rest of them, Rachel is interested in finding meaning for her life". Also writing for The A.V. Club, Sonia Saraiya enjoyed Rachel's first awkward encounter with Ross because, for the first time, "Rachel displays a moment of true empathy for another human being". Saraiya went on to hail Rachel as "a model for women coming of age in the 1990s—the popular, pretty girl dissatisfied with where those illusions have taken her but also unwilling to embrace the more aggressively 'feminist' career-woman strategy". The New York Times' Joseph Hanania enjoyed Rachel's telephone conversation with her father during the pilot, describing it as "hilarious." The Los Angeles Times Bob Shayne admitted his attraction towards Rachel, joking, "my feelings for Rachel, I say with some embarrassment, mirror those of Gunther". Cosmopolitan touted Rachel "the best fictional gal pal we've ever had". While People called her "spoiled-but-lovable", TV Guide described Rachel as "neurotic and adorable". Writing for Heat, Ellen Kerry hailed Rachel's gradual transformation from waitress to businesswoman as arguably "the best thing on tv". USA Today's Robert Bianco credits Rachel's pregnancy storyline with saving Friends, observing that the arc increased the show's ratings while ultimately "reversing the show's decline in ways ... that no one watching 'The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding' could ever have imagined." Bianco concluded, "Indeed, without that fortune-altering twist, Friends probably would have ended sooner". BDCwire ranked "The One with the Ball", "The One with Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss", "The One With The Football", "The One with the Fake Party" and "The One In Vegas, Part One" Rachel's five strongest episodes. Meanwhile, TVLine criticized Rachel for sleeping with ex-fiancé Barry in season one's "The One With the Evil Orthodontist", panning the episode as "cringeworthy". TVLine similarly criticized the character's role in season four's "The One With The Fake Party". At times the character would generate mild controversy, specifically the second-season episode "The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies", during which Rachel and Monica argue over who will get to use the last remaining condom in the apartment, which Rachel ultimately wins via a game of rock-paper-scissors. Additionally, fans would often approach Aniston and scold her for decisions that Rachel makes within the show that they do not particularly agree with. Within the first two seasons of Friends, the character became extremely popular among women. Viewers' perpetual desire to see Rachel succeed helped her remain a fan favorite throughout all ten