Every Simpsons Thanksgiving episode

The Simpsons Have been around since 1989, but amazingly, there aren’t many Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes. With over 30 years on the air, The Simpsons Boasting 17 Christmas specials and 34 “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween specials. Despite Thanksgiving being an American holiday and the eponymous family being an American institution, The Simpsons Hardly celebrated the day. total, The Simpsons Has created 7 Thanksgiving specials including two that see Christmas and Halloween episodes overlapping with the holiday. Since The Simpsons is famous for parodying and satirizing everything sacred to society, it is surprising to see so few Thanksgiving episodes.

like The Simpsons‘ Uneven history of Christmas episodes and “Treehouse of Horror” outings, the Thanksgiving episodes show between classic, normal and disappointing. While it’s a late-season standout in the mix and an early, classic season 2 episode, another one of the show’s Thanksgiving episodes is also often cited as one of the worst Simpsons episodes ever. The difference in critical reception between the show’s episodes seems to be caused in large part by a gradual shift in tone, which ranges from the zany cartoons of later seasons to the more grounded character comedy of the early seasons.

Every Thanksgiving episode of The Simpsons

7

“Bart vs Thanksgiving”

Season 2, Episode 7 (1990)

The first of The Simpsons‘s Thanksgiving episodes is also the show’s most holiday-focused outing, and unlike many of its later-season installments, it’s a fairly relatable slice of life with a bit of wild fantasy. There are some over-the-top moments (Carol Kane’s brief imaginary cameo as Maggie, especially). But overall, season 2 “Bart vs Thanksgiving” is a definitive example of the pre-“Hammer at the Bat” Simpsons.

In this early period, The Simpsons was a more level-headed and less anarchic family sitcom with darker, less zany humor and more focus on satirizing traditional family comedies than the larger cultural landscape. The “Bart vs Thanksgiving” story sees Bart accidentally destroy Lisa’s centerpiece and run away when the family blames him, only for the pair of siblings to eventually reconcile when Bart returns.

It’s not nearly as full of jokes as the Golden Age SimpsonsBut the slower pacing makes Bart and Lisa’s reconciliation after he kills her centerpiece all the more bittersweet and touching. Meanwhile, the episode’s brief glimpse of Thanksgiving at a soup kitchen serves as a subtle hint of the early season of the pointed political critics The Simpsons Would soon start to focus on more directly.

6

“Homer Vs Dignity”

Season 12, Episode 5 (2000)

The first of the show’s homer-centric Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes is “Homer Vs Dignity.” Considered by critics to be one of the worst Simpsons episodes, “Homer Vs Dignity” sees the title character become Burns’ “prank monkey” in a strangely bleak episode that features an instance of bestiality played for laughs and a level of savage violence fit for a “Treehouse of Horror” special.

The only connection to Thanksgiving is when Homer is playing Santa in the Thanksgiving parade, And wants to perform Burns’ last prank. It still tops many lists of The Simpsons‘ Lowest points to date. The return of this episode may be part of the reason Rob Lazebnik didn’t write another one Simpsons Episode for eight years. It was also the last episode directed by Neil Affleck of the show.

5

“Homer the Moo”

Season 13, Episode 3 (2001)

“Homer the Mo” couldn’t be further from “Bart vs. Thanksgiving” in terms of tone for Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes. The episode’s busy storyline makes for more gags and a crazier sense of humor. The outing sees Moe return to bartending school to rekindle his passion for the craft, redesigning his iconic tavern on the advice of a quirky mentor (who promptly walks into a lake).

If The plot of this episode sounds only tangentially related to Thanksgiving, that’s because it is. That said, there are some cute moments here centered on Moe’s barfly patrons sharing the holiday with their chosen family, and like so many later season outings, the episode features an out-of-nowhere cameo from REM as himself.

4

“Holidays of Future Past”

Season 23, Episode 9 (2011)

Opening with a family Thanksgiving dinner, Season 23’s Simpsons thanksgiving episode, “Holidays from Future Past” skips ahead to the Simpsons’ future for a look at the kids’ later lives. The investigation is mostly a Simpsons Christmas episode, but its recurring thematic preoccupation with giving thanks—Homer thanks Grandpa for his flawed parenting, Lisa thanks Marge for the same, and Lisa and Bart’s children both thank their parents for being there—make it a fitting tribute to the holiday. It also opens up.

It’s also an unusually sweet and thoughtful non-canon Simpsons installment that won rave reviews upon release and remains a firm favorite among fans. The episode was so beloved by fans that some argued it should have been The Simpsons Series finale. Not only that, but the sweet reprise of a now-adult Lisa and Bart hiding from their dysfunctional family during the holidays makes it a perfect companion piece to “Bart vs. Thanksgiving.”

3

“Thanksgiving of Horror”

Season 31, Episode 8 (2019)

The Simpsons‘ Most ambitious Simpsons Thanksgiving episode after, “Thanksgiving of Horror” Cribs The “Treehouse of Horror” set out to tell a trio of terrifying seasonal stories centered around the holiday. It’s an odd decision to combine horror and Thanksgiving, and it means the special captures less of the holiday spirit despite its renewed focus.

This episode includes a solid riff on Black mirrors White Christmass, a bloody and funny (if hardly timely) Apocalypto Parody, and a surprisingly superb parody of Live And Alien Starring a sentient, murderous blob of cranberry sauce. This was the longest Simpsons episode ever and earned an Emmy nomination.

2

“Poetic Interlude”

Season 33, Episode 3 (2021)

“Treehouse XXXII” was the first “Treehouse of Horror” episode with five episodes, leaving room for one of the better ones. Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes. This was in the segment called “Poetic Interlude”. The animation design was a clear homage to Edward Gorey. However, the only problem is that it was very short, thrown in as a stylized interlude with Maurice Lamarche imitating Vincent Price in the “Treehouse of Horror” nod to Edgar Allan Poe.

For bed, Vincent Price reads Maggie a bedtime story about how Bart pulls off his pranks, one for each month of the year. This includes a Thanksgiving turkey carving ‘prank’, But it all ends with a dark twist that shows Maggie’s reaction to the horrors.

1

“Steph’s Brother From The Same Planet”

Season 34, Episode 8 (2022)

In season 34, The Simpsons Thanksgiving episode has Homer dealing with a new problem because his father has a younger girlfriend with a very young son. This meant that Homer’s father expected him to interact with the child like his step-brother, who was not well. With a new unwanted family member for Homer, it made sense that the The show would center around Thanksgiving, a family-based holiday That does not always have the best outcomes when all the family is together.

With Grampa Simpson dating Blythe right as Thanksgiving rolls around, it sets up a lot of sibling rivalry between Homer and his new stepbrother. There is one problem – the plot of it Simpsons episode is the same as a season 4 episode called “Brother From Another Planet,” with Homer playing the role that Bart played in the first. The episode also featured a resolution that revisited a previous Homer and Grampa storyline. But, with that said, it’s still nice for The Simpsons to deliver a rare Thanksgiving episode.

Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes are about quality, not quantity

While a total of seven Thanksgiving episodes might seem respectable for other sitcoms, The Simpsons is one of the longest-running shows of all time with 33 seasons and counting. In that regard, there have been relatively few Thanksgiving-related adventures with the Simpsons family thus far. This is especially true in relation to other holiday episodes of The Simpsons.

Halloween is the holiday most associated with the show with the iconic Treehouse of Horror episodes that become staples of the series. 2024 is the 35th installment of the Halloween episodes. however, The Simpsons Also celebrates Christmas often, with over 20 episodes a day. While Thanksgiving is perhaps not considered noteworthy by the show, the episodes have been memorable for how good they arerather than how important the holiday is.

There are some episodes in which Thanksgiving is a small detail in the middle of the larger and entertaining story, such as “Homer the Moe.” While holidays like Christmas and Halloween often overtake the episodes in which they are featured, The Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes can be their own fun stories without having to conform to the celebrations. On the other hand, some of the episodes used the holidays to address the dynamics of the show, such as Bart and Lisa’s relationship in “Bart vs. Thanksgiving.”

Fans who enjoy watching the festivities on their favorite shows can enjoy the many Thanksgiving episodes of Friends and other sitcoms. But, while The Simpsons Lacking a lot of options in this area, fans are at least guaranteed a solid episode.