Three Reasons Why Carol and Susan Were the Real Power Couple on Friends

Even though the season finale aired nearly 21 years ago, the show Friends remains a fan favorite and, at least in our household, the reruns are watched on repeat. 

Typically, you can't have a conversation about the show without mentioning one of the two main power couples - Ross (David Schimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) or Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry). Maybe to a slightly lesser extent, you could even mention Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and her boyfriend/husband in the later seasons, Mike (Paul Rudd).

I, however, think the REAL power couple is one that doesn't get enough credit, Ross's ex-wife Carol (Anita Barone in season 1 and Jane Sibbett after that) and her wife Susan Bunch (Jessica Hecht). While their lesbian relationship was often portrayed in a comical light (as was often the case in the 90s) and their recurring appearances were reduced in the later seasons, there are three reasons why I'd pick them above any of the couples mentioned above.

First, they were together longer than any of them. Carol and Susan began seeing each other while the former was still married to Ross, predating the pilot episode, and lasting until the series finale. They became a married couple in season 2.

In comparison, Chandler and Monica didn't become a couple until season 5 and didn't get married until the end of season 7. Pheobe and Mike didn't start dating until season 9 and weren't married until the tenth and final season. Ross and Rachel, meanwhile, were briefly married and even had a kid together but their off again/on again relationship was much more off than on throughout the ten seasons and frankly, I still think she would have been better off with Joey (Matt LeBlanc).

Second, they endured despite a whole lot of obstacles. There was frankly quite a bit that could have caused their relationship to fail. For one, Ross was still part of Carol's life, and the awkwardness of old feelings combined with his animosity toward Susan ran the risk of derailing that budding romance. Their wedding, meanwhile, was nearly cancelled because Carol's parents disapproved, something the series never indicates ever changed.

Last, they were great parents. Ross might have been Ben's (Cole Sprouse) father, and had him on occasion, but Susan and Carol were the ones who raised him full time.

In fact, after Ross became a father for a second time, co-parenting with Rachel, he pretty much never had Ben. Assuming he grew up to be a great kid and later man, it was his mom and stepmom who were much more responsible for it.

Come to think of it, I wonder how well a Susan/Carol spinoff would have done.