First Things First…
Just like with Garfield’s Thanksgiving, this is another staple of my life going back to childhood. And just like that one, I still love it to this day.
7 Things I Like
7. The Pilgrims Are Here
Even though it’s a very short scene, one of the cutest moments in the special is when Snoopy and Woodstock ring the doorbell and wait for Charlie Brown to let them into the house, after they’ve changed into their Pilgrim garb. Something about this scene has always struck me as so funny—maybe because not only does Snoopy live there, but he was just in the kitchen preparing the meal. Combine that with his stoic expression as he carries the pop gun over his shoulder, and it’s one of my favorite moments.
6. The Death of Tradition
“Well, if it’s that important… a person should never turn down a big honor. Maybe I should do it. Besides, she wouldn’t try to trick me on a traditional holiday. This time, I’m gonna kick that football clear to the moon! Aaargh!”
Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown gets suckered in again.
Surprisingly, this is Lucy’s only appearance in the special. She’s such a big part of the others. But she makes the most of her time by humiliating and demoralizing Charlie Brown.
And then, after roping him in with her line about the football game being such a big Thanksgiving tradition, and the opening kickoff being the biggest tradition of all, she hits him with this gut punch…
“Isn’t it peculiar, Charlie Brown, how some traditions just slowly fade away?”
What a dreadful person.
5. Snoopy’s REAL Dinner
Another thing that cracks me up is that Snoopy is perfectly willing to go along with Charlie Brown and Linus’ ridiculous plan for this makeshift Friendsgiving. Yet we find out at the end, after the kids have left for Grandma’s condo, that Snoopy actually cooked a turkey and some of the trimmings in his little doghouse.
He even baked what sure looks like a pumpkin pie!
That sly dog.
4. Wishy-Washy
Listen… Peppermint Patty is a handful. There’s no denying that.
But how does Charlie Brown really let himself get tangled up in this situation?
Just ask his sister…
“It’s your own fault because you’re so wishy-washy.”
She’s 100% right. Being wishy-washy gets you nowhere.
Luckily, Grandma salvages things. But this isn’t the way to handle your business, Charlie Brown.
3. Little Birdie
“Little birdie, can’t your friend do nothin’ right? It just seems now all he wants to do is fight.”
Little Birdie (song)
Vince Guaraldi did it again.
“Little Birdie” is a great little tune that starts when Snoopy rouses Woodstock from his nest. And it covers a few really fun moments, including Snoopy setting up the ping pong table in the backyard as their dinner table, and most importantly, his kerfuffle with one of the lawn chairs. It’s a dynamite fight that, sadly, ends with Snoopy getting his ass kicked.
More than anything, this is just one of those scenes with impeccable vibes. There’s not much more to say about it, but it’s so much fun to be in.
2. Overcoming Depression with the Real Meaning of Thanksgiving
Charlie Brown famously contends with the depression holidays can cause in the Christmas special. But it rears its ugly head here, too.
He says early in the episode that the holidays make him depressed. Even Sally says Thanksgiving just causes her to get more work assigned at school. And it’s prescient when Sally complains that she went to buy a Turkey Tree but the store only had Christmas stuff. Charlie Brown is exasperated when he says…
“For Christmas? Already?”
I love the entire holiday season, including Thanksgiving. But these are reasonable points. There are parts of the holidays that can be stressful. It’s always been one of the hallmarks of Peanuts—and a truly amazing thing—that they tackle these more mature themes.
Luckily, Linus and Marcie are here to put things in perspective.
When Sally makes her complaints early on, Linus says…
“Sally, Thanksgiving is a very important holiday. Ours was the first country in the world to make a national holiday to give thanks.”
And at dinner #1, before things blow up, he gives a brief history of the first Thanksgiving and then paraphrases what their prayer must’ve been like…
“We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice. Amen.”
Even though those first settlers were giving thanks for some very different things than these kids, it’s the commonalities—home, food, safety—that tie them together and make me love this little prayer.
And Marcie puts a fine point on this conversation when she reminds Charlie Brown…
“But Thanksgiving is more than eating, Chuck. You heard what Linus was saying out there. Those early pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that’s what they mean by Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown.”
1. Prepping Dinner
“That’s right. I’ve seen you make toast. You can’t butter it, but maybe we could help you.”
Linus
This is another incredible vibes scene. I have no idea why Charlie Brown’s family owns about 12 toasters, but I love watching him and Linus use the two different types of toasters to make their toast. I especially love watching Snoopy butter entire stacks of toast and then shuffle the toast onto the plates.
Plus, Snoopy pops the popcorn and gets the other snacks together.
Simply put, it’s my favorite scene in the special.
1 Thing I’m Mixed On
1. Putting Peppermint Patty in Her Place
As satisfying as it is when Marcie asks Peppermint Patty…
“Now, wait a minute, sir. Did he invite you here to dinner, or did you invite yourself—and us, too?”
She doesn’t go far enough. Imagine if she followed up with something like this…
“Do you realize how inconsiderate of you this was, Sir? Not only to invite yourself and two friends to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving, but to do so on Thanksgiving morning? Just hours before dinner? What the fuck is wrong with you, Sir? You expect his family to just have all this extra food lying around to fill three more mouths? Especially a big fat mouth like yours? And then… then you have the motherfuckin’ AUDACITY to tell him to save you a drumstick and the neck? Who the fuck are you to demand anything? What if his dad always gets the neck? And how many drumsticks do you think a turkey has? But Peppermint Patty has to get one of them—even though his parents don’t even know who you are? You’re impossible to deal with, Sir.”
I don’t know… maybe something like that would’ve really driven the point home.
Tim Matassa
