Ross may be the most-talked-about of all the Friends gang, and it's usually not in a good way. The thrice-divorced paleontology professor may be the most hated of the six, for reasons ranging from his constant self-pity to his intense jealousy to his seemingly terrible parenting (especially as Ben seems to just... disappear in later seasons). But of course, he's got some good qualities, too - or at least, some truly funny moments on the show.
So which scenes from all ten seasons stuck with fans the most? Which were the most 'Ross', and the ones that no fan will ever let go? Whether it's the things we can't forgive, or the moments that made him seem forgivable after all, these are some of Ross Gellar's most impactful actions on Friends.
The Letter At The Beach House
Really, the entire situation at the beach house in season 4 is one that fans struggle to let go of, and it's not one that makes Ross look good. First up, there's the fact that he dumped his girlfriend while on vacation with her and all his friends (instead of just waiting till they were home, and it was a more appropriate moment), that he dumped her to be with someone else (and a little bit because she shaved her head, because Ross is, in fact, that shallow), and then that he wrapped it all up by lying to his new girlfriend about being able to read the letter she wrote him. As usual, fans were screaming at the TV for him to just tell the truth.
Proposing To Emily
The entire Emily situation is one that fans have trouble getting past, because from start to finish, it was a red flag of a relationship. Sure, that initial whirlwind romance was nice, but Ross's decision to propose to her in a few weeks was the start of far too many jokes about Ross and marriage. The need to propose, then to marry right away, then saying the wrong name at the wedding, then his entire panicked attempt to fix things, and yet again, his refusal to just be honest with everyone involved... everything about this was a problem.
The Couch Delivery Fee
If there is one most-quoted scene in the whole of Friends, it is probably this one. When Ross goes to buy a new couch, he refuses to pay the delivery fee as it is 'almost as much as the couch'. Seems reasonable, but of course, when they get it back to the apartment building, it becomes apparent that there's no way they'll get it up the stairs, no matter how much Ross yells 'pivot!'. And no matter what else Ross may be ed for, this is always going to be one of the biggest (and most hilariously unreasonable) moments for him.
When He Was 'Fine'
A similarly hilarious moment - and one that, yet again, could have been circumvented with just a little honesty and emotional awareness - comes when Ross decides to host Joey, Rachel, and Charlie at his apartment... after the relationships have changed.
Fans will never move past the image of Ross drunkenly squeaking that he is 'fine', and his later awkward toast about 'love'.
The Hot Cousin
There are plenty of hilarious dating mishaps in the series, and most of them are easily forgotten - after all, who doesn't have the occasional bad date or awkward situation in their own romantic history? Even some of the more egregious dating moments can be laughed off... except this one. In season seven, Monica and Ross's cousin Cassie comes to visit, and she's absolutely stunning. Ross ends up being surprised by this (it's been a while since they've seen her) and actually ends up hitting on her, trying to kiss her while they watch a movie. It's played for laughs, but it's hard to move on from Ross attempting to sleep with his own family member.
Ross Geller, Three Divorces
Ross isn't the only one of the gang to get married or divorced over the course of the series (Pheobe also divorces her ice-dancing ex-husband who she married to get him a green card), but it definitely becomes his 'thing'. This is less because of his actual romantic history, and more because he makes it such a big deal, all the time. After he and Rachel get married while blackout drunk in Vegas, he actually refuses to get it annulled, and lies to her about it, rather than having 'three divorces under thirty'. If he hadn't made it such a huge deal, it would have been forgotten, but because he turned it into a circus, it's impossible to overlook.
Ben And The Barbie
The entirety of Friends has been rightly criticized for including a surprising amount of casual homophobia and toxic masculinity, and one of the most egregious examples is when Ben (Ross's young son) wants to play with a Barbie, and Ross freaks out.
He spends an entire episode getting upset about his son's toy, trying to convince him to play with the more 'manly' action figures he buys, and generally being ridiculous about the whole thing.
The Barbershop Quartet
Ross's jealousy is a recurring theme in the show, especially when it comes to Rachel, her job, and her connection to Mark. When she starts working at Bloomingdales, which is a huge deal for her (and a step up from personal shopping and coffee-making to fashion buying), Ross is the opposite of ive. He sends her bouquets, cards, and so many gifts that they cover her entire desk, making it hard for her to work, and definitely not making her look like the most professional employee. Then, he ups the ante with an attempted picnic at her desk and an actual barbershop quartet. It was potentially professionally damaging, distracting, and one of the worst things he did in their relationship.
The Girl From The Copy Place
If there is a Ross line that has had a bigger impact in pop culture than 'pivot', it is 'we were on a break', and fans will never get past this one - whether they are on Ross's side, or agree with Rachel that he was actually cheating. Even by the most liberal interpretation of Ross and Rachel's argument, and her suggestion that they 'take a break', it was still eyebrow-raisingly fast for Ross to go straight to a bar and immediately hook up with a woman to take home that night - especially given that she was actually on a date with his friends at the time!
The Planetarium Moment
Of course, for all the bad, shocking, funny, and awkward moments that Ross is known for, there is at least one memorably romantic and positive one, too. When he and Rachel were first getting together, they ended up on an impromptu date at the planetarium, after his work at the museum runs too late for them to go on a 'real' date. It turns into something incredibly intimate and romantic, and he later reveals he intended to propose to her there, with the stars spelling out the proposal - something that may be one of the most romantic ideas in the whole show.