friends holiday marathon

This year on Thanksgiving, Dave and I watched all 10 Thanksgiving episodes from Friends, and wrote little reviews and picked out our favorite quotes from each one. As I was searching online for photos of each episode to complement my post, I discovered that EW.com did the exact same thing this year for Thanksgiving. So there ya go. I guess I could have been a writer for EW after all.

Our favorites for Best Overall Thanksgiving Episode?

3rd Place: Season 10 - The One with the Late Thanksgiving (above)
Everyone wants to have dinner at Monica & Chandler's except for M & C, who say it's too much work. But they agree to host the meal anyway (Chandler proudly prepares the cranberries and boasts about them many times, to which Monica responds, "A monkey could do it!"), and the other friends are late for one reason or another, making M & C very angry. The result is an episode full of funny one-liners and riffs on things as silly as rock-paper-scissors (Joey: "Fire beats everything!" Phoebe: "Mm-mm... water balloon!") and foam fingers from sporting events. Jokes about spelling bees and beauty pageants also fit in there somewhere, but Chandler steals the show with his ongoing obsession over his cranberries, "or should I call them Chan-berries?"

2nd Place: Season 6 - The One Where Ross Got High
Dave and I have watched this episode about ten times this year. It's one of our favorites. Everyone's over for Thanksgiving as normal, including Ross & Monica's folks. Remember? It's the Thanksgiving "where Rachel messed up the trifle". She made a trifle with the usual dessert fixin's and then threw in a layer of beef sauteed with peas and onions (accidentally combining the recipes for trifle and shepherd's pie). Ross declared it "tastes like feet!" and Joey gobbled it up in true Joey fashion. Classic. But the best part for us is the climactic argument where Mon & Ross are trying to one-up each other in front of their parents, and Mrs. Geller finally gives one of the best monologues ever, chastising everyone in the room with her scathing tone, concluding with: "Rachel, you weren't supposed to put beef in the trifle. It. Did. Not. Taste. Good." Dave and I quote this one to each other all the time.

1st Place: Season 8 - The One With the Rumor
Two words: Brad Pitt.
When he was still married to Aniston, he guested as a formerly fat high school classmate of Rachel's, Monica's, & Ross', over for Thanksgiving dinner. He & Ross formed the "I hate Rachel Green" club and spread unpleasant rumors about her that spread all across Long Island (even Chandler heard about it, before he was her friend). Perfect irony that his character "hated" Rachel. Lots of classic moments and genuine laughs (Phoebe hilariously represents every female watching when she gleefully hugs Brad Pitt, looking to heaven and saying, "Well done".)

Best lines:

Phoebe: "Oh, come on Will, just take off your shirt and tell us!" (to Pitt, when he was hesitant to share the rumor)

Chandler: "It'd be better for my ego if you didn't stand right next to me." (to Pitt)

Will (Pitt): "My two greatest enemies, Ross: Rachel Green & complex carbohydrates."

Most folks would agree this is one of the best Friends episodes ever.

Favorite Five

Anna posted recently about networks showing reruns in light of the writer's strike (which could affect our tv-watching enjoyment if something doesn't get worked out soon!)... and asked us which shows we'd enjoy watching in reruns. I thought about it. It's basically the same question as "Which shows would I want to buy on dvd?" In my new list format, here's my "favorite five tv shows to watch in reruns or own on dvd":


1. The Wonder Years. Easy. I've wanted this on dvd since dvd's were invented. If only they could get those stupid music-rights-issues settled! You may recall, the show utilized a ton of classic sixties music to underscore the emotion of the storytelling. If it is to be transferred to dvd, they'd have to redo each episode with different songs due to money & rights issues. I don't know how else to describe it because I'm not that bright when it comes to the details. Anyway, TWY will always be one of my favorite tv shows ever. I am the same age as Fred Savage, so I more or less grew up with Kevin as the show progressed over the years. (Random scene: in the finale, Kevin follows Winnie to a summer camp place where she's working, and confronts her at the pool. He's wearing a t-shirt with a tomato on it - I have no idea why - and after she rejects him, the narrator's voice says all seriously, "I felt I had been shot... right through the tomato." Even in its poignancy and drama, the show was very funny.)


2. Sports Night. One of the best series I have ever had the privilege of watching. Dave & I watched it on dvd those early weeks after Lucy was born (thanks, Rob!). Witty, smart, hilarious, moving, romantic. Unforgettable. Come to think of it, if anyone seriously wants to get this for me as a Christmas gift, I'd be all over that.

3. My So-Called Life. I saw a few episodes of this coming-of-age classic on vhs, thanks to my old roomie Brie. I liked what I saw. It was compelling and entertaining. It ended too early, making it that much better. Having only seen some of it only one time, I'd love to view it again.


4. Freaks and Geeks. I haven't seen any episodes of this show, and I hear it's pretty great. Also plagued by great reviews and early cancellation. Plus, it's got Marshall in it. I love Marshall.


5. Veronica Mars. I have to give this show a shout-out because Dave & I recently discovered it at our local library. Twisty, turny, snarky, fun little show about a sassy high-school girl who is something of a Nancy Drew. We love it. It's like Lost: who thinks up this stuff? It's so complicated and brilliant. Alas, our library doesn't yet carry season 3. No spoilers, please!

What about you? If first-run shows are history for the time being, which shows would you choose for your prime time viewing?