Danny Sullivan

  • Danny Sullivan’s Blog
  • Popular posts
  • Archives
  • About Danny Sullivan
  • Contact

Mad About You – The “Giblets for Murray” Thanksgiving Day episode

November 20, 2022 by Danny Sullivan

One of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions is watching the classic Mad About You episode, “Giblets for Murray.” It’s the one where Jaime & Paul Buckman host Thanksgiving dinner for their family and friends. We love it. I highly encourage everyone to watch it (it was episode 8 of season 3). Below — and spoiler alert — a recap of some of the best scenes and legendary quotes from the series.

Paul and Jamie in the kitchen talking while preparing food.

“If she smiles, she’s hurt. If she laughs, she’s pissed. If she gets bubbly, it’s every man for themselves.” Jamie gives Paul some advice on reading her mom’s real emotions.

Jamie showing Paul how to quickly peel a potato.

“Sweetie, it’s like you can’t do it fast enough. Bing bing bing bing bing.” Paul gets a potato peeling lesson.

Paul opening refrigerator door.

“I’ve been working on ice all week!” — Jamie threw out the Paul’s ice to make room in the fridge.

Kim talking to Paul over counter in shop

“Ice. My biggest profit margin. Just water, cold and time.” — Kim, who runs the nearby deli, to Paul, when he shows up to buy ice.

Sylvia with potatoes
Burt sees ice on the chair

Paul’s mom Sylvia arrives with potatoes. He protests Jamie has made some. “So she’ll freeze hers.” Meanwhile, Paul’s father Burt can’t fathom the idea of buying ice.

Jamie setting the table with Paul's mother looking over her.

Paul’s mom offers to help set the table. No need! “We’re doing buffet.” Pause. “And why is that, honey” — oh the delivery!

Sylvia Buchman, Paul's mother, talks with Jamie

Paul’s mom sees that Jamie has made sweet potato pie with no marshmallows and tells story of not having them as girl. They had no marshmallows? “It was war! … I told myself when the war was over I’d never spend a holiday again without marshmallows. [Pause]. But this is fine.” It. Is. Not. Fine.

Jamie’s mom hears they’re doing buffet & no salad, starts laughing. (Remember, that’s bad). Paul’s dad learns that Jamie has made homemade cranberry sauce. But if it doesn’t make that whoosh sound from a can, he’s not happy, he tells Paul. Time for another trip to the deli.

Paul & Jamie return to find everyone has set a table, rebelling against buffet idea. “We went another way.” Paul lays down the law: it’s Thanksgiving our way or the highway. “We’re not kids anymore. Everything is under control.” Then in the kitchen, they find Murray the dog has eaten the turkey.

Paul looks through crack in door
Paul puts turkey in hallway
Jamie distracts people
Paul and Jamie argue in hallway

Paul sneaks out to buy a new turkey but can’t get back in without being seen. So, he leaves it in hallway outside the apartment until he and Jamie can distract their parents in hilarious ways. By the time that’s done, the turkey is stolen. Jamie: “You don’t leave a turkey in a hallway in New York City!” Paul: “Who knew?” Jamie: “It’s a fact!” (Picking up a line that recurred from others earlier in the episode).

Fran talking on phone.

“Yes you do. Yes you do. Yes you do.” (A classic quote from the series, one that star and series co-creator Paul Reiser even has in his Twitter profile). Fran has been doing a marathon phone call with her son and ex-husband to convince them her son likes turkey.

Ira talking to Lisa on couch

Fran notices most everyone is now gone. “What is going on here?” Ira’s been quietly watching it all from the couch, amused. “I don’t know. But I’m entertained!” Lisa fills them both in. Aunt Lolly remains glued to the TV & her earphones.

jamie throws the turkey out the window

Now comes one of the best TV comedy scenes ever. Jamie returns with a second replacement turkey. Coast clear, she heads to kitchen, only to have people start to come out. Then they come from the bedroom. No where to go, she throws the turkey out the window.

Ira smiling
Ira and Paul
Jamie
Ira and Lisa back in deli

The look on Ira’s face! Paul: “Personally, that wouldn’t have been my choice.” Jamie: “I panicked!” Ira & Fran go to get a third turkey. Meanwhile, Jamie’s sister Lisa is forced to tell her mom what happened. She’s sympathetic & promises not to tell. She immediately tells her husband.

Paul and Jamie in kitchen running to window too late to catch turkey as it drops past when string breaks.

How to get the turkey to Paul & Jamie? Ira & Fran go to the apartment above, call Paul & tell him to go to the kitchen. They lower the turkey down on a string and … oops!

Sylvia points
Paul and Jamie run in with turkey
Sylivia talks to Bert
Everyone looks at the turkey

Paul’s mom sees Jamie & Paul with new turkey. Everyone’s in on “secret” now. She gets all to pretend to look at something so P&J can get in. Fran: “Good for you!” Paul’s mom: “What? I never had a mother-in-law?” Paul’s dad: “She love you!” Paul’s mom: “Please!” Dinner is served!

Murray standing over remains of the turkey

Everyone oohs and ahhs over the turkey. That they’re doing buffet. Everything. Paul & Jamie’s own take on Thanksgiving has come out great in the end. “Wait until you see dessert!” says Jamie. Oh, Murray!

“They keep calling me Aunt Lolly, and I’m not even sure which one of them I’m related to.” Aunt Lolly finally speaks. And talks and talks during the credits. “I know. It’s a free meal.”

And so ends a great episode and wonderful teleplay by Jeffrey Klarik. And there’s much more wonderfulness beyond what I covered here!

By the way, where can you watch it? It moves around a lot. We own a copy purchased through Amazon years ago, and they still have it for sale. It’s also available on Apple TV to rent right now.

Filed Under: TV

About Danny Sullivan

Danny Sullivan is a former analyst and journalist who works for Google to help educate the public about search, to explore and explain issues that may arise with search, and take feedback from the public to help promote solutions.

Danny Sullivan on social media:
Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn - Mastodon - Medium - Snapchat - Twitter - YouTube

Posts By Month

Posts By Category

Privacy Policy