Grey’s Anatomy‘s first-ever Thanksgiving episode isn’t just early-era genius — it’s the show at its funniest, loosest, and most chaotic. Even in a season stuffed with drama, love triangles, and medical mayhem, the series’ first holiday one-off managed to be a surprisingly sharp showcase of the interns’ personal lives. Twenty years later, it’s still one of the most rewatchable Thanksgiving specials TV has ever cooked up.

Why ‘Grey’s Anatomy’s’ First Thanksgiving Episode is Such a Classic

“Thanks for the Memories” builds its humor by putting every character in the last place they feel comfortable. For Izzie, that means tackling an ambitious home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner despite admitting she’s “a baker, not a cook.” Her need for domestic normalcy — however forced — becomes the heartbeat of the episode.

The biggest comedic swing belongs to George, whose family makes its series debut here. His brothers (Tim Griffin, Greg Pitts), in camouflage, drag him into the woods to hunt a turkey. George, being George, the trip dissolves into a tangle of misfires, misery, and a moment where his father gets shot in the backside. By the time he limps into Thanksgiving dinner, he delivers one of the show’s great early lines: A miserable summary involving “bird murder” and touching his dad’s wound. It’s peak George — endearing, defeated, and instantly iconic. As for Meredith, she begins the episode convinced she has nothing to be thankful for and decides to work rather than celebrate. Her shift lands her and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) in a medically improbable plot involving a man in a persistent vegetative state who briefly wakes up.

Why This ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Episode is the Best Thanksgiving Episode the Show Ever Produced

Grey’s has tackled holiday episodes more than once, but none nail the emotional absurdity of its characters quite like this one. What makes the episode special isn’t the medical casework — it’s the contrast between who these doctors want to be and who they actually are.

Above all, the episode refuses to cleanly resolve everyone’s problems. The dinner does come together, and the cast eventually gathers, but it’s far from a neat, heartwarming ending. Meredith chooses a bar over her friends. Cristina chooses medicine over socializing. The holiday is imperfect—and that’s what makes it feel real.

Why It’s Still Worth Watching This Thanksgiving

Rewatching it now, the episode feels timeless. Its most ridiculous medical subplot is grounded by strong emotional beats, and its funniest moments still land because they come from personality, not punchlines. Even with nearly two decades of holiday episodes behind it — from Christmas storms to New Year’s surgeries — Grey’s has never recaptured the chaotic charm of its first Thanksgiving outing.

For longtime fans, it’s a warm, nostalgic return. For newcomers, it’s proof of why early Grey’s Anatomy grabbed the culture by the throat. It remains, even twenty years later, the show’s most rewatchable Thanksgiving story—and one of the funniest holiday episodes network TV ever aired.