The gang celebrates Thanksgiving with a guest, Will Colbert (Brad Pitt), causing tension with Rachel as he used to hate her back in high school. Joey eats the entire Thanksgiving turkey.
Tropes:
- Big Eater: Even though it seems like Joey has hit his limit by eating a whole turkey, he changes his tune when he demands that Monica cut him a chunky slice of pie for dessert.Joey: 'Cause I'm a Tribbiani! And this is what we do! I mean we may not be great thinkers or world leaders, we don't read a lot or run very fast, but damnit, we can eat!
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Rachel admits that she remembers nothing about Will or being mean to him. Will says that's just like her.
- Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: No one seems to be concerned by the fact that Ross, then a high school student, was essentially in a relationship with the 50-year-old librarian.
- Formerly Fat: Will was so fat in high school that Monica (who was also obese back then) was considered his thin friend. Now he's a hunk that all the girls, especially Phoebe, fawn over.
- Imaginary Friend: Apparently Monica used to have an imaginary boyfriend named "Jared".
- Innocently Insensitive:
- Will laughs at how he and Ross used to love dinosaurs so much thinking it's stupid looking back now, not knowing Ross is a paleontology professor.
- Monica didn't tell Rachel about the rumor about Rachel having a penis because she was afraid it was true (not unjustified as she didn't know who started the rumor and Rachel slept around a lot during high school) and if she asked Rachel would cry and then show it to her.
- Insidious Rumor Mill: As the I Hate Rachel Green Club, Will and Ross started a rumor that Rachel was born with both male and female parts. Monica confirms that it spread all over school, and Chandler confirms that it went further than that.Monica: You started that?
Rachel: What? You heard that?
Monica: Everyone at our school heard it!
Chandler: Everyone at my school heard it! You were the hermaphrodite cheerleader from Long Island? - May–December Romance: In high school, Rachel spread a rumor that Ross made out with the 50-year-old librarian. Turns out it's true and Ross has nothing but good things to say about her (though he'd still rather not have anyone know).
- Mistaken for Gay: Monica says that she used to worry when Ross locked himself up in his room with Will, implying this trope. As revealed in the episode, they were just discussing business related to the "I hate Rachel Green" club, much to Monica's relief.
- Not This One, That One: When Monica puts a small bird on the table, Joey thinks he can eat that turkey no problem. Monica explains that it's a chicken for Chandler, and then brings out the real turkey.Joey: How big is that?
Monica: Nineteen pounds.
Joey: That's like me when I was born! - Teeny Weenie: Will and Ross' rumor was that Rachel had a "hint of a penis." A classmate even wrote "Sorry about your teeny weenie" on her yearbook.
- Thanksgiving Episode: The gang has their seventh Thanksgiving dinner in the series. Monica almost doesn't make a Thanksgiving turkey because not enough people want to eat it (Rachel feels disgusted by poultry at the time), but Joey insists, promising he'll eat it all himself.
