Ross Geller is one of the most iconic television characters of all time. Actor David Schwimmer left a lasting legacy in the hit American sitcom Friends as the adorably geeky professor of paleontology who got married at the drop of a hat and nursed an enormous crush on his sister's best friend.
Ross may not be ideal, as a person -- he did suffer from clichéd ideas of chauvinism and gender fluidity, however, flawed though he was, he was still a rational, intelligent, and soft-hearted man and his character went through a lot during the course of the show.
Season 1: Jolted Into Reality
In season 1, when Ross is first introduced, he is heartbroken over the discovery that his wife Carol is gay, or bisexual, to be precise, although the show never uses the term. This is a young man who had literally never been with any other woman his whole life.
So the shock of being cast aside for another woman was definitely a wake-up call for the goofy paleontologist. However, the birth of his son gives him a sense of purpose, albeit making things rather complicated.
Season 2: Moving On, Not So Much
Rachel's presence in his life had allowed Ross to dream of a new future in season 1, but he moves on at least temporarily when he seems to think that the boat with Rachel has sailed.
However, even though Ross dates Julie for a good while, he soon finds out that Rachel does have feelings for him, and the two get together in what seems to be a period of bliss, at least in Ross' personal life.
Season 3: He Was On A Break
In season 3 comes the big break up. In one of the most serious two-part episodes of the series, Rachel breaks up with Ross when it's revealed that the latter slept with another woman, Chloe, on the very night that Rachel and he had fought over his own obsessive jealousy.
Ross continues to maintain that he and Rachel had been on a break, thus hoping to justify his behavior. He does manage to get back with Rachel again after the break-up, but blows that yet again when he fails to let go of his ego.
Season 4: A Muddled Marriage
Ross meets Emily in season 4 and was on his way down the aisle in an instant. The hurried marriage could have been his rebound, or at least his way of overcoming his fear of being alone, after Carol and Rachel both left him.
Of course, fans are well aware of the disaster that followed, as Ross took Rachel's name during the ceremony. Whatever his insecurities, and despite the almost hilarious lack of clarity, Ross never wavered from loving Rachel.
Season 5: Divorced Again & Married Again
The disaster of season 4 is followed by a divorce and a phase of emotional meltdown when Ross is suspended from work due to excessive anger and also kicked out of his apartment.
He ends up staying with Chandler and Joey, much to their eventual annoyance. He also has a near heart attack when he finds out about Chandler dating Monica, but thankfully manages to accept it without too much drama. By the end of the season though, Ross is married yet again, only this time, it's to Rachel.
Season 6: The Divorce Force
Ross' marriage to Rachel is annulled, although for once, Ross seems to find some clarity of thought and wants to stay married. However, Rachel feels differently, and once again, Ross is forced to go through a divorce, his third one after the two failed marriages to Carol and Emily.
By this time, Ross has been on a rollercoaster ride. He even starts dating a much younger girl with whom he has a major age gap, to find a way out of his insecurities.
Season 7: At Loose Ends
Ross is all over the place in this season, as he goes from dating one woman after another. He does prove himself to be a good friend, however, when he goes out of his way to gift Phoebe a bicycle.
He realizes that the latter had never even learned to ride a bike growing up, unlike every other child. He reveals himself to be a genuinely sensitive and caring friend.
Season 8: A Shock & A Blessing
Ross has a period of stability when he starts dating Mona, the lovely young woman he met at Monica and Chandler's wedding. However, his seemingly perfect life is shaken when Rachel gets pregnant with his baby. Ross finds the news hard to digest, at first, but soon gets behind this huge change in his life, which turns out to be a blessing in disguise.
Ross is a true gentleman when it comes to such matters and endeavors to ease Rachel's journey as an expecting mom as much as he can.
Season 9: A Complicated Life
Ross' life becomes significantly more complicated when there is confusion regarding whether or not Rachel had accepted Joey's marriage proposal. However, the three maneuver their way out of the misunderstanding, and Ross continues to be a good dad to his little daughter.
Ross and Rachel have an unspoken agreement that they won't get married just because they have a child together, and they both try to move on. Ross has a crush on his colleague, Charlie, making his life even more complicated.
Season 10: Ross Is Fine
In the final season, Ross has a particularly hard time accepting that Joey might be dating Rachel. Interestingly, even though he is fine with dating others himself, he never quite manages to accept Rachel being with other men, and definitely not if it was a close personal friend, like Joey.
The season ends with Ross finally developing the guts to tell Rachel how he feels. He goes from a hapless divorceé to a responsible dad and a gentle, genuine lover.