The One with All the Thanksgivings

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“The One with the All the Thanksgivings”
Friends episode
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 8
Written by Gregory S. Malins
Directed by Kevin S. Bright
Guest stars Elliott Gould as Jack Geller
Christina Pickles as Judy Geller
Morgan Fairchild as Nora Tyler Bing
Original airdate November 19, 1998
Episode chronology
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"The One Where Ross Moves In" "The One with Ross's Sandwich"

"The One with All the Thanksgivings" (also known as "The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks") is the eighth episode of the fifth season of the American television situation comedy Friends, which first aired on NBC on November 19, 1998.[1] The plot sees the main characters recalling Thanksgivings from when they were younger.

The episode was directed by Kevin S. Bright, written by Gregory S. Malins and guest-stars Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles as Jack and Judy Geller, with a cameo appearance by Morgan Fairchild as Nora Tyler Bing.[1] It frequently ranks high in polls to determine the best episode of the series.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Ross's (David Schwimmer) complaint that his divorce and eviction means he his having the worst Thanksgiving ever prompts the others to tell their stories of bad holidays gone by. Chandler (Matthew Perry) reminds everyone of the Thanksgiving where his parents told him they were getting a divorce. Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) then tells of a worse one from a past life, though Ross disqualifies her story, limiting the tales to present lives. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) says she knows Monica's (Courteney Cox) worst Thanksgiving, but Phoebe interrupts with a story about the Thanksgiving when Joey (Matt LeBlanc) got a turkey stuck on his head. Monica then proceeds to tell her worst Thanksgiving, even after warning Chandler that he won't want to hear the story. In 1987, Ross brings Chandler home for Thanksgiving where Monica, who is overweight, overhears the latter call her fat.

Back in the present, Chandler says he does not remember calling her fat. The flashbacks continue to 1988; Ross and Chandler arrive for dinner to find Monica has slimmed down. Monica tells Rachel that she wants to humiliate Chandler for calling her fat, so Rachel suggests tricking him into taking off his clothes. Monica tries to seduce Chandler by rubbing various objects, including a knife, against her skin. She drops the knife and severs his toe. He is rushed to hospital to have it reattached but, in the commotion, Monica mixed up the digit with a carrot. In the present, Chandler becomes upset after learning that he had lost his toe because he called Monica fat, and angrily leaves. When Monica comes by his apartment seeking his forgiveness by putting a turkey on her head, he inadvertently tells her he loves her for the first time in their relationship. A tag scene shows another of Phoebe's past life memories as she serves in a first world war field hospital.[1]

[edit] Continuity Errors

The dates of the flashbacks create continuity errors for the series. The flashback to 1992 shows that Joey was already in the group; however, the Season 3 flashback episode`"The One With the Flashback" takes place in 1996 and flashes back three years to 1993, and shows how Joey first met the group. It is clear that at the beginning of the episode, the friends have eaten a whole Thanksgiving dinner. However at the end, Monica puts a whole turkey on her head to apologise to Chandler. Unless they had another whole turkey, or she went out to buy another turkey (which is very unlikely), this is an error.

[edit] Reception

Entertainment Weekly rates the episode "B+", calling the "pre-nose job" Rachel and "Fat Monica" great sight gags and citing Joey's line "It's not so much an underpant as it is a feat of engineering" (in reference to a thong) as the best of the episode.[2] The authors of Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends write "This unusual episode is one of the series' best ever, with the non-stop comedy roller-coaster suddenly throwing a brilliant surprise ending at you".[1]

Debra McGuire was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, while the mixers were nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special.[3] The popularity of this episode saw it included on one of the first region 1 "best of" DVD releases.[4]


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Sangster, Jim; David Bailey (2000). Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends, 2nd ed., London: Virgin Publishing Ltd, pp.285–288. ISBN 0-7535-0439-1. 
  2. ^ Staff writer. "Review: Season 5 (1998–1999)", Entertainment Weekly, 2001-09-15. Retrieved on 2007-08-19. 
  3. ^ Multiple authors. Award for "Friends" (1994). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
  4. ^ Time Warner (2000-11-14). "Warner Home Video Brings the Emmy-Winning TV Show FRIENDS To DVD and VHS for the First Time on December 19". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.

[edit] External links

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