‘Friends’ Thanksgiving Episodes

“Friends” gave us many memorable Thanksgiving episodes over its decade-long run. Which one is the best? We rank all the “Friends” Thanksgiving episodes from worst to best.

10. “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs” (Season 7)

“This is all a moo point… it’s like a cow’s opinion, you know, it doesn’t really matter. It’s ‘moo.'”

This line from Joey summarizes this Season 7 episode; in the grand scheme of “Friends” Thanksgiving episodes, this one matters minimally.

True to the title, the episode centers almost solely around Chandler’s dislike of dogs. Phoebe secretly shelters a dog in her room, and everyone thinks Chandler is allergic to dogs when really he’s only feared them. Monica and Phoebe move the dog to Ross’s place, but then sneak it back in.

The Thanksgiving facet of the episode revolves around Rachel’s excitement about her pretty-boy assistant, Tag, showing up to the crew’s Thanksgiving dinner, where by the very end of the episode they kiss.

A very significant ending for a very unfaltering relationship.

9. “The One With the List” (Season 2)

Aside from the fact that this is the only season not to feature a dedicated Thanksgiving episode, this feels like a forced addition to the Ross-Rachel plotline.

Ross creates a list of Rachel’s faults so that he can make a decision between her and Julia — only to discover Julia’s one fault is that “she’s not Rachel.”

In an easily expected plot twist, Rachel finds the list and becomes very upset; Ross tries incessantly to apologize. Not only does this episode provide an unnecessary addition to this plotline, but the Thanksgiving-related aspect of this episode is minimal.

The effects of Monica’s concoction of the synthetic “mockolate” created for Thanksgiving on Rachel and Phoebe is definitely comical, but fails at fully rendering that collective holiday spirit the gang presents in other Thanksgiving episodes.

8. “The One with the Late Thanksgiving” (Season 10)

There are a lot of weird things going on in this episode.

Between Rachel and Phoebe exploiting Emma in a baby beauty pageant, Chandler denying himself and the guys a premium Rangers game ticket, and Monica and Chandler locking everyone out, this episode is essentially revolved around the friends being in a quarrel over something as trivial as being a bit late to a Thanksgiving dinner- that Monica didn’t even want to prepare in the first place.

The plot events are quite dry and the action seems forced, but the episode somewhat redeems itself at the end when Monica receives the call from the adoption agency, telling her she and Chandler have been chosen by a woman from Ohio to adopt her baby.

At least we get some holiday cheer amidst this series of inconsequential events.

6. “The One Where the Underdog Gets Away” (Season 1)

The first ever Thanksgiving episode of Friends gives us a series of misadventures that fittingly and convincingly center around the Thanksgiving dinner.

Unlike “The One with the Late Thanksgiving’s” trail of insignificant events that lead up to a redeeming ending, this episode offers substantial and humorous reasons for the characters making the Thanksgiving plans they do, while also aids character insight, being only the ninth episode of the series.

Monica and Ross want to spend Thanksgiving at Monica’s because their parents are gone, Rachel’s salary doesn’t allow her to buy plane tickets to visit her parents and Joey’s VD poster causes his family to believe he actually carries the disease himself, causing him to spend Thanksgiving at Monica’s place as well. Chandler boycotts all “pilgrim holidays” because it reminds him of his parents divorce, and Phoebe reveals she is celebrates two Thanksgivings – one on the “lunar calendar” with her grandmother, and one on the actual day.

Monica whips up some great eats, and there are some touching and funny moments with Ross, Susan, Carol and the in-the-womb baby.

7. “The One with Chandler in the Box” (Season 4)

This episode provides some hearty relationship dynamics — we have Joey moving out after he sees Chandler kissing Kathy, and Monica inviting over ex-boyfriend Richard’s son Timothy for Thanksgiving dinner after she visits the opthamologist after injuring her eye during holiday meal prep.

Monica ends up kissing Timothy, which ultimately makes her uncomfortable because it reminds her too much of his dad.

The heart-warming resolution comes after Chandler’s six-hour confinement in a box to prove his worthiness of Joey’s friendship.

5. “The One With The Rumor” (Season 9)

Can an episode with Brad Pitt as a guest star realistically be ranked lower than 5?

Ross, Rachel and Monica’s “really overweight” high school friend Will, portrayed by Pitt, comes to the gang’s Thanksgiving dinner upon Monica’s invitation.

Will shows up to dinner looking thin and handsome, but disappointed that Rachel, who made fun of him in high school, is there, too.

He reveals he was the co-founder of the “I Hate Rachel Green Club” with Ross — much to Rachel’s astonishment — and that the two also made up a rumor that Rachel was a hermaphrodite.

Despite Rachel’s overly dramatic response to Ross’s treatment of Rachel in high school – something that is long passed – this episode provides a hilarious plotline around the then-married Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, and fittingly ends with Joey finishing an entire 19-pound turkey himself.

4. “The One With Rachel’s Other Sister” (Season 9)

Christina Applegate’s Emmy win for playing Rachel’s sister Amy in this episode was well-deserved.

Amy’s character gives the annual Thanksgiving episode a fresh feel, her indifferent and flighty personality impacts everyone at Monica’s Thanksgiving dinner as she manages to insult each person there in one way or another.

Some of the best moments include Amy’s plan to raise “Emily” after Ross and Rachel die, and the physical fight that ensues between Rachel and Amy after their verbal altercation.

Although obviously over-exaggerated, the dysfunctional family dynamic in this episode is a comical, fictional representation of the uncomfortable family reunions that often happen at the ritual Thanksgiving gathering.

3. “The One with the Football” (Season 3)

This episode gives us a little bit of everything — sibling rivalry between Ross and Monica, a gender battle between the guys and girls, and Chandler and Joey fighting over a girl – all channeled through a game of football.

This allows for some spot-on jokes, a fresh setting that dominates the episode (a.k.a. not Monica’s apartment) and a form of competition we have yet to see between the group. The episode still ends with the traditional group dinner, and redeems itself overall after the previous season’s lack of Thanksgiving content.

2. “The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks” (Season 5)

Flashback episodes are among the sitcom’s best.

Each friend reveals their worst Thanksgiving: Phoebe’s arm was blown off in a field hospital during World War I, and Monica accidentally chopped off Chandler’s toe while attempting to seduce him.

Jump the present, where a hilarious physical gag involving a turkey stuck on Joey’s head (and later Monica’s) results in Chandler revealing he loves Monica.

1. “The One Where Ross Got High” (Season 6)

The genius layering of subplots in this episode may just match up to the hilarity of Rachel’s homemade “trifle” — an original concoction of ladyfingers, jam and custard on top of beef, custard peas, bananas and whipped cream.

The best part comes when Monica and Ross’s parents reveal the reason they don’t like Chandler: in college, Ross smoked weed in his dorm room, and when the Gellers walked in, Ross blamed the whole thing on Chandler.

Ross and Monica take the opportunity to reveal secrets about each other to their parents: “Monica and Chandler are living together,” Ross announces. “Ross married Rachel in Vegas, and got divorced … again!” Monica shoots back.

Between the cleverly executed character story arcs, and hilarious failure of Rachel’ss Thanksgiving dessert, this episode takes the cake (trifle?) in being the best “Friends” Thanksgiving episode of all time.