Almost every TV show has at least one Thanksgiving episode, so it can be hard to choose which one(s) to watch after dinner – that’s why here are the best Thanksgiving TV episodes and where to watch them online. With so many companies and studios joining the ongoing streaming wars, it’s harder and harder each time to find some of the most popular TV series online, especially when some of these have to change platforms for contractual reasons.
Those days in which most shows could be found on one streaming platform are over, which can be a burden to some users as (understandably) not everyone wants to subscribe to multiple services. On the bright side, each platform has its perks, such as exclusive content, so being part of more than one means more access to a bigger variety of movies and TV shows – which is especially convenient when family and friends get together to share, let’s say, a big dinner with turkey, mashed potatoes, and more.
With this in mind, here are the best Thanksgiving TV episodes and the streaming platforms where you can find them.
Friends: “The One With The Rumor” (Netflix)
Friends kept its annual tradition of having a Thanksgiving episode until the very end, and while they’re all memorable, “The One With The Rumor” stands as the best of the bunch. The group is getting ready for another Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Monica, but there’s an extra special guest coming over: Will (Brad Pitt), an old school friend of hers and Ross. Will reveals during dinner that he and Ross hated Rachel so much when they were in high school that they founded the “I Hate Rachel” club, and even spread the rumor that she was a hermaphrodite. Meanwhile, Joey takes on the challenge of eating a whole turkey by himself.
How I Met Your Mother: “Slapsgiving” (Hulu)
How I Met Your Mother’s season 3 episode “Slapsgiving” follows the group as they prepare for the first Thanksgiving with Marshall and Lily as a married couple. Lily wants everything to be perfect, but there are many things going on within the group that threaten to ruin the night, especially the tension between Ted and Robin after their breakup. All this while Marshall prepares to give Barney the third slap, though that might not go as planned either. It’s a good balance between drama (with Ted and Robin’s subplot) and the series’ unique humor.
Master of None: “Thanksgiving” (Netflix)
Season 2 of Master of None included a Thanksgiving episode, and it’s one worth watching on this day. Simply titled “Thanksgiving”, the episode centers on Dev’s Thanksgiving celebrations throughout the years with Denise’s family, as his family doesn’t celebrate the holiday. The episode then shifts its focus to Denise and her coming-out journey, how she came to terms with her sexuality, and how she told her mother (played by Angela Bassett), who struggled at first to understand and accept her daughter. It’s an emotional episode, so be prepared.
The Simpsons: “Bart vs. Thanksgiving” (Disney+)
Bart and Lisa fight pretty often, but deep inside they truly care for one another. In The Simpsons season 2’s episode “Bart vs. Thanksgiving”, Lisa makes a table centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner, but when there’s no room left on the table for the turkey, Bart argues that the centerpiece should go. The siblings fight and Bart indirectly throws the centerpiece into the fireplace. After being sent to his room and refusing to apologize, Bart runs away from home and spends time with homeless people – an experience that turns out to be quite eye-opening for him.
South Park: “Black Friday” (Hulu)
South Park successfully combined its trademark humor, Game of Thrones, and Thanksgiving in season 17’s episode “Black Friday”. In it, the boys split into two factions for better chances to acquire video game consoles as the South Park Mall is offering an 80% discount to the first 30 people in the mall during Black Friday. Cartman, Kyle, and Kenny are on the Xbox One faction, with Stan on the PS4 side, and each team recruits more people to help them get those precious video game systems. And because it’s South Park, there’s a good amount of criticism towards other pop culture products, society, capitalism, and more.
When it comes to The Sopranos, you can’t exactly expect a cheerful Thanksgiving episode – but you will get some really good quality TV. “He Is Risen” is the eighth episode of the show’s third season, in which there’s a lot of tension between Tony and Ralph after the latter greeted the former in a manner that was perceived as disrespectful – and that can be very, very dangerous in the mafia. Meanwhile, Meadow and Jackie Jr. get together and Janice brings her narcoleptic boyfriend to Thanksgiving dinner.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: “Pangs” (Hulu)
Buffy Summers couldn’t catch a break even on Thanksgiving – and season 4’s episode “Pangs” even brought some controversy with it. After a vengeful Native American spirit is released, Buffy has to leave all dinner preparations aside to confront it before it attacks more people. The episode, which aired in 1999, was met with a lot of criticism as many accused it of cultural appropriation and racism, while others praised its approach to issues of race.
New Girl: “Thanksgiving” (Netflix)
New Girl committed to including a Thanksgiving episode in every season and it delivered. Season one’s episode followed Jess and her attempts to prepare a last minute Thanksgiving dinner after inviting her crush and fellow teacher Paul (Justin Long), even if her roommates just want to drink beer, watch football, and head to Best Buy for Black Friday. Of course, it’s a recipe for disaster, with some truly memorable moments such as Jess putting the frozen turkey in the dryer, Schmidt demanding full control of the kitchen while cooking, and Winston trying to bond with Paul.
The Office: “WUPHF.com” (Netflix)
What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with a hay festival? The Office’s season 9 episode “WUPHF.com” sees Dwight making a hay festival in the parking lot in order to get over the childhood trauma caused by his family and their competitive hay festivals, in which Dwight never got to be king. Elsewhere, Ryan is doing his best (which doesn’t necessarily mean the most honest actions) to keep his website WUPHF.com when the Washington University Public Health Fund is revealed to be a potential buyer.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: “Two Turkeys” (Hulu)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s season 5 Thanksgiving episode brought together Jake and Amy’s families, and (of course) things didn’t go smoothly. Their fathers are too competitive and their mothers too passive-aggressive, which is a very bad combination that can (and will) result in chaos. Like the rest of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s episodes, “Two Turkeys” is packed with funny moments both at the 99th precinct of the New York Police Department and other places.
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