Monica Geller the other Friends". Because Monica and Joey were initially conceived as the show's two most sexual characters, Crane and Kauffman had originally intended for them to be the show's main couple, before ultimately replacing them with Ross and Rachel. The idea of Monica and Joey was abandoned once the role of Joey was cast; actor Matt LeBlanc approached his character using much more of a "big brother vibe" in terms of Joey's relationship with Cox's character as opposed to a romantic one, which the writers ultimately preferred. According to Allison Piwowarski of Bustle, Monica and Joey's relationship would have greatly
Monica Geller comedy". Contactmusic.com's Sophie Miskiw commended Cox for portraying Monica with "endearing neurosis". As a character, Lifetime described Monica as "neurotic yet lovable". Bustle's Emma Lord wrote, "I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to be Monica Geller", describing her as a "smart" and "savvy" character. Admitting that Monica is "probably not our favourite character", TalkTalk described the character as "wonderfully neurotic", while Nick at Nite reviewed her as "just as lovable as she is neurotic" despite her overbearing personality. Howard Rosenberg of the "Los Angeles Times" was receptive towards the entire cast, especially Cox and her character, both of whom