Let’s face it, Thanksgiving has been a long-time sufferer of middle child syndrome. Sandwiched in between Halloween and Christmas, it is often glossed over as we trade our leftover candy for holiday decorum. And as the world makes this instantaneous switch, Turkey Day rarely gets it time to shine.
But no one brings Thanksgiving to the forefront quite like everyone’s favorite group of friends. The Thanksgiving episodes of “Friends” are arguably some of the most iconic from the hit sitcom. And as Thanksgiving draws nearer, it is the perfect time to revisit the holiday antics of Ross, Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey. So from the Geller Bowl to Rachel’s horrendous beef trifle, let’s break down the best and worst of these beloved Thanksgiving installments.
9. Season 9, Episode 8- “The One with Rachel’s Other Sister”
When Rachel’s sister, Amy, unexpectedly visits, the friends are in for a hostile Thanksgiving dinner. While conversing over turkey and stuffing, Amy asks if she would gain custody of Emma in the event of Ross and Rachel’s death. Obviously Rachel’s flighty sister is not the ideal candidate for this responsibility. And the pair go on to explain that Chandler and Monica would be the most logical guardians for their daughter. Amy does not take this well, and the Green sisters’ bickering soon escalates into full-on physical blows. All is resolved by the credits, but Monica’s best china remains a casualty of the Thanksgiving scuffle. Although entertaining, the morbid topic of this episode casts a downer on the usual “Friends” holiday cheer. And thus, it earns the bottom spot on our list.
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8. Season 7, Episode 8- “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs”
In truth, this is one of the less memorable Thanksgiving episodes, as not much actually happens within its twenty-minute runtime. When Phoebe brings a dog to Thanksgiving, Chandler immediately freaks out and claims that he has a severe allergy to canines. But when Phoebe reveals that she’s already been hiding the dog in their apartment for days, he must admit the cruel fact that he hates dogs (or rather, is deathly afraid of them). While Chandler’s unfounded fear is the focus of this episode, we also get to see Ross challenge everyone to name all the fifty states. Meanwhile, Rachel tries to initiate a romantic relationship with Tag. Although it is not one of the strongest Thanksgiving episodes, Ross’ desperate — and equally hilarious — attempt to remember every U.S. state is worth the watch alone.
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7. Season 10, Episode 8- “The One with the Late Thanksgiving”
It’s the friends’ very last Thanksgiving together. And naturally, things don’t go as planned. When Monica and Chandler decide not to host Thanksgiving, the rest of the gang is shocked. But after Phoebe employs some reverse psychology, Monica is more determined than ever to make this the best Thanksgiving yet. But when the holiday actually arrives, Joey and Ross get caught up at hockey game while Rachel and Phoebe are at a baby beauty pageant with Emma. When everyone arrives an hour late, an infuriated Monica locks them out of her apartment. Desperate to make things right, the four friends plead their apologies through a crack in the front door. Naturally, Joey gets his head stuck and upon getting free, comes tumbling through the entryway to a waiting banquet of Thanksgiving foods. But the entire fiasco becomes inconsequential after Monica receives a call that she and Chandler are becoming adoptive parents. Both bittersweet and heartwarming, this episode is an obligatory rewatch for long-time “Friends” fans.
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6. Season 1, Episode 9- “The One Where Underdog Gets Away”
In the very first Thanksgiving episode, Monica agrees to host Thanksgiving after everyone’s usual plans go awry. But she soon realizes that she’s bitten off more than she can chew when she must accommodate everyone’s Thanksgiving preferences. This all culminates into a Monica-level meltdown when all six friends get locked out of the apartment and their meal is burned to a crisp. Despite this turn of events, the holiday is ultimately salvaged over a meal of grilled cheese sandwiches and a heartfelt toast from Chandler. While the friends’ very first Thanksgiving is not as notable as some of the dinners to come, it still has many humorous moments and a nostalgic quality. The episode also establishes the running gag that Chandler despises Thanksgiving, which frequently comes into play in the later episodes.
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5. Season 4, Episode 8- “The One With Chandler in a Box”
This episode kicks off with Joey and Chandler on the outs. Desperate to mend their friendship, Chandler agrees to sit in a box for six hours to think about his crimes against Joey. Meanwhile, after scratching her cornea, Monica visits the ophthalmologist. To her shock, the on-call doctor turns out to be the son of her ex-boyfriend, Richard. Despite everyone’s disapproval, Monica decides to invite him to her apartment for Thanksgiving. As you might have guessed, hilarity ensues when Richard’s son joins the gang for dinner and finds Chandler confined within a box in the living room. From Monica’s eyepatch to Joey and Chandler’s reconciliation, there’s so much to love about this painfully underrated episode.
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4. Season 8, Episode 9- “The One with the Rumor”
You might know this episode better as The One Where Brad Pitt Guest Stars. In this Thanksgiving installment, Monica decides to invite Will, an old friend of hers and Ross’ from high school. Little does Monica know that Will possesses a long-festering hatred of Rachel because of how she treated him when they were teenagers. Dinner takes an unexpected turn when Will reveals that he and Ross co-founded the “I Hate Rachel” club and were responsible for starting a rumor about Rachel at their high school. Amidst all the dinner chaos, Joey attempts to eat an entire turkey by himself in Phoebe’s maternity pants. Why? “Because he’s a Tribbiani,” of course! Considering all that conspires over this turkey dinner, “The One with the Rumor” is a must-watch during your next “Friends” marathon.
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3. Season 3, Episode 9- “The One with the Football”
A little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right? While preparing for Thanksgiving dinner, Joey suggests that the friends play a casual game of touch football. At first, Monica and Ross are hesitant to join. After all, they were banned from playing football twelve years earlier after the brutal events of the Geller Cup. After some coaxing from Chandler, Phoebe, Joey and Rachel, they ultimately decide to join the game. But when Monica and Ross appoint themselves as team captains, things quickly take a competitive turn. And the others soon find themselves caught in between their long-standing sibling rivalry. With too many one-liners to count, this hysterical football game remains one of the most beloved moments from the series.
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2. Season 6, Episode 9- “The One Where Ross Got High”
When Monica gets word that her parents are coming for Thanksgiving dinner, she must devise a plan with Chandler to break the news that they are living together. The only problem? The Gellers don’t like Chandler. And no, it’s not just because he hates Thanksgiving. Soon a past secret from Chandler and Ross’ college days is divulged and Ross must come clean to his parents about it. Meanwhile, Rachel attempts to contribute to the meal with a traditional English trifle. Unfortunately, the original recipe gets stuck to another recipe for shepherd’s pie. The result is a culinary disaster, which the friends must force themselves to eat to preserve Rachel’s feelings.
The tense dinner eventually spirals into a shouting match when Monica and Ross expose each other’s childhood indiscretions to their parents. The rest of the crew add their own hilarious anecdotes when Rachel realizes that she wasn’t supposed to put beef in the trifle, Phoebe declares her love for Jacques Cousteau and Joey proclaims that he just wants to leave. This climactic scene is not only hysterical but places this episode among the creme de la creme of “Friends” Thanksgiving specials.
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1. Season 5, Episode 8- “The One with All the Thanksgivings”
After a filling meal of turkey, the gang commiserates about their worst Thanksgivings. This prompts several comical flashbacks, including Phoebe’s past life as a Civil War nurse, Joey getting a turkey stuck on his head and Monica accidentally slicing Chandler’s toe. The episode also features one of the most famous scenes from the series, where Monica dances with a turkey on her head to amend her past actions against Chandler. Now I may be biased because this is my second favorite episode of “Friends” ever, but based on the outlandish wigs and costumes from the 80’s flashbacks alone, this episode rightfully deserves the number one spot on our list. Nothing will put you in the Turkey Day spirit quite like this laugh-out-loud episode.
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