In my opinion, Thanksgiving is one of the worst holidays. Dry food, unwelcome questions from irritable relatives, and the annoyance of travel, whether it be airfare or by car. However, my one highlight from this random Thursday of the year is binge-watching every Thanksgiving episode from the classic American sitcom, Friends. In the ten iconic episodes, pop culture has gained the imagery of raw turkeys stuck on Monica/Joey’s heads and a highly competitive football game to win a, “Troll doll nailed to a two by four,” and it would be criminal to forget them. This list will be ranking these episodes solely on how much each one screams, “Oh, this is a Friends Thanksgiving episode!”
10. Season Two, Episode Eight, “The One With The List”
Okay, this one shouldn’t even count as a Thanksgiving episode, except that they had to add Monica’s “Mockolate” subplot (which was incredibly boring). This episode just has a lot of weird parts that don’t sit well with me, such as Monica being excited to hear about her brother cheating on his girlfriend with her best friend, and Joey and Chandler making Ross list all of the pros and cons of Rachel and Julie. However, the highlight of this episode would have to be Rachel publicly humiliating Ross over the radio and then both of them broodily gazing out of their rainy windows with “In My Room” by The Beach Boys playing in the background. I just have to give this one the last spot on the list considering that its Thanksgiving plot is not funny and the rest of the episode revolves around my one concern, “Ross should’ve just written all of this in his diary.”
9. Season Seven, Episode Eight, “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs”
The writers really tried to make this episode the Thanksgiving spectacle that they have always been, but for some reason it just doesn’t work for me. The whole episode centers around a dog that Phoebe has been hiding in Chandler and Monica’s apartment, which is kind of boring compared to all of the other shenanigans we’ve seen her deal with on this show. Most of the Thanksgiving dinner isn’t broadcasted since they go between both apartments to hide the dog. The highlight for me would have to be Ross’ subplot of struggling to name all 50 states, which goes to show how great this episode was. Oh, and Rachel’s painfully-cute assistant, Tag, is there. Overall, the Thanksgiving feeling is there, but only on a low-simmer.
8. Season Eight, Episode Nine, “The One With The Rumor”
Alright, the Brad Pitt girls are going to come after me for this one, but it must be done. If it weren’t for the humor that surrounds Will, Brad Pitt’s character, loathing Rachel (played by his real-life wife) this episode would be very bland. The main plot revolves around the mildly problematic rumor that Rachel was a hermaphrodite in high school and then the even more inappropriate gossip that a 16 year old Ross was found making out with the 50 year old librarian of their high school? Most of the time, I can avoid badly-aged jokes in Friends, but this episode is definitely an odd one to digest. However, the dysfunctional Thanksgiving vibes are present, with Brad Pitt definitely reminding everyone of that one irritable cousin we all grew up with.
7. Season Ten, Episode Eight, “The One With The Late Thanksgiving”
Unpopular opinion, but I believe that season ten is way underrated for how funny it can be at times. This episode begins with Monica and Chandler deciding to host Thanksgiving dinner as usual, but the rest of the gang have other adventures to go on before having to report back to their apartment at four. With Ross and Joey having center-ice tickets to a Rangers game and Rachel and Phoebe placing Emma in a baby beauty pageant, both groups just assume they’ll show up later than the other two; unaware that they will all be late. Enraged with them, Monica and Chandler lock all of them out and the rest of the gang eventually persuades them to let them in with the iconic heads poking through the door and Chandler remarking, “The floating heads do have a point.” Overall, this episode is funny and ends on a feel-good note when Monica and Chandler get the phone call that they were selected by a pregnant girl in Ohio through the adoption agency.
6. Season One, Episode Nine, “The One Where Under Underdog Got Away”
The one to start it all. I definitely think the humor in this one is still in that awkward stage where the actors are still trying to find their strengths and weaknesses in certain scenarios. However, this episode is strong for a majority of them, with Joey being plastered on STD clinic advertisements around the city, Chandler being the broken-family representation we all needed, and most importantly, Monica’s iconic breakdown with her famous, “Potatoes are ruined, potatoes are ruined, potatoes are ruined!” The episode’s one major weakness though is the subplot involving Ross talking to his unborn child with Carol. I never thought the, “My pregnant ex-wife has a lesbian lover,” plotline was that funny to begin with but in this instance, it really brings what could’ve been a great Thanksgiving episode down.
5. Season Nine, Episode Eight, “The One With Rachel’s Other Sister”
While I loved Reese Witherspoon as Jill Greene, Christina Applegate steals the spotlight as Amy Greene, Rachel’s “Other Sister.” Anyone who has highly narcissistic relatives can appreciate the dedication that it took to truly portray a character we know all too well at Thanksgiving dinner. Not bothering to remember Emma’s name and then whining about how she wasn’t selected as the godmother is perfect. I also love the rest of the gang’s subplots with Monica and Chandler bickering about their fancy wedding china and Joey forgetting to be on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float with the Days of Our Lives cast. This episode ends with Rachel and Amy settling their differences with the compromise of a Ralph Lauren discount, which hits all too familiar to those with apathetic families.
4. Season Four, Episode Eight “The One With Chandler In A Box”
To start, I somehow did not remember this Thanksgiving episode at all and was pleasantly surprised by how I forgot it? The episode mainly revolves around Chandler getting with Joey’s girlfriend (Paget Brewster!) and in order to make it up to him, Chandler must be stuck in a wooden box for six hours. Hilarity ensues as Chandler desperately attempts to communicate through one hole and Joey takes on the role of an authoritarian parent who is “not angry, but disappointed.” This episode also has an appearance from Monica inviting Richard’s son over for dinner and Ross and Rachel argue her materialism with his gifts for her in their relationship. Only Ross and Rachel seemed to have a “thankful” meaning to their plot and if there wasn’t a Thanksgiving dinner, this would’ve been a regular episode. Also, Monica rocks the eyepatch.
3. Season Three, Episode Nine, “The One With The Football”
Now, this episode used to be my favorite of all time with the overly competitive nature of the “Geller Bowl” but it has fallen down my life. The subplot with Margha having to choose between Chandler and Joey was just one big pissing contest that wasn’t as funny as I recalled. Despite its one flaw, the rest of the episode is perfect. Phoebe flashing Chandler while “Miserlou” by Dick Dale plays in the background, the accurate portrayal of siblings with 1-3 year age gaps arguing with each other, and Rachel finally catching the football in the end. The Thanksgiving vibes are definitely prominent here, and is possibly the episode that really got the ball rolling for future Friends Thanksgiving episodes.
2. Season Five, Episode Eight, “The One With All Of The Thanksgivings”
Flashback episode slander needs to be stopped immediately. This episode brings us the beauty of Thanksgiving, as summed up by Chandler, “Relieving past pain and getting depressed is what Thanksgiving is all about. At least for me anyway. And the Native Americans.” The gang all sit together and reminisce on past Thanksgivings from their high school and college years, revealing forgotten grudges and domestic disputes. Monica accidentally cuts Chandler’s toe off from trying to be sexy, Joey’s head being stuck in a raw turkey, and Phoebe forgetting to tell stories not from her past lives as a Civil War and World War I nurse on the battlefield have all become quintessential symbols of sitcom Thanksgiving episodes.
1. Season Six, Episode Nine, “The One Where Ross Got High”
This. Episode. I think I can quote this one in my sleep with how many iconic one-liners there are. When I think of Friends Thanksgiving episodes, I think of Rachel’s shepherd’s pie English trifle, Joey and Ross begging to leave the table to dance with Janine’s dancer friends, and Phoebe screaming, “I love Jacques Cousteau!” The hectic Thanksgiving feeling is prominent in this episode as Mr. and Mrs. Geller come over for dinner, still not knowing that Monica and Chandler have moved in together. Watching this episode for the first time with a plate of corn casserole in my hand was a feeling like no other, seeing such an accurate portrayal of what Thanksgivings are all about: chaos.