That Hilarious Time Joey Got His Head Stuck in a Turkey on Friends

“The One With All The Thanksgivings” (also known as “The One With The Thanksgiving Flashbacks”) is the eighth episode of the fifth season of Friends, which aired on November 19, 1998. In it, the gang reminisce about past Thanksgivings after Ross is miserable about his divorce and eviction. Chandler talks about his parents divorce, Phoebe talks about nursing soldiers in a past life where she lost an arm, Joey talks about the time he got a turkey stuck on his head, Monica talks about a time Chandler betrayed her, and Rachel reveals a secret about Monica that could ruin their relationship with Chandler.

Plot[]

Rosss complaint that his divorce and eviction means he is having the worst Thanksgiving ever prompts the others to tell their stories of bad holidays that they had gone by before. Chandler reminds everyone of the Thanksgiving where his parents told him they were getting a divorce. Phoebe then tells of a worse one from a past life where she lost an arm, though Ross disqualifies her story, limiting the tales to true lives. Rachel says she knows Monicas worst Thanksgiving, but Phoebe interrupts with a story about the Thanksgiving when Joey got a turkey stuck on his head. Joey intended to freak Chandler out with the turkey, so Phoebe, and later Monica, after she comes home, attempt to pull the turkey out. This results in Chandler being scared when he returns. Monica then tells the group what she thinks is her worst Thanksgiving. In 1987, Rachel, who has a big nose, comes over, upset about Chip Matthews dumping her for Nancy Branson. Ross brings Chandler home from college for Thanksgiving (with Ross having his Afro and Mustache and Chandler with a “Flock Of Seagulls” Hair Style). Rachel tells Monica, who is overweight, that she is through dating high school boys and wants to date men. Ross overhears this and tells Chandler that he is thinking of asking Rachel out and tells Chandler his plan. But, hearing it might be all night and Ross offers to let him stay at his house, Chandler blurts out that he doesnt want to be around his fat sister, which was overheard by Monica. Disgusted that he actually meant that, Monica stops overeating.

Back in the present, Chandler apologies to Monica for insulting her. Rachel reveals that story is not the story she was referring to. The flashbacks continue to 1988; Ross and Chandler (this time dressed like members of Miami Vice) arrive for dinner to find Monica has slimmed down, and Chandler now finds her attractive. Monica tells Rachel that she wants to humiliate Chandler for calling her fat, so Rachel suggests tricking him into taking off his clothes. Based on Rachels suggestion that she act like everything around her turns her on, Monica tries to seduce Chandler by rubbing various objects, including a knife, against herself. She accidentally drops the knife and severs his toe, due to the fact Chandlers shoes are very weak. He is rushed to hospital to have it reattached but, in the commotion, Monica unknowingly mixed up the digit with a small piece of 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, puts a fez hat and large glasses on it, and dances for him, making him inadvertently tell her he loves her for the first time in their relationship. And the turkey on Monicas head freaks Joey out. A tag scene shows another of Phoebes past life memories as she serves in a World War I field hospital in 1915, and again loses her arm.

Trivia[]

• When Monica drops the knife that severs Chandlers toe, the camera angle changes to look up and someones shadow moves across the ceiling.
• In the opening scene when Phoebe is trying to turn on the TV, the TV remote is laying on the table at an angle. When the shot changes it is laying straight, and then it is at an angle again. Then it was straight again, then back at an angle.
• There is a huge space next to Phoebe in front of Rachels room visible in some shots, which is clearly to give space for the cameras when shots are needed from that angle.
• When Monica accidentally throws the knife in the air, you can see as it is flying through the air it has no tip on it, but when we see it heading for Chandlers toe, it has a point.
• At the end of the episode where Monica is dancing with the turkey on her head, she places the fez on the top of the turkey and the glasses over the turkeys arms. When the camera angle changes, the fez jumps to a pinned-on position tilted back and the glasses are under the arms.
• The opening scene is immediately after Thanksgiving dinner is over. There is no explanation given for why Monica has another uncooked thawed turkey available to put on her head at the end of the episode. (Presumably it could be, like the huge turkey on Joeys head, intended for a later dinner with her parents.)
• When Chandler is in the hospital, the doctors gloves keep disappearing and reappearing.
• Monica clearly hates the three-dimensional portrait of Gladys in “The One With Ross Grant”; however, the portrait of Gladys can be seen in Monicas apartment. Also, Monica also asks whos Gladys in the Season 10 episode, when having it hung at her place somewhat implies that she should have known who she is. It could also be true that she did not know that the portrait was called Gladys. Secondly it can be seen that Gladys is red but in the later episode shes blue.
• There is a bug flying around Chandlers head shortly after he says he loves Monica.
• During the kitchen scene in 1988, the position of the glass bowl in front of Monica moves a few inches to the right between the first scene of Monica scraping carrots and Rachel leaving the kitchen even though she never touches it.
• Even though several minutes pass, the clock remains at five past eight from the moment when Monica first enters the kitchen to when Chandler enters.
• When Chandler says “Nothing, I said youre so great and then I just stopped talking” there is a feather that slowly drops behind him.
• Actor Joshua Preston[young Chandler] has brown eyes but Matthew Perry had/has blue.

Joey Gets His Head Stuck in a Turkey | Friends

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