It's Thanksgiving, a day for giving thanks, eating way too much food, and doing what Americans do so well . . . watch television (whether it be football, the Macy's parade, or cheesy holiday movies). In honor of this auspicious holiday, I've compiled a list of what I consider the greatest Thanksgiving related TV episodes.
The Best of TV's Thanksgiving Episodes:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 4 episode 6 - "Pangs"
Perhaps one of my all time favorite Buffy episodes ever, the Scooby gang must battle the ghosts of some severely pissed off Native Americans hell bent on vengeance. With the return of Angel and a blisteringly sarcastic Spike, it's definitely one of the series' greatest hits.
Best line: "Bear, you made a bear. Undo it! Undo it!"
Gilmore Girls - Season 3 Episode 9 - "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving"
Any of you other Gilmore Girls fans out there celebrating the Netflix revival of the series? I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. But can it possibly live up to one of the funniest GG episodes of all time? We'll see. Four Thanksgiving feasts in one day? No problem for this mother and daughter duo.
Best line: "Well, you caught me at a good time, ladies. I've already gone through the five stages of grieving. Denial, anger. . .I don't remember these two, but they were served on the rocks with salt!"
How I Met Your Mother - Season 3 Episode 9 - "Slapsgiving"
I've always loved the way How I Met Your Mother starts a bit in one season and carries it on throughout the course of the series, and no bit is more memorable than that of the slap. Marshall's hand, Barney's face. Fantastic. And the best slapisode? Why Slapsgiving, of course.
Best line: What is this feeling, that's put you in your place? A hot red burnin' on the side of your face. You feel the blood rush to your cheek, the tears that fill your eyes. And your lips are trembling, but you can't speak. You're tryin', oh, you're tryin' not to cry. You just got slapped, oh, across the face, my friend. You just got slapped, yes, that really just happened. Everybody saw it. Then everybody laughed and clapped. It was awesome. Wait, you just got... slapped.
Friends - Season 4 Episode 8 - "The One with Chandler in a Box" AND Season 3 Episode 9 - "The One with the Football"
My friends and I all get together every year and have our own "Friendsgiving" in which we eat turkey and pie, and then waddle our way to the TV and laze away the rest of the day watching Friends Thanksgiving episodes. We all argue which one is the best (my friend Sami would be shocked I'm not writing about the Brad Pitt episode), but I can't ever decide between "Chandler in a Box" and "Football", so I nominate them both. Not just the best Thanksgiving episodes of the series, but possibly the best episodes of the series all-together.
Best line: "Is everybody else seeing a troll doll nailed to a two by four?"
And there you have it, my favorite Thanksgiving TV episodes. There are many more I'd love to mention, but I'm in a food coma from everything I ate today and this was as much as I could manage. I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!
