Episode Synopsis:

The One With All The Thanksgivings (05.08)

This episode shows us the friends' memories of Thanksgivings we, the audience, didn't witness. In other words, it's not a "clip show," it's a flashback episode.

The group starts out saying what they are most thankful for. Ross, who's going through both a divorce from Emily and an eviction from his apartment (due to it belonging to a relative of Emily's), says it's the worst Thanksgiving ever.

The conversation then turns to stories of worst Thanksgivings. Chandler argues that his is the worst: finding out (at age nine) that his parents were divorcing. Phoebe protests and we see a flashback of her in a past life, working as a military nurse (with a Southern accent of some sort), losing an arm. After Ross specifies, "in this life, Phoebe," she agrees Chandler's bad Thanksgiving is worse. Joey comments that he doesn't have memories of past lives, at which point Phoebe pats him on the head and says, "of course not sweetie, you're brand new" (one of my favorite lines from the show).

Rachel says, "I know Monica's worst Thanksgiving," but Phoebe interrupts with the story of Joey putting a turkey on his head to scare Chandler, then getting stuck in there.

Monica tells of Thanksgiving 1987, when she and Rachel were seniors in high school, and Ross brought home college roommate Chandler to meet his family. We get to see frizzy-haired Ross, "fat Monica" and former nose Rachel again (along with Flock of Seagulls hairstyle Chandler), and I'm totally okay with that.

When 1987 Ross finds out Rachel was recently dumped, he tells Chandler he's going to make a move on her. He tells Chandler if things go well and he's out with Rachel all night, Chandler can stay over at the Gellar's house. Chandler brushes off this offer, saying he doesn't want to be stuck all night with Ross' "fat sister" (Monica). Monica, who had been immediately attracted to Chandler, overhears this and is heartbroken. She then refuses pie when her mother offers. We get the idea that this event was the motivation for Monica's weight loss.

Back in the present, Chandler apologizes to Monica for calling her fat, explaining that he doesn't remember it, and had bad judgement back then. He offers up rushing the stage at a Wham! concert as an example of said poor judgement. Rachel says that's not the story she was referring to, and Monica tries to shut her up. Eventually, the others pressure Monica into telling the real worst Thanksgiving story.

We are taken to 1988, where Ross and Chandler have ditched their former looks for Miami Vice attire, Rachel has a new nose and Monica is thin. When Chandler sees the slimmed-down Monica, he is a stunned and drooling mess. Monica tells Rachel she wants to humiliate Chandler to get back at him for calling her fat the previous year. Rachel suggests tricking him into getting undressed. Monica tries to seduce Chandler by rubbing various kitchen objects, including a knife, against her skin (after misinterpreting a piece of Rachel's advice). She drops the knife and severs the top of Chandler's toe. He is rushed to the hospital to have it reattached, but it is discovered Monica actually brought a piece of carrot to the hospital by mistake.

Chandler is upset after learning that he essentially lost his toe because he called Monica fat, and storms out. Monica (who is secretly his girlfriend at this point) comes over to apologize... with a turkey on her head. He says it won't work and he's still upset. She adds a fez and sunglasses. That doesn't quite do it, so she adds a wiggly dance to the mix. Chandler laughs and inadvertently tells her he loves her for the first time.

Joey arrives at the apartment and screams when he sees Monica, a call back to the story of Joey stuck in a turkey. As an add-on during the credits, we see Phoebe in yet another past life, this time as a French miliary nurse, losing an arm again.