The Definitive Ranking of Every Friends Thanksgiving Episode
By Emily Scott
Friends, “The One With All The Thanksgivings,” Screencap via Warner Bros.
4. The One With All The Thanksgivings
Ross is getting divorced (again), but also evicted over the holidays, so he claims that he’s having the worst Thanksgiving ever. The other friends challenge him on that. Chandler cites when he learned of his parents’ divorce. Phoebe recalls a Thanksgiving from a past life in which she lost an arm as a battlefield nurse. Joey once put his head inside a turkey and got it stuck. But Monica’s worst Thanksgiving involves a time that Chandler visited the Geller house in high school, where she overheard him calling her fat. The next year at Thanksgiving, she attempted to use her newly thin physique to embarrass him, with disastrous results for both involved. The stories result in tension between Chandler and Monica, which can only be solved by ridiculous physical comedy.
Sneakily Feminist Quote:
Chandler: I called you fat? I don’t even remember that!
Monica: Well, I do.
Political Correction: Treatment of “Fat Monica.” There are many and varied issues with the way that Friends treats “Fat Monica,” the first being that “Fat Monica” is just A REGULAR-SIZED PERSON. Creating storylines around how disgusting her body is would be irresponsible regardless of her practical size, let alone the fact that she’s barely big enough for Lane Bryant. Secondly, “Fat Monica” is pretty much always having more fun than thin Monica. I have this theory that Monica’s anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies stem from her relationship with food. And then, Chandler gets angry? When he was the one who insulted Monica? I realize she cut his toe off, that’s granted. But at least that was an accident! The fat-shaming of “Fat Monica” is dumb and gross throughout the series.
Best Moment: Monica putting the turkey on her head and Chandler telling her he loves her for the first time. As judgmental as I am about this show, everybody adores a good love story.
Ranking: 4/10. The backstory episodes of Friends are always super fun. And Chandler shows real remorse for having treated Monica poorly, which is pretty rare in this show.