The Definitive List Of All 9 Friends Thanksgiving Episodes: Ranked & Must-Watch Guide For 2024

Every year, as the holiday season approaches, there is one tradition that nearly every sitcom fan returns to: a marathon of the Friends Thanksgiving episodes. The show, which ran for 10 seasons, masterfully turned the annual American holiday into a reliable source of comedic chaos, emotional breakthroughs, and incredibly memorable guest stars. For a decade, Monica's apartment became the unofficial hub for "Friendsgiving," delivering nine distinct episodes that are now considered TV classics.

The enduring popularity of these specials, even in late 2024, proves their timeless quality. From ruined dinners and competitive football games to startling family secrets and heads stuck in poultry, this is the definitive, chronological guide to every single Thanksgiving episode, complete with the iconic moments and guest stars that make them an essential annual rewatch.

The Complete Friends Thanksgiving Episode List (S1–S10)

While Friends ran for ten seasons, it produced nine true Thanksgiving episodes. Season 2 is the notable exception, as its holiday episode, "The One with the List," focuses more on Ross's relationship dilemma than the actual holiday meal. Here is the full list of the episodes that brought the gang together for their annual, invariably disastrous, Friendsgiving.

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• 1. Season 1, Episode 9: "The One Where Underdog Gets Away"
• 2. Season 3, Episode 9: "The One With the Football"
• 3. Season 4, Episode 8: "The One With Chandler in a Box"
• 4. Season 5, Episode 8: "The One With All the Thanksgivings"
• 5. Season 6, Episode 9: "The One Where Ross Got High"
• 6. Season 7, Episode 8: "The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs"
• 7. Season 8, Episode 9: "The One with the Rumor"
• 8. Season 9, Episode 8: "The One With Rachel's Other Sister"
• 9. Season 10, Episode 8: "The One with the Late Thanksgiving"

The Most Iconic Friendsgiving Episodes, Ranked by Chaos

Each episode brings its own unique flavor of holiday mayhem, but some stand out as essential viewing for their sheer comedic brilliance, quotable lines, and major plot developments. The topical authority of these episodes is undeniable, having introduced several running gags and character entities that fans still reference today.

1. The One With All the Thanksgivings (Season 5, Episode 8)

This episode is arguably the most beloved and the one that truly cemented the show’s holiday tradition. Instead of a present-day dinner, the gang recounts their worst-ever Thanksgiving memories, leading to a series of hilarious flashbacks that reveal crucial elements of the group's history.

Iconic Moments & Entities:

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• The Turkey Head: Monica attempts to cheer up Chandler by dancing with a raw turkey on her head, which prompts Chandler to accidentally say "I love you" for the first time.
• Joey's Head Stuck: The flashback to 1992, where a young Joey Tribbiani gets a turkey stuck on his head.
• Monica's Revenge: The revelation that Monica, after overhearing Chandler call her "fat," got revenge by trying to seduce him and accidentally dropping a knife on his toe, leading to his enduring hatred of the holiday.

2. The One with the Rumor (Season 8, Episode 9)

A perennial fan favorite, this episode is famous for its high-profile guest star and the explosive secret it reveals. Monica invites an old high school friend, Will Colbert, played by then-husband of Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, to Thanksgiving dinner. Will, who is still incredibly bitter about high school, is revealed to have co-founded the "I Hate Rachel Green Club" with Ross.

Iconic Moments & Entities:

• Brad Pitt's Cameo: Pitt's performance as Will Colbert, a man with a vendetta and an "unbelievably large ass" (a running joke from the episode), earned him an Emmy nomination.
• The Rumor: The revelation that Ross and Will started a vicious rumor in high school that Rachel was an intersex person.
• The Moist Maker: Joey's intense love for his Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, "The Moist Maker" (an extra slice of gravy-soaked bread in the middle), which Ross later gets fired over after a colleague eats it.

3. The One Where Ross Got High (Season 6, Episode 9)

This episode is a masterclass in escalating family tension and culinary disaster. Monica and Chandler host their first Thanksgiving as a couple, but the dinner is overshadowed by a series of revelations. Ross and Monica's parents, Jack and Judy Geller, hate Chandler because they think he smoked pot in their house years ago, a lie Ross told to cover for himself.

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Iconic Moments & Entities:

• The English Trifle: Rachel is tasked with making a dessert but accidentally combines two recipes—one for an English trifle and one for a shepherd's pie—resulting in a dish with layers of ladyfingers, jam, custard, beef sautéed with peas and onions, and whipped cream.
• The Confession Train: The climactic scene where every character's secret is revealed in rapid succession to the Geller parents, culminating in Ross admitting he smoked pot.
• Judy Geller's Line: "That's a lot of information to get in thirty seconds."

4. The One With the Football (Season 3, Episode 9)

This episode is a break from the kitchen-centric chaos, taking the group outdoors for a highly competitive, winner-take-all game of football for the "Geller Cup." The sibling rivalry between Ross and Monica is the central entity, leading to a fierce, years-long competition.

Iconic Moments & Entities:

• The Geller Cup: The prize for the game is a hideous, troll-doll-adorned trophy, which Ross and Monica fight over until the end.
• The Game: The game is so intense it lasts the entire episode, with Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey all getting involved in the sibling rivalry.
• The Dutch Woman: Joey and Chandler compete for the attention of a beautiful Dutch woman watching the game.

The Rest of the Friendsgiving Pantheon: Essential Viewing

While the top four often dominate the rankings, the remaining episodes are crucial for character development, delivering classic one-liners, and completing the annual tradition.

5. The One With Rachel's Other Sister (Season 9, Episode 8)

Guest Star: Christina Applegate as Amy Green (Rachel's sister). Applegate won an Emmy for her performance as the self-centered, spoiled Amy, who shows up and causes immediate chaos by insulting the group and revealing she doesn't know the name of Emma, Rachel's baby. The episode centers on a fight over who would get custody of Emma if Ross and Rachel died.

Key LSI: Custody battle, Amy Green, Christina Applegate, Rachel's sister, broken plates.

6. The One With Chandler in a Box (Season 4, Episode 8)

The main plot sees Chandler forced to spend the entire holiday in a shipping crate as punishment for kissing Joey's girlfriend, Kathy. The episode is a significant turning point in the Chandler/Joey friendship. Meanwhile, Monica gets ice in her eye and ends up with Richard's son, Timothy Burke.

Key LSI: Chandler's penance, Joey's forgiveness, Kathy, Monica dating a younger man, ice in the eye.

7. The One Where Underdog Gets Away (Season 1, Episode 9)

The very first Thanksgiving episode sets the tone for future holiday disasters. The gang's plans for a traditional dinner are ruined when the Underdog balloon from the Thanksgiving Day Parade gets loose, causing them to rush to the roof to see it. All the food burns, forcing them to eat dry grilled cheese sandwiches and Funyuns, which Chandler requested as his non-traditional meal.

Key LSI: Underdog balloon, burned dinner, Funyuns, Monica's cooking, first Friendsgiving.

8. The One with the Late Thanksgiving (Season 10, Episode 8)

The final Thanksgiving episode of the series. Monica is reluctant to host but is convinced. The friends are all late for dinner because they are distracted by a children's beauty pageant (Rachel and Phoebe) and a hockey game (Ross and Joey). Monica and Chandler lock them out, leading to Joey getting his head stuck in the door.

Key LSI: Final Thanksgiving, locked out, Joey's head stuck, Chandler and Monica's adoption news.

9. The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs (Season 7, Episode 8)

Chandler's irrational fear of dogs is the main conflict, as Phoebe is secretly hiding a dog, Clunkers, in the apartment. Ross attempts to name all 50 U.S. states in a hilarious mental breakdown. The episode is also famous for Chandler's toast: "I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm very thankful that all your Thanksgivings sucked."

Key LSI: Chandler's dog phobia, Clunkers, Ross's 50 states, Thanksgiving toast, Phoebe's secret pet.

Topical Authority: The Enduring Legacy of Friendsgiving

The Friends Thanksgiving episodes have transcended television to become a cultural phenomenon. They are the benchmark for all other sitcom holiday specials, establishing the concept of "Friendsgiving" as a legitimate tradition for young adults who spend the holiday with their chosen family rather than their biological one.

The show’s commitment to delivering a holiday episode in nearly every season (with the exception of Season 2) means that fans have a reliable, nine-hour binge-watch that perfectly captures the stress, love, and ridiculousness that comes with family gatherings. The continued ranking and discussion of these episodes in 2024, decades after the show ended, highlights the masterful writing and the incredible chemistry of the core cast, making them a must-watch for anyone seeking holiday cheer and a healthy dose of nostalgia.