nearby. Audiences can certainly relate and don't blame her for arming herself, especially with the terrifying and descriptive manner in which Stephen King tends to write.
9 When She Made The Best Out Of A Bad Situation
Rachel has an awful time acting as maid of honor at Barry's wedding to Mindy. She finds out the lies that were told about her regarding why she left Barry at the altar, she has a majorly embarrassing fashion mishap, and she's teased most of the time, especially by Barry.
She acknowledges that she hasn't portrayed herself in the best light, but instead of running away, she embraces it and sings "Copacabana." Audiences can relate to that; sometimes making the best out of a bad situation instead of running away is the best thing to do in those moments.
8 When She Had To Deal With Her Parents' Divorce
Rachel was already devastated when she found out her parents were getting divorced. What made things even worse was their constant fighting, which placed Rachel in a bad position. In "The One with the Two Parties," Rachel and her friends ensure that her parents are kept apart to avoid a big blow-out, but it takes a toll on Rachel.
Luckily, she had Chandler to lean on for support, as he could relate. Audiences who have had similar experiences certainly understand Rachel's frustration and hurt.
7 When She Tried To Impress Her Crush
Rachel goes all-out to get Joshua in "The One with the Fake Party." She throws a goodbye party for Emily, though really she's trying to get to Joshua. Nothing quite seems to work, but Rachel goes to the extreme when she dons her old cheerleading outfit and only ends up with a fat lip for her efforts.
Audiences can relate to the woe of trying to impress their crushes, only for it to go south. No one is perfect, but sometimes mishaps like Rachel's make the best memories, and may just work somewhere down the line.
6 When She Finally Got The Fashion Career She Wanted
When Rachel finally left Central Perk for greener pastures in the fashion industry, she wasn't immediately in the position she wanted to be in. However, thanks to a chance encounter with Mark, Rachel finally gets the job of her dreams at Bloomingdale's. The change in Rachel is noticeable, as she's happier and truly cares about what she does.
It was also a stepping stone to Ralph Lauren, and later, a job offer in Paris. That moment where she's officially on her way in her career is a happy, fulfilling feeling that audiences undoubtedly relate to, regardless of what industry they may be in.
5 When She Endured Disastrous Interviews At Ralph Lauren
Twice, Rachel screwed up during her interview for a job at Ralph Lauren. The first time, she accidentally kissed her future boss. The second, she completely lost it on him, thinking he'd only called her back for sexual reasons. Audiences certainly know how it feels to endure disastrous interviews, though probably not quite on the same level as Rachel's experiences.
Yet, despite humiliating herself twice, Rachel still had the courage and integrity, as she states, to return and make things right, convincing her future boss to hire her. After everything, Rachel managed to work things out and got the job!
4 When She Turned Thirty
Rachel didn't handle it well when she turned thirty. Plus, as far as the flashbacks show, no one else in the group of friends handled it delicately, either. Turning thirty signifies the end of one's twenties, the end of an era really, but it also opens a new chapter. Rachel re-prioritizes her goals in life, breaking up with Tag by the end of the episode, realizing that it's time for her to pursue what she really wants.
Freaking out over turning thirty is a universally relatable concept, but hopefully, audiences handle it better than Rachel and her friends.
3 When She And Ross Broke Up
Despite coming from money and having everything handed to her, Rachel still suffered the sting of reality from time to time. One of the most heartbreaking moments on the show was when she and Ross broke up.
Unfortunately, break-ups are a part of life, and audiences can relate to the awful feeling of breaking up, especially with someone they truly loved, as was the case with Ross and Rachel. To this day, Ross and Rachel's break-up certainly brings tears to the audience's eyes.
2 When She Was Officially On Her Own
Rachel's decision to leave Barry at the altar in the series' pilot forever changed her life and its trajectory, albeit for the better. Rachel learned to be more independent and with the support of her friends, she cut her credit cards and entered a new chapter in which she would fend for herself and no longer live off of her parents.
That scary moment of truly being on their own and embracing independence is undoubtedly a relatable moment for audiences, and they can certainly understand Rachel's fears regarding her future.
1 When She Compared Her Own Life To Everyone Else's
While she's working at Central Perk, some of Rachel's old friends drop by for an unexpected visit, and it only depresses Rachel. With her friends judging her new life and telling her about the successes in theirs, Rachel re-evaluates her life and ends up dragging Phoebe and Monica down with her as they fear where their lives are headed.
Sometimes the success of others can get to Friends fans, and it's one of the most relatable Rachel moments, let alone one of the most relatable moments the show ever produced.