Review: 40123 Thanksgiving Feast
Posted by Huw,
Set 40123 Thanksgiving Feast is this year's fourth seasonal vignette, following on from 40120 Valentine's Day Dinner, 40121 Painting Easter Eggs and 40122 Trick or Treat Halloween Set.
It was released on the 1st of October so I'm a little late with the review and in fact, despite Thanksgiving still being two weeks away, if you haven't already purchased one you might have trouble doing so: it is sold out at shop.LEGO.com already.
The first two vignettes were excellent, the Halloween one less so. Let's see if this one gets the series back on track...
Minifigs
The minifigures are delightful, I imagine probably a grandma and a grandad (or whatever you call them in the US).
Grandma's hairpiece is particularly rare, appearing on only three other minifigs, and only once before in dark grey, on Ma Cop from The LEGO Movie. Grandad doesn't look quite right in my opinion, what with grey hair but brown beard and eyebrows.
Grandma's still wearing an old-fashioned corset, a torso first used for Kingdoms Queens, with matching red legs.
The vignette
Like the others in the series the vignette is constructed on a 8x8 base and features a back wall, in this case presumably it's a dining room with a dresser up against it, a pot plant constructed using a rare 'Dome 2X2, Inverted W. One Stud' in lime green, and a dining table and chairs.
Inside the dresser there's a bottle of, er... water :-) The runner on the table, made using a 3-tooth plate is a great detail. A pumpkin adorns the table: it's a shame it's not a printed one.
The back of the wall carries an impressive level of detail -- a climbing vine in autumnal colours and garden tools in a rack -- particularly given that none of it is evident on the front of the box or in most product shots.
A serving trolley loaded up with Thanksgiving turkey, apple sauce (?) and pie completes the set. Compared to the size of Grandad, that's one heck of a trolley and turkey -- it will keep them going until Christmas Day!
Verdict
So, apart from a few largely unavoidable scale issues, it's a delightful set, equal in appeal to the first two of the year. Judging by the speed at which these seasonal sets sell out, they are clearly very popular and you wonder why LEGO doesn't produce more. I guess it doesn't want to be left with stock after the event in question.
If you haven't grabbed yours already, try and get hold of one if you can from BrickLink or eBay. And if you've not yet secured the two Christmas/winter ones (40124 Winter Fun and 40125 Santa's Visit), I suggest you do so ASAP because it looks as though they will be out of stock any day now too, if they aren't already. We will be reviewing them soon.
Video review
Here's JANGBRiCKS' video review of the set:
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38 comments on this article
I think you meant to mention the Valentine's Day Dinner set in the opening sentence.
This is such a wonderful little set! So much detail, so many cool parts and accessories, and I love the look of the outside wall. Overall colors of the set just look great.
Do you mean potted plant? The other gets your house raided in most of the US. Not a good day for that.
Pot plant, really?.
I wonder how long they spent deciding upon which torso to use for grandma, only to get it completely wrong?
This has to qualify as one of the best misunderstandings between British and American English yet. In the UK 'pot plant' and 'potted plant' are interchangeable. Evidently the same is not the case in the US!
same with dresser. In the US a dresser is where we keep clothing. A China cabinet or hutch is where we keep dishes.
LOL, and I thought it was only grandma and grandad that would cause problems :)
I think the cabinet behind them is more appropriately called a "hutch."
I'm so glad this is written in proper English ;). A "hutch" is out in the garden where the rabbit lives.
Plant pot and potted plant are the same. Pot plant is something else and only grown in four states. ;)
Love this set. Love it so much on October 30th I bought another one from a LEGO Store, so if you have one around there check for it.
The pot plant would explain the giant serving trolly and why they may be keeping their clothes in the kitchen ;)
Nice review! I love these cute little vignettes for each season and holiday. Just the right size to put on a shelf. They could find some rarer torsos to add something new here as these have been around forever. I would have thrown in a couple of cute little grandkids as these grandparents look awfully lonely, and most folks try to share this festive meal with a group that one special day of the year. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite days of the year; no presents are involved except for the dish of food you give to the hostess when you arrive. The day has not been overly commercialized like all other holidays in the US, and it is a day to reflect and be thankful for what we have. What a nice thought, isn't it!
Back to the build....The scale of the trolly is industrial for sure! Maybe they should have put the pie somewhere else and the turkey on a lower level so it does not kill someone flying off the top rack! It really is a problem cooking and serving a turkey that large, and would be dangerous to place it anywhere above your waist.
After we eat a huge Thanksgiving meal, we often say we are stuffed and can eat no more until dessert arrives. In the UK, this word means that everyone is pregnant, so watch out for that one, too! Thanks again for including this vignette in your reviews!
^ Wow, this conversation took an interesting turn ...
@TheGreenBrickGiant - A plant pot is the pot in which the plant is planted while a pot plant is the plant itself.
legogal - We have the same 'stuffed' expression in the UK, meaning to be full up and unable to eat any more; it doesn't have anything to do with being pregnant as far as I know. One might also tell somebody to 'get stuffed' which traditionally means 'go away' but is now an insult which covers a variety of meanings.
Whether it was Oscar Wilde or George Bernard Shaw who first commented that 'England and America are two nations separated by a common language,' they were right!
My only regret is that we don't have one of these for every month of the year. Obviously not every month has a major holiday (and that varies by country), but I'd love to have seen:
- St. Patrick's Day: reissue the leprechaun, have him in a pub. (Sorry--here in the U.S., people go to either a pub or a parade for St. Patrick's Day--often both.)
- Independence Day: back porch with a grill/barbecue; kid with mini-fireworks.
That would at least cover March and July. Not sure what we could do for May, June, August, and September.
It's usually "grandpa," but "grandad" is far from unheard of.
I can't understand the section of wall next to the cabinet- I assume the tiles with railes are some kind of molding, but what is the purpose of the 1x1 round tile on the wall?
Yeah, Grandma is spot on in the US and Grandad isn't as common as Grandpa, but it is there
@ ResIpsaLoquitur
One for every month would be too much, but I agree - they should do this more often. Mother's Day, Children's Day, first day of summer etc.
There should be at least two vignettes between Easter and Halloween.
My best guess on that round tile is that it's either a thermostat or a dimmer switch for the dining room. I was actually more impressed with the detail on the back of this set than the vignette in front, but I'd recommend the set as you can never have too many of those LEGO turkeys.
As others have pointed out, that's a hutch behind the table. We also keep our rabbits in a hutch out back. "Dresser" in the U.S. specifically refers to what the English call a chest of drawers.
"Grandfather" would be considered very formal in the U.S. "Grandpa" is less formal, but mostly, at least here in the Northeast, you'll hear "gramps" and "grampy" used a lot.
Don't forget to have them pray to Will Ferrell before they eat!
I am in Canada so this article about thanksgiving is way late! We celebrate Thanksgiving in October. We smoke a little pot plant, then eat a big turkey. Not necessarily in that order.
In the US, what we call our grandparents really depends on where we live and what our heritage is. For example, I call my mother's parents, who are 100% Greek, "Yia Yia" and "Popoule" (grandmother, grandfather). I called my dad's parents, who were Roman Catholics and mostly German/other European countries, Grandmother and Grandfather.
I've heard grandma/grandpa, grams/gramps, nana/papa and many other ways of saying them. Just depend on who you are.
^^ That would explain the inclusion of the "pot plant" ;)
Does LEGO really believe that Thanksgiving is accurately represented by two lonely, childless pensioners in their eat-in kitchen? A Thanksgiving feast is celebrated by the whole family over a large spread. And yet, they appear happy so, they must be empty-nesters or just aging hipsters.
^More likely, it's meant to represent a few nice food pieces in a decent-looking part pack masquerading as a "Holiday Vignette". I would not complain if someone gave this set to me.
Love this conversation! I think a pot plant here in California would not be at all unusual :-)
Grandma's torso is an interesting choice but not Grandma like in the slightest. Other than that I really like this set, especially the details on the outside.
If this vocabulary discussion is starting to make you concerned, take a Sharpie and label each item in the set as you wish. May hurt the resale value but we've all got to pick our battles :P
I've lived in the UK my entire life and can honestly say that I have NEVER heard the word "stuffed" used to describe a pregnant woman! It simply means being too full to eat any more food!
Haven't opened the box yet, so it was interesting to see the exterior!
I think "stuffed" has the pregnancy meaning in Australia... But seriously... what are people like me, non-native speakers, supposed to do when you natives can't even agree on terminology? In any case, I really like these little holiday vignettes. They make for nice presents and they are excellent parts packs for AFOLs. I'm happy there is finally a LEGO Store opening in Sweden so I can pick up these kind of sets.
Fascinating to see from the back. But the set itself? Not really interested.
Nice to see the green dome holding up the potted plant.
^Alatareil, think English speakers are bad? Learn Spanish, and then see how crazy different the dialect is in every Spanish country (especially Latin America) and the crazy amount of different words. English is pretty tame in comparison :)
This set really brings the line back on track after Halloween! We don't have thanksgiving at all here, but as an Aussie I can add that I've never heard stuffed used to describe a pregnant woman - it's used when you're full or can also be used when you're really tired/exhausted and can't do another thing, or if something is broken and can't be fixed it's stuffed.
This is a great little set, I haven't opened mine yet, but really charmed by the back of the wall, way to go above and beyond!
It would be neat if this were a monthly thing, they could be kind of generic, like "spring flowers blooming" and "autumn leaves falling", but it would be especially fun to get a New Years Party, St. Patrick's Day, Summer Barbecue. It'd be fun if it wasn't American centric and we got a Bastille Day one or Tanabata or something.
@Alatariel - for pregnancy in Australia you would be 'up the duff' or 'knocked up' so similar sounding.
Dont ask me where it came from, i have no idea.
^Never heard of any of those terms being used in Australia, must be out of the loop :P
On the note of Christmas vignettes, in Australia, the UK and the US they are sold out but will ship by the 20th of November and 16th for the US.
Anyway, good review Huw and love the conversation that two little words have brought about :D
What is Lego on at the moment with putting its female mini figures in highly inappropriate clothing?!- First the girl/wench from the Halloween set and now Burlesque Grandma!!! Both have ruined these sets for me and sadly won't be bought which is a shame as the sets could have been great but that is a design flaw so big and with such uncomfortable connotations I can't support it. I feels like they just threw in any old body part without any thought as to how it looks or what it might represent. If grandma wants to go and do Burlesque then no problem but in a Lego set? And on thanksgiving? I thought America was all wholesomeness at that time of year? I await the pole dancing set next Valentine's…. : )
^America IS pretty wholesome at Thanksgiving; LEGO is a Danish company, so the real puzzler is what the Danes think Thanksgiving is all about? Or what they think about their American buyers in general?
From what I see, we Americans consider all holidays as "any excuse to have a drink." Bottle of wine on Valentine's Day, green beer on St. Patrick's Day, more wine on Easter, lots of beer on Memorial Day, more beer on July 4, still more beer on Labor Day, jello shots on Halloween (seriously, my neighbor does this every year!), even more wine on Thanksgiving, and still more wine on Christmas (and all the pre-Christmas parties with champagne, too). And "how much alcohol can you consume" on New Year's Eve. So the presence of the "water" bottles in all these holiday scenes rings true for me!