10. The One With The List — Season 2
The battle for last spot is a close one, between Monica’s S2 attempt to rebrand Thanksgiving as the perfect Mockolate — the “completely synthetic chocolate substitute” — holiday, and Rachel’s S6 “Trifle”. But at least Joey enjoys Rachel’s concoction, whereas, as Phoebe notes, Monica’s Mockolate meal is “what evil tastes like”. On the menu: Mockolate Cranberry Cake, Pumpkin Pie With Mockolate Cookie Crumb Crust, Mockolate Chip Cookies, with a possible side effect of “a burning sensation when you pee”.
9. The One Where Ross Got High — Season 6
“It’s a trifle. It’s got all of these layers. First, there’s a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard, which I made from scratch. Raspberries, more ladyfingers,” says Rachel of the English Trifle she’s preparing for Thanksgiving dessert. And despite what we know of Rachel’s less-than-impressive culinary skills, her description makes it seem like any apprehensions about the edibility of her creation were misplaced. Until she continues with a list of the other layers: “Then beef sautéed with peas and onions. Then more custard and then bananas and then I just put some whipped cream on top.” A recipe book with two pages stuck together means Rachel comes up with a hybrid of English Trifle and Shepherd’s Pie, but what’s even more creative is the excuses all the friends (except Joey) have to come up with to get rid of their servings.
8. The One With All The Thanksgivings — Season 5
You’d be forgiven for not really noticing all of the other food during this Thanksgiving episode: it does have Monica wearing a turkey on her head after all. This episode, which features the ghosts of Thanksgivings past, also famously featured a severed toe (in Judy Geller’s kitchen!) and a “small, very cold piece of carrot”. Before the dance number with the turkey, however, we do get glimpses of a very laden table in the present-day, and all of it looks delectable.
7. The One With The Late Thanksgiving — Season 10
Monica decides not to slave over a full festival dinner, only to get peer-pressured by the others into doing so. The night is not an unqualified success, although the friends do salvage it (as always) in the end. Brussels sprouts, rolls, spinach, sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, Chandler's cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are what the gang digs into on this particular night.
6. The One With Rachel’s Other Sister — Season 9
Another closely contested fight for which one deserves to be ranked as the “worse” Thanksgiving meal — this Christina Applegate guest-starring episode, or the Season 8 one with Brad Pitt. Applegate as Rachel’s older sister Amy is just several shades more annoying though, and the squabbling she sets off over who gets Emma’s custody if Rachel and Ross were to pass away is enough to make even the most scrumptious dinner feel indigestible. And scrumptious it no doubt is, with rolls, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, stuffing and cranberries. All of it served on Monica’s short-lived wedding china. RIP.
5. The One With the Rumor — Season 8
Again, an annoying dinner guest — Pitt as Ross’ old friend Will Colbert, co-founder of the I Hate Rachel Green Club, and one of its only two members besides Ross (if we discount the Thai exchange student) — brings down the rating for what would otherwise have been a perfectly dandy Thanksgiving meal, with turkey (only for Joey), chicken, rolls, stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes and pecan pie.
4. The One Where The Underdog Gets Away — Season 1
The very first Thanksgiving meal we see the friends at together proves that it’s not what’s on the table, but who’s around it that counts. A series of mishaps leads the gang to unexpectedly congregate in Monica’s apartment, where they sit down to a very unconventional meal of grilled cheese sandwiches, along with copious quantities of wine. The laughter and the love make for the most satisfying seasoning.
3, 2. The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs — Season 7 & The One With Chandler In A Box — Season 4
Both these Thanksgiving dinners feature all the festive favourites, so we’d have a hard time ranking one over the other. It’s turkey, stuffing, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, red wine, and cream pie versus roast turkey, gravy, green beans, yams, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and white wine. There could never be one clear winner, so a tie ‘tis.
1. The One With The Football — Season 3
The Geller Cup football tournament lets the gang work up quite the appetite for a most splendid Thanksgiving repast: roast turkey, stuffing, yams with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, vegetarian stuffing (for Phoebe) and mashed potatoes. For Monica and Ross though, the only item on the menu is humble pie.