How Ross Geller became the funniest character in Friends
The first episode of Friends is widely regarded as one of the greatest openings to a sitcom ever.
4 distinctive characters have lines in quick succession. They respond to one another. And they do so in a way that brings out the biggest flaw, the biggest comedy catalyst, in each of their distinct personalities.
Chandler is the funny one. Joey the stupid one. Phoebe the crazy one. Monica the serious, competitive one.
2 characters are absent. They are introduced as the episode progresses.
Rachel breezes in wearing a wedding dress. She is self absorbed and vulnerable.
And Ross?
He has just been left by his wife Carol, who has announced she is a lesbian.
He is serious and moody. He is an awkward geek. And he is immediately wrapped up in a story that will define him until much later in the series.
He is one half of Ross and Rachel.
These characteristics remained consistent throughout the early seasons. While the characters clearly developed over time, their main comedy traits established in episode 1 were always their biggest sources of humour.
Except for Ross.
Defined inescapably by his relationship with Rachel through unrequited love, jealousy, happiness and back again. He is a bit of a drip, and slightly annoying.
Fast forward to the final episode of Friends. By now Ross has had a near death experience (a car backfired), reclaimed his favourite salmon sweater, been dumped by Janice for being too whiny, judged Mona for not leaving him sooner, had brilliantly white teeth and a startling fake tan, struggled to remove his leather pants when the lotion and the talc formed a paste, danced on the blooper show for Dick Clark’s Rock and Eve, and made a move on his cousin:
Ross VO: “Say something. Anything. This is the longest anyone hasn’t spoken ever”
Ross: “I haven’t had sex in a very long time”
Ross VO: “Yeah you really shouldn’t have said anything”
In short, he became very funny.
So what happened to Ross? How did he become a man who was proud of the nickname “Mental Geller” rather than seeing it as an affront as he surely would have done in early seasons?
The real turning point came in the episode shortly after the collapse of his marriage to Emily.
After a few episodes struggling to hang on to the thread of hope that his marriage could be saved, Ross finally gives up. He is broken.
Well, almost broken.
Ross has one thing left in the world to keep him sane. His turkey sandwich with a moist maker – a layer of gravy soaked bread in the middle of the sandwich.
Unfortunately, a colleague at work eats Ross’ sandwich, despite seeing “a joke, or limerick of some kind” attached, explaining that it was Ross’ sandwich.
To make matters worse, the sandwich was quite large, and most of it was thrown in the trash.
This is the breaking point for Ross. It’s also the turning point that he doesn’t look back from.
David Schwimmer plays this episode superbly. He is given a tranquiliser on account of his rage, and is asked to take time off work.
Now he has finally hit rock bottom.
The sedated, spaced out Ross under the influnce of his tranquiliser is a constant part of the character from then on, replacing the uptight characteristic that limited his humour beforehand.
He is now cut from the shackles of “Ross and Rachel”, and subsequently “Ross and Emily.” He has nothing to lose.
His inner geek is free to be unleashed and wreak havoc on any unsuspecting date, colleague or Friend.
He no longer takes himself too seriously.
Although the change can be clearly marked in this way, it was only a subtle shift in both the writing and performance of the character that created it.
There is no doubt that Friends was all the better for the emergence of the true Professor Geller.
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