 Critical reception towards Rachel has remained consistently positive throughout Friends ' decade @-@ long run , with The A. V. Club attributing much of the show 's early success to the character . However , some of her storylines have been criticized , specifically her romantic relationship with her friend Joey during season ten . Rachel 's popularity established her as the show 's breakout character , who has since been named one of the greatest television characters of all @-@ time , while the character 's second season haircut spawned an international phenomenon of its own . Named the " Rachel " after her , the character 's <unk> continues to be imitated by millions of women around the world and remains one of the most popular hairstyles in history , in spite of Aniston 's own resentment towards it . Rachel is also regarded as a style icon due to her influence on <unk> during the 1990s . Meanwhile , the character 's relationship with Ross is often cited among television 's most beloved . 
