There are plenty of scary Halloween movies and a surplus of Christmas movies to watch during the holiday season, yet there is a significant lack of Thanksgiving films. To fill that void, a common tradition is to rewatch the Thanksgiving-themed episodes of various popular series. Below are the NCrew’s favorite episodes to binge with friends and family. Gather around the TV and leave the holiday chaos and drama to your favorite characters.
Friends, “The One With the Football” (Season 3, Ep. 9)
You can dedicate a full day to watching every Friends Thanksgiving episode. It’s difficult to choose the best, but “The One With the Football” is arguably the most iconic. Leave it to Ross and Monica to capture the depths of sibling rivalry. The pair decides to play a “friendly” game of touch football, with each captaining their own team. Another rivalry sprouts as Joey and Chandler compete for a romantic prospect. The episode has montages, laughs, and iconic fall outfits– everything you need in a Thanksgiving episode.
Source: @friends on Instagram
How I Met Your Mother, "Slapsgiving" (Season 3, Ep. 9)
Marshall and Lily host for the first time as a married couple. Barney squirms in fear of anticipation for Marshall to slap him for the ongoing Slap Bet. As a sequel, head over to "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap" for a sprinkle of family drama, when Marshall invites Lily’s absent father to Thanksgiving dinner without asking. Meanwhile, Marshall grants his slap to another lucky person. You’ll find that “Slap Bet” is a game for the whole family
Source: @itshimymquotes on Instagram
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, "Talking Turkey" (Season 1, Ep. 12)
Will’s mom, who once got scared and said he was moving with his aunt and uncle in Bel-Air, is in town for a Thanksgiving visit. She grows disappointed in how lazy the kids have gotten with their well–off life and privileges, such as being waited on by Geoffrey. In the meantime, Carlton, Will, Hilary and Ashley are tasked with preparing the feast. There is only one way that can go.
Source: @thefreshprincetv on Instagram
Gilmore Girls, “A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (Season 3, Ep. 9)
Gilmore Girls has been designated as the autumn show with its small-town drama and cozy, warm tones. This aesthetic triples during their Thanksgiving episodes. An underlying theme throughout the show is the families you create, making balancing Thanksgiving dinner plans for the Gilmore girls a complicated feat. All our favorite characters—Sookie, Lane, Luke, Emily and Richard Gilmore—expect Rory and Lorelai to attend their feast. What results is an episode with heartwarming moments and very full stomachs—an episode emblematic of the series as a whole.
Source: @gilmoregirls on Instagram
Modern Family, “Three Turkeys” (Season 6, Ep.8)
Modern Family knows how to capture family chaos. Phil and Luke are in charge of cooking the Thanksgiving turkey—in other words, a recipe for disaster—so Claire hides a backup turkey. Jay and Gloria plan on spending the holiday away. When the trip is canceled, they decide not to tell anyone, which becomes an issue when the dinner is moved to their home. Three turkeys later, this episode is a light and funny classic for the whole family.
Source: @modernfamily on Instagram
Fresh Off The Boat, “Huangsgiving” (Season 2, Ep. 8)
The Huangs are in charge of hosting Thanksgiving this year and sibling rivalry motivates Jessica to outdo her sister who has hosted in the past. Plans for the perfect feast quickly go awry as mishaps and hangovers get in the way. "We're going to throw the best damn Huangsgiving your mother's ever seen." "You're really committed to that name, huh?" "That's the shortened version. The full name is Louis Huang's Huangsgiving featuring Louis and the Huangs." — Louis Huang and Jessica Huang
Source: @freshofftheboat on Instagram
New Girl, “Parents” (Season 2, Ep. 8)
Jess’s divorced parents, Bob and Joan, played by the iconic Jamie Lee Curtis, arrive at the same time for Thanksgiving dinner. Jess utilizes this opportunity to “parent trap" them back together. You may have already guessed, but the plan ultimately does not go as successfully as the Lindsay Lohan movie does. Meanwhile, kimono-wearing Schmidt and his cousin Big Schmidt compete in a "manliness" competition.
Source: @lifein2002 on Instagram
Grey’s Anatomy, "Thanks for the Memories" (Season 2, Ep. 9)
The hospital is the last place you want to end up during Thanksgiving, though a Grey’s Anatomy episode is the one exception. Workaholics Meredith, Cristina, and Alex hide at work, while Izzie optimistically tries to create the perfect Thanksgiving dinner for her and her friends. When dinner preparations go downhill, Burke comes in to save the day (to Cristina’s dismay). Meanwhile, George goes on an outing with his father and brothers to fulfill an O’Malley tradition of shooting a turkey. A sudden injury puts their long-lasting disagreement into perspective, a lesson on holding grudges against your siblings.
Source: @greysbest on Instagram
Gossip Girl, “The Treasure of Serena Madre” (Season 3, Ep. 11)
If your holiday is not going to plan, this episode will remind you that things can always be worse (political blackmail, sabotage, cheating, long-held family secrets, etc.). And in spite of all the setup and preparations for an expensive Thanksgiving meal on the Upper East Side, each character stands up and leaves their seat to Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say.” The early 2000s were truly an incredible time for television.
Source: @moderngurlz on Instagram
The Office, "WUPFH.com" (Season 7, Ep. 9)
Over the span of 9 seasons, one episode stands as The Office’s unofficial Thanksgiving episode. The muted colors of the office space are replaced with autumn tones and lots of hay. Ryan attempts to encourage (scam) his coworkers into investing in his tech company called WUPFH.com. Dwight, who usually doesn’t celebrate the typical holidays, sets up a hay carnival in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot so that he can recreate his childhood of being the “Hay King.”
Source: @theoffice on Instagram
What's Your Reaction?
