Traditionally, families gather together on Thanksgiving Day and eat baked turkey with cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and other autumnal delicacies. Since it’s a very relatable holiday, many TV series have episodes dedicated to turkey-eating, but it was “Friends” who made Thanksgiving Day a meta-tradition inside the show.
Here are all 10 Thanksgiving Day episodes ranked from worst to best!
1. “The One With the List” (s02e08)
After kissing Rachel, Thanksgiving is the last thing on Ross’s mind. He now needs to make the biggest decision of his life: Julia or Rachel? In a typical 90s’ sitcom fashion, he writes a list of Julia and Rachel’s strengths and weaknesses to choose who is better, and naturally, Rachel finds out. I personally hate this episode, so down you go, fiend!
2. “The One With With Football” (s03e09)
The friends go outside to play some good old football while the turkey is baking in the oven. The whole episode is filled with the spirit of toxic competition. Monica vs. Ross, Phoebe vs. Rachel, Joey vs. Chandler – each of them is trying to win, but we’re all losers in their game because we need to watch them struggle. Not as bad as the list episode, but still bottom of the barrel.
3. “The One With All the Thanksgivings” (s05e08)
This time we find our friends after a festive dinner with their bellies full of delicious turkey, reminiscing about their worst Thanksgiving days. This is where we discover why Chandler is the way that he is and that Phoebe was a nurse in 1917 during World War I. In her past life, of course. However, the most interesting story comes from Monica about how she chopped off Chandler’s pinky toe while trying to seduce him with carrots. The episode ends with an iconic scene where Monica tries to cheer Chandler up with a turkey on her head.
4. “The One Where Underdog Gets Away” (s01e09)
Monica and Ross are having their first Thanksgiving away from home and family. Joey has inadvertently become the face of venereal diseases. Rachel is late for her shoop-shoop-shoop vacation because the door to her apartment slams shut. While Monica makes everyone’s “favorite TG dishes,” like lumpy mashed potatoes and tater tots, it all goes up in flames when the group gets stuck outside. A solid start to a yearly tradition!
