While most of the Friends gang has one or two major relationships that play out over the whole ten seasons (Ross and Rachel, for example, or Monica’s decision between Richard and Chandler), Phoebe doesn’t meet the man she eventually marries until season nine. And despite the fact that David is often seen as the other great love of her life, he only actually appears in five episodes over the course of the show.
That’s not to say that Phoebe doesn’t date, of course. But her relationship timeline is a little more scattered than that of most of her friends, with shorter relationships and often more straightforward breakups. So how does it play out season by season, and how does she eventually end up happy with Mike?
10 Season 1 – Phoebe & David Meet… And Break Up
While Phoebe has a few other dates or referenced boyfriends in this season (like the guy she broke up with because he “just wasn’t fun” since starting his hunger strike), the headline of Season 1 is David. She and David meet during one of her performances at Central Perk, and fall for each other immediately. It’s a short-lived love, though, as David and his partner get offered an incredible research opportunity… in Minsk. While David does actually debate staying, showing how serious they were getting, Phoebe tells him to go – and the season ends with them apart and David gone for several seasons.
9 Season 2 – Phoebe Gets A Divorce (& A Visit)
Phoebe’s big bombshell this season is that she’s actually already married! Turns out, she married Duncan, an ice-dancing friend of hers, so he could get a greencard. She also revealed that she was in love with him, but assumed it would never happen because he was only dating men at the time. However, when he returns, it is because he has fallen in love with a woman, and wants a divorce. Heartbreak continues to pile on heartbreak, too, because as well as losing David last season, and getting her hopes up and her heart broken by Duncan this season, but she also sees Ryan, her Navy fling, for the last time… and gets chicken pox during his visit.
8 Season 3 – A Few Bad Flings
By season 3, she is dating a little more casually, and no one serious comes along. Her dates do include some notably bad ones, though. Sergei seems like a great choice – a diplomat, and a gentleman – but when his translator quits (on a double date with Monica), Phoebe realizes that they cannot communicate at all. She also dates her sister’s stalker, Malcolm, this season. A terrible choice all around, it’s no wonder that didn’t work out
7 Season 4 – Pregnant And Not Dating
Phoebe has absolutely no relationship episodes in season 4 – and this is likely because her main storyline this season is her pregnancy! Season 4 sees Phoebe become a surrogate for her brother Frank, so she isn’t really focused on finding love.
Not to mention, she loves telling people that she is having her brother’s babies to freak them out, which would probably be offputting to potential dates…
6 Season 5 – Phoebe & The Cop
Phoebe was back to actively dating in season 5, when she had two significant relationships. The shorter of the two was with Larry the Health Inspector, who she met at Monica’s work. She liked him at first, but when it became clear that he took his job so seriously he would shut down any restaurant they went to, she chose good food, and dumped him. The bigger relationship, though, was Gary. At first, Gary seemed perfect – a cop who loved Phoebe, and found her quirks charming, they even moved in together… for a day. When he shot a bird in front of her the first morning they woke up together, it was obviously over.
5 Season 6 – The Dry Spell
Perhaps taking a step back again because of Gary, Phoebe spends season 6 without any significant relationships, either. It’s always possible that she is still dating, but they are simply not making it into the episodes of the show, but either way, fans don’t get to see her with anyone this season. This is actually one of the more realistic seasons of Friends in that sense, because it’s entirely reasonable that someone might not meet anyone to date over a year, especially in the time before Tinder.
4 Season 7 – David Reappears (& The Forgettable Jake)
Phoebe does have a boyfriend for part of this season, but he’s so forgettable that most Friends fans wouldn’t even be able to name him. Jake is the boyfriend who wears women’s lingerie sometimes, and Phoebe mentions him in a few other episodes, but he’s never a major part of the show.
David, however, also makes a return this season. He’s only in town for one day, and Phoebe has to try and rush a friend-date with Joey to see him, but it’s this season that reminds fans that he exists, and makes sure everyone knows that this story isn’t done yet.
3 Season 8 – Eric, Parker, & Failed Dates
This is the final season of Phoebe’s dating around before things finally change for her, and there are some truly bad dates and mini-relationships in here. Once again, she chooses to date someone who was previously with her sister, Eric. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t end well. She also dates the memorable Parker in this season, a man so positive that it was even too much for Phoebe to take. However, there are no relationships here that last more than an episode or two.
2 Season 9 – Mike, David, & The Love Triangle In Barbados
In Season 9, Phoebe finally meets Mike, thanks to Joey’s forgetfulness in setting her up with someone he actually knew! Luckily, his random choice actually ends up being perfect for Phoebe, and the two start a relationship that becomes truly serious. They are one of the sweetest couples on the show, and fans’ hearts broke when they ended things because Phoebe realized she wanted to get married, and Mike didn’t.
Then, David reappears, and for a moment it looked like Mike was the detour, and David was the real love of her life… until all three come together in Barbados, there are two proposals on the table, and Phoebe reveals that while David was a real love of hers, it’s Mike she really wants to spend the rest of her life with.
1 Season 10 – Phoebe & Mike Get Married
After the drama and the back and forth of the last season, Phoebe’s last season is a pretty straightforward one. Throughout, she and Mike are happy together, and this season also sees their wedding take place in episode 12. It’s a gorgeous ceremony, and one that left Phoebe fans extremely happy, as she finally got the love that she always deserved.
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