“Friends” Thanksgiving episodes are responsible for some of the best scenes and one-liners from the hit show. From the episode where they all play football to the one where Monica puts a turkey on her head, it does not get better than when the crew is celebrating Chandler’s least favorite holiday. The best way to get into the Thanksgiving mood is to binge the best episodes while the turkey is still in the oven or post-Thanksgiving feast after you and your family members have settled into a food coma. Here is my ranking of my top five favorite Friends Thanksgiving episodes:
5. “The One with the Football” (Season 3, Episode 9)
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Getting a fresh break from Monica and Rachel’s purple apartment, the group decides to step out and play a friendly, turned-sour game of tag football. The episode provides comical sibling rivalry between Monica and Ross, while Joey and Chandler fight over the same girl –all played out through a game of football. This episode even reminds me of how competitive my family and I get playing post-dinner games.
4. “The One with the Rumor” (Season 8, Episode 9)
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Two main reasons I love watching this episode every year is because Brad Pitt is in it and Joey tries to eat every bit of gigantic turkey Monica made all by himself. Watching Brad Pitt’s character hate on Rachel was especially funny considering Pitt and Aniston were married at the time. Also, I loved how Phoebe was a representation of my thoughts about Brad Pitt’s character throughout the episode.
3. “The One with Rachel’s Other Sister” (Season 9, Episode 8)
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Watching everyone fight over theoretical deaths and child raising skills has got to be one of the weirdest Thanksgivings these friends have had. When Rachel’s other sister, played by Christina Applegate, ends up crashing the group’s annual Thanksgiving dinner, drama ensues between the two about who gets to be Emma’s godparent. Thanksgiving just isn’t complete without fighting with your siblings at least once throughout the day.
2. “The One Where Ross Got High” (Season 6, Episode 9)
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No matter how many times I rewatch this episode, I always end up in a fit of laughter towards the end. The several subplots from the episode were absolutely hilarious –from watching everyone try Rachel’s disgusting trifle, to Chandler trying to awkwardly impress Monica’s parents after they think he smoked pot in college (even though it was actually Ross). My favorite part of this entire episode has to be the outburst of Monica and Ross exposing each other’s childhood secrets, Phoebe proclaiming her love for Jacque Cousteau, Rachel realizing her trifle was a disaster, and Joey simply yelling “I want to go.”
1. “The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks” (Season 5, Episode 8)
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I guess it isn’t Thanksgiving until you’re recounting your worst Thanksgiving like the friends are in this episode. It’s always really refreshing to see how the characters looked like and behaved before in their lives as it takes place throughout the course of the show. From a pinky toe amputation, to Joey getting his head stuck in a turkey– this episode is sure to leave anyone in a fit of the laughter by the end.