A Long Time Ago... Thanksgiving used to actually mean something, it wasn't just a big dinner before going shopping on black Friday... btw PSA if you plan on shopping on Thanksgiving night, maybe don't eat a ton before or take a Gas X or something.... but anyway back to the point... Thanksgiving used to be about Watching Friends. Friends always had the best Thanksgiving episodes, and sometimes they would actually show them on Thanksgiving. There is nothing more thanksgiving-y than Friends... so I figured I would share all of my favorites with you guys...
This isn't an easy post to do. These are all such holiday classics that it will be nearly impossible to rank... but I will try for the sake of the blog and that is what it will be. Now there are 10 seasons of Friends, but sadly only 9 Thanksgiving episodes. Season 2 didn't have a Thanksgiving episode... aside from a mention of Thanksgiving being the holiday for Mocklate, a fake chocolate substitute that Monica was working for... which was going to be the dessert of choice for Thanksgiving.
First I will give each episode a mini review... and then I will rank them each in order of least amazing to most amazing.
The One Where Underdog Gets Away
This one was pretty amazing. It's a simple concept... the responsible person (Monica) has a Thanksgiving prepared for everyone and then the irresponsible roommate (Rachel) locks them out of the apartment... kind of and Thanksgiving gets ruined and they all have to eat Thanksgiving like Chandler does. This one is really relatable to me at this age... I'm not living away from home or having Thanksgiving with Friends instead of family... but I feel like its relatable to have a hard time adjusting for not being home on Thanksgiving. I'm really glad that they start with this Thanksgiving because that's kind of what the show was about at the time... just young people living away from home sort of forming their own family and doing their own traditions. Plus its funny that all of their thanksgivings were cancelled some way or another. And its pretty New- Yorky... which is one thing I like about the show also. They can just go outside and see a Macy's balloon get away. There are the ads on the subway. I just think this was a great first Thanksgiving episode... and in the last Thanksgiving episode it is sort of mirrored and I think they did a great job at that.
The One With The Football
I forgot about this one! But it was really great! I like that Monica and Ross are so competitive, I love that no one wants Rachel on their team. Phoebe is just so excited to be on a team. Chandler and Joey are competing for a girl. It's just a really fun episode, and well written. There are some of these episodes where I'm like "they just need to get out of this situation, so they're getting out of it quick." Types of things. This one didn't really have that though, so it was good!
The One With Chandler In A Box
This one is really funny... but some of it is kind of goofy. The storyline with Monica and Richard's son is a little too weird to be realistic... Its kind of stupid that Kathy just wants to move back to Chicago because she came between Joey and Chandler... thats just something I hate. "This relationship isn't going to work out. Screw my career I'm moving back with my parents!" That doesn't make sense. So... this was a bit goofy.
The One With All The Thanksgivings
This episode has always been my favorite... so spoilers... this one is probably going to win... but it does have its faults. I liked the goofy flashback scenes with Phoebe... they did a lot of those weird Phoebe storylines at the beginning of the show... but then they just sort of dropped them because... they were a little too weird. This was a good homage to that. But I think Phoebe probably had worse Thanksgivings than that, she lived on the streets!
Also... this ended really abruptly. This is what I was kind of talking about where these get resolved easily because they have to end it on time. Monica just puts a turkey on her head and a Puba hat and a pair of sunglasses and starts dancing and Chandler says he loves her and thats it? Plus when Chandler says he loves her in the one where everyone finds out, its a big surprise? Maybe because he actually means it and doesn't take it back.
But... the scene with Joey getting the Turkey stuck on his head is just too funny to not have this as the best episode right? Plus the flashbacks, everything really funny. I'm hoping this one still wins. Lol.
I like that its just the 5 of them in this one too. I don't mind when they have guests over, but its nice when its just the 5 of them together. Not quite a bottle episode... but kind of.
The One Where Ross Gets High
Another really good one and sort of a milestone. This is the first Thanksgiving Monica made for her parents, her first Thanksgiving with Chandler where everyone knows they're a couple. And its really funny to try to see them all being grown ups in front of Monica's parents. Chandler is trying to win them over, Ross is being immature and trying to hide things from them, Rachel is attempting to make a great dessert and Monica trusts her enough to not mess it up. Joey and Ross want to leave, but they still have to stay. Joey tries to protect Rachel from her feelings getting hurt about the dessert. This is a good one. I feel like this is underrated, but really good.
The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs
I like this one a lot! I love the Moo Point thing. Joey doesn't really have a story in this episode, but he has the best lines! I don't know if I loved all the stories though. I liked Ross's story of the states game. I don't like that Chandler doesn't like dogs... but of corse he doesn't. And the Tag thing was okay I guess. This one I feel like is great compared to regular episodes of Friends, but it wasn't great this season and it wasn't the best compared to other thanksgiving episodes.
The One With The Rumor
This one was good. It was a little boring. Idk why I had trouble holding my attention with this one... but it was pretty good and Brad Pitt was on! I thought it was cool to make him the nerd and Rachel was mean to him. And that he was in the I Hate Rachel Club with Ross, who of corse always had a crush on Rachel and got her pregnant. I really like this season, and this isn't the best episode of the season... but this one was really good and funny. And Brad Pitt was kind of the biggest star on the show and it was funny to see him act as his then-wife's enemy. It was probably funnier watching it at the time because of all the irony in it of him hating Rachel... but it was good.
The One with Rachel's Other Sister
This one was good too. I think of all the Thanksgiving guests, Rachel's sister was my favorite. I thought she was really funny and it was just funny to see a super super selfish version of Rachel. It was good and different. I liked this episode a lot.
The One With The Late Thanksgiving
This was a great foil to the first thanksgiving episode where they're all together but they're kind of just stuck together cause they had better plans that got cancelled. This time they all wanted to go to Monica's for Thanksgiving, but they also wanted to do their own things, so they did them anyway and showed up late for dinner. I didn't see if they were all eating grilled cheese at the end... but maybe they were? Idk. I was cleaning and watching, but this was a great episode and definitely a fitting last Thanksgiving for the show. Plus it showed how much everyone matured since their first Thanksgiving together.
Alright... now the hard part... the ranking...
9) The One Where Chandler Doesn't like Dogs- Good episode, great one-liners... but didn't quite live up to Friends Thanksgiving Standards.
8) The One With Chandler in A Box- This one was a little too goofy, weird and unbelievable all around. I thought it was funny to see Chandler in the box... but other than that... meh. Could do without it I guess.
7) The One Where Underdog Gets Away- This episode was great, I loved how it established the show. This was a really good episode. It would be higher on the list... but I think the show developed a lot better since the first season... so this is low on the list.
6) The One Where Ross Gets High- I really liked this episode too and even in re-watching it. I love that Chandler is trying to win over Monica's parents and he does eventually in the end. I think its funny that Rachel gets the recipe wrong. I just think this is funny. I don't like Janine and Ross is a big jerk in this episode... so its a little low on the list here. I understand why Ross is a jerk, he was having a breakdown sort of... and it did make the episode really funny... but it gets it a tad lower of a grade than the others.
5) The One With The Rumor- Brad Pitt was a great guest star in this. It was really funny the way that they had his character hate Rachel and he even got Ross to hate Rachel. It was funny to see Brad Pitt as such a nerd also. This was just a fun episode. It wasn't my favorite episode in Season 8 (The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath is probably my 2nd favorite episode ever). But yeah. This was good.
4) The One With The Football- I'm surprised I liked this one so much! But I really thought it was fun! It did have its dumb moments, I think the show got better when Chandler and Monica got together... but this was still such a great episode. It was fun to re-watch too because I never really thought I liked it that much.
3) The One With Rachel's Other Sister- Rachel's other sister was just such a great character. Christina Applegate did a really good job on this too. I just thought it was funny how much drama she caused. And the thing with the plates was really funny too. This was just a great episode.
2) The One With the Late Thanksgiving-And I'm going to say... another great episode! One of the best of the season. Such a great way to sort of show how they've grown from their first Thanksgiving by essentially putting them in a reverse sort of situation. And Joey's Cabbage Patch Kid was funny.
1) The One With All The Thanksgivings- This is still my favorite episode. I love the flashback, I love that Monica cut Chandler's toe off... I love that they were sort of meant to be together even back then... and Joey gets a Turkey stuck on his head! What's not to love!
Hope everyone enjoys this post! What's your favorite Friends Thanksgiving episode? Let me know!
Byeee!
-Shannon
This isn't an easy post to do. These are all such holiday classics that it will be nearly impossible to rank... but I will try for the sake of the blog and that is what it will be. Now there are 10 seasons of Friends, but sadly only 9 Thanksgiving episodes. Season 2 didn't have a Thanksgiving episode... aside from a mention of Thanksgiving being the holiday for Mocklate, a fake chocolate substitute that Monica was working for... which was going to be the dessert of choice for Thanksgiving.
First I will give each episode a mini review... and then I will rank them each in order of least amazing to most amazing.
The One Where Underdog Gets Away
This one was pretty amazing. It's a simple concept... the responsible person (Monica) has a Thanksgiving prepared for everyone and then the irresponsible roommate (Rachel) locks them out of the apartment... kind of and Thanksgiving gets ruined and they all have to eat Thanksgiving like Chandler does. This one is really relatable to me at this age... I'm not living away from home or having Thanksgiving with Friends instead of family... but I feel like its relatable to have a hard time adjusting for not being home on Thanksgiving. I'm really glad that they start with this Thanksgiving because that's kind of what the show was about at the time... just young people living away from home sort of forming their own family and doing their own traditions. Plus its funny that all of their thanksgivings were cancelled some way or another. And its pretty New- Yorky... which is one thing I like about the show also. They can just go outside and see a Macy's balloon get away. There are the ads on the subway. I just think this was a great first Thanksgiving episode... and in the last Thanksgiving episode it is sort of mirrored and I think they did a great job at that.
The One With The Football
I forgot about this one! But it was really great! I like that Monica and Ross are so competitive, I love that no one wants Rachel on their team. Phoebe is just so excited to be on a team. Chandler and Joey are competing for a girl. It's just a really fun episode, and well written. There are some of these episodes where I'm like "they just need to get out of this situation, so they're getting out of it quick." Types of things. This one didn't really have that though, so it was good!
The One With Chandler In A Box
This one is really funny... but some of it is kind of goofy. The storyline with Monica and Richard's son is a little too weird to be realistic... Its kind of stupid that Kathy just wants to move back to Chicago because she came between Joey and Chandler... thats just something I hate. "This relationship isn't going to work out. Screw my career I'm moving back with my parents!" That doesn't make sense. So... this was a bit goofy.
The One With All The Thanksgivings
This episode has always been my favorite... so spoilers... this one is probably going to win... but it does have its faults. I liked the goofy flashback scenes with Phoebe... they did a lot of those weird Phoebe storylines at the beginning of the show... but then they just sort of dropped them because... they were a little too weird. This was a good homage to that. But I think Phoebe probably had worse Thanksgivings than that, she lived on the streets!
Also... this ended really abruptly. This is what I was kind of talking about where these get resolved easily because they have to end it on time. Monica just puts a turkey on her head and a Puba hat and a pair of sunglasses and starts dancing and Chandler says he loves her and thats it? Plus when Chandler says he loves her in the one where everyone finds out, its a big surprise? Maybe because he actually means it and doesn't take it back.
But... the scene with Joey getting the Turkey stuck on his head is just too funny to not have this as the best episode right? Plus the flashbacks, everything really funny. I'm hoping this one still wins. Lol.
I like that its just the 5 of them in this one too. I don't mind when they have guests over, but its nice when its just the 5 of them together. Not quite a bottle episode... but kind of.
The One Where Ross Gets High
Another really good one and sort of a milestone. This is the first Thanksgiving Monica made for her parents, her first Thanksgiving with Chandler where everyone knows they're a couple. And its really funny to try to see them all being grown ups in front of Monica's parents. Chandler is trying to win them over, Ross is being immature and trying to hide things from them, Rachel is attempting to make a great dessert and Monica trusts her enough to not mess it up. Joey and Ross want to leave, but they still have to stay. Joey tries to protect Rachel from her feelings getting hurt about the dessert. This is a good one. I feel like this is underrated, but really good.
The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs
I like this one a lot! I love the Moo Point thing. Joey doesn't really have a story in this episode, but he has the best lines! I don't know if I loved all the stories though. I liked Ross's story of the states game. I don't like that Chandler doesn't like dogs... but of corse he doesn't. And the Tag thing was okay I guess. This one I feel like is great compared to regular episodes of Friends, but it wasn't great this season and it wasn't the best compared to other thanksgiving episodes.
The One With The Rumor
This one was good. It was a little boring. Idk why I had trouble holding my attention with this one... but it was pretty good and Brad Pitt was on! I thought it was cool to make him the nerd and Rachel was mean to him. And that he was in the I Hate Rachel Club with Ross, who of corse always had a crush on Rachel and got her pregnant. I really like this season, and this isn't the best episode of the season... but this one was really good and funny. And Brad Pitt was kind of the biggest star on the show and it was funny to see him act as his then-wife's enemy. It was probably funnier watching it at the time because of all the irony in it of him hating Rachel... but it was good.
The One with Rachel's Other Sister
This one was good too. I think of all the Thanksgiving guests, Rachel's sister was my favorite. I thought she was really funny and it was just funny to see a super super selfish version of Rachel. It was good and different. I liked this episode a lot.
The One With The Late Thanksgiving
This was a great foil to the first thanksgiving episode where they're all together but they're kind of just stuck together cause they had better plans that got cancelled. This time they all wanted to go to Monica's for Thanksgiving, but they also wanted to do their own things, so they did them anyway and showed up late for dinner. I didn't see if they were all eating grilled cheese at the end... but maybe they were? Idk. I was cleaning and watching, but this was a great episode and definitely a fitting last Thanksgiving for the show. Plus it showed how much everyone matured since their first Thanksgiving together.
Alright... now the hard part... the ranking...
9) The One Where Chandler Doesn't like Dogs- Good episode, great one-liners... but didn't quite live up to Friends Thanksgiving Standards.
8) The One With Chandler in A Box- This one was a little too goofy, weird and unbelievable all around. I thought it was funny to see Chandler in the box... but other than that... meh. Could do without it I guess.
7) The One Where Underdog Gets Away- This episode was great, I loved how it established the show. This was a really good episode. It would be higher on the list... but I think the show developed a lot better since the first season... so this is low on the list.
6) The One Where Ross Gets High- I really liked this episode too and even in re-watching it. I love that Chandler is trying to win over Monica's parents and he does eventually in the end. I think its funny that Rachel gets the recipe wrong. I just think this is funny. I don't like Janine and Ross is a big jerk in this episode... so its a little low on the list here. I understand why Ross is a jerk, he was having a breakdown sort of... and it did make the episode really funny... but it gets it a tad lower of a grade than the others.
5) The One With The Rumor- Brad Pitt was a great guest star in this. It was really funny the way that they had his character hate Rachel and he even got Ross to hate Rachel. It was funny to see Brad Pitt as such a nerd also. This was just a fun episode. It wasn't my favorite episode in Season 8 (The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath is probably my 2nd favorite episode ever). But yeah. This was good.
4) The One With The Football- I'm surprised I liked this one so much! But I really thought it was fun! It did have its dumb moments, I think the show got better when Chandler and Monica got together... but this was still such a great episode. It was fun to re-watch too because I never really thought I liked it that much.
3) The One With Rachel's Other Sister- Rachel's other sister was just such a great character. Christina Applegate did a really good job on this too. I just thought it was funny how much drama she caused. And the thing with the plates was really funny too. This was just a great episode.
2) The One With the Late Thanksgiving-And I'm going to say... another great episode! One of the best of the season. Such a great way to sort of show how they've grown from their first Thanksgiving by essentially putting them in a reverse sort of situation. And Joey's Cabbage Patch Kid was funny.
1) The One With All The Thanksgivings- This is still my favorite episode. I love the flashback, I love that Monica cut Chandler's toe off... I love that they were sort of meant to be together even back then... and Joey gets a Turkey stuck on his head! What's not to love!
Hope everyone enjoys this post! What's your favorite Friends Thanksgiving episode? Let me know!
Byeee!
-Shannon
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