While the writers of "Friends" experimented with pairing Joey up with other characters at various points in the show, these dynamics just weren't what would be natural for the character. For instance, one of the show's later seasons saw a brief romance spark between Joey and Rachel. In an interview with Vanity Fair, series co-creator David Crane said that this arc for the characters was intended to feel strange and unnatural. "Matt kept saying, 'It's wrong. It's like I want to be with my sister,'" he explained. "We said, 'Yes, it's absolutely wrong. That's why we have to do it.'"

Some fans may find it strange that Joey and Phoebe were never really explored as a romantic pairing, as that would have paired up each of the core "Friends" characters neatly. In an interview with Metro, Crane said that they avoided taking this route as it would ultimately feel unrealistic. "It all would have been too tidy and too complete," he said. "When your goal is to keep the six characters' stories together, it would be really easy to go down that road but I think we all felt it would be a mistake."

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