A Scrapped ‘Friends’ Twist Would’ve Given More Time to This Underrated Side Character

More than 20 years later, there is still so much love for Friends, and it’s easy to see why. The sitcom has everything, including vibrant, relatable characters who never fail to make audiences laugh, and that goes beyond the six leads. Monica (Courteney Cox), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Ross (David Schwimmer), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Chandler (Matthew Perry), and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) all have their memorable moments, but Friends also excels in side characters. After all, who can forget Janice’s (Maggie Wheeler) surprise appearances or what Pheobe’s husband, Mike (Paul Rudd), brought to the final season? Yet one of Friends‘ best side characters is underexplored.

Besides the main group, Gunther (James Michael Tyler) is the most recognizable character on the show, appearing in more episodes than not. Yet, the series establishes little information about him. Besides serving coffee and occasionally confessing his undying love for Rachel, he didn’t really do much. Yet one scrapped storyline would have given him a bit more. Though he is rarely seen outside of his job at the coffee shop the friends frequent (to the point of creating a pothole), Friends writers considered giving Gunther a storyline where Rachel moves in with him, which would have given audiences a more well-rounded look at his life. Of course, the story was scrapped, and for better or worse, Gunther maintained his mystery.

‘Friends’ Could Have Explored More of Gunther’s Life

Many storylines never made it into Friends, and in the years since, some have gotten significant discussion, like Monica and Joey’s planned relationship, while others have been forgotten. Gunther’s storyline seems to fall into the latter category, and in some ways, that makes sense. Gunther may be a constant in the show, but he doesn’t do a lot. Initially cast as an extra, there was little relevance to his life outside of Central Perk, yet there are a few hits. He can insult Ross in Dutch. He commiserates with Joey over losing a role, revealing that he was once in All My Children. His social circles overlap with the friends slightly. He is invited to several parties with them, even attending Ross’ bachelor party, yet they don’t know much about him (including his last name).

Despite how often he is in the show, it’s odd that Friends establishes so little about him. Sometimes considered the seventh friend, Gunther deserved a little more context, though the mystery allows him some funny moments. Rachel moving in with Gunther, no matter how long it lasted, would have helped. Even just seeing Gunther’s apartment would have given more information about him, further developing his character. There is little information about what Gunther and Rachel living together would entail, and it potentially could be uncomfortable due to Gunther’s unrequited feelings for her, yet it would have been an interesting direction for the show to take.

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The episode even started a multi-week arc.

Why Did ‘Friends’ Scrap the Gunther Storyline?

Gunther and Rachel becoming roommates never made it into the show, but the idea made it as far as scripting. Still, removing the storyline made sense for the show. James Michael Tyler even recalls reading a script for it, saying, “It just felt contrived, and everything else that happened in the series, and continues to be, was quite organic.” Though there are no official statements of why the plot was cut, Tyler’s cited reason is the likely explanation, especially as he is the actor who would have benefited the most from the development. Friends’ high standards for their storylines kept the show running for so long, and Rachel moving in with Gunther simply didn’t make the cut.

The other reason is that there were better options. Though it is never specified where in the series this story would take place, Rachel always finds a more fitting roommate. After living with Monica for many years, Rachel moves out when Chandler and Monica are ready to take a new step in their relationship. This is likely when Gunther could have come into play, especially considering he offers to let her stay in his apartment after hearing she’s looking for a place. However, Rachel first moves in with Phoebe and later with Joey and Ross. This choice kept the main six close together and cut down on sets, making it an obvious choice. Having Gunther as Rachel’s roommate didn’t really make sense, and cutting the story was the right call. Yet it would have been a great way to finally explore a character who deserved more screen time.

Friends is streaming on Max in the U.S.

Friends

Release Date

1994 – 2003

Network

NBC

Showrunner

Marta Kauffman