Your Thanksgiving won't be complete without these 8 comedy episodes
It may be what Schmidt from New Girl once labeled the “least sexy American holiday,” but Thanksgiving is a great time for food, and even better, for TV. Chase your turkey dinner by binging these festive episodes, and give thanks for peak TV.
Master of None, Season 2, episode 7: "Thanksgiving"
One of the best television episodes of 2017 is also an oustanding holiday episode and beautiful character study for Denise (Lena Waithe) on Master of None. Waithe and Aziz Ansari earned an Emmy for writing the episode, which draws largely from Waithe's personal experiences and features Angela Bassett in an exceptional performance as Denise's mother.
Where to watch: Netflix
Boy Meets World Season 4, episode 10: “Turkey Day”
Cory and Shawn attempt a joint family Thanksgiving with disastrous results stemming mainly from class disparity. There’s an explicit analogy to the Hutus and Tutsis, the tribes in Rwanda and Burundi embroiled in conflict at the time (Fall ‘96).
Where to watch: Hulu
Gilmore Girls Season 3 episode 9: “A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving”
Lorelai and Rory attend four Thanksgivings; they make nice with the Gilmores, scarf down some tofurkey at the Kims’, drop in on Luke and Jess at the diner, and witness Jackson deep fry a turkey as Sookie watches in horror. Ah, America.
Where to watch: Netflix
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 1, episode 10 “Thanksgiving”
Jake Peralta joins TV’s storied history of characters with daddy issues who hate Thanksgiving. Amy hosts squad dinner to impress Captain Holt, but he and Jake end up out on a case in character (“My wife was murdered by a man in a yellow sweater”).
Where to watch: Hulu
Friends Season 6, episode 9 “The One Where Ross Got High”
Monica and Ross fight about being honest with their parents, who mistrust Chandler because they think he was a pothead. Rachel cooks a disastrous dessert (Joey loves it anyway) and Phoebe has a thing for Jacques Cousteau.
Where to watch: Netflix
Happy Endings Season 3 episode 4 “More Like Stanksgiving”
Max brings by a tape of the gang from their Real World days, which is a sneaky way of giving us a flashback episode. Jane and Brad learn that their relationship didn’t start the way they thought and Alex grapples with Dave’s failure to move in.
Where to watch: Hulu
New Girl Season 4, episode 9 “Thanksgiving IV”
Schmidt tries out “Bangsgiving,” a singles party in which everyone brings a date for someone else and the nights should end in sex. No one likes their prospects—especially Jess, as she tries to stay away from cute colleague Ryan.
Where to watch: Netflix
How I Met Your Mother Season 3, episode 9 “Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap”
Lily’s estranged father shows up and ruins her Thanksgiving, but Marshall has a plan: To bequeath a slap (don’t ask, just watch) to Ted and Robin, and as they struggle to figure out who will hit Barney, the Slap brings everyone together.
Where to watch: Hulu
Proma Khosla is a Senior Entertainment Reporter writing about all things TV, from ranking Bridgerton crushes to composer interviews and leading Mashable's stateside coverage of Bollywood and South Asian representation. You might also catch her hosting video explainers or on Mashable's TikTok and Reels, or tweeting silly thoughts from @promawhatup.
