*This is a special post to me, it is my raw, unfiltered opinion regarding this matter. Friends is one of my favourite shows so I decided to write this post unlike others, it was the first topic I had ever written about – so forgive the grammar, this one comes straight from the heart. 😉
Images: Borkow, Michael. “The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break.” Friends, season 3, episode 15, NBC, 13 Feb. 1997.
This is an age-old debate between Friends fans, we’ve all heard someone ask us this genuinely seeing if we all have the same view on this topic. Yet, it has sparked some heated debates. I’m going to share with you what I think about the situation and I encourage you to please comment below to share your thoughts and opinions about the situation.
Over the years I have gone back and forth myself, saying they were on a break and then saying they weren’t.
My initial response was that they were NOT on a break, and it all comes down to the last words between Ross and Rachel before Ross leaves for the night and from whose perspective we are looking at.
Rachel: “I don’t know, I don’t know, ughh! Maybe we should take a break…”Ross: “Okay, okay, fine, you’re right. Let’s ah, let’s take a break,” *goes to the door* “let’s cool off, okay, let’s get some frozen yogurt, or something…”
Rachel: “No. A break from us.”
*Ross storms out*
Borkow, Michael. “The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break.” Friends, season 3, episode 15, NBC, 13 Feb. 1997.
So, here we have Rachel frustrated from not getting enough space from Ross as he had showed up to her work while she was very busy. Ross fuels the conversation by bringing up Mark whom he is clearly jealous of. Rachel here is bombarded by 3 things; frustration from Ross not listening to her not leaving her office when she needed to concentrate on her job, Ross bringing up someone who she has no romantic feelings for and Ross suggesting that her work is “just a job” – when clearly it is more for Rachel since this is the first real job she has worked at and she wants to put her heart into it. She is also upset that he does not get that to her it’s not “just a job” this is her finding her passion in life and finding something that is hers to be happy about. Something she has not had in the past, that she works for and feels accomplished about.
What she needs is a break from this intense conversation and to be alone so when Ross suggests to go out and get some yogurt it would still be with him there in her surroundings. She wants a break from Ross in general at this moment because he has constantly been irritating her so when she says “from us” I believe she means it physically (not emotionally breaking up) she wants to be away from him at this very moment.
She throws it out there as a suggestion to open up a discussion with him so maybe he can see she is overwhelmed and talk things out. Instead of Ross confirming or responding to her so they can discuss further, he decides to leave therefore leaving it open-ended. Is he taking a mental break himself from this conversation? Does he need to leave because things are too heated? The viewers could be left feeling like Rachel, like wait, does that mean they just broke up? Or… wait! What’s happening?!?!
Rachel then spends the whole night trying to contact Ross, clearly, she wanted to talk about having more space but not be completely broken up. She states multiple times how she did not want a break up, she said things in the heat of the moment and did not mean for him to have left on that note. To Rachel this is a big fight with the suggestion of a break, not a fight that led to a break up since there was no confirmation from Ross what he thought about her suggestion – therefore they were NOT on a break. Afterall, how can someone just suggest – maybe we should get some milkshakes? If the other person storms off, there is nothing indicating that that person wants milkshakes or thinks they should get milkshakes – Rachel would be here wondering “I suggested milkshakes but was open to discussing more? Like does he want milkshakes? We don’t have to get milkshakes if we talk about it.”
= NOT ON A BREAK
However, I have looked at it from Ross’ perspective and imagined how I would feel given his situation, this led me to change my mind and believe YES, they WERE on a break.
Ross is finally with his dream girl but recently she has been feeling distant because her career is taking off. Ross is left feeling left out of certain topics involving fashion and does not want her to lose interest in him. He feels he needs to force himself to like the same things so he can spend more time with her and not lose her.
The night Rachel is very busy at work is the night of their big (and first) anniversary dinner – something you don’t want to miss when a relationship is becoming serious. Ross is under the impression that a big romantic gesture might make her happy and then he gets to spend more time with her and brings the beautiful dinner to her. While this would be romantic on both ends, if Rachel was not so busy, she could enjoy the gesture and Ross would have had the outcome he wanted. When Ross does not pick up on the fact that it is an inappropriate time for her, he is left feeling like she chose her job over him.
When Rachel comes home, Ross is feeling lost, he wants to be with her but he needs attention, love and support that she has been too busy to give. He is feeling insecure and brings up Mark since he gets to be a part of her busy life and he does not. When Rachel brings up the suggestion that maybe they should take a break from the relationship, Ross storms out as if to gesture “you want a break? Fine, I’m leaving and we’re breaking up.”
This would mean that if Ross truly does believe it was a break, he would have to admit that HE is the one who BROKE UP with Rachel. She suggested it and since he believes that it was a break up, then he is saying OK we are breaking up then, I’m leaving, goodbye.
When Ross calls Rachel later to maybe talk things out he hears Mark in the background – which we know he does not get a chance to know the context that he was NOT invited over there by Rachel and insisted to show up, also that there was nothing romantic going on. Ross is left thinking, if Rachel is moving on, then why shouldn’t I. He believes this is a real break up now.
= They WERE on a break (in Ross’ mind and how Rachel had come off)
The only fault I see with agreeing with Ross that they were on a break is that Ross constantly brings up the fact that Rachel is the one who broke up with him by suggesting the break. When actually they were broken up because he chose to when he chose to leave instead of discuss further. If him leaving was the confirmation – then he left her, he broke up with her.
Overall, Ross and Rachel seem to have been ON A BREAK. This is even confirmed by Jennifer Aniston herself when asked about this in the Reunion. She believes they were on a break, but Ross still should not have done what he did. I agree with her and will definitely be discussing if what Ross did that night was considered cheating… Stay tuned for that post to come!
How do you feel about this?
Who do you agree with?
Please share in the sit-comments section below because I am seriously curious as to how other people took it!
Subscribe To The Sitcom Café Here⭐
🌆📺The Sitcom Café☕🛋️ 