Television's craziest Thanksgiving dinners

While Christmas episodes of TV shows can be hit or miss, Thanksgiving episodes are usually great because the format naturally builds momentum toward one key moment - the Thanksgiving dinner. Depending on the style of the show, the dinner moment can be an opportunity for apologies, announcements or arguments. Today, we're picking some key Thanksgiving dinner scenes from across TV and scoring them based on some key factors. Before we get into it, thank you, as always, for reading & subscribing. While I've been writing it a little less frequently this year, I love this newsletter and am thankful for your subscription! Wishing you a drama-free holiday!

A few notes about scoring... in order to earn the most points, drama needs to take place at or around the dinner table. For something to qualify as "storming off," people need to leave the immediate room. 

FRIENDS - SEASON 8 - THE ONE WITH THE RUMOR
Setting the stage (or... table): The episode is titled The One with the Rumor but it might as well be called The One with Brad Pitt. Remember it now? He joins Thanksgiving dinner and sparks old high school drama between Ross and Rachel. Meanwhile Joey tries to eat an entire turkey.
Unexpected Guest: 7/10 - Not only was Rachel not expecting Will to attend (and doesn't remember him...), Will is the single reason for all of the drama after he reveals he and Ross used to be in an I Hate Rachel Greene Club.
Awkward Conversation: 8/10 - When you reunite people who knew each other in high school, plenty of awkward conversation & secrets are revealed.
Exes Dining Together: 10/10 - While the drama doesn't center around past romantic relationships, this is a Ross/Rachel episode.
Apology, Argument or Announcement: 10/10 - We've got all three! Arguments over past high school pettiness, apologies between Ross/Rachel to focus on the fact that they're having a baby together & the announcement (to Will at least) about the pregnancy.
Someone Storms Off: 0/10 - Despite the tension, no one actually storms out of Monica's apartment, except for Joey, but that's just to get some Thanksgiving pants!
Total Drama Score: 35/50

PARENTHOOD - SEASON 2 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING 
Setting the stage (or... table): The Bravermans gather at the grandparents' house for annual Thanksgiving dinner, while minor drama and one point of major drama simmers.
Unexpected Guest: 10/10 - Sarah is dating Adam's boss, Gordon, and announces to everyone on Thanksgiving morning that he'll be joining them for dinner. Unbeknownst to Sarah, Gordon announced to Adam that he's sold the company. He also made this announcement on Thanksgiving morning for some reason??
Awkward Conversation: 3/10 - Things stay pretty civil at dinner! We've got some family teasing about exes, everyone mocking Gordon's hair gel when he leaves the table and a surprise phone call from Amber and Drew's father. 
Exes Dining Together: 0/10 - We're all family here.
Apology, Argument or Announcement: 3/10 - There is some minor tension at dinner, but the real drama begins afterwards on the football fields.
Someone Storms Off: 8/10 - While it's not technically at dinner, we do have to give points for the dramatic post-football game yell, "He sold the company, Sarah!" We cut to black afterwards for a commercial break, but Adam must have stormed off after that, right?
Total Drama Score: 24/50

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS - SEASON 4 - THANKSGIVING
Setting the stage (or... table): It's the season finale, and it's been a rough road for the Taylors. In addition to Thanksgiving prep, Coach Taylor is also getting his team ready for their final game of the season, which means not only is there Thanksgiving dinner, there's also Thanksgiving practice.
Unexpected Guest: 8/10 - Everyone is gathering at the Taylor house for today's meal, including Matt, who Julie didn't realize was home from college. And Buddy, who Tami didn't realize was invited. Thanks for the night before heads up, Coach! "He's coming, and he's bringing a turkey."
Awkward Conversation: 5/10 - Billy Riggins gives a slightly awkward but sweet toast because he thinks he's going to jail, which hits home for Mindi and Tim, but the rest of the table has no idea why he's talking. Buddy brought his own deep fried turkey and Tami quietly (and ever so politely) shows her annoyance as people at the table compliment his bird.
Exes Dining Together: 7/10 - We've got a couple of sets of exes here! Buddy and Angela. Matt and Julie. But they keep things together for the sake of the group.
Apology, Argument or Announcement: 2/10 - Billy doesn't apologize explicitly in his toast, but it's implied.
Someone Storms Off: 0/10 - Despite the awkward pairings, this Thanksgiving dinner is short and sweet. We've got to get to the big game!
Total Drama Score: 22/50

GILMORE GIRLS - SEASON 3 - A DEEP-FRIED KOREAN THANKSGIVING 
Setting the stage (or... table): Our Gilmore girls have been invited to four Thanksgiving dinners. Today, we'll be centering on the dinner with the most drama, which naturally takes place at Richard and Emily's house. The last time these four were together it ended in an argument during Rory's campus tour of Yale.
Unexpected Guest: 0/10 - Everyone is invited to this dinner, although Lorelai hoped to get out of attending.
Awkward Conversation: 3/10 - We've got some normal awkward banter as new people meet each other, but Lorelai quickly charms them by quoting the lyrics to Lady Marmalade to the French guests, much to her father's horror.
Exes Dining Together: 0/10 - In addition to Rory and Lorelai, we've got four more of Richard and Emily's friends but no exes!
Apology, Argument or Announcement: 10/10 - After what one of the guests thought was some casual conversation, Rory is pressed to announce to the table that she did indeed apply to Yale, in addition to Harvard, reigniting the family tension from the previous episode.
Someone Storms Off: 10/10 - Lorelai storms off after the announcement that her daughter made the crazy decision to apply to more than one Ivy League school (it's a back-up!!!).
Total Drama Score: 23/50

FELICITY - SEASON 2 - FAMILY AFFAIRS
Setting the stage (or... table): While season one's Thanksgiving episode remains my favorite, that dinner takes place over a Coco Love Alcorn song meaning there's little room for analysis. Season two brigs more excitement. Felicity's parents show up unexpectedly to surprise her and assume things are more serious between her boyfriend of a few weeks than they actually are. In the end, Felicity, her boyfriend, his mother (who also happens to be Felicity and Noel's professor), Noel, Elena, Meghan and Felicity's parents all end up together for dinner. Felicity contemplates breaking up with her boyfriend before dinner takes place.
Unexpected Guest: 8/10 - Meghan is the only truly unexpected guest. But Noel is not happy about his professor eating dinner in his apartment.
Awkward Conversation: 3/10 - It's a messy group of people, but our real drama comes after the moments of awkward banter.
Exes Dining Together: 10/10 - Not only do we have Noel and Felicity dining together... they also shared a drunken pre-dinner kiss that was interrupted by their professor.
Apology, Argument or Announcement: 8/10 - The pre-dinner kiss sets the stage for a major argument among the group.
Someone Storms Off: 10/10 - Felicity's professor literally gets up and asks to speak to her in the middle of dinner. She then berates Felicity and everyone eventually joins them in the bedroom and find out that Felicity and Noel kissed.
Total Drama Score: 39/50

NEW GIRL - SEASON 2 - PARENTS
Setting the stage (or... table): It's Thanksgiving and everyone is at the loft! We've got the usual loft mates, Jess' parents and Schmidt's cousin. It's important to note that her parents are played by Jamie Lee Curtis (Joan) and Rob Reiner (Bob).
Unexpected Guest: 10/10 - Jess *pretended* to schedule her parents at separate times throughout the day, but they both unexpectedly show up at the same time. While it's a surprise for her parents, Jess actually planned it this way to try and stage a parent trap.
Awkward Conversation: 5/10 - Joan and Bob hook up right before dinner and the rest of the loft mates know, so dinner is filled with gentle nudging to try and get them to admit the truth. Meanwhile, Schmidt and his cousin are participating in the "One True Schmidt" competition, which adds another weird layer to the whole meal.
Exes Dining Together: 10/10 - While Cece and Schmidt don't have any drama, it's still important to note that they're exes. But obviously the real drama centers around Joan and Bob.
Apology, Argument or Announcement: 3/10 - While it's not a real announcement, Joan and Bob remind Jess that while they hooked up, they're not getting back together. Things get briefly more heated when Jess/Cece/Joan bring up high school tension.
Someone Storms Off: 10/10 - Jess storms off during dinner and dumps the turkey into the sink but things quickly get resolved.
Total Drama Score: 38/50

GOSSIP GIRL - SEASON 1 - BLAIR WALDORF MUST PIE 
Setting the stage (or... table): We travel to a couple of Thanksgiving dinner throughout the episode but the main event takes place at Dan's house, as all of our characters flash back and forth between this year's Thanksgiving and last year's.
Unexpected Guest: 10/10 - Lily is dragged to dinner at Dan's house. The kids don't know that Lily and Rufus used to date. Lily doesn't realize Dan's mom, Susan, is back in town. And Rufus and Susan didn't know Lily was coming.
Awkward Conversation: 3/10 - We've got some underhanded barbs between Lily/Rufus/Susan but things really take a turn when the conversation reveals that one of Rufus' songs was written about Lily and not Susan! The betrayal!
Exes Dining Together: 10/10 - Ding ding ding. 
Apology, Argument or Announcement: 10/10 - Eventually after some pressing from the kids, Rufus admits that he and Lily used to date.
Someone Storms Off: 10/10 - Susan storms off after the announcement and the rest of the kids quickly follow as everyone processes the announcement, the lie and the fact that Dan/Serena are dating and their parents also used to date.
Total Drama Score: 43/50