It's Thanksgiving and Monica's parents are coming to visit, which is a problem because, not only they do not like Chandler, they also don't know that he and Monica are living together. Rachel is tasked with making a Thanksgiving dessert, but she does so with mixed results. Meanwhile, Joey and Ross are eager to finish the dinner and leave, because they want to go to a Thanksgiving party with Janine and her dancer friends.
Thanksgiving chaos generates 62 jokes in 22 minutes, but lands below Friends' season average.
Directed by Kevin S. Bright · Written by Greg Malins
WAR
16.7
Wins Above Replacement
“The One Where Ross Got High” ranks #215 of 236 Friends episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 65.4 — Mixed. The episode packs 62 scored jokes at 2.9 per minute, averaging 6.3 on craft and 6.3 on impact, with Ross landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Joey: It's got all the things I love! Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, good!
Joey Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Joey: Beef? BEEF?! In a dessert?!
Ross: Well, yes, but the real issue is we didn't use enough jam.
Ross: I made a trifle. It's got all these layers, and - it took me three days.
Joey: Oh wow, what is this? It tastes like feet!
Ross: What? No, it doesn't!
Joey: Mmm, yeah, feet! But good feet, you know?
Ross Joey Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Chandler: I won you over with my charm.
Monica: You won me over because I was drunk.
Monica Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Rachel: It's a trifle. It's got all of these layers. And if you eat it correctly, you will get some sponge cake, some custard, some jam, some more custard, it goes sponge, custard, jam, custard, sponge, custard, jam, and then beef.
Joey: Beef?
Rachel: Meat! Meat!
Monica: You put beef in a trifle?
Rachel: Well, I thought it would be good!
Rachel Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback All Jokes — 62 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Unknown: Why is it called Thanksgiving?
Unknown: Because you give thanks.
Ross: You don't have to beg.
Monica: Well, you could still beg if you wanted to.
Monica: Rachel, 'cooking' is not just opening a box of Lean Cuisine and hoping for the best.
Monica Character Comedy Observational Monica: Why don't you start with something smaller? Like breakfast.
Rachel: Breakfast?
Monica: Or a snack.
Rachel: A snack?
Monica: Toast.
Monica Escalation Character Comedy Rachel: Cooking is easy if you just follow the recipe.
Rachel: See? It says 'boil salt.' So I boiled salt.
Rachel Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Monica: Who's coming to Thanksgiving dinner?
Chandler: I'm thinking... Mel Gibson?
Phoebe: Oh, that reminds me. My mother used to say that turkeys have feelings too, and I just... I can't do it anymore.
Chandler: Well, you see, if I tell my parents we're dating, then they'll know we're dating. And if they know we're dating, they'll ask questions. And if they ask questions, I'll have to answer them. And if I answer them, they'll know the answers. So really, by not telling them, I'm actually protecting them from knowing things they don't need to know.
Monica: They think you're immature, you're not ambitious, you make stupid jokes at inappropriate times, you can't commit to anything, and you're not good enough for me.
Chandler: Well, now I'm starting to think maybe you don't like these things about me either.
Chandler: I won you over with my charm.
Monica: You won me over because I was drunk.
Monica Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Ross: They don't like you because you're not ambitious, you're not very bright, and you have no job prospects.
Chandler: Hey! I don't appreciate you guessing!
Joey: Happy Thanksgiving.
Chandler: Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
Joey: You know what? If you don't stop with the sarcasm, I'm gonna take away your Thanksgiving.
Chandler: Oh no, please don't do that.
Joey: And then I'm gonna take away your Christmas.
Chandler: Okay, okay, I'll stop.
Joey: And if you keep it up, I'm gonna take away your PlayStation.
Joey Escalation Character Comedy Joey: You always do this! You never listen to me!
Chandler: That's not true! I listen to everything you say.
Joey: No you don't! You're always making jokes instead of taking me seriously!
Chandler: Okay, okay, you're right. I'm sorry. Joey, I love you, man.
Joey: Hey guys!
Phoebe: No, Joey. No. Whatever you're about to ask me, the answer is no.
Phoebe Misdirection Character Comedy Tag: My friends can't cook, so they'll just drink.
Joey: Wait, wait, wait. Did you say your friends can't cook?
Chandler: Because we're suddenly very interested in this party.
Phoebe: Yeah, well, understanding women through Monica really worked out great for you. How many times have you been divorced now?
Phoebe Character Comedy Observational Callback Rachel: I'm melting butter!
Monica: Wow, Rachel, that's amazing. You've discovered fire. Next you'll be inventing the wheel.
Monica Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Phoebe: What are you making for dessert?
Monica: Well, I was thinking of making a seven-layer chocolate torte with hand-spun sugar work, a champagne mousse filling, edible gold leaf, and fresh raspberries flown in from France... Nothing.
Phoebe: Oh.
Monica Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Rachel: How do I know when the butter is done melting?
Monica: When it stops screaming.
Monica Setup/Punchline Visual Gag Chandler: Yeah, she's not bad.
Joey: Hey, come on! The pilgrims left England for a better life, right? Well, I'm leaving for hot dancer girls. It's the same thing! It's the American dream, man. Thanksgiving is all about leaving for something better. And these girls are definitely better. So technically, I'm being very Thanksgiving-y.
Joey Absurdist Misdirection Monica: Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Chandler Bing. He's my boyfriend.
Mrs. Geller: Hello, Chandler. How... nice.
Chandler: So, uh, quite a weather we're having, huh? All that snow out there...
Mr. Geller: No.
Mr. Geller: You see, the snow is a precip—
Monica: Dad, why don't you tell them about your back?
Mr. Geller: Well, I was shoveling the driveway when I felt a sharp pain...
Monica: He has a very distinctive laugh.
Chandler: Thank you.
Monica: It's not a compliment. It means you laugh at things no one else thinks are funny.
Monica Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Phoebe: I had this dream about your dad, and it totally changed how I see him.
Rachel: Really? That's nice.
Phoebe: Yeah, it was really romantic.
Rachel: Oh my God, Phoebe, no. The only image I have of my father is him walking in on me in the shower when I was sixteen.
Mr. Geller: So Chandler, what does your father do for a living?
Chandler: Well, he's a... he's a drag queen. In Las Vegas. He works in a—he's part of a Las Vegas—in a nightclub. He works in a nightclub. And he wears... women's clothing.
Chandler Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist Callback Rachel: It's a trifle. It's got all of these layers. And if you eat it correctly, you will get some sponge cake, some custard, some jam, some more custard, it goes sponge, custard, jam, custard, sponge, custard, jam, and then beef.
Joey: Beef?
Rachel: Meat! Meat!
Monica: You put beef in a trifle?
Rachel: Well, I thought it would be good!
Rachel Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Joey: Beef? BEEF?! In a dessert?!
Ross: Well, yes, but the real issue is we didn't use enough jam.
Monica: Oh my God! Rachel, you didn't separate the recipes! You made half of the beef trifle and half of the tiramisu!
Rachel: What? They were stuck together!
Monica: So you just... combined them? Do you have any idea what you've created?
Chandler: The London fog of desserts?
Chandler: We're gonna miss the dancer party!
Joey: It'll be like when the Nazis invaded Poland.
Chandler: Joey, that's not... we're not Poland!
Chandler Callback Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Joey: Does the heat make you want to undress?
Janine: No.
Joey: Well, the apartment isn't hot enough then. I'm turning up the thermostat.
Phoebe: Oh my God, I want to be a carrot.
Phoebe Absurdist Character Comedy Mrs. Geller: Oh my God, you're high!
Chandler: What? No, I'm not!
Mrs. Geller: Yes you are. I remember when Monica told us you were high that Thanksgiving.
Ross: I blamed it on Chandler.
Ross: I told them he jumped out the window.
Ross Setup/Punchline Escalation Chandler: How could you think the lie wouldn't matter?
Ross: Well, I was high.
Ross Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Ross: Oh, and there's one more thing you did when you were high.
Chandler: What?
Ross: You put all of my vinyl records in the microwave.
Chandler: I did not!
Ross: Yes, you did. You said you wanted to see if they'd spin.
Monica: Oh yeah, that's so romantic. They're only interested in you for your body.
Monica Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Rachel: I can't believe you burned the chicken again!
Rachel: Well, at least it's not as bad as that time you made 'the casserole incident.'
Rachel: Wait... did I just create that phrase by trying to prevent it?
Rachel Irony/Sarcasm Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Monica: Thanksgiving doesn't require honesty. It requires turkey, stuffing, and a sweet potato casserole. That's it. Nobody needs to know about the cooking mistake.
Monica Setup/Punchline Absurdist Monica: Ross, I can't believe you! You're always objectifying women and reducing them to their appearance.
Ross: What? Monica, I would never—
Monica: I'm just messing with you. I don't care at all.
Ross: Rachel, can we talk for a second?
Rachel: Oh my God, Ross! Yes! I've been waiting for you to say something!
Ross: You have?
Rachel: Yes! I want to be with you too!
Ross: Wait, what? No, I just wanted to ask if you borrowed my—
Rachel: We're going to be so happy together!
Rachel: Ross, I can't. I'm with someone.
Ross: Oh, right. Of course. I wasn't... I mean, I wasn't going to...
Rachel: It's okay. I'm flattered, really.
Ross: Yeah. Yeah, well, you know me. Always thinking of you that way.
Ross Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Joey: Okay, so you just have to pretend to like the food. It's not that hard.
Joey: I mean, I've been doing it my whole life.
Joey: Wait... why am I charging you people for classes?
Monica: Oh my God!
Chandler: What? What is it?
Monica: It tastes like feet!
Joey: What?
Phoebe: Oh! Wait, wait. I think I know what happened. I think I accidentally put beef sautéed with peas and onions in the trifle.
Rachel: You what?
Ross: You made a trifle?
Phoebe: Yeah, but I got confused because all of the sudden they were on the same shelf.
Monica: Oh God!
Ross Visual Gag Cringe/Discomfort Ross: I need to... whilst I'm thinking of it, I should probably head to the... the thing. At the... place. You know, that thing I mentioned earlier? That I have to do? Whilst everyone's here?
Chandler: I was eating a lot of candy and I was looking in the mirror and I thought my teeth looked weird so I didn't want to eat the trifle in front of anybody.
Ross: I made a trifle. It's got all these layers, and - it took me three days.
Joey: Oh wow, what is this? It tastes like feet!
Ross: What? No, it doesn't!
Joey: Mmm, yeah, feet! But good feet, you know?
Ross Joey Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Joey: It's got all the things I love! Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, good!
Joey Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Chandler: A bird took it. Yeah, this big bird came down, picked it right up with its talons, and flew away with it.
Chandler: But you know what? Before it flew away, I could tell by the look on its face... it really enjoyed it.
Ross: I'm gonna need a bigger belt.
Ross: I am not a tattletale!
Monica: You just told Mom and Dad about my pregnancy before I did.
Ross: That's different! ...Tattletale.
Ross: Okay, okay! You want to know what really happened to the apartment building during Hurricane Gloria? Monica didn't save it from the storm—she caused the damage herself! She was trying to organize the linen closet and knocked over a shelf. Then she panicked and made up this whole story about being a hero!
Monica: ROSS!
Monica: Oh, you want secrets? Ross got married and divorced. Again. It's like his thing now.
Ross: Monica!
Monica: What? Everyone's going to find out anyway. You can't keep a marriage secret for long.
Monica Escalation Callback Callback Phoebe: I'm in love with an oceanographer!
Rachel: OK, fine. I burned the lasagna. I burned it really bad. The smoke alarm went off three times.
Monica: Three times? Rachel, how is that even possible?
Rachel: I kept trying to fix it! And then I may have... left it in while I was on the phone with my mom.
Chandler: So what you're saying is, you committed a crime against Italian food?
Rachel: I'm saying I ordered Chinese food and told everyone Monica made it.
Joey: I just wanna go to the strip club.
Joey Character Comedy Absurdist Ross: I was tricked! Nobody told me you had to be conscious to get divorced!
Chandler: Well, thank you, Mr. Geller. That means a lot coming from you.
Mr. Geller: I'm serious. You've been there for Ross through everything—his divorce, his career struggles, his love life disasters.
Chandler: Aw, you know, that's what friends do. We support each other.
Mr. Geller: Exactly. It's rare to find a friend as loyal and dependable as you are.
Chandler: I don't know what to say. I'm just... I'm honored, sir.
Rachel: Wait, so you're telling me the beef was the problem? I thought it was the jam!
Monica: Rachel, it was all of it.
Rachel: But I looked up the recipe, and it said layers of sponge cake, custard, and jam. I had all three!
Chandler: Yeah, but then you added ground beef.
Rachel: Well maybe the cookbook was wrong!
Joey: What? It was good!
Monica: Joey, it had beef in it!
Joey: I know!
Phoebe Joey Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Chandler: What? I'm telling you, it happened! There was a bird, a very large bird, and it flew right into my apartment through the window.
Chandler: No, no, it wasn't a pigeon. It was like... an eagle. A bald eagle. Very majestic.
Chandler: Why would I make this up? The bird then ate my sandwich, my whole sandwich, and flew away with my wallet.
Chandler: Look, I know how it sounds, but I'm telling you the truth. That eagle knew exactly what it was doing.
Mr. Geller: Janine? I feel like we've met before.
Janine: We have. You were my gynecologist.
Janine Callback Cringe/Discomfort Callback ⏩ The part you fast-forward
Our scorer flagged 04:00-05:00 as the stretch with the fewest or weakest comedic moments. Everything else lands harder.
