Which Everybody Loves Raymond episodes are about Thanksgiving, and which one is the best? This editorial ranking weighs how directly Thanksgiving shapes the story, the family ensemble, the comic setup, and the appeal of revisiting the episode. It is not a poll or an objective verdict. The show ran for nine seasons, but the available official listings confirm only some episode premises, so this is a ranking of a working slate—not a claim to include every Thanksgiving episode.
How this ranking works
Thanksgiving is the inclusion test: an episode belongs here when the holiday is central to its premise, rather than merely because it features the Barones together. The order favors a clear holiday setup and a family gathering that gives the comedy room to develop. Paramount+ lists the series as a nine-season comedy and includes “Turkey or Fish” in its catalog; its episode guide specifically identifies “Debra’s Parents” as the first time all the in-laws gather at Ray and Debra’s home for Thanksgiving. CBS/Paramount Press Express describes the Thanksgiving dinner in “Older Women.” The other titles below surfaced as candidates, but their plot details and placement are not established by the official descriptions cited here.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Everybody Loves Raymond: The Complete Series (RPKG/DVD) | $51.87 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Everybody Loves Raymond: Complete Series | $64.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Everybody Loves Raymond: Season 1 | $17.92 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Everybody Loves Raymond: Season 2 | $16.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Everybody Loves Raymond: Season 3 | $8.32 | Buy on Amazon |
The Thanksgiving episodes, ranked
1. “Debra’s Parents”
Best for the biggest family gathering. The official Paramount+ episode guide says this is the first time all the in-laws are together at Ray and Debra’s for Thanksgiving. That expanded guest list gives the episode the strongest ensemble premise in this slate: the holiday brings both sets of parents into one home, rather than keeping the focus on a smaller family unit. It ranks first for the scale of its Thanksgiving setup and its rewatch potential as a full-family occasion.
2. “Older Women”
Best for guest-driven awkwardness. CBS/Paramount Press Express describes a Thanksgiving dinner made tense when Debra’s newly divorced father brings a date. The date gives the gathering a specific source of discomfort, while the holiday setting puts the family together around the same event. It lands just below “Debra’s Parents”: its setup is sharply defined, but the available official description does not establish the same broad in-law ensemble.
#1 Best Overall
3. “Turkey or Fish”
Best candidate for a direct Thanksgiving premise. Paramount+ includes the episode in its official series catalog, and the title makes it a natural fit for a holiday rewatch. The available catalog entry does not establish the meal’s details or the episode’s specific comic mishaps, so this ranking rests on its place in the Thanksgiving slate rather than an assumed plot summary.
4. “No Fat”
“No Fat” appears in secondary Thanksgiving-episode references, making it a candidate for the list. The material available here does not establish its holiday premise, plot, or episode placement with an authoritative synopsis. It is included provisionally and ranked below the episodes with official descriptions.
5. “The Bird”
“The Bird” also appears in secondary references to Thanksgiving episodes. Without an authoritative synopsis in the available listings, its holiday connection and comic setup cannot be compared confidently with the better-documented gatherings. Treat its position as provisional, not as a judgment on the episode’s quality.
6. “No Thanks”
“No Thanks” surfaced in a community holiday episode guide, but the available official material does not establish its Thanksgiving premise or plot. It rounds out this working slate, with the greatest uncertainty about its relative placement.
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- Standup comedian Ray Romano stars as Ray Barone, a successful sportswriter who deals with his brother and parents, who happen to live across the street. Frank (Peter Boyle "While You Were Sleeping") and Marie (Doris Roberts "Remington Steele"), love to meddle in his life while older brother, Robert (Brad Garrett "Suicide Kings"), sometimes resents his success. Nevertheless, Ray manages to keep a b
What to know before using this as a complete guide
This is a useful starting order for a Thanksgiving rewatch, not a verified exhaustive episode index. The authoritative material available for this ranking establishes the holiday premises of “Debra’s Parents” and “Older Women,” and confirms “Turkey or Fish” appears in Paramount+’s catalog. The other three titles came from secondary or community references without authoritative plot confirmation here. No published ranking or poll establishes a definitive order, and no exact episode count is claimed.
For the official series listing and “Turkey or Fish,” see Paramount+. For the in-laws’ Thanksgiving in “Debra’s Parents,” see the Paramount+ episode guide. The “Older Women” Thanksgiving setup is described by CBS/Paramount Press Express.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Everybody Loves Raymond: The Complete Third Season - DVD Brand New
Rank #4
- (Comedy Series) Standup comedian Ray Romano stars as Ray Barone, a successful sportswriter who deals with his brother and parents, who happen to live across the street. Patricia Heaton ("The Goodbye Girl"), Peter Boyle ("While You Were Sleeping"), Doris Roberts ("Remington Steele"), and Brad Garrett ("Gleason") round out the stellar cast. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR
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