The show isn't known for its Turkey Day content, but you can still make it work.
Office Christmas parties are a big deal in the real world, so it makes perfect sense that the TV show The Office leaned hard into its Christmas episodes season after season. Thanksgiving, Christmas’s older and not-quite-as-sparkly sibling, doesn’t usually get as much attention in an office setting. So, fittingly, The Office doesn’t have any *official* Thanksgiving-themed episodes. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any Office episodes that offer a little Turkey Day spirit; you just need to know which ones to watch.
On The Office, the Party Planning Committee always took charge to put together a festive — albeit often chaotic — Christmas celebration for the Dunder Mifflin crew. But they seem to have dropped the ball when it came to Thanksgiving. It's OK, though, because, on at least one occasion (I'm looking at you, "WUPHF.com"), Dwight is there to pick up the slack with some fall-themed celebrations. And even the rest of the year, The Office has a whole lot of Thanksgiving spirit, especially if you think about some of the hallmarks of the holiday: eating way too much and enduring awkward social gatherings. The Office has plenty of that (especially the latter) throughout its nine-season run. Here are a few The Office episodes that especially ring true around Thanksgiving:
Season 7, Episode 9: “WUPHF.com”
This is the closest thing fans get to a Thanksgiving episode of The Office, so it’s a must-watch if you’re looking to celebrate the holiday with the Dunder Mifflin crew. In the episode, Dwight sets up a hay bale festival in the parking lot, which is where Angela meets her senator beau. Come to watch Dwight crown himself the Hay King, stay to watch Ryan try to get his coworkers to invest in WUPHF. It’ll make you feel better about all the awkward conversations about jobs you’re bound to have around the Thanksgiving dinner table this year.
Season 4, Episode 13: “Dinner Party”
What is Thanksgiving if not one long, overstuffed dinner party? Not only is this episode one of the all-time Office greats, but it also can help alleviate some of the stress of family holiday get-togethers by reminding you that at least your family isn’t this bad. And Michael and Jan are *pretty* bad... like cringe-worthy singing to low-budget indie rock CDs bad. If your family gatherings feel just as terrible, you can always pretend that Jim is commiserating with you every time he looks directly at the camera.
Season 4, Episode 1: “Fun Run”
There are some families who love to celebrate Thanksgiving with a Turkey Trot, aka running a lot but making it sound cute because it has “turkey” in the name. If you’re in a Turkey Trot kind of family (more power to you!) you might be interested in watching “Fun Run” this Thanksgiving. The whole Dunder Mifflin crew takes part in a charity run, and Michael’s carb-loading will ring true to a lot of people who try to combine a Thanksgiving feast with their cardio.
Season 5, Episode 28: “Company Picnic”
One of the most heartwarming parts of The Office is how always, in the end, the people of Dunder Mifflin come together like a family. That’s what makes “Company Picnic” feel almost more like a family reunion than any kind of office get-together. That’s especially true at the end of the episode when Jim and Pam learn the happy update that they’re having a baby. The warm vibes are exactly what you need to feel the love this holiday season.
The Office is streaming on Peacock.
