It’s inevitable. If you find yourself stuck in a house bursting with family members with a hundred dishes that need to be cooked and coordinated, you know that a Thanksgiving disaster is bound to happen. But just when you feel like your family is the craziest, and your Thanksgiving could end up on a reality television show, go actually turn on the TV. These 9 Thanksgiving episodes will always be there for you to prove that your “disastrous” Thanksgiving is just small potatoes.
9. Gilmore Girls: “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving”
Is it a Gilmore Thanksgiving without lots of eating? In Season 3 Episode 9, Lorelai and Rory get “shanghaied” into four separate Thanksgiving plans. While this may not seem like a disaster, Thanksgiving is all about sitting in one place at the table and just eating, not running from house to house while overstuffed with comfort foods.
8. The Office: “WUPHF.com”
As soon as the holiday trifecta rolls around (Thanksgiving, Hanukkah/Christmas, and New Year’s), going to work somehow becomes unbearable. Just wanting to take days off to spend time with family, the last thing people want to do is go to a Hay Festival in their work parking lot. So, just when you think you’re the last person sitting in the office on Wednesday, remember those in The Office Season 7 Episode 9 who had to go on a hayride with all their colleagues.
7. That 70’s Show: “Thank You”
Keeping secrets from your family becomes immensely harder when you’re sitting at a table with them at Thanksgiving and are the target of all of their prying questions. Hopefully, unlike Eric Forman in Season 5 Episode 8, you’re not failing math, didn’t forge your dad’s signature, aren’t secretly engaged, and didn’t have all of your secrets unravel at the dinner table. So, if you accidentally reveal something to your family that you didn’t want them to know, Eric Forman is your guy.
6. How I Met Your Mother: “Blitzgiving”
We all have that one unlucky family member where everything seems to go wrong in their presence, but no one will be as bad as the Blitz in Season 6 Episode 10. Ted’s old college nemesis is known to be “cursed”, in that something great happens to the HIMYM gang as soon as he leaves the room. Unfortunately for Ted, the curse is transferred to him that Thanksgiving. So while you may laugh at that unlucky family member, just be thankful that it’s not you.
5. The OC: “The Homecoming”
If you’re going home with your boyfriend/girlfriend for the first time for Thanksgiving, tensions are already going to be running high. Just when you think their family’s prying questions and judgement could be the worst thing ever, think of Seth Cohen. Trying and failing at being a “player” in Season 1 Episode 11, Seth starts dating two girls at once who then run into each other on Thanksgiving and learn about his two-timing act. If that’s not the worst relationship Thanksgiving story, I’m not sure what is.
4. Friends: “The One With the Thanksgiving Flashbacks”
While something seems to go wrong every Friends Thanksgiving, ending up with a raw turkey on your head takes the cake. Not only does someone end up with their head in a raw turkey, but your family loses the turkey for dinner. So when someone ends up dropping or burning a dish, keep it all in perspective with Monica’s (intentional) turkey incident in Season 5 Episode 8.
3. Gossip Girl: “The Magnificent Archibalds”
Every family deals with its own side of drama and quirks. Thanksgiving tables could be filled with tears, tension, yelling, or arguing. But that’s a sign of family love, right? If you can’t seem to get your extended family out the door fast enough, think about how Nate Archibald would have wanted to spend any more time with his imperfect Dad, who was arrested on Thanksgiving in Season 2 Episode 11. Families are not perfect, but that’s why coming all together a few times a year for a holiday may be stressful, but worth it.
2. Modern Family: “Three Turkeys”
Families must have a lot of faith in the member selected to cook for Thanksgiving, more specifically in the person chosen to make the turkey. In Season 6 Episode 8, Claire leaves the cooking in the hands of Phil but hides a backup turkey in the garage. When the fuse is blown out in their house, ruining two turkeys, they sneak into Jay and Gloria’s house, where they find, and again ruin, a third turkey. While Thanksgiving is really about spending time with family and reflecting on what you are thankful for, the turkey is pretty important, too.
1. New Girl: “Thanksgiving”
Whether you are cooking your first Thanksgiving or are an old pro, there is always stress involved. Just figuring out what food needs to be made and coordinating cooking times is a job in itself, and it is easy to forget a dish. Hopefully, unlike Jess in Season 1 Episode 6, you don’t forget about your frozen turkey and take it out to thaw too late. Just as a tip: don’t put your frozen turkey in the dryer to thaw. The turkey will burn, the dryer will explode, and the apartment will fill with smoke. Another tip: don’t break into your elderly neighbor’s apartment when yours fills with smoke, because you may discover a dead body like this group did.
While there are a million things that can go wrong at Thanksgiving, it is a time for families to come together under one roof, enjoy an endless amount of food, and reflect on what they are thankful for. Being with family can be stressful, meeting your loved one’s family can be terrifying, and cooking can be a challenge, but it is always worth it. Remember to wear loose clothes, keep digging into the food, and enjoy your turkey day!