7 of Television’s Best Thanksgiving Episodes

Thanksgiving — a holiday all about giving thanks, seeing old friends and family and eating our body weight in sweet potato casserole and stuffing. Although this holiday is focused on food and spending time with our loved ones, we know for a fact that we’re going to need a little getaway from the dinner table when our family members start asking those same questions they always ask every holiday break. When this happens, we need some form of escape from being bombarded by these overbearing questions. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Here are seven of the best TV Thanksgiving episodes to watch over the break:

1. Friends: “The One With All the Thanksgivings”

Season 5, Episode 8

If Monica dancing with a chicken on her head isn’t enough to make you love this episode, we don’t know what will. After stuffing their faces with Monica’s delicious Thanksgiving dinner, the gang reminisces on their worst Thanksgivings.

2. Gilmore Girls: “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving”

Season 3, Episode 9

There’s no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with our favorite mother-daughter duo, Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. In this episode, the dynamic duo attempts four Thanksgiving dinners in one night. That’s right — the Gilmore girls will be celebrating with Lane, Sookie, Luke and Lorelai’s parents. How can these girls eat that much, you ask? Because they’re Gilmores, that’s why. 

3. How I Met Your Mother: “Slapsgiving”

Season 3, Episode 9

How I Met Your Mother gave us another holiday we should seriously consider celebrating — Slapsgiving. In this episode, Lily and Marshall are celebrating their first Thanksgiving together as a married couple, causing Lily to be on edge and making sure everything goes perfectly. Robin brings Bob, her 40–year–old boyfriend, who Ted refers to as “ancient” (he’s clearly jealous of her new man), and Barney is tormented by Marshall about the third slap he will be getting that night. Unlike in HIMYM, we’re sure that our Thanksgivings won’t end up with someone getting slapped, but we can’t help but feel that we’ll all be the Lily at our family dinners this year.

4. Gossip Girl: “Blair Waldorf Must Pie!”

Season 1, Episode 9

What could be worse than old lovers and new lovers having Thanksgiving together? When Lonely Boy (aka Dan Humphrey) finds out the Serena and her family will be spending Thanksgiving alone, he invites the van der Woodsen’s to spend Thanksgiving with them, leading to an uncomfortable situation with Rufus and Lily. Along with this crazy drama in the Humphrey household, we see Blair dealing with the news that her father will not be coming home for the holiday. If your family drama isn’t enough this holiday, the New York’s elite has got you covered. We’ll know you’ll love it. XOXO, HCFSU.

5. That ‘70s Show: “Thanksgiving”

Season 1, Episode 9

Nothing says Thanksgiving like dinner at the Forman’s. When Eric’s sister, Laurie, brings one of her girlfriend’s home from college, Eric finds himself in a sticky situation between his sister’s friend, who clearly comes onto him, and Donna. Sure, maybe not all our sibling’s college friends will come on to us over the break, but we know that Red and Bob stuffing their faces with pie by the end of the episode is an actual representation of what our Thanksgivings will look like.

6. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: “The Gang Squashes Their Beefs”

Season 9, Episode 10

If you’re looking for a little comedic getaway from those excruciating questions you get asked every year at these holiday events, this episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia will do the trick. This Thanksgiving is all about “squashing the beef” with all the beef they’ve had with those in the past, which only gets complicated when old foes come and interrupt their Thanksgiving dinner. Once dinner is served, Dennis makes a speech about how Thanksgiving is all about peace and asks everyone to sign a treaty. Little does Dennis know that this peace treaty will only cause more beef and not actually solve the problems at-hand like he thought. 

7. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Would it be Thanksgiving without this holiday classic? There’s honestly no better way to celebrate one of the best holidays than with Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang.

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