I don’t know about the rest of you, but Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Not only does it fall just when you realize that you’re in desperate need of a mental break, but it’s full of family, food and football. If you’re anything like me, curling up on the couch and watching some TV sounds like the perfect way to end the holiday. We here at ing love TV and Thanksgiving-themed TV episodes. Read on to see if your favorite made it into our top three!
How I Met Your Mother: “Slapsgiving”
There were a lot of things HIMYM did right during its time on television (except for that ending). Its “Slapsgiving” Thanksgiving Special is definitely one of those things. In the episode, Marshall reminds Barney of a bet they made in which the winner would be awarded five slaps to use on the loser whenever they see fit. In an attempt to scare Barney, Marshall begins referring to Thanksgiving as “Slapsgiving”, mentioning that he’d use his third slap during the holiday. The hilarity mixed with the torment Marshall puts Barney through makes for a perfect comedy.
Gif courtesy of How I Met Your Mother on CBS
New Girl: “Thanksgiving III”
If you haven’t seen New Girl you’re missing out. It’s the quirky comedy you absolutely need in your life. In the third Thanksgiving episode of the series, Nick decides that he needs to prove his manliness to his roommates by celebrating Thanksgiving in the woods, hunting for their dinner and surviving in the wilderness. Once they’re thrown in the woods, the gang goes crazy and Jess ends up eating a dead fish. It’s not the Thanksgiving celebration anyone would’ve expected, but it sure is entertaining to watch!
Gif courtesy of New Girl on Fox
Regular Show: “The Thanksgiving Special”
The best part of the cartoon Regular Show is that every episode is anything but ordinary, and the Thanksgiving special is no exception. Mordecai and Rigby ruin Thanksgiving by playing football in the house and trashing all of the food that their friends had been working so hard to prepare. In an attempt to save the holiday, the pair enters a contest to write the best Thanksgiving song and win a turducken—a turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. Once Mordecai and Rigby write a song that truly captures the meaning of Thanksgiving, their competitors begin causing trouble. If you’re looking for a song to get you in the holiday spirit, this episode is the way to go.
Gif courtesy of Regular Show on Cartoon Network
As you prepare to stuff yourself with the best holiday food, log into your Netflix or Hulu account to cue up our top three Thanksgiving Specials. Sit back, relax and enjoy the holiday!
Maggie Morgan is a junior majoring in Professional Writing with a concentration in Creative Writing. Hobbies include: spending all of her money on concert tickets, trying to convince Green Day to let her be their friend, geeking out about music history and dreaming of writing for Rolling Stone. You can follow her on instagram at @swaggie_.maggie.