The Definitive Ranking of Every Friends Thanksgiving Episode
By Emily Scott
Friends, “The One With The List,” Screencap via Warner Bros.
10. The One With The List
After kissing Rachel, Ross feels torn between her and his current girlfriend Julie. In order to further clarify his feelings and decide which he should choose to be with, Ross thinks up a list of flaws for each woman. Clearly, this whole thing becomes a dumpster fire of epic proportions. Ross ends up making a decision, but then, naturally. Rachel finds the list. Meanwhile, Monica is searching for a job and goes to an interview for a company called Mockolate. Monica is asked to take the synthetic chocolate substitute and develop Thanksgiving recipes to use it with. The only problem, though, is that Mockolate tastes disgusting.
Sneakily Feminist Quote:
Rachel: Imagine the worst things you think about yourself. Now, how would you feel if the one person that you trusted the most in the world not only thinks them too, but actually uses them as reasons not to be with you.
Political Correction: Ross’s list of Rachel’s cons. Obviously, we can start with the fact that picking over a woman’s each and every flaw and using it against her is horrible and sexist and degrading. But in addition to all of that, the items that Ross comes up with for Rachel’s con list are all extremely gendered. He calls her “spoiled,” “ditzy,” “too into her looks,” and “just a waitress.” Yeah. And if you know Ross Geller, you know how hypocritical all of that is. Additionally, he writes that she has “chubby ankles.” Oy vey. Thankfully, Rachel’s reaction is appropriately horrified and furious (see below).
Best Moment: When Rachel calls Ross out on how awful his list is. Her real mic-drop moment happens when Ross angrily tell her that if the situation were reversed, he’d forgive her. “Well, then, I guess that’s the difference between us. See, I’d never make a list.”
Ranking: 10/10. Occurring in the second season, “The One With The List” happened before it became clear that annual Thanksgiving episodes would be an iconic and integral part of the show. Thus, this episode is barely about Thanksgiving, and for that, I must give it the bottom rank.