New idea: Friends - The one with the general idea - Main Characters

In general the idea is to give you one episode per blogpost. In every blogpost I'll shortly describe what happens with the six main characters of Friends in that certain episode.
And then you play that in the game!
This blogpost is about the personality, family tree,... of the six main characters in general.
At the end of every season there will be an overview of all the realtionships of the friends in that season and their jobinfo.
It takes a lot of time to write all those blogpost, but I love Friends so I certainly will do it.
In this blogpost you can already read the whole story of the six characters and maybe you can get started in the game already. SPOILER!

Main Characters
Joey (Joseph) Francis Tribbiani: 
At first, Joey lived with Chandler across from Rachel and Monica. He still lives there, but his roommate has changed frequently. He is an aspiring actor who continually gets rather pathetic roles. These include Pinocchio in a children's production [1.01] as well as Sigmund Freud in a musical of Freud's life [1.06]. He was also the poster boy for VD [1.09]. His almost-breakthrough role (which he messed up) was as Al Pacino's butt-double in a movie [1.06]. He finally got a break and appeared on Days of our Lives as a doctor [2.10], until the writers killed him off [2.18]. But later in his career he got hired back to play the same character (turns out he wasn't dead, just in a coma). Later, astonishingly, his character received a brain transplant from another character that was being killed off. How can he still be Dr. Drake Ramorey without his original brain?
He had a part in a movie with Charles Heston [4.14]. Near the end of season 5, he got the lead in a movie called Shutter Speed [5.22]. However, when he got on location in Las Vegas for filming, he found the film had been closed down due to lack of funds. So he got a job a Caesar's Palace. Joey's presence in Vegas is what leads to everyone else coming to Vegas for a weekend, which was were the final episodes of season 5 took place[5.23][5.24]. Joey also had a big part in a War movie (Over There) later in season 7, which was released late in season 8.
Joey is kinda slow intellectually. He is quite active with the females, but never has a lasting relationship. He was also ordained a minister, over the internet.
During season 8 Joey developed feelings for Rachel, but help them back because he didn't want to interfere with chances of Rachel and Ross getting together. Once Ross told him to go ahead and tell Rachel, he did... but found out Rachel didn't feel the same way. At the end of season 8, a strange turn of events led Rachel to believe Joey was proposing marriage to her... and she accepted. But that was sorted out and their relationship was back to normal - - that of friends. But late in season 9, Rachel developed feeling for Joey, and by the end of season 9, they got together during the gang's trip to Barbados.
Sometime during the 10th season, Joey should turn 36, since he was 28 as of "The One Where Joey Moves Out", a 2nd season episode). This is confirmed in episode [6.19] when (during a discussion of Spring Break) it was mentioned that he was 13 in spring of 1981. That makes him 34 in spring of 2002, and on schedule to turn 36 during season 10. However, there are inconsistencies. In episode 7.01 it's mentioned that he's 31 (which would make him 34 at the beginning of season 10). That seemed to be confirmed the next year in episode [8.02], where Chandler reminds Joey that he is 32. But then again, in 7.14 it's established that Joey is older than Chandler (whom we already know is 35). So which episodes do you believe? (Hint: None of this is real, so you don't have to believe any of them if you don't want to.)
Skills:
He only went to high school for four years and it seems he becomes dumber when the series progresses. (low logic)
He lives on his own but he doesn't really have skills in cooking, cleaning, mechanical,... He orders a lot of pizza. In fact there is a Joey Special: Two pizza's.
He has body though and charisma and creativity.

Chandler Muriel Bing: 
Chandler was a data processor who didn't care for his job. However, in the middle of the first season he recevied a promotion [1.15] to be manager over other data processors. His job was officially, "Statistical analysis and data reconfiguration." In Season 9 he quite that job and is now a Junior Copywriter at an advertising agency. Some of this co-workers in season 1 thought he was gay, as did some women in college [1.08]. So did Mr. Heckles, the former neighbor who lived (and died) downstairs [2.03]. Chandler has a very hard time asking women out [1.06] as well as breaking up with them, I.E. the horrid Janice [1.05]. He seems to get stuck with Janice repeatedly [1.10] [1.14][2.24-3.08][4.15]. Chandler enjoyed a long (by his standards) and promising relationship with Kathy, who was originally Joey's girlfriend but was a much better match for Chandler. Unfortunately, it didn't last [4.05-4.13]. He and Monica ended up in bed together in London, after spending most of Ross' rehearsal dinner (for his wedding to Emily) consoling each other [4.24]. That these two would get together has been desired by fans and hinted by various sub-plots. I.E. [3.25],[4.01].
Monica and Chandler continued their romance and tried to keep it a secret. But eventually everyone found out [5.14]. While in Las Vegas, they decide to get married. While waiting their turn at the chapel, they discovered Ross and Rachel (who were very drunk) had just been married [5.24]. That derailed everything (they weren't ready anyway) but they decided to move in with each other early in the sixth season. At the end of season 6, Chandler finally proposed again (although it almost didn't happen)[6.24][6.24]. They were married at the end of season 7. Their wedding date is May 15th, 2001 even though the marriage episode aired on May 17th. This is known from a statement Monica made in episode [7.17].
Chandler's mother writes romance novels and embarasses Chandler greatly [1.11]. He used to smoke and sometimes still has trouble [1.03][3.17][3.18][9.05]. He lived with Joey across the hall from Monica and Rachel, until he moved in with Monica is season 6.

Chandler's age, as of early season 10, will be 35. This is based on the fact that in episode [4.07] (6 years earlier) he mentioned he was 29: "I'm 29. Who needs a savings account?"
Skills:
Chandler is smart and has an IT job. He studied a major at the Columbia University.
So he has a lot of logic.
He lives together first with Joey. Cooking is not his thing I believe, but I think he's more the cleaning type as Joey because he cleaned the apartment once when he lived with Monica to surprise her.
He doesn't happen to have any tools (but his wife Monica has) so Mechanical won't be his thing either.
Creativity would be his thing because he actually wanted to write comic books and at the end of the series he works for the advertisement business.
He's not so good with the ladies so you can't give him a lot of Charisma or body.

Ross Eustace Geller:
Ross is Monica's brother. He has a Ph.D. in paleontology. Originally in the series, he worked for a museum [1.02]. He lost that job in season 5, due to his "rage problem." Later he became a guest lecturer at NYU (episode [6.04]). This led to a full-time teaching position there.
Ross's wife divorced him after she realised/decided that she was a lesbian [1.01]. Much of season one involved her pregnancy (discovered in episode 1.02). She finally gave birth to Ross' son Ben [1.23] and both she and her partner want Ross to be involved with the child to some degree [1.02] despite the fact that he doesn't really get along with his ex-wife's wife. But that may be changing. He not only gave away the bride at her wedding but he even danced with her new wife. [2.11]
Ross speaks very precisely [1.03] and is somewhat shy. He had a pet monkey named Marcel [1.10] who he had to send to zoo when it hit puberty [1.21].
Ross has been madly in love with Rachel since the ninth grade. At the end of the first season, he gave up on Rachel and began seeing Julie, whom he knew in Grad School and re-met on a trip to China [2.01]. When he found out that Rachel was interested in him, he broke up with Julie but blew it with Rachel when "the list" he made to help him decide between Julie and Rachel fell into Rachel's hands. [2.08] But they got over their differences and became a couple [2.14]. However, they broke up because their relationship was stressed by Rachel's busy schedule and Ross's jealousy [3.12][3.15]. The next morning Rachel changed her mind and a reconciliation looked likely, until she found out that Ross has slept with Chloe, the navel-ringed copy store girl [3.16]. Rachel couldn't forgive Ross but he claimed innocence since they were on a break. Because of their strong feelings, they briefly got back together at the beach [3.25] but it wasn't long before they right back to the same arguement (We were on a break!) [4.01]. In season 4, Ross met Emily Waltham [4.14], a woman visiting from London, and after a very hasty courtship, they decided to get married [4.19]. However, at the wedding in London, Ross accidently spoke Rachel's name instead of Emily's [4.23][4.24]. Although they still went through with the wedding, their relationship quickly disintigrated. Emily decided she can never trust Ross, so they got divorced.
Ross and Rachel's friendship began improving again, and in the final episode of the fifth season, they got drunk in Las Vegas and ended up getting married [5.24]. Early in the sixth season that was corrected with a divorce. Another notable occurance was when Rachel and Ross arranged to be their "backups" if they weren't married by the time they're 40 [6.25].
In early season 8, we learned that Ross fathered Rachel's child during a "one-night stand." Both have internal conflicts about where they want or think the relationship should go, but neither one seems to admit that they still want to be together. At the end of season 8, after the baby is born, Ross was apparently ready to propose to Rachel. However, a strange turn of events led Rachel to agree to marry Joey, even though he didn't really ask (nor did he intend to).
In season 9 Joey backed out of the picture so Ross could have another chance with Rachel, but that didn't go to well and by the end of season 9, a relationship between Joey and Rachel began.

By the beginning of the 10th season, Ross will be 35, based on his statement about 9 years earlier in the pilot episode, "I'm only 26 and I'm divorced!", and his consistent statement in episode [5.09], "I am 30 years old, and I'm about to be divorced twice." In episode [9.02] his birthday is stated as October 18th. That is consistent with episode [2.05], which aired in October 1995, had him celebrating his birthday at the Hootie concert. But I don't blame Joey for thinking Ross' birthday was in Maytember, because I'm not sure anyone really could keep track of it. In episode [1.04], which takes place on October 20, 1994 (Ross's anniversary of his "first time" with Carol), Ross stated his birthday was "7 months ago," which would place it in March. And Ross told Gunther his birthday was in December, in episode [4.05]. Maybe Ross just likes getting presents all year round?
Skills:
Ross has a major in Paleontology. He studied at the Columbia University where Chandler was his roommate.
He's a science guy so has a lot of logic. He's family of Monica so he's also very Clean.
His Charisma grows during the show as he becomes a teacher.
His Mechanical and Cooking aren't that high. And also his Creativity and Body aren't that high.


Rachel Karen Green:
Rachel, until the start of the series, had never held a job and had always lived off daddy's money [1.01]. At the start of the show she had just left Barry, her husband-to-be, at the altar and ran to (and moved in with) the only friend she could think of (at least the only friend who wasn't invited to the wedding): Monica [1.01]. It took her a while to get into the groove of living and working in the big city. She worked as a waitress until mid-third season, when she quit [3.10], then got a job at Bloomingdale's [3.11]. Later she got a job at Ralph Lauren [5.17][5.18] as the Coordinator of the Women's Collection. But late in Season 10, her boss caught her pursuing work at Gucci, and she got fired. She didn't get offered the job at Gucci, either. But then Mark (same guy that got her the job at Bloomingdale's) offerred her a job at Louis Vuitton, in Paris.
Rachel has dated many guys (much to Ross' chagrin), including Paolo, an Italian man who could barely speak English [1.07-1.12], and much later, Joshua, a well-to-do young customer at Bloomingdales [4.13-4.20]. For all of the first season, she was oblivious to Ross' crush on her. At the end of the season Chandler let it slip and she decided to go for it. However, by that time Ross had found a new girlfriend (Julie). When she got drunk and told Ross that she was over him, he decided to leave Julie. However, a list [2.08] of pros and cons about Rachel (which Ross was using as part of his decision between her and Julie) upset her and she turned away (but, of course, later forgave him and they got together). However, they broke up because their relationship was stressed by Rachel's busy schedule and Ross's jealousy [3.12][3.15]. The next morning Rachel changed her mind and a reconciliation looked likely, until she found out that Ross had slept with Chloe, the navel-ringed copy store girl [3.16]. Rachel couldn't forgive Ross, but he claimed innocence since they were on a break. Because of their strong feelings, they briefly got back together at the beach [3.25] but it wasn't long before they broke up (still arguing about the alleged "break" they were on [4.01]. In season 4, Ross met Emily Waltham [4.14], a woman visiting from London, and after a very hasty courtship, they decided to get married [4.19]. However, at the wedding in London, Ross accidently speaks Rachel's name instead of Emily's [4.23][4.24]. While they still went through with the wedding, this event planted the seed which eventually led to their divorce.
Ross and Rachel's friendship began improving again, and in the final episode of the fifth season, they got drunk in Las Vegas and ended up getting married [5.24]. Early in the sixth season that was corrected with a divorce. Another notable occurance was when Rachel and Ross arranged to be their "backups" if they weren't married by the time they're 40 [6.25].
At the end of season 7, we learned Rachel is pregnant. In early season 8, we learned that Ross is the father. Both have internal conflicts about where they want or think the relationship should go, but neither one seems to admit that they still want to be together. At the end of season 8, after the baby is born, Ross is apparently ready to propose to Rachel. However, a strange turn of events led Rachel to agree to marry Joey, even though he didn't really ask (nor did he intend to). That was sorted out and everything went back to the status quo. But during seasons 8 and 9 there has been signs of a possible relationship between Rachel and Joey, which finally happens during the gang's trip to Barbados at the end of season 9.
Rachel's parents have problems of their own as well. Her mother (having married her own "Barry") envied Rachel's free life, and for that and several other better reasons has divorced her husband [2.11][2.22].
Rachel's age is a bit... um... flexible? She should be about 34 by the end of the 9th season, even though the writers claim she only turned 30 in episode [7.14]. My figure of 34 is based on several things:
We know her birthday is on May 5th, because Gunther asked her in episode [4.05]. This is further confirmed by the fact that she has had several birthday parties near the end of several seasons [1.24] [2.22] (and seasons usually end around May). Rachel stated that she is 28 in episode [4.16] and therefore would have turned 29 at the end of that same season.
I suppose you could argue that she was rounding up to the nearest full year. But, hey, women don't do that.... especially women like Rachel. Maybe you could say season 4 was a bit out of sequence, and ep 416 was after her birthday (breaking with the precident of seasons 1 and 2). After all, in seasons 7 and 9 she had her birthday parties in mid season, instead of the end of the season. But even if we adjust the calculations down by a year to account for this, there's still an additional year discrepancy. One other inconsistency in her birthday information is that in episode [7.22], the cop looking at her driver's license commentented that she is an Aquarius, but that would put her birthday in January or February. Rachel, if born May 5th, would be a Taurus. Maybe the writers or Jennifer Aniston thought that having Rachel be a bull was not consistent with her character.

In season 9, Rachel's birthday was celebrated during the January 16, 2003 episode 9.12. This isn't very consistent with May 5th, but it is definately consistent with being an Aquarius.
Skills:
She wants to do something in fashion. She has a lof Charisma skill and Creativity to make it in the fashion world. She can definiatly not Cook or Clean.
Her logic, mechanical and body are not that high.

Monica Erica Geller:
Monica is Ross' sister. She was a cook at a trendy restaurant, Iridium, on 65th and Broadway [1.01] until she was fired for accepting a kickback, which was against restaurant policy [2.05]. She's had a few different chef positions througout the rest of the series, including head chef at Alessandros, and in season 9, head chef at Javu.
She rents the apartment where much of the show's action takes place. It is quite an amazing apartment for someone with her career history. Jeff Greenstein suggested that it might be an illegal sublet (see question 2.06), and this was confirmed in "TOW the Ballroom Dancing" [4.04].
She cannot seem to get her mother to approve of her at all [1.02][1.08]. The others consider her to be very bossy, anal-retentive, competitive, and controlling.
Monica has dated a number of men in the show, usually with bad luck. If she likes them, they turn out to be schleps [1.01]. If she doesn't like him, her friends love him [1.03]. And, just once, he turned out to be way too young [1.22]. And sometimes too old. She dated her father's friend Richard Burke (played by Tom Seleck) who is much older than she is [2.15] but they broke up [2.24]. Then she dated Pete Becker, a millionaire in the computer software industry [3.18]. Eventually, things were going very well for them (he even bought her a restaurant [3.21]). However, she broke it off when she discovered he's an obsessively stubborn person who doesn't know when to quit [3.24]. After she left Pete she had a brief catering business with Phoebe [4.06], but then got the position of head chef at Alesandro's restaurant (which she had given a bad review, so all the staff hate her) [4.09]. She briefly dated Richard Burke's son [4.08], but it was too weird. She and Chandler ended up in bed together in London, after spending most of Ross' rehearsal dinner (for his wedding to Emily) consoling each other [4.24]. That these two would get together has been desired by fans and hinted by various sub-plots. I.E. [3.25], [4.01].
Monica and Chandler continued their romance and tried to keep it a secret. But eventually everyone found out [5.14]. While in Las Vegas, they decide to get married. While waiting their turn at the chapel, they discovered Ross and Rachel (who were very drunk) had just been married [5.24]. That derailed everything (they weren't ready anyway) but they decided to move in with each other early in the sixth season. At the end of season 6, Chandler finally proposed again (although it almost didn't happen)[6.24]. They were married at the end of season 7. Their wedding date is May 15th, 2001 even though the marriage episode aired on May 17th. This is known from a statement Monica made in episode [7.17].

Monica will be approximately 34 at the start of season 10. This is based upon her statement that she was 28 during season 3, and that she was "25 and 13 months" (26 for those who are slow) in "TOW The Ick Factor" [1.22] (near the end of season 1).
Skills:
She is an excellent chef as she Cooks for a living. She has to be Creative with her recipe's.
She has good Mechanical skills and high Cleaning skills.
She's not dumb either so Logic is not that bad.
As a kid Monica was really fat, but she has a nice Body now.
She's also really competitive.

Phoebe Rose Buffay:
Phoebe is way out in left field most of the time. Often the cause of strange looks and shrugs from the others, Phoebe left home early in life after her mother committed suicide; she moved to the city where her albino male roommate committed suicide; she got her act together when she discovered aroma-therapy [1.01]. She is a masseuse [1.12] and also sings at Central Perk, often about death. She is very spiritual (not necessarily in a religious sense). She cleanses auras [1.01] and believes she can sometimes read thoughts of people or sense the presence of departed friends or family. She once was inhabited by the spirit of an old lady who died on her massage table [2.11]. She had a friend whom she believes was reincarnated as a pencil [1.08]. She lived with her grandmother [1.04] for much of the show, but her Grandmother died [5.13]. Phoebe still lives in the apartment she shared with her.
Her sister, Ursula Pamela Buffay, is a waitress at Riff's, a restaurant featured in 'Mad About You' [1.02], but they do not get along [1.16-1.17].
Many plots that focus on Phoebe involve her complicated family relationships. In addition to Ursula, we have had episodes that centered around her husband [2.04], her search for her father [2.09], her brother (Frank, Jr.) [3.05], Frank Jr.'s wife and home-ec teacher (Alice) [3.18], her discovery of her birth mother [3.25][4.01], and the surrogate pregnancy she went through for Frank, Jr. and Alice [4.11]-[5.03], and finally meeting her father at her grandmother's memorial service [5.13].
Phoebe hadn't had many long term relationships until season 9, when she met Mike Hanigan. That relationship lasted several months until she decided there wasn't a future in it, because he's been through a painful divorce and never wanted to be married again. But at the end of season 9 he decided he'd be open to the idea, as a reaction to news that David (the Scientist Guy) was going to propose to her. Mike proposed first. Phoebe turned him down, because she doesn't need to marry him right away... she only wanted to know there was a possible future.
Phoebe's age is hard to pin down, but she's probably 35 by the end of season 9. Here's how I come up with that: In TOW They All Turn Thirty, [7.14], there's a flashback (how long back, we don't know) to Phoebe's "30th birthday," where Ursula shows her a birth certificate proving she's really 31 at that time. The previous season (in episode 6.16) Chandler mentioned that Phoebe was 31. This was before she learned she was really a year older than she believed. This means she was really 32 in season 6, and would therefore be 35 in season 9. Phoebe's birthday falls on February 16th, which she tells Frank Jr. in episode [3.05]. However, in episode [9.05] her birthday is celebrated (with a nice dinner out) on Halloween. She admits she couldn't get reservations on the actual night of her birthday, so she got them on Halloween instead. Either the restaurant was booked up for 8 months, or the writers forgot what had been established before.
By the way, Frank Jr's birthday is October 25th.

According to Phoebe, she will die on October 15th, 2032 (revealed in episode [7.03]).
Skills:
She is a masseuse so she needs Body and Charisma. She can Cook and Clean a little.
Logic is not her thing as is Mechanical. She's very Creative though.



Credits:
http://www.friends-tv.org/