When you think of must-watch episodes of television around the Thanksgiving season, classic sitcom antics like Friends’ turkey mishap or Cheers’ disastrous dinner probably come to mind. If you’re a viewer who likes to embrace newer shows or if you just appreciate the holiday themed delight that is the Belcher family, Bob’s Burgers’ marvelous turkey day specials probably make the list as well. However, there’s one episode of television we all need to add to our holiday must-watch lists. Through its painfully funny insight into Denise’s (Lena Waithe) sexual identity, Master of None’s “Thanksgiving” stands as a perfect reflection about how simultaneously horrifying and supportive Thanksgiving can be.

“Thanksgiving” comes with a pedigree. Not only is Master of None a critical gem with a devoted mainstream fan base, but Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe won the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Emmy for this Season 2 episode. The Emmy is one of three the series has won, and Waithe’s victory marks the first time a black woman has won in the Outstanding Comedy Writing category.

Watching the episode, it’s hard not to see why it’s made history. Whereas most holiday specials end up feeling hollow and vaguely corporate, there’s something decidedly intimate and revealing about “Thanksgiving.” In a series of flashbacks that range from Thanksgiving Day 1995 to Thanksgiving Day 2017, Master of None explores Denise’s realization about her sexuality, the struggles of coming out to both Dev (Ansari) and her family, and how this revelation that she’s a lesbian affects her overall relationship with her mom.

In less skilled hands, “Thanksgiving” could feel like an overly simplistic and too perfect look at Denise’s holiday-related coming out. However, from its smart callbacks from years past to the knowing looks between Denise’s mom Catherine (Angela Bassett) and her Aunt Joyce (Kym Whitley), “Thanksgiving” always feels sweet and relatable even though its central characters change drastically from scene to scene. More than anything else, the constant draw to fit back into the normality you grew up with despite near-constant change around you is what defines Thanksgiving as a holiday. Master of None captures this odd relationship better than any other show.

Waithe’s episode is certainly one of Master of None’s more emotional episodes, grounding itself in a protagonist who pretends she’s too cool to care. But it’s also one of the show’s funniest episodes. Denise has always been a force to be reckoned with on this incredible show, and an episode that gives her the floor to joke with Dev is a delight. Thanksgiving is a weird time, especially in your 20s and 30s. You want to be true to yourself, but you also don’t want to do anything that upsets the people you love most in this world — your family. Master of None feels your pain, and it’s there for you.

Stream Master of None's "Thanksgiving" on Netflix