Gilmore Girls' Chaotic Thanksgiving Episode Reigns Suprem...

Sorry Friends, This Beloved 2000s Show Has The Best Thanksgiving Episode

Ross Monica Rachel and Joey playing football in Friends' Thanksgiving episode

By Cher Thompson Published 25 minutes ago

Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV.

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If you're a millennial, when you think Thanksgiving episodes you probably think about Friends, but despite the 10 holiday episodes from the sitcom's run, another beloved 2000s series takes the cake when it comes to a balanced Thanksgiving offering. While Friends has a decade's worth of choices for what its best Thanksgiving feast is, the series isn't the only show to tackle turkey day.

With most shows of the 80s, 90s, and 00s covering a Thanksgiving feast in some way or another, there are a lot of shows that could bring a dish to the table. Friends, being one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, often makes it clear that holidays can be a chaotic mess, the perfect time to bring family into the mix.

While I've always enjoyed Friends Thanksgiving episodes, I'm drawn to other shows when it comes to how my favorite TV characters celebrate the holiday. Unlike the December holidays, Thanksgiving is typically a time to sit with loved ones and be gracious for the time together, but the chaos of the holiday is what makes it stand out on screen. One series does chaos better than any other.

Friends Is Known For Thanksgiving Episodes, But Gilmore Girls Has The Best Offering

Its Chaotic Season 3 Thanksgiving Episode Lives In My Mind Rent-Free

Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) on Gilmore Girls

Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) smiling on Gilmore GirlsCredit: MovieStillsDB

Although Friends may hold the monopoly when it comes to the sheer number of Thanksgiving episodes in its catalog, Gilmore Girls has the best Thanksgiving episode of all-time. Gilmore Girls season 3 episode 9, "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving," sees Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) traipsing around their hometown of Stars Hollow and beyond to attend four different dinners.

Visiting each of their families, both of origin and otherwise, the Gilmore girls dip into the drama of four very different groups. With Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) and his nephew who happens to be Rory's boyfriend at the time Jess Mariano (Milo Ventigmilia) on one end while Lorelai's tense parents Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop), the dinners stack up as the Gilmores talk through it all.

Gilmore Girls' "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving" Is A Realistic Relay

It Unpacks The True Chaos Of The Holiday

10 Essential Gilmore Girls Episodes That Defined The Show

Rory and Lorelai in Gilmore Girls

Although "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving" may not impact the plot of Gilmore Girls in a lasting way, it's one of the show's quintessential episodes. Showing the Gilmore girls in different settings, seeing Lorelai and Rory with Luke and Jess, Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) and her mother, Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), and the elder Gilmores, viewers get to watch the dynamic duo in each of their elements.

With all the social dynamics at play, it's a fun way to see the Gilmore girls making their way through each of their budding families. Brimming with sharp dialogue and quick jokes, "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving" does a great job exemplifying the chaos of the holiday while grounding it in the break-neck pace the Gilmore Girls keep up with both in speech and dinner consumption.

179 8.5/10

8/10

Friends

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Comedy Romance Release Date 1994 - 2004 Network NBC Showrunner Marta Kauffman Directors Kevin S. Bright, Gary Halvorson, Michael Lembeck, James Burrows, Gail Mancuso, Peter Bonerz, David Schwimmer, Robby Benson, Shelley Jensen, Terry Hughes, Dana De Vally Piazza, Alan Myerson, Pamela Fryman, Steve Zuckerman, Thomas Schlamme, Roger Christiansen, Sheldon Epps, Arlene Sanford, David Steinberg, Joe Regalbuto, Mary Kay Place, Paul Lazarus, Sam Simon, Todd Holland Writers Jeff Astrof, Mike Sikowitz, Brian Boyle, Patty Lin, Bill Lawrence, R. Lee Fleming Jr.

Cast

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Jennifer Aniston Rachel Green
Courteney Cox Monica Geller

Genres Comedy, Romance Creator(s) Marta Kauffman, David Crane Powered by

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Gilmore Girls
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