I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, holiday episodes are always the best. When the time rolls around, I look forward to going back and rewatching old holiday episodes to get myself in the mood. This is even true for Thanksgiving! Stuck between Halloween and Christmas, it can often be overlooked, so I highly recommend watching Thanksgiving-themed episodes to get yourself in the thankful spirit. I asked my friends what their favorite Thanksgiving episodes are and here are the results! If you don’t watch these this Thanksgiving season, you’re really missing out.
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “The Gang Squashes Their Beefs” – Season 9, Episode 10
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The dysfunctionality of the gang really shines in this episode, per usual, as they try to bring together all of the people they’ve had issues with to one gathering in order to “squash their beefs”. As you could expect, this plan backfires, (seriously the gang starts a fire), and they end up leaving all their guests in the apartment when a fight breaks out.
- Grey’s Anatomy “Thanks for the Memories” – Season 2, Episode 9
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All of my Grey’s fans out there know I had to include this episode! Being in Season 2, the original cast is all there which makes it even better. This episode features an awkward Thanksgiving dinner that Izzie tries her best to make perfect, while everyone else ends up in different places.
- Friends “The One With All the Thanksgivings” – Season 5, Episode 8
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In this Thanksgiving episode, the group remembers and shares each of their worst Thanksgivings while Monica makes their meal. Chandler and Monica’s worst Thanksgiving stories bring up some old drama from years before, and at some point, a turkey ends up on someone’s head. You won’t want to miss that!
- How I Met Your Mother “Slapsgiving” – Season 3, Episode 9
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For Lily and Marshall’s first Thanksgiving as a married couple, they celebrate with the group. Marshall has a slap bet with Barney so the group spends the day fake slapping him as he worries about when it will be a real one. Watch to find out!
- Friends “The One With the Football” – Season 3, Episode 9
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I couldn’t help but include more than one episode of Friends. I’ve seen every single episode and this one is definitely one of my favorites. On Thanksgiving day, Ross and Rachel go head to head in a football game. They each pick teams and fight all throughout the day to get a winner of the Geller Cup. The drama in this episode is unmatched so it’s definitely one to make you laugh.
- Gilmore Girls “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” – Season 3, Episode 9
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Gilmore Girls is one of the most Holiday-oriented shows I’ve ever watched and always has the best episodes for days like Thanksgiving. In Season 3, Lorelai and Rory agree to attend multiple dinners on the same day and the episode follows their journey. If you’ve never seen Gilmore Girls, this holiday episode is a great first taste of the show.
With the circumstances of this Thanksgiving being different due to COVID-19, many may not be able to spend the day how they usually would with those they care about. Hopefully, these episodes can fill some of the extra free time and make the holiday seem a little more like normal. Happy TV watching!