The Turkey Who Came to Dinner

"The Turkey Who Came to Dinner" is the 78th episode of Rugrats, and also the series' Thanksgiving episode. It was originally released as a direct-to-video special on October 21, 1997, and had its televised premiere in Australia on November 16th of the same year.
==Synopsis==
The Rugrats' families have gathered at the Pickles' residence for Thanksgiving, and Didi is telling the babies about the story of the first Thanksgiving. Inside the kitchen, Betty and Charlotte are arguing about how to prepare the dinner. Lou then arrives home, saying that he won a turkey in the Senior Center's Thanksgiving Cribbage Cavalcade, and that it should be delivered by 4:00. However, Betty is insistent on getting a turkey in the oven as soon as possible, so she, Howard, Charlotte, Minka, and a reluctant Didi head off to the grocery store to get one. Lou goes out to ask his sons if they want to play a game of football with him. But Stu and Drew decline his offer, as they're setting up a tower of satellite dishes so that they can simultaneously watch all the football games on TV simultaneously.
Tommy and the twins, meanwhile, are having a pretend Thanksgiving dinner, which consists mostly of Reptar Cereal. When Chuckie reluctantly asks if that means they have to invite Angelica, Tommy goes to do so, but she turns them down, since she's going to put on her own Thanksgiving parade ("If Tracey can throw a Thanksgiving parade, whoever she is, so can I!"). Shortly after, a delivery man comes and places a box in the kitchen. When Tommy opens the box, out comes a live turkey, who develops an unrequited crush on Spike and starts chasing after him. Tommy, having learned from his mother that turkeys are a big part of Thanksgiving, decides to invite the turkey to his and his friends' pretend dinner. When Angelica sees the babies trying to converse with the turkey, she tells them that the turkey is going to be dinner. The babies won't stand for this, and Angelica tells them that if they help her with the pretend parade she's putting on, she won't tell their parents about the turkey. After the babies help her set up her parade floats, she also coaxes them into making the turkey the star attraction. However, when they put on the parade, Chuckie trips over a rock and causes the turkey to start chasing Spike again, pulling Angelica's floats with him and making a mess of it. Furious that her parade was ruined, Angelica tells the babies she's going to tell the grown-ups about the turkey and help them catch and eat him.
While this is going on, Stu and Drew are trying to watch their football games, but continually argue over which one to focus on, and Chas would rather watch a nature documentary. Didi, Betty, Howard, Charlotte, and Minka return, with Charlotte having managed to find a frozen turkey dinner, while Betty insists they use turkey franks. Angelica tries to get both of her parents to come outside where the real turkey is, but both times, the babies manage to keep him hidden. Afterward, the babies try to figure out a way to help the turkey escape. They at first try to get him to fly, not knowing that turkeys cannot fly. They then figure out that they can catapult him into the air using Tommy's seesaw and attempt to do so. This almost works, but then Angelica returns with Lou and Boris, who have been searching for the turkey all over the house. The two old men and Angelica chase the turkey all around the yard, which eventually results in the bird crashing into the tower of satellite dishes, messing up the reception of the TVs that Stu and Drew have been watching. Meanwhile, Betty and Charlotte cram the turkey products into the microwave at once, but they catch fire and Didi rushes out to make sure the kids are all right.
The parents all run outside to see what happened and find the turkey, unharmed, crawling out of the wreckage of the satellite dishes. They decide to eat the turkey in retribution for him supposedly ruining their Thanksgiving gathering, but the babies form a protective circle around him. Chas figures out what the kids are doing, and Didi tells that, with all the arguing they've been doing today over what to eat or watch, they themselves were the ones who spoiled their Thanksgiving. Realizing their error, the adults all make amends. Boris then asks what they are going to have for dinner if they're not eating the turkey. In the end, the families all have Reptar Cereal for dinner (much to Angelica's dismay), while Spike shares his dog food with the turkey.
==Home video releases==
;VHS
* Rugrats: A Rugrats Thanksgiving
;DVD
* Rugrats: Holiday Celebration
* Rugrats: Season 4
* Rugrats: The Complete Series
;iTunes
* Rugrats: Season 4
==Notes==
* Angelica mentions a parade held by "Tracey", in reference to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Perhaps not coincidentally, this episode was released the same year in which the Rugrats balloon made its debut in the real-life parade.
==External links==
* 
Category:Holiday productions
Category:Direct-to-video productions