) I think this is one of those sweeping character traits made halfway through a series that they really shouldn't have done. For one example, Chandler seemed to have no problem in "The One With Phoebe's Uterus".
Okay, so what's the reason for none of the gang having Thanksgiving with their families this time????
Sunspot activity? ;)
It doesn't strike me so much when I watch the Thanksgiving episodes, because I'm not familiar with the celebration or the way you say it's normally celebrated with one's own family.
Thanksgiving celebrations, in terms of who attendance, pretty much mirror those of Christmas, at least here in the U.S., with extended family members coming together, at least those who live near one another. (I assume Christmas is also celebrated in this manner near Yorkshire. )
*thinks: Curses! He's tracking my every move!*
That's usually how Christmas is celebrated here, yes, but sometimes it's not possible.
I agree, though: they really need to give a reason, even if it's just a throwaway line.
Once again, we have one of the few episodes of the series that, IMO, was not very well written.
I have to say, I did not care for the whole R/T angle throughout the seventh & beginning of the eighth seasons, one, because Rachel was Tag's boss, two, the only reason she hired him is because he was young and good-looking, and three, he seems more like a little brother than a potential boyfriend for her. I mean, come on, she's at least a decade older than him. You know what I'm saying?
And since when did Chandler not like dogs? As Phil once put in about Riker and Troi conversing in 10 Forward in "Conundrum": "Isn't it a little late in the series for any more expositional material between these two characters" or something to that effect. My point is, this episode's writer seemed to pull that personality trait about Chandler completely out of thin air. It just didnt seem that this was the kind of thing to base nearly an entire episode around, that's all I'm saying.
And what about Ross and Monica's dogs they had growing up? In this one, Ross talks about "Rofer" being taken away and never being seen again, but has he forgotten about "Chi-Chi" from one of the first season eps that he believed for a long time had really been sent to a farm, but really had been put to sleep, which Monica knew about but somehow Ross didn't? What about that dog?
Oh well, that's all I got for this one!
Chandler didn't meet Ross until they were in college together. Probably both those dogs were long gone by then.