If you’ve ever felt like your holiday was a dumpster fire because the turkey was still frozen at noon, Bob Belcher is your patron saint. Honestly, most sitcoms do the "family sitting around a table" thing and it feels fake. Too shiny. Too scripted. Thanksgiving Bob's Burgers episodes are the opposite. They are greasy, chaotic, and usually involve Bob having a full-blown mental breakdown while talking to an inanimate bird.
It’s basically a tradition now. Every November (well, most Novembers), we wait to see how the writers are going to absolutely ruin Bob’s favorite day. He doesn't want much. Just a heritage turkey, some fresh cranberries, and a family that stays in one place for five minutes. He almost never gets it.
The Evolution of the Turkey Day Disaster
The show actually skipped Thanksgiving for the first two seasons. Crazy, right? It didn't start until Season 3 with "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal." That’s the one where Mr. Fischoeder hires the family to pretend to be his family to impress an old flame who only likes married men.
Bob ends up relegated to the kitchen as the "cook," getting drunk on absinthe and hallucinating a My Neighbor Totoro homage with a giant turkey. It set the tone. It told us that for Bob, Thanksgiving isn't just a meal. It's a high-stakes culinary performance where the universe is the heckler.
Since then, we’ve had 11 proper episodes dedicated to the holiday. Here’s the thing: they aren't all just about the food. Sometimes they’re about surviving a "parade" of homicidal geese or trying to find a turkey-pardoning conspiracy in the Deputy Mayor's office.
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Every Thanksgiving Episode (So Far)
- Season 3, Episode 5: "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal" – The one that started the absinthe-soaked tradition.
- Season 4, Episode 5: "Turkey in a Can" – A genuine whodunnit. Someone keeps putting Bob’s turkeys in the toilet. It’s gross, it’s weirdly emotional, and the butcher thinks Bob is hitting on him.
- Season 5, Episode 4: "Dawn of the Peck" – My personal favorite. Linda enters a "Turkey Trot" that turns into a horror movie when the birds attack. Bob stays home, listens to Donna Summer, and gets hammered.
- Season 6, Episode 4: "Gayle Makin' Bob Sled" – Bob has to pull Aunt Gayle through a snowstorm in a kiddie pool. The level of frustration in H. Jon Benjamin’s voice here is art.
- Season 7, Episode 6: "The Quirk-ducers" – This is more of a school play episode, but the "Quirky Turkey" song is a bop. Plus, Linda finds a potato that looks like her grandfather.
- Season 8, Episode 5: "Thanks-hoarding" – We finally get some deep lore on Teddy. The Belchers help him clean his house before his family arrives. It's surprisingly heavy.
- Season 9, Episode 7: "I Bob Your Pardon" – A political thriller? Sort of. The kids try to save a turkey from a "pardon" that’s actually a trip to the slaughterhouse.
- Season 10, Episode 8: "Now We're Not Cooking with Gas" – Bob gets a Riverbrook Lake Farms heritage turkey. Then the gas goes out. He ends up building a fire in the alley like a crazy person.
- Season 11, Episode 7: "Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid" – An anthology episode. Gene gets food poisoning (or a bug) and has to stay in the bathroom while the family tells him stories.
- Season 12, Episode 8: "Stuck in the Kitchen with You" – The family helps out at a retirement home. Bob takes over the kitchen and realizes he’s kind of a tyrant when he cooks.
- Season 13, Episode 8: "Putts-giving" – The Belchers go to a mini-golf course on Thanksgiving morning. It’s a bit of a departure, but the "cryptid" theme is fun.
Why "Turkey in a Can" Still Wins
If you ask a hardcore fan to pick the best of the Thanksgiving Bob's Burgers episodes, they usually point to Season 4. Why? Because it’s the most "Belcher" story possible. Bob is trying so hard to do a three-day salt rub. He’s treating this bird like a delicate infant.
Then, the morning of, it's in the toilet.
The mystery is legitimately well-written. You think it’s the kids. You think it’s Gayle. But the reveal—that Bob is sleep-walking and "potty training" the turkey because he’s subconsciously stressed about Tina growing up—is heart-wrenching. It’s that weird mix of "ew" and "aww" that the show does better than anyone else.
Also, the recurring bit with the guy at the turkey counter? Gold. Every time Bob goes back to buy a replacement turkey, the clerk thinks it’s a romantic gesture. "I’m in a relationship, Bob!"
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The Music of the Harvest
We can't talk about these episodes without mentioning the songs. Linda’s "Pass the cranberry sauce" ditty from Season 3 is basically the unofficial anthem of the holiday now. It’s short, it’s catchy, and it perfectly captures her "ignore the chaos and sing" energy.
But then you have the credits. The show has this habit of getting real-world bands like The National to cover their goofy Thanksgiving songs. Hearing a somber, indie-rock version of "Sailors in Your Mouth" (from the gravy boat song in Season 4) is an experience you didn't know you needed until it happened.
What Most People Get Wrong About Bob’s Obsession
People often think Bob loves Thanksgiving because he’s a chef. That’s only half of it. If you look at his childhood—working in his dad’s diner, never having a "real" holiday—it makes more sense. Thanksgiving is the one day he feels he can control. He can’t control the rent (Fischoeder), he can’t control the health inspector (Hugo), and he definitely can’t control his kids.
But he can control the internal temperature of a 20-pound bird. Or he tries to.
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When the gas goes out in "Now We're Not Cooking with Gas," his refusal to give up isn't just stubbornness. It’s a man trying to protect the one tradition that makes him feel like a successful father and provider. Even if he has to burn his favorite spatula to do it.
How to Watch Them Properly
If you're planning a marathon, don't just watch them in order. Mix it up. Start with "Dawn of the Peck" to get the energy high, then move into the "Turkey in a Can" mystery. Save "Thanks-hoarding" for when you want something a bit more grounded.
Keep in mind that Season 14 and 15 didn't have dedicated Thanksgiving episodes due to production shifts and the 2023 strikes, so you've basically got 11 classic entries to cycle through.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Check Hulu or Disney+: They usually have a "Holiday" hub that groups these together so you don't have to hunt for season numbers.
- Listen to the Covers: Look up The National’s covers of the Thanksgiving songs on YouTube. They are unironically great.
- Try the Recipes: If you’re feeling brave, there are fan-made versions of the "Father of the Brine" turkey or the various "Burgers of the Day" featured in the background of these episodes. Just... maybe don't put the turkey in the toilet.
The real takeaway from a decade of Thanksgiving Bob's Burgers episodes is that it’s okay if your holiday is a mess. As long as you’re with the people who are willing to pull you through a snowstorm in a kiddie pool, you’re doing alright.