Many fans of the original Gossip Girl and the reboot love the Thanksgiving episodes, because of the drama and fortunately, there is one in every season.
Gossip Girl became such a popular show for many reasons, but mostly because of the lifestyles that the show portrays
The Thanksgiving episodes have been a favourite with fans since the very first season of the show, and every season has its own drama-filled holiday episode that fans of the show can re-watch to this day.
Why is Gossip Girl still so popular?
Some people were surprised when the Gossip Girl reboot was announced in 2021, just nine years after the end of the original show in 2012, but most people were just excited that they would get an opportunity to enjoy one of their favourite shows in a new way.
At its peak, Gossip Girl managed to attract about 3.7 million viewers per episode even before it was available on any streaming service, but it is not always clear why the show became so popular.
However, it is obvious that the lavish and often risqué lifestyles of the characters portrayed on the show, as well as the fashion, the complex relationships between the characters, their friends and families, and the on-again, off-again couples that get together throughout the show, have something to do with its continued success.
What are the Thanksgiving episodes of Gossip Girl?
Although the ever-present drama in the inner circle of Manhattan’s elite is part of what viewers love about Gossip Girl, it is also no secret that the Thanksgiving episodes were always some of the best episodes of the entire show, because they forced all of the characters back into one room again.
In this setup, they would either have to set aside their differences, or an over-dramatic squabble would ensue.
Since the time for Thanksgiving festivities has arrived, it is always good to have a comprehensive list of all of the Gossip Girl Thanksgiving episodes handy, so that you can watch, or rather re-watch, them at your leisure.
Since the reboot only has a single season, it only has one Thanksgiving episode in the form of season one, episode seven’s “Once Upon a Time in the Upper West”.
However, all of the Thanksgiving episodes in the original series can be summarised in chronological order as follows:
| Episode number | Episode title |
| Season 1, episode 9 | “Blair Waldorf Must Pie!” |
| Season 2, episode 11 | “The Magnificent Archibalds” |
| Season 3, episode 11 | “The Treasure of Serena Madre” |
| Season 4, episode 10 | “Gaslit” |
| Season 5, episode 9 | “Rhodes to Perdition” (Though this is not technically a Thanksgiving episode, it did air near Thanksgiving in 2011 and the episode contains more than enough food and drama to count) |
| Season 6, episode 8 | “It’s Really Complicated” |
Why are the Gossip Girl Thanksgiving episodes so popular?
What sets the Gossip Girl Thanksgiving episodes apart from the other episodes and even from other shows’ holiday episodes in general, is the fact that the series always sets up the tension.
So much so that it would come to a crucial point in the building familial drama right as the Thanksgiving meal took place.
Not only did this give viewers peace about their own family drama that may have happened on Thanksgiving, but it also made the eventual fights or reconciliations that happened in the episode a central part of the plot.
This then drives most of the narrative for the rest of the season, instead of it just being a regular inconsequential, throw-away holiday episode.
Which is the best Gossip Girl Thanksgiving episode?
Although there are elements that make all of the Gossip Girl Thanksgiving episodes great, the best of all of these, and possibly the most well-known Gossip Girl episode of all time after the meme, is the season three episode 11 “The Treasure of Serena Madre”.
Not only does this episode feature some classic drama because of Serena’s affair with Tripp Vanderbilt, a stand-off between Serena and Blair, an awkward encounter between Dan, Vanessa, and Olivia, a fight between the younger siblings, and Cece’s prying eyes, but the moment when all the tension boils over has the soundtrack of Jason Derulo’s hit song “Whatcha Say”, which somehow makes the moment so much more dramatic.
Where to stream Gossip Girl in 2022
If you would like to start watching the Gossip Girl Thanksgiving episodes right away, you will be able to stream the original series on HBO Max or you can purchase it on Amazon Prime.
The Gossip Girl reboot is also available with an HBO Max membership, which is available for $9.99 per month or $14.99 per month for the advertisement-free version.