Monica Geller would eventually become popular staples of the show. Several months before "Friends" premiered, NBC had conducted a research report, the results of which determined that Monica was the only character to have been remotely well received by test audiences. When "Friends" first aired, critics initially perceived Monica – who was immediately established as the show's "mother hen" – and Cox as the series' main character and star, respectively. Critics have been largely receptive towards both Cox and her character; the "Los Angeles Times" holds Cox's acting responsible for disproving the stigma that attractive women are incapable of delivering comedic performances.
Monica Geller the crew attempted to conceal Cox's pregnancy using a combination of baggy, loose-fitting costumes and props instead. However, at times the actress' growing belly was still detectable by viewers in spite of the crew's best efforts. At the beginning of season one, Monica is 25 years old. Rita Loiacono of SheKnows Media believes that Monica is the show's most fully realized character from the very beginning of the series because her "quirks were developed to a tee." Like several strong female sitcom characters who were popular throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Monica possesses a natural maternal instinct, constantly "vocalising a