Friends: Every Halloween And Thanksgiving Episode Ranked

9. The One With All The Thanksgivings

Friends Thanksgiving
NBC

A number of the series' most iconic Thanksgiving visuals stem from this one episode. Joey with a turkey on his head, Monica with a turkey on her head, Chandler's Flock of Seagulls haircut, and the repeated loss of Phoebe's arm created some of the most memorable sight gags on the show. We also get some vital backstory on Monica and Chandler, not to mention the first time Chandler tells Monica that he loves her.

Well... the first first time, since he'd say it for the "first" time again later in the season.

Even the episode's smaller gags are great, such as Joey's profound insights on the glory of thongs. The depth of his philosophy may have been unrivaled in pop culture at the time, with Sisqo's hit single not releasing for another year.

Despite everything this episode has going for it, however, some scenes sell the characters short in some pretty jarring ways. Monica feels especially dishonored by this episode, as we learn that two of the most important growth moments in her life (her weight loss and the pursuit of her chef career) were motivated solely by thoughtless remarks from Chandler.

A classic, must-see episode, to be certain. But perhaps a bit more shallow than we like to remember.

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Kieran enjoys overanalyzing and arguing about pop culture, believing that heated debates can (and should) be had in good fun. He currently lives in Fort Worth, TX, where he spends his time chatting with strangers on the bus and forcing them to look at pictures of his dog.