TV Tuesday: A “FRIENDS” Thanksgiving

Day 173

In yesterday’s post I mentioned that many TV shows have had Thanksgiving-themed episodes. One of my favorite shows was Friends, and in my opinion this show had some of the best Thanksgiving episodes ever; almost every season of the show had an episode that centered around Thanksgiving. But today I want to blog about my Top 5 Favorite Thanksgiving Episodes (ranked in order of preference - I’m going out on a limb here!):

#5 - “The One With The Rumor” (Season 8)

Monica invites Will (guest star Brad Pitt), an old friend from high school, to Thanksgiving dinner unaware that he absolutely hates Rachel because of how she once treated him. Funny moments: Joey describing turkeys - “they’re ugly and stupid and delicious”; “My two greatest enemies, Ross--Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates”; the “I Hate Rachel Green Club”; Joey trying to finish an entire turkey by himself.

#4 - “The One With The Late Thanksgiving” (Season 10)

Monica is determined to prove that she has not lost her touch when it comes to making Thanksgiving dinner; but when everyone shows up 45 minutes late Monica and Chandler won’t let anyone inside their apartment. Funny moments: Phoebe and Rachel entering baby Emma in a Baby Beauty Pageant (wearing the cowgirl outfit from Joey’s Cabbage Patch Doll!); Joey winning at Rock-Paper-Scissors (“Fire beats everything!”); Chan-berries; “In your face, Last Year Me!”

#3 - “The One With Rachel’s Other Sister” (Season 9)

Ross and Rachel get a surprise visit from Rachel’s sister Amy (guest star Christina Applegate), who is self-absorbed, inconsiderate, obnoxious and all alone on Thanksgiving and then becomes a unpleasant guest at dinner. Funny moments: “It’ll be like the Pilgrims bringing the Indians syphilis.”; Phoebe tries to teach Joey how to lie; The whole discussion about who gets baby Emma if Ross and Rachel both die; “If you guys die, and the crazy plate lady dies, then do I get your baby?”

#2 - “The One Where Ross Got High” (Season 6)

Chandler finds out that Monica’s parents don’t like him, so he does all he can to impress them when they come to Thanksgiving dinner. Meanwhile Rachel tackles making a dessert--an English Trifle--for Thanksgiving, with disastrous results. Funny moments: learning just why Monica’s parents don’t like Chandler, followed by several hilarious revelations; “It’s Thanksgiving, not Truth Day!”; “Custard? Good! Jam? Good! Meat? Good!”; Phoebe has a romantic dream about Monica’s father.

And finally last, but not least, my favorite

Friends Thanksgiving Episode:

#1 - “The One With All The Thanksgivings” (Season 5)

The gang recalls some of the worst Thanksgiving days they have ever experienced: Chandler recalls Thanksgiving 1978 when his parents split up (“it’s a tradition like the parade…if the parade decided it was gay, moved out and abandoned its entire family.”); Phoebe recalls Thanksgiving 1992 when Joey got Monica’s turkey stuck on his head; Monica recalls Thanksgiving 1987 when she met Chandler for the first time and overheard him call her fat; then Rachel recalls Thanksgiving 1988 when Monica wanted to get even with Chandler and accidentally cut his toe off. With the last story Chandler is furious and Monica feels terrible, so she tries to make it up to him in a very funny way!