Sue is trying to use Thanksgiving dinner to set up a rapprochement between her father and her brother, trying to make amends for the fact that she hastily outed Louis to her father at Sue and Frank's wedding to deflect Stan from figuring out that Sue was already pregnant with Kevin. Bob Pogo's restaurant turns into a disaster.
Tropes:
- Crapsack World: After barely waking up in time to save Vic Jr. from being kidnapped by Evelyn, who drugged Vic, Vic realizes that he was oblivious to how messed up the entire neighborhood really was while he was on drugs, and is now seeing unsafe things in the neighborhood more clearly thanks to his parental instincts and staying clean.
- Didn't Think This Through: Frank lampshades that Sue lying about her father dying to Louis would've inevitably come out, and asks her what exactly she thought would happen.
- Good-Times Montage: Various characters at Thanksgiving. Set to the tune of "Now Thank We All Our God," we see Frank taking abuse from both Stan and Louis in an attempt to bring them together for Sue's sake; the Bonfiglios sitting down to a spaghetti dinner when 6-year-old Anthony decides to breastfeed right at the table, to the horror of the other family members; Vic in a drugged stupor while Goomer and Evelyn play with Vic Jr., Mr. Fitzsimmons carving a can of beans for his kids, who otherwise look as happy as they ever get; Ed eating a lonely pre-packaged in-flight turkey dinner in the Alaquippa break room; Nguyen-Nguyen exercising her dominance over her fellow inmates; Rosie throwing a sweet potato at his TV screen, where Mayor Tangenti is cutting the ribbon on the tollway; Nora and Eileen enjoying TV dinners while Nora's husband sleeps in front of an uneaten meal, with a close-up showing that Frank apparently mailed her prized ashtray to her at some point; Red and Carl having a feast of crushed pills; and Louis Gagliardi eating his turkey while his goons beat Bob Pogo for attempting to skip out on his debts.
- Never My Fault: Goomer tells Vic that he told Nguyen-Nguyen about a Columbo episode where a Viatnemese woman poisoned her husband before he gave Nguyen-Nguyen some bleach and says that what Nguyen-Nguyen did wasn't his fault.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Fed up with Sue's father and brother arguing after everything the Murphys have done to help them get along with each other, Frank angrily goes off on Stan and Louis. He seems ready to do this to Marilyn as well, but his tone towards her changes to a much kinder tone where he tells her that he hopes a piece of legislation she supports that protects wildlife passes. Notably, this is the last appearance in the series for Sue's parents, although Sue eventually makes a full reconciliation with Louis and he attends the Murphys' annual Christmas party.
- Slipping a Mickey: What Evelyn does to Vic in an attempt to kidnap Vic Jr. Goomer is horrified and makes Evelyn give the baby back to Vic.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Alice breaks up with Kevin after he mistakes her brother as her ex-boyfriend and knocks out one of his teeth.
