Ross/Rachel/Joey compared to Richard/Monica/Chandler

Spoiler Space

I just know that as I sit here and write this many many people are going to disagree but however I am going to write it anyway. After recently watching the proposal eposoide and how Richard tries to win Monica back it occurs to me that this situation is very similar to the present love triangle.

I know that it was two different situations and different people, but when Richard came back to Monica raving about how much he loved her and it was obvious she wasn't totally ditching his offer I don't think many people were thinking "go for it Richard" whilst Chandler was running around trying to locate Monica to propose. Monica seemed to be upset that Richard was pulling all this on her; when in fact he should have been pulling it when he had his chance. When they were together...

Monica: Oh God� (Starts looking around.) Why don't they put chairs back here?!

Richard: I know this is crazy but am I too late?

Monica: What the� Yes you're too late! Where was all this three years ago?!

or when she is upset over the fact that Richard didn't relize this when they were together

Monica: Fair? Please don't even talk to me about fair! Fair would've been you wanting to marry me back then! Or fair would've been Chandler wanting to marry me now! Believe me, nothing about this is fair! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing

Now exactly with Richard who had his chance and lost it it is the same with Ross. The fact of the matter is if he really loved Rachel he would have discovered it about 5 years ago and asked her to marry him. He was waiting on her forever and if he really and truly loved her he would have married her before she got away.

With Joey he is the one who is now in love with Rachel. The one who proposed when he found out she was pregnant just so she wouldn't be alone. He is the one who didn't wait a whole season and hide in the corner. He told her about his feelings and just because she didn't reciporate them at the time doesn't mean she won't. After all she said "yes" to his "proposal"

Yes I know these are two very very different situations and they really are different, but I think there are similarities in the two situations. With Ross and Joey both being main characters that were are attached to; it makes it difficult to chose a side.

"Caitrion" wrote in message news:[email]...

Nope. Joey did not propose to Rachel. He picked up Ross' ring. Rachel jumped to an inaccurate conclusion.

and what conclusion would that be?

"ViviC01" wrote in message news:[email]...

Joey did propose to Rachel in the early part of the season. He did do it so that she didn't have to be alone.

"Dianna Smith" wrote in message news:k0iJ8.58944$[email]...

Rachel

so

Ah. Good counterpoint. I assumed she was talking about the later one, but you are right about that.

The problem with this is that Rachel doesn't really love Joey, she likes him alot and would only be marrying him so she wouldf not be alone, and that would be a fairly selfish thing to do, even if the other person was happy about it, eventually in a marriage like that you would NOT be happy.

"Caitrion" wrote in message news:[email]...

I respectively disagree ;-)

And thank you. It is fun to debate the show and any new topic is bound to be a good one (and this one is).

<snip analysis of Richard and Monica>

But when exactly did Ross have this chance that he lost?

Monica was ready to marry Richard and have kids. Richard was not ready for the kind of committment and felt that he never would be. Monica decided to call it quits because she knew that one of the many things she wanted out of life was to have kids.

When has Rachel really wanted to marry Ross? She didn't even want to stay married to him when they "accidently" got married. She tends to only want him when he is in a relationship with another woman. I don't think that Ross and Rachel have ever been in the same place as Monica and Richard (except maybe with Rachel being Richard like) at the same time. Though, I think they might slowly be moving towards that position.

I don't think that 5 years ago that Rachel would have accepted. Ross may be Mental Geller at times, but he isn't mad enough to propose to a woman he isn't even dating. I think that even during the times when they were dating, he knew that a proposal was unlikely to be accepted.

He wasn't waiting forever. Much of the time they haven't even been dating.

Perhaps he should have popped the question during the time they were dating in season 2/3, but most people date for a while before marrying. Besides, I think that Rachel has grown a lot during the following years and I think that might not have been as likely if she had married Ross back then (he lets her walk all over him).

I don't think that he meant to propose. He was just startled about finding a ring. I have higher hopes for Joey. I want him to marry a woman that loves him. Not one that marries him just because she is scared to be alone.

Didn't Ross tell Rachel in the first show of the first season that he would like to date her? Didn't he try to ask her out the night she started dating Paolo? If there were more cats about, Joey may not have had the chance to tell Rachel either.

She might. But she might not.

Why not wait until they both love each other before they get married? Both of them deserve better.

I think that Joey and Rachel in this situation are more similar to Richard and Monica. Monica was ready for a committment. Rachel is ready for a committment. Neither of them love the man that had the "chance" to propose first, but both of them are considering it because they see no hope of a proposal from the man they love.

But she was scared of being alone.

mouse

"Mouse" wrote in message news:...

Ahhh, yes. I wondered how in the world the present situation was similar to season 6 finale crisis. But your analysis makes sense. :)

Priya

"p r i y a" wrote in message news:[email]...

news:...

Except is Joey actually ready for marriage?

Lewis.

"manhn" wrote in message news:...

He proposed to Rachel and Phoebe in 802 because he didn't think that they should raise a child alone. He was willing to get marry Rachel when he wasn't in love with her. Now that he is in love with her, readiness for marriage is even less of a problem.

Priya

"p r i y a" wrote in message news:[email]...

news:...

Well, Ross was prepared to marry Rachel as well.

But that doesn't mean anything. Just because someone proposes marriage doesn't mean that person is ready to marry. Rachel accepted Barry's proposal--didn't mean she was ready.

Lewis.