'90s TV Best Friends That Were Actually Terrible

Nostalgia for the '90s might be very real right now, and it's sometimes easy to forget that not everything in the '90s was perfect. While the decade gifted the world with some of the best TV shows of all time — Dawson's Creek, My So-Called Life, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air — it's possible that we've all idealized characters from our favorite shows a little too much. And one thing that '90s shows often highlighted was friendship, and how difficult it is to be a genuinely great friend. So which best friends in '90s TV shows were actually terrible?

The kinship in shows like Pretty Little Liars has given besties a lot to live up to. Would your friends risk their lives for you, the way that Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna risk their lives for each other? It's a question you should really ask yourself. In comparison, '90s TV shows portrayed a much simpler time, in which friends weren't always reliable, exes weren't off limits, and emotions got the better of just about everyone. So which TV friendships were actually built on rocky foundations? Were any of TV's most famous '90s best friends actually terrible people? In hindsight, were besties on '90s TV actually kind of awful?

1. Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek

Despite priding himself on having a close group of friends, Dawson Leery was actually a terrible bestie. Remember the time he made his so-called soul mate Joey Potter choose between his friendship and the man she loved? Or when he was so obsessed with losing his virginity that he totally overlooked the emotional needs of his best friends? Yeah, not cool.

2. Rayanne Graff in My So-Called Life

In some ways, Rayanne was the exact sort of friend you'd want. She helped Angela find herself, experiment with her style, and go after the men she so wanted. But she also betrayed Angela in a major way, and there's really no way of excusing her behavior.

3. Joey Tribbiani in Friends

Not only did Joey owe Chandler rent, food, and expenses, he treated women like objects, and ate everyone else's groceries. Worst friend ever!

4. Carrie Bradshaw in Sex And The City

Self-involved, and would use your life as inspiration for her own writing, Carrie Bradshaw may have awesome fashion sense, but her friendship sometimes left a lot to be desired.

5. Ally McBeal in Ally McBeal

Much like Carrie Bradshaw, Ally McBeal spent most of her life pining after men that didn't want to be with her. Nothing else mattered, not even her career.

6. Zack Morris in Saved By The Bell

From constantly making fun of Screech, to executing pranks that upset other people, Zack Morris may have been a self-proclaimed legend, but he was actually an idiot.

7. Phoebe Buffay in Friends

Phoebe was always quirky and exciting. But she was also flaky, annoying, and impossible to understand at times — in my opinion.

8. Fox Mulder in The X Files

Usually, Fox Mulder was too distracted to be much of a friend. You know, by aliens or some sh*t.

9. Angel in Buffy

Dude, what do you contribute to this group apart from brooding stares and the occasional tidbit of obscure historical information? Seriously.

10. Kelly Taylor in Beverly Hills, 90210

The love between Kelly and Dylan in Beverly Hills, 90210 was undeniable. However, Kelly broke the cardinal rule of friendship by having a fling with Dylan while he was still going out with Brenda, who also happened to be Kelly best friend. Terrible.

11. Julie Emrick in Felicity

She went after Ben. Enough said.

12. Cher Horowitz in Clueless

While this '90s TV show took liberties with the characters from the classic movie, one fact remains. Cher Horowitz may be awesome to watch, but it'd be tricky to sustain a meaningful friendship with her in real life when her main concerns were always what to wear. Plus, her driving was legit terrifying and life-threatening.

13. Julia in Party Of Five

So. Much. Crying.

No-one's perfect. But TV demands so much more from its friendships now than it did in the '90s, and that's a good thing!

Images: Giphy (13)