While there may not be a lot oftraditional Thanksgiving movies, when it comes to television, the holiday is a staple for many classic series. One series that truly relishes Thanksgiving is the animated Fox seriesBob’s Burgers.Bob’s Burgerspremiered in 2011 and follows the Belcher family as they run their burger restaurant. The titular character Bob is both a cook and a restaurant owner who loves Thanksgiving. It is a holiday that allows him to experiment with different types of flavors for his Thanksgiving dinner, and often sees his family having to put up with his more eccentric behaviors.
The series has aired a Thanksgiving episode every season since season three (seasons one and two premiered in January) and it has now become an annual tradition for the series. With that in mind, these are the bestBob’s BurgersThanksgiving episodes ranked.
6Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid - Season 11
“Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid” sees Gene quarantined in the bathroom on Thanksgiving due to being sick. The family tells him stories based around food to ease his sadness of not being able to partake in dinner with parodies ofThe Predator,Air Force One, andArmageddon.
While written and animated before the COVID-19 pandemic, the episode aired in November 2020 and became a weirdly relevant episode as many families were not able to spend the holidays with one another as they were forced to isolate and quarantine. The episode also stands up as a great insight into the relationship between Bob and Gene, as Bob recognizes Gene is the only one in his family who is actually excited to try Bob’s new recipes. It is a touching moment in an episode filled with crass humor in a way that onlyBob’s Burgerscan pull off.
5Now We’re Not Cooking With Gas - Season 10
“Now We’re Cooking With Gas” features Bob finally getting his chance to enjoy a rare turkey he has been waiting five years to get his hands on. While he drives slowly to save the turkey, a gas leak prevents him from using his stove. Bob goes to extreme measures to cook his turkey, but in the process begins to lose sight of the meaning of the holiday which eventually comes.
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The episode is a great example of Bob’s more controlling side, showcasing he can be just as odd, eccentric, and off the rails as any family member. It is a great lesson in that even if the circumstances are not ideal, it is more about the people you are with that make the holiday.
4The Quirk-Ducers - Season 7
Gene and Louise devise a plan to put on a show so bad and offensive it gets their school assembly canceled, so they can have a half day at school. They use Tina’s erotic self-help fiction as the basis, who originally is not aware the show is meant to be a flop. When she discovers the truth, she is initially angry but eventually goes along with it when she sees everyone wants a half day.
Yet something strange happens, the show actually does become a meaningful expression despite Louise’s attempt to make it flop. Modeled afterMel Brooks’The Producers, “The Quirk-Ducers” really puts the spotlight on the kids not putting the focus on the actual Thanksgiving dinner but on the build-up to the holiday break.
3Dawn of the Peck - Season 5
“Dawn of the Peck” is a homageto zombie movieslikeDawn of the Dead(with an apparent influence ofThe Birds). Linda and the kids decide to go to the pier for Mr. Fischoeder’s running of the turkeys (yet his brother Felix cheapens out and only gets a few turkeys which mainly feature ducks and chickens) and Bob decides to protest by not making Thanksgiving dinner and having time to himself alone.
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Things go crazy as the birds begin to overtake everything, and a lonely drunken Bob decides he needs to make Thanksgiving dinner after having a conversation with his turkey baster. “Dawn of the Peck” features all the great character-centric comedy one expects fromBob’s Burgerswhile also functioning as a great genre homage.
2Thanks-hoarding - Season 8
Teddy is a great supporting character and “Thanks-hoarding” gives great insight into both Teddy’s home life as well as his family. When Teddy’s family decides to spend Thanksgiving with him, he enlists the Belcher family for help and while Bob cooks the dinner the family discovers Teddy is a hoarder.
Teddy has always been agreat supporting character inBob’s Burgers, but episodes that put him front and center do a great job of showing him not just as a funny side character but as a more fleshed-out individual. He is more than a customer; he is a close friend of the family and an unofficial member of the Belcher clan, so it is appropriate to feature one Thanksgiving episode centered around Uncle Teddy, even if it is a touch sad.
1Turkey in a Can - Season 4
The second Thanksgiving episode ofBob’s Burgersis undoubtedly the strongest one. Bob has a three-day brine recipe he is excited to make for his turkey, however, things are complicated when Linda’s sister Gayle spends the holidays with them and brings her cats which Bob is allergic to and needs to take medication. Bob wakes up to find someone putting his turkey in the toilet and begins to question everyone.
The episode features some of the best jokes in the series, from the various discoveries of different turkeys in the toilets to a subplot where a butcher thinks Bob is hitting on him and begins to unravel his attraction. “Turkey in a Can” captures all the anxieties that come with prepping the perfect holiday and makes for some of the best laugh-out-loud moments of the whole series, along with some of the most touching.
