Last week, I took a look at Thanksgiving Episodes from before 1995. This week is the Top 10 Thanksgiving Episodes (1995-present)!
Close Calls:
How I Met Your Mother "Belly Full of Turkey"
The Goldbergs "A Goldberg Thanksgiving"
Friends "The One where Ross Got High"
Towards the end of the run of Everybody Loves Raymond, the series got a nice jolt with the recurring appearances of Fred Willard and Georgia Engel as Amy's parents. The Thanksgiving episodes with the two warring families is one of their best appearances. It's chaos as you might expect and has a lot of funny moments.
9. The West Wing "Shibboleth" (November 22, 2000)
This episode has a lot of plots in it that carry some weight and gravitas but the best part of the episode is the biggest throwaway story: CJ can't deal with the President pardoning only one turkey when she knows the other one is going to be killed. It's a great example of the fun The West Wing had while dealing with serious issues.
8. Friends "The One with All the Thanksgivings" (November 19, 1998)
The first of the Friends episodes on the list, I love flashback episodes of this show. This one has both Fat Monica and a newly slender Monica, Ross and Chandler sporting Miami Vice outfits and of course Rachel's nose job. It comes at a great time in the series with Monica and Chandler's relationship. I just don't like the weird Phoebe scenes in this one.
7. This is Us "Pilgrim Rick" (November 22, 2016)
A very early episode of This is Us, this episode introduces a family tradition with the "Pilgrim Rick" hat. The scenes in the past are the best part of this episode as we were still getting to know the Pearsons as a young family. But it also has a pretty momentous scene between Rebecca and Beth that plays out in many subsequent episodes.
New Girl had a great casting coup with Rob Reiner and Jamie Lee Curtis playing Jess's feuding divorced parents. This Thanksgiving episode was full of funny moments with its Parent Trap inspired plot that has Jess trying and failing multiple times to get them back together.
5. The Middle "Thanksgiving IX" (November 14, 2017)
This is the final Thanksgiving episode of The Middle, but the show always did all the holidays well. It was yet another untraditional Thanksgiving for the Hecks that put them all on an ill-fated road trip. The very best episodes of The Middle dealt primarily with the main family unit and this was a perfect cap to the Thanksgiving episodes.
4. How I Met Your Mother "Slapsgiving" (November 19, 2007)
The "slap bet" and all it entails is one of the best recurring gags in a show full of recurring gags. This episode leads up to perhaps the most satisfying slap of the series (well done by both Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris). It also is the introduction of the military salute joke, another funny bit from the show that my friends and I try to include in real life.
3. Friends "The One with Rachel's Other Sister" (November 21, 2002)
The best Friends performer who is not a member of the main cast, in my opinion, is Christina Applegate. She only makes two appearances in the entire series, but she is extremely memorable. This is her first appearance and she makes Thanksgiving miserable for pretty much everyone with her self centeredness. My only wish is Applegate was in more episodes.
2. Master of None "Thanksgiving" (May 12, 2017)
Probably the best episode of the underappreciated Master of None, this episode features a slow burn coming out story for Denise, told over many years of Thanksgivings. With a unique and powerful storytelling format and a dynamite guest performance from Angela Bassett, it's emotional, funny and everything in between.
I know it was filmed on a Hollywood sound stage but boy, the idea of the friends playing football in a blustery New York City park on Thanksgiving seems just about perfect, doesn't it? There's great moments for all six cast members and it puts them in a unique setting. I have always loved this episode for both the comedy and the overall feel. It just feels like Thanksgiving.
Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder look at Blondie!
Tuesday in 2 Weeks: Top 10 Christmas Sitcom Episodes (pre-1995)!
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