The Thanksgiving episode is a time-honored tradition of ensemble television, where comedy characters get to share some heartfelt, emotional moments, and dramas put theirs in a pressure cooker of anxiety and bad vibes. Rarely does the traditional family dinner go as smoothly as everyone wants it to, often devolving into a shouting match or a food fight or a totally different kind of party, but no matter what happens these episodes tend to stand out from the rest of the season. Some, like a certain iconic Mad Men episode and one of the most anxiety-inducing Sopranos hours ever aired, are barely even “Thanksgiving episodes,” and yet they still use some of that holiday flavor to spice things up.
Because it’s almost that time, we decided to find these episodes and tell you what makes them all so special. From the one where Monica puts the turkey on her head to possibly the most cursed holiday-themed Glee mashup of all time, we have gathered a misfit family of the best, craziest, and most iconic Thanksgiving TV episodes of all time to get us all into the holiday spirit. Yes, even the Roy family of Succession gets in on some of the fun. Let’s carve up the bird and squash the beef and see how our favorite TV families and friend groups celebrate the season of giving.
13 Greatest Thanksgiving TV Episodes Ever
Our favorite characters from our favorite TV shows come together to carve up the turkey. Hijinks ensue.
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Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky