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*Please Note: I am not ranking Ross necessarily as the most funny character in the series, this is a specific humour analysis about Ross and not ranking Ross among the Friends but amongst himself throughout the seasons*

10th Place: Season 1 Ross

I would say my least favourite season of “Friends” is Season 1. While Ross manages to find humour in his downfalls, he often comes across as overly mopey and whiny, as the other characters point out throughout the season. True, Ross is going through a divorce and experiencing ups and downs in his relationships, but that doesn’t prevent him from engaging in some crazy antics. Let’s not forget that Season 1 is where we meet Marcel, the monkey that Ross adopts as his pet/new roommate. The one-sided banter between Ross and Marcel showcases his quirkiness and adventurous nature, as he is bold enough to take on the ownership of an illegal exotic animal and treat him as a human friend.

We do get to enjoy Ross in The One With All The Poker, although he’s clearly flirting with Rachel the entire time we still get some good supporting lines, but the best Ross moment in the episode is the one he has with Marcel and the guys:

Ross: “You are not putting that on again! Marcel, OK – if you press that button, you are in very, very big trouble.”

Marcel: *Puts on ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight.’ Marcel starts to dance*

Crane, David, Marta Kauffman, and Jeff Astrof. “The One With All The Poker.” Friends, season 1, episode 18, NBC, 2 Mar. 1995.

Ross is portrayed in these seasons as a character who enhances the dynamics of Chandler and Joey. His storyline in these seasons is notably more serious, as he serves as a grounding force for Joey and Chandler. Ross comes across as the more mature one, having experienced marriage and now being a father. Compared to Joey and Chandler, Ross has taken on greater responsibilities at this stage in their lives. However, it is important to note that Ross’s character is still in the process of being fully developed during this season. We witness him recovering from his divorce and beginning to contemplate Rachel as a potential love interest.

When other men enter Rachel’s life, such as Paolo, we see Ross becoming jealous and miserable at the thought of her being with someone else. While some viewers may relate to Ross’s experience of watching someone they desire to be with another person, it is not intended to be as humorous as other roles.

This season does not showcase Ross at his prime funny time compared to other seasons when he lets loose a bit more. His character is going through a difficult period, and it is understandable that Ross may not exhibit his funniest self during this time.

9th Place: Season 3 Ross

Yes, I believe we can all agree that Season 3 was not one of Ross’s strongest in terms of humour. This season was marked by the infamous break between Ross and Rachel, which shifted Ross’s character towards a more dramatic portrayal rather than a comedic one. Once again, we see a mopey and sad Ross, going through another difficult time and losing yet, another woman he loves.

However, in the first half of the third season, while Ross is still in a relationship with Rachel, there are still some hidden comedic gems to be found. For instance, in “The One with the Jam,” Ross teaches us the hug and roll technique, a humourous approach to those who want to avoid cuddling. Additionally, in “The One with the Football,” we witness Ross’s crazy, competitive side as he engages in a spirited rivalry with Monica.

We do get some good old unfortunate Ross again in The One With Ross’s Thing, where we get to see Ross go through an embarrassing skin issue in an unfavourable spot on his body; his butt.

The ‘thing’ is that when we think of season 3 Ross, we are mostly reminded of the break, which had a few episodes after showing Ross being petty, like The One Without The Ski Trip and The One With The Tiny T-Shirt, these episodes showed the calming down between Ross and Rachel as they navigate how to be around each other after their biggest break-up.

Overall, while Season 3 may not be Ross’s funniest season, there are still glimpses of humour and memorable moments scattered throughout.

8th Place: Season 2 Ross

Okay, Season 2 of “Friends” is only slightly better than Season 3 for Ross, primarily because it revolves around a love triangle involving two women and Ross himself, which somewhat dampens the enjoyment of his humour. In this season, we see Ross returning to his self-deprecating style, constantly seeking advice and pondering over “what should I do?” moments. He spends a significant amount of time pining for Rachel, and it’s not always the most enjoyable to watch.

However, throughout the season, there are a few highlights. We witness Ross dressing up to take Rachel to her prom, showcasing his sweet side, and we are introduced to Ross’s infamous keyboarding skills, adding a touch of humour.

Ross’s comedic style is typically found in his manner of speaking, which can sometimes make him come across as a know-it-all, as seen in “The One Where Heckles Dies.” Ross is beginning to show more of his independent humour. While Ross is not perfect coming off as slightly annoying, that is where his smart humour comes in – always trying to be right – gives the group opportunities to mess with him about it.

And let’s not forget, anything involving Ross and Rachel’s father, Dr. Green, is pretty funny. You can always see the disdain in Dr. Green’s eyes when he looks at Ross, and Ross, in turn, senses it and tries his best to make him laugh and win him over. However, it always seems to backfire, making the situation even worse. Nonetheless, we can’t help but appreciate Ross’s determination to make it work.

Ross: “Hi Dr. Green. So, uh, how’s everything in the uh, vascular surgery….game?”

Dr. Green: “It’s not a game Ross, a woman died on my table today.”

Ross: ” I’m sorry. See that’s the good thing about my job. All the dinosaurs on my table are already dead.”

Crane, David, Marta Kauffman, and Alexa Junge. “The One With The Two Parties.” Friends, season 2, episode 22, NBC, 2 May 1996.

Ross’s character, again, primarily revolves around providing support to others to enhance their jokes, and he doesn’t find himself involved in as many misadventures as some of the other characters. While this may not be his strongest season, I do appreciate the occasional tidbits of humour he offers to us.

8th Place is right for season 2.

Season 4 Ross: 7th Place

In Season 4, we get to witness Ross’s dynamic with Rachel and Emily, which helps us understand his character better. He is still in the process of developing his sense of humour, free from being solely used as a plot device in romantic or dramatic scenes. This season reveals a different side of Ross.

In “The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line,” we catch another glimpse of how Ross’s younger years were and back to his time playing the keyboard. It showcases his creativity and a touch of dorkiness, and ‘the sound’ he produces is quite hilarious. Ross tries to be fun, he shows he’s not too old to say no to adventure in “The One Where They’re Going To Party,” but then shortly after, we also witness his hopefulness slowly crumbling as he realizes that he can’t party like he used to. It’s the kind of humour that adds a relatable aspect to how life is in your late 20s.

I personally adore “The One With The Dirty Girl,” where Ross finds himself dating a woman who lives in a messy apartment. It places him in a lighter, funnier scenario, does this kind of thing really happen to people? We can feel his discomfort as he tries to ignore the mess and focus on the date, and it’s as if we are right there with him, experiencing the filth. Ross braves through it for as long as possible, watching him snap over the wrestling in the garbage just showed how on edge he was – he was ready to get out of there and it was great in his final moments of anguish.

Overall, Season 4 provides insights into different aspects of Ross’s character, showcasing his humour and relatability in various situations. While there are a few funny scenes involving Ross in Season 4, he doesn’t shine as brightly as he does in other seasons. For Ross to showcase his more humorous side, we typically need to see him content and not stressed about some major life decision. Given the major plot twists that occurred in Season 4, it’s understandable that Ross may not have been at his comedic best. This season simply wasn’t his strongest in terms of humour.

Season 9 Ross: 6th Place

Unfortunately, Season 9 does not place Ross in the top 5 in terms of funny moments. Once again, we see Ross caught in a tense situation with Rachel, as depicted in episodes like “The One Where No One Proposes” and “The One With Rachel’s Phone Number.” These episodes delve into the complexities of their relationship and what they truly mean to each other.

However, Season 9 does provide us with some classic Ross moments in other episodes, namely episodes 3, 6, and 7. In “The One With The Pediatrician,” we witness Ross engaging in his unconventional practices, such as continuing to see his childhood doctor. “The One With The Male Nanny” showcases Ross’s struggles with hiring a nanny who is sensitive, as he was told by his father at a young age that he himself was too sensitive. And of course, “The One With Ross’s Inappropriate Song” features the famous scene where Ross sings the popular song “Baby Got Back” to make his daughter Emma laugh.

Additionally, “The One With Ross’s Inappropriate Song” provides us with the funny parent dynamic between Ross and Rachel, which is something many viewers had hoped to see. This season does offer some great Ross moments, particularly in terms of his role as a parent.

Kori: You sick freak, who does that? I can’t believe I had a crush on you!

Ross: Did you hear that? Kori Weston had a crush on me!!

Crane, David, Marta Kauffman, and Brian Buckner. “The One With The Memorial Service.” Friends, season 9, episode 17, NBC, 13 Mar. 2003.

While Season 9 may not be considered a standout season for Ross, it does offer a few memorable and enjoyable moments that showcase his character’s humour. In “The One With The Memorial Service,” Ross and Chandler engage in a competition to see who can play the biggest online prank on each other. This leads to Chandler posting a false announcement of Ross’s death, specifically claiming he was hit by a blimp. In response, Ross decides to host a memorial service under Chandler’s name to see who would attend. When an old crush of his shows up, he reveals himself as not dead in the hope that she would still be interested in him. However, even when she understandably rejects him, we witness Ross celebrating the fact that she was once interested in him. It’s hilarious and we love to see Ross finding enjoyment in such an awkward situation.

However, in comparison to the top 5 seasons, Ross’s humour in this particular season falls somewhere in the middle, ranking at 6th place. His comedic moments are often influenced by his relationship drama, and although he can deliver self-pity with great lines and delivery, it doesn’t quite reach the same level as when he dramatizes and overreacts to his everyday life problems.

Season 8 Ross: 5th Place

Season 8 presents Ross as a solid and funny character. While there is minimal relationship drama between Ross and Rachel concerning their baby, the situation remains calm as Ross wholeheartedly supports Rachel and assists her to the best of his abilities. This season stands out as one of his better ones, earning its place in the top 5 rankings.

In “The One With Rachel’s Date,” I will acknowledge, we witness Ross briefly become a bit obsessive over Rachel. However, he quickly moves on from it, providing us with more comedic moments in episodes 6 and 9. “The One With The Halloween Party” shows Ross dressed as “Spud”Nik, a playful fusion of ‘spud’ (potato) and the Russian satellite ‘Sputnik.’ Joey amusingly labels him as poop due to his appearance, leading Ross and Chandler to engage in an arm-wrestling match to impress those around them – especially Mona and Monica – after their costumes are openly mocked. This whole episode is full of fun situations the Friends were during that Halloween party and Ross’s stole the show.

In Episode 9, we once again catch a peak at how Ross’s younger self was when an old high school friend joins them for Thanksgiving and reminds Ross of their pledge of allegiance to the “I Hate Rachel Green Club.” Will steals the show a bit here in this episode, but he takes Ross with him, we get to listen to them as they reminisce about the pranks they played on Rachel back in the day, showing Ross’s mischievous side (AKA The Rumour) which even made its way over to Chandler’s school.

Monica: “Everyone at our school heard it!”

Chandler: “Everybody at my school heard it! You were the hermaphrodite cheerleader from Long Island?”

Crane, David, Marta Kauffman, and Shana Goldberg-Meehan. “The One With The Rumour.” Friends, season 8, episode 9, NBC, 22 Oct. 2001.

In Season 8, we are treated to enjoyable episodes featuring Ross, such as “The One In Massapequa” and “The One With The Baby Shower.” These episodes display some fun antics between Ross and Rachel as they pretend to be married at his parent’s anniversary party to receive gifts and praise from the other guests.

In “The One With The Baby Shower,” we see Ross dedicating the entire episode to participating in a fake TV game show with Joey and Chandler in order to assist Joey with an upcoming audition. Ross fully engages in the game, displaying eagerness for each question and even demonstrating a competitive spirit when Chandler attempts to poke fun at the game. These episodes highlight Ross’s willingness to go along with comedic situations and display his enthusiasm and competitiveness in a humorous manner, something we’ve seen between him and Monica previously.

Season 8 feels right at 5th place, I think it has a good balance of Ross’s humour and serious side in it, thereby it belongs in the top middle of the list.

Season 10 Ross: 4th Place

Season 10 of Friends brings us some truly unforgettable moments from Ross, solidifying his place in the top 5. While Ross and Rachel are no longer a couple, their co-parenting relationship takes center stage throughout the season. This unique dynamic provides a fresh perspective, as we witness Ross and Rachel navigate the challenges of raising their child together.

Episodes like “The One With The Cake” and “The One Where Rachel’s Sister Babysits” showcase Ross and Rachel working together as a team to create the perfect first birthday for Emma. Their friendly interactions and shared goal of providing the best for their daughter give us delightful and heartwarming moments. Additionally, we see them united in their support against Rachel’s sister Amy, who believes she could raise Emma on her own. The absence of romantic drama between Ross and Rachel allows us to focus on Ross’s role as a devoted father figure to Emma, mirroring his experience when he first became a father to Ben.

Ross also provides us with moments of physical comedy, such as getting repeatedly sprayed on one side, resulting in a half-burnt appearance in “The One With Ross’s Tan.” And who could forget his hilarious attempt at rocking a women’s blouse, thinking he was pulling off a new fashion statement in “The One With The Birth Mother”?

Season 10 presents us with a funny side of Ross, but it falls short of the top 3 due to its shift towards a more hopeless romantic theme towards the end. As the season progresses, it leans more towards drama than comedy, altering the overall dynamic. This is important though since this is not just the end of the season but the end of the series, so we need to see Ross focus on Rachel here. Ross is just short of the top 3 due to his need for the plot of his relationship.

It is good to note that, Ross’s physical comedy moments and fashion misadventures also remain highlights of his humour in this season.

Season 7 Ross: 3rd Place

Season 7 is one of my favourites, and it’s not just because Ross is not in a serious relationship but because we get a lot of fun humourous moments in a season leading up to a wedding, especially one that does not involve the dramatics of Ross. This allows him to focus on supporting his friends and engaging in lighter moments. He joins in on the laughter during episodes like “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs” and “The One With All The Candy,” genuinely enjoying his time with his friends without the burden of dating or work-related stress. In Season 7, Ross is simply living to share laughter with us.

And let’s not forget, Ross once again lands himself in a hilariously awkward situation when he decides to fill in for one of Phoebe’s home appointments, mistakenly assuming he would be massaging an attractive woman who shows up at the door. Ross quickly discovers, Phoebe’s client is actually the elderly father of the woman and ends up trying to massage the man.

Ross: “Okay! Now, I’m going to touch you.” *Ross cringes*

Ross: “Ohh, that’s soft.” *Massaging the man with wooden salad spoons*

Crane, David, Marta Kauffman, and Andrew Reich. “The One With Rachel’s Book.” Friends, season 7, episode 2, NBC, 12 Oct. 2000.

Ross also delivers fantastic moments in episodes 6, 7, and 10 of the season. In “The One With The Nap Partners,” Ross and Joey accidentally fall asleep together and secretly enjoy it, leading to a hilarious dilemma of wanting to nap together again but knowing they shouldn’t.

In “The One With Ross’s Library Book,” Ross’s storyline revolves around guarding the spot in the library where his book is located to prevent people from engaging in intimate activities in front of it. This quirky plot adds to the humour and shows Ross’s dedication to his work.

Season 7 stands out as a favourite because Ross’s character is liberated from the complexities of a romantic relationship. Instead, he fully immerses himself in his friendships, allowing us to witness his individuality and genuine, full reactions to the unique predicaments he finds himself in.

“The One With The Holiday Armadillo,” sees Ross dressing up as a giant armadillo to teach his son about their Jewish heritage during the holiday season. Throughout the series, Ross often finds himself in various costumes, but his portrayal as the Holiday Armadillo is particularly iconic, symbolizing his deep care for his son’s cultural upbringing mixed with Ross’s creative quirkiness – because that’s what Ross is, sweet, smart and quirky.

Season 7 is strong, that’s why it is in the top 3 seasons for Ross, however, the top 2 bring some strong episodes!

Season 5 Ross: 2nd Place

A strong contender for first place, Season 5 showcases Ross dealing with the aftermath of his divorce from Emily. While he initially displays some of his signature mopey behaviour, it doesn’t linger as long as it did in the first season. Instead, Ross uses this tumultuous phase in his life to deliver hilariously memorable moments. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, we find ourselves laughing alongside Ross as he navigates the challenges of losing his wife and finding a new place to live, a stronger comeback than we saw in the earlier seasons.

Notable episodes include 7, 9, and 11. In “The One Where Ross Moves In,” Ross moves in with Joey and Chandler, initially causing some irritation but ultimately breaking free from his mopey demeanor and embracing a more fun-loving side, despite his current setbacks.

In “The One With Ross’s Sandwich,” Ross creates a special Thanksgiving sandwich only to have it stolen and eaten at work, triggering a comical descent into madness and leading him to utter one of my favourite Ross lines.

“Someone ate the only good thing in my life!”

Crane, David, Marta Kauffman, and Andrew Reich. “The One With Ross’s Sandwich.” Friends, season 5, episode 9, NBC, 10 Dec. 1998.

We witness Ross’s comedic moments in two memorable episodes: “The One With The Ride Along” and “The One With The Ball.” In “The One With The Ride Along,” Ross joins Gary and the guys for a cop car ride, where he experiences a hilarious mix of panic and relief. After mistaking a car backfire for a gunshot, Ross “survives” the night, oscillating between his trademark crazy, loud outbursts and a calm, almost euphoric state. It’s delightful to see the range of humour Ross brings to the table.

“The One With The Ball” offers a simple yet entertaining episode. We don’t need extravagant physical comedy to be amused; instead, it showcases the laid-back enjoyment that can be found among Friends. Ross’s humour shines through as one of the main players, contributing to the overall lightheartedness of the episode.

And The One With All The Resolutions where we see Ross trying to start a new beginning in his life with a New Year’s resolution to try something new every day, this gives us the iconic leather pants scene where Ross gets stuck and makes a mess in his date’s bathroom. We again have physical humour Ross, as well as down on his luck Ross with a funny twist. We feel bad for Ross but he is making us laugh along the way as he overreacts to his whacky life situations with funny comebacks and exclamations. His misadventures and shenanigans in this season are not dramatic to the plot but funny to each episode, Ross’s goal this season is to make us laugh.

While Ross’s humour shines in many moments, there are instances at the beginning of the season where we witness a more whiny side of him as he navigates his emotions after his breakup with Emily and handles the delicate situation with Rachel. Additionally, when Ross temporarily moves in with Joey and Chandler after losing his apartment, we get to see more of his annoying tendencies, highlighting the reasons why Ross prefers to live alone.

Also let’s not forget this season gave us one of Ross’s most memorable moments in The One With The Cop, teaching us to always PIVOT when moving furniture 😉

These are the reasons why Season 5 is second and not first for Ross’s humour.

Season 6 Ross: 1st Place

Season 6 might appear to be a random pick for Ross’s funniest season, right?

What truly sets Season 6 apart and solidifies its first-place position is the consistent observation that Ross is at his comedic best when he’s not caught up in serious relationships, especially with Rachel. I know I’ve mentioned this many times before, but it remains true that his relationship status directly impacts his sense of humour. Once again, this is evident in Season 6, where Ross finds himself free from serious commitments and the turmoil of intense breakups.

During these periods, Ross appears less stressed and more prone to engaging in amusing misadventures with his friends, as opposed to being involved in weighty dramatic scenes that often lead to conflicts with other characters.

Season 6 provides us with some memorable Ross moments, particularly in episodes 8, 9, and 10. In “The One With Ross’s Teeth,” Ross goes overboard with teeth whitening for a first date, leading to hilariously strategic positioning to prevent his date from noticing. “The One Where Ross Got High” takes place during Thanksgiving, where embarrassing stories about Ross are uncovered in front of his parents, resulting in comedic chaos. Lastly, in “The One With The Routine,” Ross and Monica delight us by reenacting their childhood dance routine on television.

These episodes showcase Ross’s comedic prowess and highlight his ability to generate laughter in situations that don’t rely on heavy drama.

We were also treated to some hilarious scenarios involving Ross, such as his attempts to hide his ongoing marriage to Rachel after their Vegas escapade. Episodes like “The One Where Ross Dates A Student” and “The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad” shows Ross’s humorous encounters and mishaps. While Ross and Elizabeth’s relationship was bound to be short-lived, she certainly brought out a fun and entertaining side of him.

Who can forget seeing Ross at Spring Break on MTV? Ross’s insecurity can drive him to do some wild things, but I love how it’s coming out more fun than when he was jealous of someone like Mark. We have more awkward situational humour with Ross and Elizabeth’s father, Paul (Bruce Willis). Again, watching Ross squirm in the presence of a girlfriend’s intimidating father is always entertaining. He often mutters witty remarks that reveal his true feelings and openly expresses the thoughts that many of us would have in similar situations.

We also have episodes 11, 17, and 22; The One With The Apothecary Table where Ross and Rachel share their love of pottery barn and hide it from Phoebe, The One With Unagi where Ross tries to teach Rachel and Phoebe the art of total self-awareness by trying to catch them off guard throughout the whole episode, and The One Where Paul’s The Man where Ross sneaks around his college girlfriend’s cottage trying to avoid her father (Bruce Willis) who doesn’t like him.

Ross pulls together some fun scenes with his thunderous, emotional reactions under pressure to his physical comedy.

Ross: “DANGER! DANGER!!!”

Phoebe: “Ross!”

Rachel: “What the hell was that?!”

Ross: “A lesson in the importance of unagi.”

Crane, David, Marta Kauffman, and Adam Chase. “The One With Unagi.” Friends, season 6, episode 17, NBC, 24 Feb. 2000.

The point is, Ross is not too serious this season, therefore, letting his humour shine.

Season 6 Ross was the most enjoyable for me, Ross was in his peak funny seasons making us laugh with dressing up, his overly emotional outbursts over small everyday problems and his physical comedy. I feel when I’m looking for some funny episodes of Ross I find myself gravitating towards Season 6.

So, the next time you find yourself watching Season 6, I encourage you to pay close attention to the scenes that bring laughter, as I believe you’ll often find Ross at the center of it all. His comedic moments are likely to be the ones that resonate with you the most.

How do you all feel about it? Which season do you think Ross was the funniest? Why? Let me know in the sit-comments below 🙂

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