Season 9

The ninth Season of Friends aired from September 26, 2002 to May 15, 2003 on NBC in the US. This season follows Ross and Rachel living together with baby Emma after she and Joey clear up the misdirected proposal. She soon moves back in with Joey after a fight with Ross and discovers that she has feelings for him. Aisha Tyler appears as the series’ first recurring black character. Tyler plays Charlie, a paleontologist that Ross meets and becomes attracted to. Charlie has dated Nobel Prize winners, and when Rachel and Ross decide to kiss their love interests at Joey’s rooftop party, they find them kissing each other. Monica and Chandler, inspired by Ross and Rachel, decide to conceive a child of their own. They seek medical advice after several episodes of trying for a baby, and discover that both of them are physically unable to conceive. Paul Rudd appears in the recurring role of Mike Hannigan, a new boyfriend for Phoebe. When Mike tells her that he never wants to marry again, Hank Azaria returns as David “the scientist guy”, a character originated in the first season. The finale is set in Barbados, where the group goes to hear Ross give a keynote speech at a Paleontologist conference. Phoebe must choose between her lovers, deciding to choose Mike. Not only do Charlie and Joey find out they have nothing in common, but Charlie also finds herself eventually becoming attracted to Ross, who is more her intellectual equal. After Charlie dumps Joey, Joey and Rachel’s feelings for each other return. They agree to clear it with Ross first, until Joey catches Ross kissing Charlie. The finale ends with Joey and Rachel kissing.