The 10 'Friends' Thanksgiving Episodes, Ranked Worst To Best
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The 10 'Friends' Thanksgiving Episodes, Ranked From Worst To Best

They are all amazing, but some shine more than others.

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The 10 'Friends' Thanksgiving Episodes, Ranked From Worst To Best

Besides the fun characters, outrageous humor, and quotable lines, all of the "Friends" seasons have one thing in common: a Thanksgiving episode. All centered around Thanksgiving in some way, each shows the friends in funny — or even serious — situations over the years. While all are endearing in their own ways, some are certainly better than others.

Here are each of the 10 "Friends" Thanksgiving episodes, ranked from best to worst.

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

In this episode, Rachel invites her cute assistant Tag over for dinner and wonders if she should make a move on him. Phoebe has been keeping a dog in her room, and the friends learn that Chandler is not allergic to dogs, he's just afraid of them. The friends also play the states game, which Ross obsesses over.

Though the narrative with the dogs is entertaining, this episode doesn't quite live up to par. It doesn't have much of a story and is quite forgettable compared to the others.

9. The One with the List (Season 2)

This episode has two plots. Ross and Rachel gush about their first kiss. Ross is torn between her and Julie, so he uses Chandler's new laptop to write a list weighing the pros and cons of his options. After Rachel sees the list, stuff goes down. Meanwhile, Monica uses Mockolate, a synthetic chocolate substitute, in various Thanksgiving recipes without success.

This episode is memorable because of the whole list situation, yet it stands out as being the least Thanksgiving-esque. Apart from the list plot, the episode is rather dull.

8. The One with Rachel’s Other Sister (Season 9)

Rachel's sister, Amy, randomly shows up to Monica's apartment. Amy is very rude and inconsiderate during the meal. After the conversation turns to Emma, the friends debate over who would raise Emma if Ross and Rachel were to die. During the dinner, Monica uses her fancy wedding china, and a plate gets broken during Amy and Rachel's fight. Chandler steps up and tells the women to apologize for their behavior.

This episode marks an important character development for Chandler: by intervening and disciplining the women, he becomes more confident in his role as a parent-to-be. This episode ranks low on my list because I can't stand Amy, which was the intent.

7. The One with the Late Thanksgiving (Season 10)

After some reluctance, Monica decides to make Thanksgiving dinner for everyone again, and Chandler helps by making the cranberry sauce. Due to various circumstances, everyone but Chandler and Monica are an hour late to dinner. The two are upset that no one came to the dinner that everyone wanted, and the others try to convince them to let them in. This is also when Chandler and Monica learn that they were picked to receive a baby from Ohio.

The last "Friends" episode, it is still charming and memorable. In the first episode, everyone was excited about the dinner, but here, they now are quite late, providing quite the contrast. We also learn the important news of Chandler and Monica's adoption, which is important for their story.

6. The One with All the Thanksgivings (Season 5) 

Ross is having a pretty bad Thanksgiving, between his divorce and eviction. This prompts the friends to all share their worst Thanksgiving memories. It's revealed that, in trying to humiliate Chandler, Monica accidentally dropped a knife on his foot and severed his toe. This is also the episode where Joey and Monica both have turkeys on their head at some point and Chandler first says "I love you" to Monica. Aww.

This episode is important because we learn more about what the friends were like long before they met, establishing a connection between Chandler and Monica. It's also where Chandler tells Monica he loves her, a big moment in their relationship. And we can't forget the iconic turkey head image.

5. The One with the Football (Season 3)

The friends decide to play a game of football which turns quite competitive, especially for Monica and Ross. Joey and Chandler try to impress the Dutch girl who is watching them, and Rachel is barely included in the game.

In yet another iconic episode, this is quite different from the rest. While there is a dinner, most of the episode is spent in the park at the football game. It's also quite a deal since it's not only an entertaining "Friends" episode, but an enjoyable football game, too.

4. The One Where Underdog Gets Away (Season 1)

Thanks to various circumstances, the friends end up spending Thanksgiving together. Monica is thoughtful enough to make everyone's favorite dishes. The friends leave the apartment to see the Underdog parade balloon floating over the city. When they come back, chaos ensues.

I may not have the keys, but I do have a great appreciation for this episode. Being the first one, and even one of the most disastrous, it made a pretty good impression and set the standard for the other seasons.

3. The One with Chandler in a Box (Season 4)

This episode occurs after the Kathy drama goes down between Joey and Chandler. Joey still hasn't forgiven Chandler for stealing his girl, and Chandler makes it up to Joey by spending six hours in a box. This episode is also when Monica is hit in the eye by ice chips. She doesn't see her ex-boyfriend ophthalmologist Richard Burke, but his cute (and single) son Timothy. He comes to dinner and even kisses Monica, but it's too gross for her.

Chandler's time in the box is quite iconic. It shows that he is willing to go to great lengths for his friendship with Joey. Though it's a little gross, the subplot with Monica and Timothy is also quite amusing.

2. The One Where Ross Got High (Season 6)

Chandler learns that the Gellar parents don't like him because they falsely believe that he got Ross high at some Thanksgiving years before. Rachel attempts to make a dessert, but because the cookbook pages stick together, Rachel's trifle consists of ladyfingers, jam, custard (made from scratch), raspberries, more ladyfingers, beef (sautéed with peas and onions), more custard, bananas, and whipped cream.

The trifle might taste like feet, but this episode is certainly one of the better ones. Rachel's attempt at making a dessert turns out to be a disaster, yet her friends pretend to enjoy it anyway. With the whole trifle scenario and Chandler trying to convince Monica's parents that he's a good person, this episode is always a fun watch.

1. The One with the Rumor (Season 8)

Monica invites Ross's friend, Will Colbert, over to dinner. He can't stand Rachel, being the co-founder of the "I Hate Rachel" club in high school. Chaos ensues as everyone learns various secrets about each other. Meanwhile, Joey eats an entire 19-pound turkey by himself.

Will would take off his shirt any day and tell you that this episode is clearly the best. Between Brad Pitt's rugged handsomeness and the hilarity of the secrets the friends learn, it immediately stands out as being both iconic and entertaining.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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