From Thanksgiving to Christmas, holiday specials have turned into a niche for popular television. Festive episodes have even become a recurring event in some multi-season shows. With Thanksgiving upon us, here is a look at some episodes that pair best with some turkey and apple cider.
“Gossip Girl”
“The Treasure of Serena Madre” (Season 3, Episode 11)
Known for its Thanksgiving specials, this particular Gossip Girl episode delivers a cinematic marvel of dinner drama. Yet under the entertainment, it is a deeply resonant picture, depicting tumultuous family gatherings that occur under the holiday at times, even as these characters seem to live in a world of elite privilege far removed from us. Serena (Blake Lively) finds herself in a scandalous affair with her friend Nate’s (Chace Crawford) married cousin, Tripp (Aaron Tveit), yet Nate himself is in love with Serena and begins to feel deeply embittered. Complicated romantic feelings mark the episode, making it endearingly relatable in the tangle of unrequited crushes and messy love affairs. Dan (Penn Badgely) too realizes he’s developed feelings for his best friend, Vanessa (Jessica Szhor), putting him in a similar situation as Nate.
Familial strife makes it way into the dinner too; Blair (Leighton Meester) suspects her mother (Margaret Colin) is hiding a pregnancy from her, while Jenny (Taylor Momsen) becomes upset at learning of her stepbrother’s (Connor Paolo) role in sabotaging her cotillion. Whether parental or sibling, thorny familial dynamics seem to be a staple of Thanksgiving dinner for most. Reuniting with relatives you don’t get along with, or have deep contentions with, can make for a difficult time around the holidays. Dinners with emotionally charged feelings can begin to resemble the famous scene where everyone spars and leaves the table while Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say” plays in the background.
“Gilmore Girls”
“A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)
Stars Hollow mother and daughter duo Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) attempt to make it to four Thanksgiving dinners after overcommitting themselves. With David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” providing the soundtrack to this episode’s romantic themes, Rory struggles to adjust to her relationship with Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) publicly in her small town. Her friend, Lane (Keiko Agena), is also trying to receive her mother’s approval of the boy she likes, depicting the simpler romantic dynamics of small towns. Their Thanksgiving activities are modest, making it an excellent watch for those celebrating the holidays in their hometowns. The episode ends on a bittersweet note, with its usual dose of eccentric witticisms and ridiculously charming plotlines, making it a comforting holiday watch.
“Friends”
“The One With the Football” (Season 3, Episode 9)
The episode with the football game reigns supreme of the “Friends” Thanksgiving episodes for all it delivers in character dynamics and one-liners. When the gang suggests playing a friendly game of football for Thanksgiving, it quickly ramps up when Monica (Courteney Cox) and Ross (David Schwimmer) dredge up an old sibling rivalry on the pitch. Their dynamic in the episode is nostalgic of adult families resurfacing some old board game or activity of their youth for these dinners, only to have the childhood competitiveness resurface. The notion of time being insignificant to formative bonds and dynamics makes it a relatable scene.
The games bring out the competitive sides of others too; Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) both take a liking to the same woman (Susanna Midnight) and begin a passive-aggressive challenge to win her over, making for some hilarious sabotage. However, the game turns utterly riotous when the girls pair against the guys, and the episode somehow delivers an exhilarating combination of comfort and action that makes it a special watch.
“How I Met Your Mother”
“Slapsgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)
One of the longest-running jokes of the “How I Met Your Mother” series was the slap bet that Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) loses to Marshall (Jason Segel), where five slaps are to be given at a time and place of Marshall’s choosing. Incorporating the bet into a Thanksgiving special makes the episode even more memorable, bringing up sordid memories of bets made between family members and the scores settled on Thanksgiving dinners.
A more emotional theme of the episode is how Robin (Cobie Smulders) and Ted (Josh Radner) navigate being around each other after their breakup. Their adjustment to processing the intricacies of the situation feels kindredly reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinners spent with friends instead of family. As the two struggle to find their way back to their friendship, the episode depicts the mess of it all: the uncomfortable conversations, ignored inside jokes and strangeness of the circumstances. For this depiction alone, it’s one of the series’ best, thanks to its simple plot expanded to hilarious lengths and filled with unforgettable character interactions.
“New Girl”
“Parents” (Season 2, Episode 8)
The sole Thanksgiving episode in the show is named without the holiday in the title, fittingly making it an exceptional one. Jess (Zooey Deschanel) becomes obsessed with parent-trapping her divorced parents into getting back together over dinner and ropes Nick (Jake Johnson) into helping her. Her behavior is symbolic of those struggling with parents who’ve split up, a circumstance made even harder during family-themed events like Thanksgiving. Her schemes to bring her parents together are reminiscent of how children sometimes cope with hard things, where denying it becomes a medium to avoid accepting and processing their grief.
Meanwhile, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) is in competition with his older cousin in a “manliness” contest of some sort, with Winston (Lamorne Morris) orchestrating embarrassing scenarios for them to “prove” themselves in. Under the humor though, it does speak to the more negative side of these dinners for some. For many, judgments and comparisons become an unavoidable aspect of familial gatherings, with drama starting for no good reason. Still, the episode is filled with ridiculous moments and absurd dialogue that makes the show’s quirky appeal come together tenfold.
Whether you’re familiar with these shows, simply looking to rewatch your favorite festive episodes, or never heard of them and want some cinematic stimulation, each episode on this list is a fun experience in its own right — even without extensive context to enjoy it with. If you’re getting together with friends and family or spending Thanksgiving alone you can count on having a cinematic experience for the holiday.
Maryam Qazi is an Arts and Entertainment Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. She can be reached at qazimf@uci.edu.
Edited by Lillian Dunn and Jaheem Conley.