Friends portrayed lovers as friends, and friends as the loves of each other’s lives. From Rachel and Ross to Monica and Chandler, the great love stories on the show are friendships. When Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel gets pregnant, Rachel and Ross become a strong parenting team still as friends. As we open on these six characters in Central Perk—Joey, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, Ross and Rachel—they are each other’s family, too. The humor and stories on the show underlined the crucial impact of friends in shaping who we are.