With Thanksgiving coming up, I thought I would compose a list of the Thanksgiving “Friends” episodes ranked from worst to best. Other than getting to veg out and binge watch all 10 episodes, I wrote this list to refresh your memory on the plot line of each story and help you decide which episodes to re-watch! Let the binge watching begin.
10. The One with Rachel’s Other Sister (Season nine)
Rachel’s older sister Amy, played by Christina Applegate, invades upon Rachel’s Thanksgiving plans after her married boyfriend decides to spend the holiday with his wife and kids. When Amy becomes distraught over Ross and Rachel choosing Monica and Chandler as Emma’s godparents, Chandler questions his skills as a parent. The gang enjoys Thanksgiving dinner on expensive china given to Monica and Chandler at their wedding, which end up smashed despite Monica being frantically anal about keeping them in mint condition. Season nine is last on the list because of the lack of recognition of Rachel having a sister named Amy, whose character wasn’t enjoyable due to her being insanely shallow and spoiled.
9. The One with the Late Thanksgiving (Season 10)
In the last Thanksgiving episode, Ross and Joey bail on meal prep to see a Rangers game, while Phoebe and Rachel enter Emma in a beauty pageant, subsequently making them all late for the Thanksgiving dinner Monica made. The gang decides to prioritize over the dinner that Monica didn’t even want to have, and Chandler and Monica refuse their entry when they overhear them discussing their excuses for being late in the hallway.
8. The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs (Season seven)
Probably the least memorable Thanksgiving episode, this Friends story follows Chandler’s hatred of dogs and Rachel’s romantic endeavors with her assistant, Tag. The best part of the episode is Joey describing the phrase “moo point” as meaning something doesn’t matter, comparing it to a “cow’s opinion.”
7. The One Where Underdog Gets Away (Season one)
The tradition of Thanksgiving “Friends” episodes begins by the Gellers spending the holiday in Puerto Rico, leaving Monica to prepare the feast herself. The whole gang ends up eating grilled cheese together after Joey’s family uninvites him to dinner because of his STD, and Rachel missing her flight to Vale after getting locked out of the apartment because Chandler convinced them all to go to the roof to look at the Underdog balloon that escaped the Thanksgiving Day parade.
6. The One with All the Thanksgivings (Season five)
Flashback episodes are usually good when it comes to “Friends,” except for the ones that focus on the fat Monica trope. Although this episode heavily entails Monica pre-weight loss, it also flashes back to Joey getting his head stuck in the turkey and Phoebe’s past-life Revolutionary War memories.
5. The One with Chandler in a Box (Season four)
For almost the entirety of this episode, Chandler spends his holiday in the solitude of a box to think about how he wronged Joey by kissing Kathy, a girl Joey had been previously romantically involved with. Monica gets ice in her eyes while cooking dinner and has to see her eye doctor, who turns out to be her ex-boyfriend Richard’s son, who she invites over to dinner.
4. The One with the List (Season two)
This episode is a great instance of Ross being a total ass, further solidifying his stance as the worst “Friends” character. After Ross and Rachel kiss, Ross must decide whether or not he should break up with Julie in order to pursue Rachel. Joey and Chandler convince Ross to make a list detailing her pros and cons, which she finds out about and is rightfully angry. Though the only indication of the Thanksgiving storyline lies in Monica’s endeavor to create an edible recipe with Mockolate, it’s still one of the better Thanksgiving episodes that furthered the plot of the second season.
3. The One with the Rumor (Season eight)
What’s better than Thanksgiving food and Brad Pitt? I couldn’t think of a single thing. Brad Pitt plays Will, a high school friend with a vengeance against Rachel. Although Rachel doesn’t remember the turmoil she subjected him to, Will makes it known that she made Ross’ life miserable.
2. The One Where Ross Got High (Season six)
I love any episode with Jack and Judy, especially when Chandler tries to win them over with his charm at Thanksgiving dinner. It’s revealed that the reason the Geller’s don’t like Chandler is because they think he’s a pothead, as Ross blamed Chandler for his room smelling like pot in college. Also in this episode, Rachel makes her infamous “traditional English trifle” complete with layers of beef and cream, as she read the recipe wrong.
1. The One with the Football (Season three)
This episode is my personal favorite Thanksgiving episode of “Friends,” because of the ridiculous backstory of Ross and Monica’s childhood football trophy. The two-hand touch football game brings out Monica’s aggressive nature and grants Phoebe her first game of football. Meanwhile, Joey and Chandler compete for the attraction of a Dutch woman who ultimately rejects both of them.
Grab your blanket and some apple cider and watch all of these classic Thanksgiving episodes with the “Friends” gang!
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