Families and Catastrophies: 5 Fantastic Thanksgiving Episodes from Your Favorite Shows

Thanksgiving simply wouldn’t be the same without a few Thanksgiving episodes. Here are a few favorites, all of which can be seen on Netflix or Hulu while you relax and digest over the Thanksgiving Holiday.

5. New Girl Season 1 Episode 6, “Thanksgiving”

I always love holiday episodes of New Girl, but the first Thanksgiving the gang has together is by far the best. It’s the first time Jess has made a turkey, and she quickly realizes she doesn’t know what’s she’s doing. She even tries to thaw the bird in the dryer.

4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4 Episode 8, “Pangs”

Even vampire slayers celebrate Thanksgiving. Buffy takes a little time from slaying and connecting with ancient spirits to cook up a meal for the Scoobie gang. And in the true holiday spirit, she even allows Spike to join– though he’s tied up as he sits down to dinner.

3. Grey’s Anatomy Season 2 Episode 9, “Thanks for the Memories”

When Izzie insists on making Thanksgiving Dinner for her roommates, she finds herself bonding with Burke, who brings his surgery skills into the kitchen. It makes for a dysfunctional Thanksgiving that reflects the dysfunctional lives of the interns. Oh, and George has to go hunting with his father and brothers, which doesn’t end so well, either.

2. Gilmore Girls Season 3 Episode 9, “A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving”

This episode is as amazing as it sounds. Lorelai and Rory find themselves having to navigate four Thanksgiving dinners in one day, which include tofurkey at the Kim’s, deep fried turkey with Sookie and Jackson, a fancy dinner with the grandparents, and of course, dinner at Luke’s. But hey, if anybody can eat that much food, it’s Lorelai and Rory.

1. How I Met Your Mother Season 3 Episode 9, “Slapsgiving”

Thanksgiving is something that How I Met Your Mother always did well, but Slapsgiving is unforgettable. Like many of the favorite episodes listed here, it’s The first time Lily makes Thanksgiving Dinner.

Only this one gets overshadowed by drama between Ted and Robin, Robin’s new older boyfriend, and of course, Marshall’s slap countdown. If you don’t know what I mean by that, you really ought to binge on How I Met Your Mother over the weekend!

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So which of these is your favorite, and what am I missing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Ashley Bissette Sumerel

Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.