Because they are both set in New York City and feature very similar group dynamics, Friends and How I Met Your Mother are often compared to one another. Both groups have their womanizer, Joey and Barney, as well as a hopeless romantic, Ross and Ted. The female characters might not have that much in common, but both series feature girlfriends that make for some serious best friend goals.
Monica and Rachel depend on each other way more than Robin and Lily. After all, they live together and know each other for much longer. Robin and Lily, on the other hand, bonded over the fact that they were the only two women in their friend group. They might have not lived together, but they were still always there for each other.
Lily Explained Relationships To Robin
In “Ted Mosby: Architect”, one of the best episodes of season 2, Robin was struggling with listening to Ted complain about work, so the two had a fight. It’s no secret that Robin is emotionally unavailable, so it’s no wonder communication was not her strongest asset in a relationship.
Even though they weren’t friends for that long at that point, Lily went out of her way to explain the basic dos and don’ts of committed relationships.
Monica Took Rachel In Where She Had Nowhere To Go
When Rachel made her entrance in the pilot episode of Friends, she turned to Monica to help her out, even though the two had lost contact for years. Rachel didn’t even invite her high school bestie to her own wedding, but Monica decided to take care of her nonetheless.
When it comes to caretaking, Monica was a much better friend to Rachel than vice versa. Meanwhile, Robin didn’t take Lily in when she broke up with Marshall, so she ended up staying with Barney instead.
Robin Kissed Lily
One of Lily’s best arcs is her attraction towards Robin. Every time she is drunk, she playfully and jokingly suggests that they should make out. Let’s not forget one of Lily’s funniest quotes about the matter: “Robin Scherbatsky is many things: friend, confidant, occasional guest star in some confusing dreams that remind me a woman’s sexuality is a moving target.”
Robin proved to be a really awesome friend with a great sense of humor when she made Lily’s dream come true and kissed her.
Rachel & Monica Go Way Back
Rachel and Monica were best friends in high school, and flashbacks to their beginnings are some of their best friendship moments.
They knew each other when they were teenagers and they saw each other grow into adults. Even though that’s not a predisposition for an amazing friendship, it does deepen the bond. Lily and Robin didn’t really have any formative experiences together.
Lily Knew Barney Was Better For Robin Than Ted
Even though Lily’s manipulative tendencies often made her the worst member of the How I Met Your Mother friend group, she was right when it came to predicting which man is better for Robin. She broke Ted and Robin up, but she also played a major role in getting Barney and Robin together by locking them in a room.
When Rachel found out about Monica and Chandler, she was visibly distraught rather than delighted like Lily was. But then again, she did overhear Monica say that she’ll tell Rachel she’s doing laundry, to which Chandler replied by asking whether that’s his new nickname.
Rachel & Monica Get Into Fights
Even though fights and bickering are generally perceived as something negative, anyone who is close enough will sooner or later find themselves in some sort of a conflict. Rachel and Monica had several fall outs, especially when one of them did something horrible to the other.
The fact that Rachel and Monica always found common ground after their fights only solidified their friendship further. These two could weather any storm, which isn’t necessarily true for Robin and Lily.
Lily Talks Very Highly Of Robin
Lily is Robin’s biggest fan. When Robin’s ex Simon came to New York City, Lily made a point to speak very highly of Robin. Even though Simon clearly had nothing to offer, Robin found herself falling in love with him just like she did when she was a teenager.
When they went on a double date with two cute doctors, saving face wasn’t high on Monica and Rachel’s priority list. Since they swapped identities for the night, they ended up highlighting each other’s negative traits. And let’s not forget about the time when Rachel kissed Chandler, even though she knew Monica liked him.
Rachel Put A Lot Of Thought Into Monica’s Wedding
In “The One With The Nap Partners”, Rachel and Phoebe flipped the coin to decide which one would be Monica’s maid of honor. Phoebe won, but when she saw all the work that Rachel had put into Monica’s wedding, she let her keep the job. Rachel might come across as selfish and spoiled, but this proved that she truly cares for Monica.
Robin’s wedding gift to Lily also deserves an honorable mention, since it was one of the funniest scenes in the entire show. Robin got her a sex toy, after Lily opened it in front of her extended family, the women started discussing which Sex and the City characters they are.
Lily & Robin Went From Strangers To Besties Within A Year
Monica and Rachel were bound together by the past and their living situation, but Lily and Robin remained friends because they wanted to. Robin wasn’t the type to have a lot of girlfriends, but she grew to love Lily in a heartbeat.
In less than a year, Lily and Robin became best friends, despite the awkward fact that Ted was in love with Robin. If it wasn’t for their bond, Robin would probably have left the group earlier.
Monica Lets Rachel Have Her Favorite Baby Name
When it comes to babies, Rachel and Monica were the better friends. After all, Robin wasn’t even too happy about the prospect of Lily having a child since she lost a friend to a baby before.
In one of the most emotional scenes of Friends, Rachel couldn’t decide what to name her baby daughter. Monica told her that she has a baby name picked already and since Rachel loved it too, Monica let her keep it.
