Before “Friendsgiving” entered the popular lexicon, Friends helped popularize the concept with its annual Thanksgiving episodes.
Across its 10 seasons, Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Ross (David Schwimmer), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and Joey (Matt LeBlanc)Â got into plenty of antics, and the holidays were no exception. The gang’s Thanksgiving table saw visits from family, Brad Pitt, and a coffin, while other episodes introduced fans to “The Geller Bowl” and Chandler’s old Flock of Seagulls haircut.
Grab a bib and a brick of “Mockolate” as we dig into the best moments from Friends’ Thanksgiving episodes.
”The One Where Underdog Gets Away” (season 1)
Ross rocks a sweater.
Everett Collection
Usually the Macy’s Day Parade is pretty bland. But when an 80-foot-long inflatable Underdog escapes the parade festivities, the friends gather on the roof of their Manhattan apartment building to watch as shooters from below ”take out” the giant balloon.
If that doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart, there’s always Chandler’s memory of his ninth Thanksgiving, when his parents announced they were getting divorced. Wouldn’t you boycott all ”pilgrim holidays” if your parents ruined your pumpkin pie dessert?
MEMORABLE QUOTE: Chandler’s heartfelt toast: ”I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m very thankful that all your Thanksgivings sucked.”
”The One With the List” (season 2)
The gals gather around pumpkin pie with “Mockolate” cookie-crumb crust.
NBC
This second-season outing might be the least Thanksgiving-ish episode, but we’re given our first sweet taste of ”Mockolate” — the synthetic chocolate substitute created by aspiring chef Monica. With a taste ”that’ll last till Christmas,” Mockolate fizzes and bubbles on your tongue (kinda like eating an Alka-Seltzer), then sort of crumbles into tiny pieces of, um, ”deliciousness” in your mouth.
MEMORABLE QUOTE: Phoebe: ”Oh, sweet Lord, this is what evil must taste like!”
”The One With the Football” (season 3)
The gang competes in “The Geller Bowl”.
Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank
Six players. Two teams. One Geller Cup. Oh, and a hot Dutch girl named Margha. When Monica and Ross reminisce about an annual childhood tradition — a Thanksgiving football game that typically ended in name-calling and someone getting hurt — the friends decide to have their own version of “The Geller Bowl.” Rachel and Chandler almost score — Rachel during the football game; Chandler with the hot Dutch girl.
MEMORABLE QUOTE: Ross (to Monica): ”Cheater, cheater, compulsive eater!”
”The One With Chandler in a Box” (season 4)
Chandler pulls Joey in for a hug on Thanksgiving.
Everett Collection
Fall for your best friend’s significant other? You could try begging for forgiveness, or, if you’re Chandler, you could offer to spend Thanksgiving dinner serving penance inside a coffin-size wooden box. Chandler gets awfully cozy in his new digs (just don’t cover his air hole).
MEMORABLE QUOTES
Rachel: ”Oh, I’m gonna take a nap. Turkey makes me sleepy.”
Monica: ”We haven’t eaten yet.”
Rachel: ”I know, but all that work you’re doing to get it ready and?” [Leaves the room]
”The One With All the Thanksgivings” (season 5)
A throwback photos of the Gellers & Co.
Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Monica used to be fat. Like, waddling-around, can’t-see-your-feet, fifteen-chins fat. And way back when? Rachel had a beak-shaped honker of a nose. Ross? The guy dressed like he fell out of an episode of Miami Vice. And Chandler, well, Chandler used to dress like an idiot too, but he also used to have a pinkie-toe.
When the friends each reveal their worst Thanksgiving memories, the mystery behind Chandler’s severed toe is finally solved — Monica (accidentally) did it! She’s quickly forgiven, though, after performing an interesting interpretation of a ”turkey-trot” — dancing with a turkey on her head.
MEMORABLE QUOTE: Joey: ”I am thankful for this beautiful fall we’ve been having. Yeah, the other day I was at the bus stop and this lovely fall breeze came in out of nowhere and blew this chick’s skirt right up. Oh, which reminds me: I am also thankful for thongs.”
”The One Where Ross Got High” (season 6)
Monica and Ross’ parents are guests at Thanksgiving this year.
NBC
Joey reveals his tips on how to fake-enjoy a meal so as not to hurt the chef’s feelings: rub stomach, make ”mmm” noises, and smile as wide as possible. (Makes you wonder how expensive those acting classes really are.)
Also this Thanksgiving, Monica invites disaster — a.k.a. her parents — to dinner, where the topics include Ross’ three divorces, Chandler’s alleged pot-smoking habit, Rachel’s horrendous cooking, and Phoebe’s inappropriate crush on Jacques Cousteau.
MEMORABLE QUOTE: Joey: ”What’s not to like? Custard? Good. Jam? Good. Meat? Gooooood.”
”The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs” (season 7)
The guys have a brainstorming session.
NBCU Photo Bank
Can you name every U.S. state in less than six minutes? Get a pen and try to beat Joey’s tally from the game at the center of this episode. (He comes up with 56.) Somehow he manages to do better than Phoebe, who’d rather name types of celery. (She comes up with 1.)
MEMORABLE QUOTE:
Joey (advising Rachel on the crush she’s invited to dinner): ”If he doesn’t like you, then this is all just a moo point.”
Rachel: ”Huh. A moo point?”
Joey: ”Yeah, it’s like a cow’s opinion, you know, it just doesn’t matter. It’s ‘moo.”’
”The One With the Rumor” (season 8)
Brad Pitt makes an appearance on ‘Friends’.
Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank
Bully kids in high school, and hate clubs will be formed in your honor. When Will Colbert (guest star Brad Pitt) shows up for Thanksgiving, he reminisces about his favorite high school extracurricular activity: acting as president of the ”I Hate Rachel Green” Club. Membership was low, but rumors spread by the club were pretty damaging.
The lesson? Don’t pick on the dork; he might grow up to look like Brad Pitt. (Okay, probably not. But he also might tell everyone at school you’re a hermaphrodite.)
MEMORABLE QUOTE: Will Colbert: ”Look at her standing these with those yams. My two greatest enemies, Ross — Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates.”
”The One With Rachel’s Other Sister” (season 9)
Christina Applegate won an Emmy for her guest turn as Rachel’s sister.
Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank
Amy Green (Christina Applegate, who won an Emmy for her guest spot here) shows up. She isn’t sure if Phoebe is a name or a funny sound. She notes that Joey is much less attractive in real life than he was on Days of Our Lives. She calls Emma, her own niece, Emmet.
Yep, Rachel’s sister is your typical nightmare-from-hell relative: She visits unannounced, asks to borrow something, and then ends up crashing for days.
MEMORABLE QUOTE:
Phoebe: ”Yeah, we thought it might be nice to use the fancy china for dessert too.”
Monica: ”Oh, how nice. Maybe later we can all go blow our noses on my wedding dress!”
”The One With the Late Thanksgiving” season 10
Cheers to 10 seasons of ‘Friends’.
NBC
Monica hustles around all day to cook the perfect meal, which is inevitably ruined (a recurring theme in these holiday episodes). This year’s Thanksgiving hijinks and hilarity: Joey gets his head lodged in the door, extracts it, and in the process knocks over the entire feast.
MEMORABLE QUOTES:
Rachel: ”Happy Thanksgiving!”
Phoebe: ”Oh yeah! Happy needless-turkey-murder day.”
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.