"Powers That Be in Whedonverse"

 

"POWERS THAT BE IN WHEDONVERSE"

While perusing one of the many BUFFYVERSE message boards on the Internet many years ago, I had come across a passage from an old article titled, "Classic CJL: Spike and the Whedonverse":

"In order to battle the new enemy (vampires), the Powers have called upon Slayers, Champions (welcome, Cordy!), Seers and Mystics, all dedicated to protecting the human race from the vampires and half-breed demons who feed upon and ravage the populace."

Like many other "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE" fans, I had believed in this nonsense . . . until I saw the Season Seven episode, (7.15) "Get It Done". Thanks to this particular episode, I finally came to the conclusion that the above comment about the so-called "Powers That Be" featured in both "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" and its spin-off, "ANGEL" just might not be true. Following the suicide of one of the Potential Slayers and a dream of the First Slayer, in "Get It Done", Buffy Summers had received a bag from Principal Robin Wood. The bag once belonged to his mother – a former Slayer from the 1970s named Nikki Wood. This bag eventually led Buffy to discover the true origins of a long line of vampire slayers.

In "Get It Done", Buffy finally discovered that the Powers That Be had not created the Slayer line. Instead, a trio of ancient African shamans had committed the dead in order to create a weapon (one of flesh) to fight vampires and other demons for them. And to insure this weapon would remain under their control – and under the controls of those that followed them – the shamans had guaranteed the Slayer line would continue through countless young females throughout the ages via a spell. Why? Because they had believed that adolescent girls and young women would be easily controlled, due to their ages and gender. So one has to wonder - did the First Slayer, Buffy, Faith Lehane, Kendra Young, Nikki Wood, Xin Rong and all of the Slayers before and after really had a sacred duty to defend humans against vampires and other demons, because of the Powers to Be? Or had they merely been reluctant conscripts in a never ending war waged against demons by these shamans and their descendants – the Watcher’s Council?

Speaking of vampires, here is another passage from the article . . . this time, it centered around Angel – the vampire with a soul, who had formed his own gang to fight demonic evil on his own show in Los Angeles:

"Of course, the biggest exception to the rule, the vamp who broke the mold, is Angel. The Powers and our Lord Joss have spent a great deal of time and effort guiding his path from Chaos, prepping him for his pivotal and unique role in the upcoming "End of Days" we’ve been waiting for since BtVS, Season 1."

I am curious. Exactly how did the vaunted Powers That Be guide Angel toward his actions in one of the late "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" episodes, (7.21) "End of Days"? I will admit that the Powers to Be had been responsible for placing him in Buffy’s path back in 1996. A demon named Whistler had introduced Angel to the future Slayer and within less than a year, the latter followed her to Sunnydale and his own future in demon slaying.

But the Powers That Be had not been responsible for giving him his soul back in 1898. A group of Kalderash gypsies from Romania had restored his human soul in an act of revenge for his murder of one of their children. This soul would afflict him with a conscience and condemn him to an eternity of guilt and remorse for the crimes he has committed. After Angel lost his soul again one hundred years later in 1998, one of Buffy’s close friends, Willow Rosenberg, restored his soul while he was engaged in a lethal sword fight against the Slayer. Come to think of it, Willow performed this act again five years later, on the behest of Angel’s Los Angeles associates. If the Powers to Be were not responsible for the various restorations of his soul, who would have become their "Champion" from the Shanshu Prophecy, if Angel had not killed that Kalderash gypsy child?

As for his role in "End of Days" – the only task Angel ended up performing was to hand Buffy the amulet that would help her defeat the First Evil’s plans to upset the balance of good and evil. Come to think of it, the heads of Wolfram and Hart – the law firm that served as the Powers That Be's opposite number – had given Angel that amulet. But another powerful and souled vampire, eventually wore the amulet in the "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE" series finale, (7.22) "Chosen" that led to the First Evil’s defeat.

That vampire proved to be Spike, originally a lovesick and failed Victorian poet who ended up being sired by one Drusilla, the very vampire who had been driven insane and sired by Angel or Angelus. Although Spike had originally traveled with Drusilla, Angel and his sire Darla for several years; he and Drusilla eventually broke away and became a romantic pair on their own. By the time he had reached Sunnydale in 1997, Spike had developed a reputation as the only vampire to have killed more than one Slayer (including Nikki Wood). He had hoped Buffy would prove to be his third Slayer. However, a series of events eventually led to Spike falling in love with Buffy, forming an alliance with her and her friends, and winning back his soul. Although Angel had brought the amulet to Sunnydale, Buffy had decided Spike would be the one to wear it during her final showdown against the First Evil. Buffy had decided . . . not the Powers That Be.

From what I have surmised, the Powers That Be had only committed one major act in their "war against evil" - they had used Whistler to guide Angel toward making his acquaintance with Buffy before she became a Slayer. They were certainly not responsible for the creation of the Slayer line. They were not responsible for Angel getting back his human soul . . . three times. Come to think of it, they were not responsible for Spike retrieving his soul. Apparently, William the Bloody had made the choice to regain his soul. No one had made it for him. And Buffy had decided which souled vampire would wear the mystical amulet during her fight against the First Evil. This only led me to wonder just how relevant were the Powers That Be in the Whedonverse.

High Point of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

 

HIGH POINT OF THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

I have watched the movies and some of the television shows from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since its inception with 2008's "IRON MAN". I am sure that many of the franchise’s fans have their own favorite movies and shows.

In my case, I have a favorite period of the franchise, which I personally consider its high point. Which is that period, you may ask? Well … I think the high point of the MCU had occurred during the spring and summer of 2014.



For me, it began with the airing of the "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." episode, (1.13) "T.R.A.C.K.S.". It continued on for the next three episodes, until (1.16) "End of the Beginning". Then came my favorite MCU movie of all time, "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER", which started the MCU’s best story arc in my opinion, "The Fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.". This story continued in the superb "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." episode, (1.17) "Turn, Turn, Turn". This story arc finally completed in the series’ Season One finale, (1.22) "Beginning of the End".

Two-and-a-half months after Season One of "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." ended, along with "The Fall of S.H.I.E.L.D." story arc, the MCU released my second or third favorite MCU movie of all time, "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY".

I do not think I have truly enjoyed the MCU franchise since that six-month period between February and August of 2014 that not only unveiled "The Fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.", but also introduced the Guardians of the Galaxy to the franchise’s fans. That whole period of 2014 was so enjoyable and well-written to me. And I personally feel that the MCU has never been able to recapture that consistent level of excellence again . . . even after five-and-half years.

"AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.": Conflict Within

 

"AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.": CONFLICT WITHIN

I just finished a re-watch of the Season Two "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." episode, (2.15) "One Door Closes". I really enjoyed the flashbacks featuring the experiences of Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, Bobbi Morse and Robert Gonzales on the day S.H.I.E.L.D. fell in (1.17) "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER". But looking at the "S.H.I.E.L.D. agents v. real S.H.I.E.L.D." story arc from Season Two - I now realize that it was one of the major reasons why I disliked that season so much.

For me, that story arc was just stupid beyond belief. After watching Bobbi, Mack, Gonzales and Isabelle Hartley survive the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., I found myself incapable of rooting for the series' main protagonists - Phil Coulson and his team. In fact, I could not. It was not hard to be upset over the mistrust that Gonzales’ team held toward Agent Skye aka Daisy Johnson and other Inhumans without getting to know them. I found some of Gonzales’ comments about Fury a little hard to swallow as well. Fury had his faults, but he did not have a God’s complex. I also felt that Gonzales, Anne Weaver and the others from the agency’s different factions should have contacted Coulson from the beginning. But I also found Coulson’s unwillingness to really work with Gonzales and the others without being the agency’s top dog even more hard to swallow.

What exactly was wrong with Coulson working on the same committee as Gonzales and Weaver? Coulson kept claiming that the agency could only be managed by one person at the top. And since Fury had selected him to be the Agency's new director in the Season One finale, (1.22) "Beginning of the End", he felt he was that one person. Apparently, Coulson, who had worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. since he left school, had forgotten that the agency had been managed by more than one person before Howard Stark’s death in December 1991.

Stark, Peggy Carter and their former wartime commander, Chester Phillips had served as the agency’s leaders for a little over 20 years until the latter’s death around the beginning of the 1970s. For a period of 20 to 21 years, both Peggy and Howard ran S.H.I.E.L.D., with HYDRA mole Mitchell Carson almost completing the triumvirate. It was during this latter period when Coulson had joined the agency. Only from December 1991 - the time of Stark’s death - to the present day, was S.H.I.E.L.D. led by one person. Peggy Carter was the first, solely leading the agency until her retirement. Alexander Pierce became the next sole director, followed by Nick Fury. The latter appointed Coulson as the next S.H.I.E.L.D. director to succeed him, unaware of Gonzales, Weaver and a few others had formed a committee to manage their own S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. For a day or two, Mack succeeded Coulson as the new director during mid-Season Three, until the latter resumed the position. Then Coulson stepped down as Director following the defeat of HIVE in the Season Three finale, (3.22) "Ascension". Jeffrey Mace became the fourth S.H.I.E.L.D. Director until his death in the Season Four episode, (4.18) "No Regrets". Coulson resumed the position of Director for the rest of Season Four and throughout Season Five (with the exception of a few episodes during which Daisy Johnson served as acting Director), until his second death after that season's finale, (5.22) "The End". Mack permanently became the current director by the end of that episode.

During a rough period of 28 out of 71 years, S.H.I.E.L.D. had only one leader. Coulson had been with S.H.I.E.L.D. long enough to know this. But his ego and blind adherence to Fury’s words would not allow him to accept this. As for Gonzales, Weaver and other leaders of the agency’s other faction; their prejudices against enhanced beings - fueled by HYDRA using one to attack Weaver on the day of the agency’s fall - had blinded them to the possibility that not all enhanced beings were a threat.

I realized that Coulson had made his peace with Gonzales, Weaver and the S.H.I.E.L.D. committee before Season Two ended. But honestly? This whole story arc was a cock up from the beginning and completely unnecessary. And it proved to be one of the main reasons why I disliked Season Two of "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." so much.

High Point of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

HIGH POINT OF THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

I have watched the movies and some of the television shows from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since its inception with 2008′s “IRON MAN”.  I am sure that many of the franchise’s fans have their own favorite movies and shows.

In my case, I have a favorite period of the franchise, which I personally consider its high point.  Which is that period, you may ask?  Well … I think the high point of the MCU had occurred during the spring and summer of 2014.

For me, it began with the airing of the “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.” episode, (1.13) “T.R.A.C.K.S.”.  It continued on for the next three episodes, until (1.16) “End of the Beginning”.  Then came my favorite MCU movie of all time, “CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER”, which started the MCU’s best story arc in my opinion, “The Fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.”.  This story continued in the superb “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.” episode, (1.17) “Turn, Turn, Turn”.    This story arc finally completed in the series’ Season One finale, (1.22) “Beginning of the End”. 

Two-and-a-half months after Season One of “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.” ended, along with “The Fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.” story arc, the MCU released my second or third favorite MCU movie of all time, “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”.

I do not think I have truly enjoyed the MCU franchise since that six-month period between February and August of 2014 that not only unveiled the Fall of S.H.I.E.LD., but also introduced the Guardians of the Galaxy to the franchise’s fans.  That whole period of 2014 was so enjoyable and well-written to me.  And I personally feel that the MCU has never been able to recapture that consistent level of excellent again . . . even after five years.

"Destruction in Comic Book Movies"

"DESTRUCTION IN COMIC BOOK MOVIES"

Two things happened to me recently.  One, I just finished a re-watch of the 2012 movie, “THE AVENGERS”.  And two, I came across this ARTICLE praising the MCU’s portrayal of the destruction of Midtown Manhattan in the film’s final action sequence and in many other films from the franchise.  

Now . . . not only did that article praised the Battle of Manhattan sequence in the 2012 movie, I had stumbled across another article even claimed that “THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON” handled massive destruction better than the 2013 movie, “MAN OF STEEL”. It also claimed that "THE AVENGERS" managed to achieve this, as well.  And if I must be honest, the article featured mainly photographs and shallow reasons that in my eyes, had failed to hold up.  

I have come to the conclusion that the media and many moviegoers were and still are incredibly hypocritical when it came to the MCU and the DCEU franchises.  They did not pitch a fit over the destruction featured in movies like “THE AVENGERS” and “AGE OF ULTRON”.  And when the MCU had finally decided to address the issue in the 2016 movie, “CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR”, it was more or less shoved aside for the Bucky Barnes manhunt and used as a motive in Helmut Zemo’s convoluted revenge plot against the Avengers.   Come to think of it, no one had raised a fuss over the destruction in Greenwich, England in 2013's “THOR: THE DARK WORLD”, aside from one comment used as a joke in Season One of “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.”.

But when the Kryptonians under General Zod nearly destroyed downtown Metropolis with their World Machine in "MAN OF STEEL”, both the media and many moviegoers went into a SNIT FIT over the destruction.  They accused Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer of going too far with the film’s sequence known as the “Black Zero Event”.  Many of them are still bitching about it to this day.  

Many articles and moviegoers had complained that Superman helped cause Metropolis’ destruction by not bothering to re-direct his fight against General Zod to a safer location.  In the 2013 movie, Superman had made two attempts to direct his fight against Zod away from Metropolis.  Unfortunately for him, Zod kept returning to Metropolis in his determination to kill Humans.  Many had also failed to notice that the Kryptonians’ World Machine was responsible for most of the destruction that was inflicted upon downtown Metropolis, while Superman was trying to destroy the damn thing.

In the end, the two Avengers movies received praise for its portrayal of the destruction of midtown Manhattan and Sokovia.  At the same time, many fans and critics have continued to criticize “MAN OF STEEL” for its destruction of Metropolis.  It is bad enough that some of those criticisms have been proven to be erroneous.  But many have failed to point out that the consequences of the movie’s “Black Zero Event” had a main role in the narrative for 2016′s “BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE”.   I am not only amazed at this hypocrisy, but also disgusted.

"Different Paths in Brotherhood"

"DIFFERENT PATHS OF BROTHERHOOD"

While reading an old review by someone named Tchaikovsky about the Season Five "ANGEL" episode, (5.08) “Destiny”, I noticed that the reviewer discussed a lot about the relationship between the two vampires - Angel and Spike - as "brothers", whether they were souled or not. When recalling that particular season, I remembered one particular thing about it. There seemed to be a strong focus on the topic of brotherhood. 

In the relationship between Angel and Spike, viewers had two vampires with the potential to be close "brothers" when they first met in London 1880. However, their feelings for one female vampire – namely Drusilla – fragmented that sense of brotherhood. After his disappointments with his former object of desire, an English debutante named Cecily, and his mother Anne, whom he had transformed into a vampire; Spike (or William Pratt) saw the female vampire as his destiny, someone to love and worship.

I am not sure what Angel (aka Angelus) saw in Drusilla. Perhaps he viewed her as something or someone to completely control, perhaps? As the son of an Irish merchant, Liam never really had any control in his relationship with his father, until the moment he killed the latter after becoming a vampire. Despite his rejection of his grandsire, the Master, Angelus found himself controlled by Darla via her usual subtle way - by making him believe that he was in control of their relationship. And perhaps, deep down, Angelus knew this. Perhaps this is why he had decided to betray William by having sex with Drusilla. Perhaps he wanted to make the other male vampire realize that he was in control and that William’s idea of Drusilla being his destiny was nothing more than an illusion. 

Due to Drusilla’s mental state, Angelus was not only Spike’s grandsire, but also acted as the latter’s sire and mentor. Yet . . . the night Angelus slept with Drusilla also marked the beginning of an antagonistic relationship and rivalry between the pair. That antagonism intensified following their reunion in Season Two of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER". When Angel lost his soul in (2.14) "Innocence" and became Angelus again; he resumed a sexual relationship with Drusilla. Crippled from his last encounter with vampire Slayer Buffy Summer, Spike found himself crippled and unable to do anything about it. Until he healed and formed a partnership with Buffy to deal with the threat of Angelus and Drusilla. At this point, Spike and Angel’s antagonistic relationship had lasted some 118 years. 

Ironically, after Spike had reappeared in Los Angeles in Season Five of "ANGEL" as a regular character, the two vampires slowly began to form another bond. Before that could happen, they had to deal with another rivalry - for the heart of Buffy Summers. After all, Spike had witnessed Buffy and Angel’s reunion kiss in the second to last episode of ”BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”, (7.21) “End of Days”. And in the following episode, (7.22) “Chosen”, Angel learned several things – namely that Buffy and Spike had formed some kind of relationship, Spike had a soul and Buffy had chosen the blond vampire as her personal champion. The two vampires’ resentment over Buffy spilled over when Spike’s non-corporeal form appeared at the end of the "ANGEL" episode, (5.01) “Convictions”. Yet, following their fight over the Cup of Destiny in "Destiny", the pair managed to reconnect as "brothers" in episodes like (5.11) "Damage" in which they bonded over shared experiences in becoming vampires, and in episodes like (5.20) “The Girl in Question” and (5.22) “Not Fade Away” in which they literally fought together as partners. Angel and Spike finally realized that they need each other in their fight against Evil and the Wolfram and Hart law firm. Besides, with the Fang Gang slowly disintegrating, perhaps Spike became the only person that Angel could truly depend upon.




In contrast to Angel and Spike’s relationship, Season Five marked the final destruction of the friendship between Charles Gunn and Wesley Wyndam-Price, Angel's fellow demon-hunters in Los Angeles. It is interesting that back in the series’ second season, they were close friends and partners in a detective agency they had just formed with Cordelia Chase. Many of the series’ fans would occasionally recall the secret handshakes, the ”I got your back” declarations, and the manner in which they had fought together against demons. 

But in the end, their relationship was destroyed by Wesley’s kidnapping of Angel’s son Connor and a woman – namely one Winifred "Fred" Burkle. I am not saying that she is to blame for their past or present estrangement. But Connor's kidnapping by an old vampire hunter (in which Wesley had unwisely participated) their views of Fred, and their personal demons - Charles’ insecurity (which was fed by Fred’s comment about him being the gang’s muscle) and Wesley’s secretive nature and whore/Madonna view of women - eventually brought about a complete destruction of their relationship. Temporarily. 

Their friendship resurrected when both men finally decided to forgo a romantic pursuit of Fred in late Season Four. But Angel’s decision to allow the Senior Partners, the evil overlords of the Wolfram and Hart law firm, to erase their memories of Connor and any other memories linking to the vampire’s son eventually set their friendship on the path of destruction once more. Angel's decision led to the Fang Gang becoming employees of the law firm, Charles’ decision to become an attorney by supernatural means and the resurrection of Wesley’s desires for Fred. Wes and Fred eventually began a romantic relationship by mid-Season Five. But their romance, along with Charles' new law career culminated in disaster when the latter made a pact with the Senior Partners to revive his diminishing legal abilities in exchange for signing the release of an ancient curio stuck in Customs. This curio resulted in the death of Fred and the resurrection of a demon called Illyia in Fred’s body. A grieving Wesley decided to seek revenge with the attempted murder of Charles. Although both men eventually assisted Angel in the latter’s battle against the Senior Partners and the Circle of Thorn in the Season Five finale, (5.22) "Not Fade Away", their friendship never returned to the state it had been during Season Two and late Season Four.

I find it amazing that two different male relationships ended on such divisive paths. Angel and Spike’s relationship – which began on a rocky foundation saturated with resentment and rivalry over two women - managed to reconnect into a strong brotherly bond. On the other hand, Charles and Wes’ friendship began on a strong note and ended in complete ruin before the series ended. And to think all of this happened during Season Five.

Transformations in “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.”

During my viewing of ABC's "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.", I noticed that between Seasons One and Three, certain characters underwent a transformation or acquired powers through certain circumstances.   Of the four characters mentioned below, three of them were transformed, thanks to a mist from a crystal called Terrigen.  This led them to become Inhumans.  The fourth character had been transformed via science experiments conducted by the terrorist agency called HYDRA.  I also noticed that at least three characters also endured a serious physical transformation.  Here they are:

TRANSFORMATIONS IN "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D."

Mike Peterson - A civilian who had experienced a severe back injury on the job.  A group called the Centipede Project (which was controlled by HYDRA) recruited him to use their Centipede serum.  The latter acquired new superpowers, but it formula also affected his psyche.  The team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents led by Phil Coulson, saved Petersen, when HYDRA turned on him.  After serving as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent for a while, Peterson was captured by a team of HYDRA agents led by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent John Garrett, who was betraying the latter.  Garrett and HYDRA transformed Peterson into the Cyborg known as Deathlok.

******************** 

Raina - A scientist who believed there were people in the world with the potential for special powers.  She also believed that she might be special, herself.  Due to this belief and her search, Raina was willing to work with HYDRA  Raina was eventually exposed to the Terrigen mist inside an abandoned Kree settlement discovered by Coulson, and transformed into an Inhuman.

******************** 

Dr. Andrew Garner - He was a neurologist and forensic psychologist who worked for S.H.I.E.L.D.  He was also married to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Melinda May, until a traumatic event that she had experienced, led to their divorce.  Dr. Garner and May eventually reconciled and embarked upon a vacation together.  Upon their return, Coulson asked him to examine a book on the history of Inhumans, written by former Inhuman leader, Jiaying.  The book turned out to be a trap for any human, who was exposed by the Terrigen mist from a Terrigen crystal hidden inside it.  Instead of dying, Dr. Garner's latent  transformed into an Inhuman eventually named Lash.

******************** 

Daisy Johnson aka Skye - She was a talented hackvist who was born to future Inhuman leader Jiaying and American medical practitioner named Dr. Calvin Johnson in a Chinese village.  Not long after her birth, HYDRA agents raided the village and kidnapped her mother and a few village elders.  Dr. Johnson left baby Daisy in the hands of trusted villagers in order to find his wife.  S.H.I.E.L.D. agents investigating the massacre found Daisy and brought her back to the U.S.  After living in an orphanage and a series of foster homes, Daisy, who called herself Skye, became a hackvist who exposed the secrets of the U.S. government.  Phil Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D. team eventually caught her and recruited her into the agency.  Over a year later, Daisy found herself inside the remnants of the Kree City with Raina.  She was exposed to the same Terrigen mist as Raina, and acquired new powers.  She eventually acquired the nickname, Quake.

********************  

Of the four characters mentioned above, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Daisy Johnson is the only one who did not endure a complete physical transformation.  She is also the only character who is not portrayed by an actor/actress of African descent.

So, could someone explain why three characters portrayed by actors/actresses of African descent had to undergo such drastic physical changes when they became enhanced beings, while the fourth character - someone NOT of African descent, only underwent a name change and haircut when she became an enhanced being?

Top Ten Favorite THANKSGIVING Television Episodes

Below is a list of my favorite television episodes about the Thanksgiving holiday: 


TOP TEN FAVORITE THANKSGIVING TELEVISION EPISODES



1. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - (4.08) "Pangs" - Vampire slayer Buffy Summers deal with a Native American vengeance spirit, the sudden appearance of her nemesis Spike and the preparation of a large holiday meal on Thanksgiving in this hilarious episode.





2. "Friends" - (6.09) "The One Where Ross Got High" - Live-in lovers Monica Geller and Chandler Bing invite her parents for their first Thanksgiving holiday and are shocked to discover that the latter does not like Chandler for reasons that have to do with Monica's brother Ross.





3. "WKRP in Cinncinati" - (1.07) "Turkeys Away" - In this classic episode of the 1970s/80s sitcom, radio station owner Arthur Carlson takes a more hands-on managerial approach by organizing the greatest Thanksgiving promotion in radio history by dropping live turkeys from a helicopter. Hilarious performance by Richard Sanders.





4. "Friends" - (5.08) "The One with All the Thanksgivings" - In this funny episode, the six friends recount their worst Thanksgivings.





5. "Mad Men" - (1.13) "The Wheel" - The marriage of Don and Betty Draper reach a new level following Betty's evaluation of their marriage during the Thanksgiving holiday. And secretary Peggy Olson experiences a professional high and a personal crisis.





6. "Friends" - (3.09) "The One With the Football" - Emotions run high on Thanksgiving when the gang have a game of touch football initiated by Monica and Ross' sibling rivalry, while Chandler and Joey compete over a Dutch model.





7. "How I Met Your Mother" - (3.09) "Slapsgiving" - Marshall Eriksen and Lily Aldrin host their first Thanksgiving dinner as a married couple. Ted Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky are still dealing with the breakup of their relationship and Marshall terrorizes Barney Stinson with the threat of a third slap he is due, thanks to an old bet.





8. "The West Wing" - (3.08) "Shibboleth" - The Thanksgiving holiday draws a group of Chinese Christians claiming religious persecution to the White House. Also Chief of Staff Le McGarry is at loggerheads with his sister over the issue of school prayer.





9. "Seinfeld" - (6.08) "The Mom and Pop Store" - In this classic episode, George Constanza decides to buy a convertible once owned by "Jon Voight"; Cosmo Kramer tries to save a small shoe-repair business, much to Jerry Steinfeld's detriment; and Elaine Benes wins tickets for her boss to participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.





10. "Will and Grace" - (7.10-7.11) "Queens For a Day" - Lovers Will Truman and Vince D'Angelo decide to allow their "families" meet for the Thanksgiving holiday at the D'Angelo home with disastrous results.