My Favorite Murder – Minisode 463 Summary

Podcast: My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Episode: Minisode 463
Date: November 24, 2025

Overview: Thanksgiving Stories with Heart, Humor, and A Little Cat Chaos

In this Thanksgiving-themed minisode, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark dive into listener-submitted stories that blend the warmth, chaos, and sometimes the dark hilarity of holiday dinners. This episode is a tapestry of celebrity surprises, perilous Thanksgivings, home accidents, beloved pets, and heartfelt memories—each layered with the hosts' signature banter. The tone oscillates between laugh-out-loud funny and touching, with both hosts relishing the absurdities and sentimentality the holiday brings.

Key Discussion Points & Listener Stories

The Comfort Food Chat (01:46)

• Karen and Georgia warm up with their favorite Thanksgiving dishes, debating mashed potatoes versus crispy paprika toppings.
  • Karen: "Oh, my sister’s mashed potatoes... just half butter, half butter. Insane." (01:56)
  • Georgia: “My aunt does...a crispy paprika crust on top.” (02:12)

1. A Surprise Thanksgiving Guest: Guy Pearce Edition (02:29–06:44)

• Listener Emma recounts a childhood Thanksgiving in Toronto where Australian actor Guy Pearce unexpectedly attends their family dinner.
• The family hosts friends and their guests, with Pearce in town filming (possibly “Traitor”).
• Memorable incidents: Dad making Guy Pearce “show them what he was working with” (read: washboard abs), “turkey fondue” created from leftovers, and the awkward reality of not knowing his wife was vegan.
  • Quote: "Who is at the door...other than motherfucking Guy Pearce." (04:45)
  • Hosts’ reaction: Shock, delight, and nostalgia about impromptu guest traditions.

2. Stealth Thanksgiving: Refusing to Evacuate After an Explosion (08:44–12:32)

• Listener Cooper details the chaos of Thanksgiving 2019 in Port Neches, Texas, when a butane refinery explodes nearby.
• Despite a mandatory evacuation, her father refuses to leave, leading to a “stealth Thanksgiving” amid toxic fumes and a second explosion mid-dinner.
• Reflection on local industry’s hazards and the pressure against speaking out due to jobs.
  • Cooper: “We closed all the curtains, moved the cars into the garage, and began our first stealth Thanksgiving.” (10:31)
  • The family bakery’s tradition of listening to MFM is briefly mentioned as a source of camaraderie.
  • Georgia: “Stay sexy and don’t get exploded by evil energy companies this Thanksgiving.” (12:32)

3. The Accidental Knife Stabbing & ER Road Trip (15:23–19:08)

• Tessa shares a family legend: At age nine, while setting the Thanksgiving table in New Jersey, she slips on socks, falls, and accidentally stabs herself in the armpit with a knife.
• The family’s chaotic rush to the hospital gets sidetracked—they end up at a nursing home instead of the ER.
  • Quote: "Sir, this is a nursing home." (18:30)
  • Tessa: "Not a bad deal...my Albanian grandmother gave me $100 cash. Not a bad deal." (18:50)
• The hosts riff on their own childhood accidents with silverware.

4. The Cat Funeral That Wasn’t: A Floating Coffin in Baltimore (20:11–25:27)

• Listener Rachel recounts the bittersweet Thanksgiving loss of her beloved cat, Jaffe. Unable to cremate her on the holiday, she settles for a rooftop “cooling off,” then tries for a poetic harbor burial in Baltimore.
• The makeshift cat coffin doesn’t sink and is fished out by the harbor police, prompting Rachel to flee the scene.
  • Rachel: “As I watched the lovingly inscribed box bob out into the open water, I had another realization, which was that the box wouldn’t sink...” (23:47)
• The story pivots to accidental dark humor, typical of MFM’s approach.

5. The Thanksgiving of the Lost Glasses & Burnt Feast (28:06–30:49)

• Listener Kelsey shares how her mother, perpetually losing her glasses, drops them in the oven while checking the turkey, unknowingly melting them and ruining the meal. The biggest concern is the family parakeet surviving the smoke.
• The story ends with sentiment—her mother is gone, and holiday anecdotes help keep her memory alive.
  • Kelsey: “As the years go on, I struggle to remember her laugh. So telling these stories are what keep her memory alive for me.” (30:21)

6. Grandma’s Secret Jack Daniels Method (31:07–32:39)

• Jeremy writes in with a brief story: Grandma Julia Ann Oliver, matriarch of a packed farmhouse Thanksgiving, secretly loathes hosting but endures it with a hidden fifth of Jack Daniels in the flour bin; when it’s empty, dinner is done.
  • Quote: "Grandma would start with a bit of it in her coffee, and when the fifth was empty, the food was done.” (31:59)
  • Family’s posthumous decision: “If they don’t care to check on you alive, they don’t deserve to know that you died.” (32:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Guy Pearce’s Abs:
  Karen: "And made Guy unbutton his shirt to, quote, show them what he was working with. Yes, dad, yes, show us. And the answer was washboard abs." (05:01)
• Thanksgiving Amidst Danger:
  Cooper: “We made it out just fine, but did experience a second explosion halfway through our meal that had our heavily laden dinner table shaking.” (11:02)
• Slapstick on the Holidays:
  Tessa: "Sir, this is a nursing home." (18:30)
• Baltimore Cat Goodbye:
  Rachel: “It seemed to make perfect sense as a more meaningful alternative to her anonymous cremation... and dropped Jaffe’s wooden coffin into the harbor...that box wasn’t going to sink.” (23:34)
• On Family Memory:
  Kelsey: “So telling these stories are what keep her memory alive for me.” (30:21)
• Grandma’s Secret:
  Jeremy: “After her death...my aunt told us Grandma hated everyone visiting...would go buy a fifth of Jack, and it was hidden in the flour bin.” (31:25)

Host Commentary & Running Themes

• Karen and Georgia consistently bounce between empathy and irreverence, gently teasing each other's holiday traditions and reacting with big, familial energy to each listener email.
• Recurring advice: Go easy on yourself during the holidays; it’s okay to set boundaries and find your own (sometimes introverted) way through family events.
• The episode closes with a toast to the listeners, a salute to grandmas everywhere, and a reminder to "stay sexy and don’t get murdered."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Thanksgiving Food Chat: 01:46–02:19
• Guy Pearce Guest Story: 02:29–06:44
• Explosion & Stealth Thanksgiving: 08:44–12:32
• Knife Accident & Nursing Home: 15:23–19:08
• Cat Burial in Baltimore Harbor: 20:11–25:27
• Lost Glasses/Burnt Dinner: 28:06–30:49
• Secretly Hammered Grandma: 31:07–32:39

Final Thoughts

This episode is full of stories that epitomize the My Favorite Murder ethos: finding the humor in disaster, the sweetness in memory, and the community in sharing both. If you need a quick shot of nostalgia, relatable family chaos, or just a good laugh with a side of feels, this minisode is a perfect holiday companion.

Stay sexy, and don’t get murdered—and happy Thanksgiving!