Friends are probably the most timeless topic of all time. More than thirty years after the sitcom premiered, there are still some pressing plot points that are debated ad nauseum on Thanksgiving and girls' nights: If Joey and Rachel are a good idea, whether Ross and Rachel will take a break, Yes, even Ross' ex-wife Emily.
Ross met British expat Emily Waltham in series 25 years ago, proposed to her shortly after, and flew his entire family and friends to London for their wedding, just at the altar Rachel's name was spoken. It wasn't long into season five that they finally divorced, but when it came to Emily, that's what divided fans.
In a recent Reddit post, one user claimed that Emily was "unfairly made the villain" in her love triangle with the show's on-again, off-again couple, Ross and Rachel, arguing that Ross was indeed the most powerful character in the situation. Terrible person - especially after he offered to let Rachel go on her honeymoon in her stead.
"It would be a shame if your fiancé/husband said their ex-girlfriend's name in your wedding vows," they wrote. "Then you find out your husband is going on his honeymoon with her. That's really It’ll get you into trouble.”
However, not everyone agrees.
Why Emily is a villain
While few could defend Ross saying Rachel's name at the altar, many fans expressed how they disliked Emily before the wedding, even though they sympathized with her after the wedding, noting that when everyone was flying After arriving at the venue, she wanted to cancel the wedding in London.
“Beyond that, having relatives and friends take time off and pay to fly to another country and then say ‘well it wasn’t perfect so you’ll have to come back again, thanks and bye!’ is crazy!” one user argued.
"I've never liked her in general," another fan added. "She was extremely rude from the beginning and seemed to have a terrible attitude towards America. Her whole personality was just plain annoying." One Fans even said Emily "isn't a good person" and listed all the reasons why.
"Expecting all relatives to come home so she can get married where she wants? Selfish," they wrote. "Asking Ross to never see anyone in his close circle of friends again? Also crazy...I totally understand that she was shocked after what happened, but to ghost him and then ask him to get rid of his stuff and move , this is really immature."
Why Emily is right
Some fans don't even know that others think Emily is a villain. "I thought it was common sense," one fan commented. Others went on to defend Emily's honor, noting that she had "every right to be upset with Ross."
"If they want the marriage to work, I don't think it's reasonable that she would never want Ross to see Rachel again," one fan argued.
However, people have different opinions on who the real villain is. "I think Rachel is a completely out of line person," they commented. Although she planned to tell Ross she loved him on his wedding day, she didn't.