In my experience, the friend who cannot rise above such situations is not the friend I thought they were: "I can't force you to join us and be uncomfortable, and I will not be forced to choose who I invite. No hard feelings." — Yosef Baskin 41 secs ago

@Frank - in fact I would specifically stay away from Christmas Day itself - that really is for close family gatherings with presents and whatnot. — Jon Custer 2 mins ago

It rather depends why you invited the ex. Did you invite them before the breakup? Do you have a friendship with them independent of the relationship with your "somewhat close friend"? Do you know why other people are saying they won't come if she is there? Without this information the question is much too broad. If you add this, you can ask "how can I respond to people who tell me they don't want her to come?" or "how can I tell her I don't want her to come after all?" or some other interpersonal skills question that is not "what should I do?" — Kate Gregory 1 min ago

I accepted the other answer as it was just a smidge more applicable to my current circumstances but this advice was also very helpful, and I'll definitely keep this in mind in future years! +1 for multiple ways to address them - thank you so much! — eurieka 33 secs ago

I see. Thank you, Jon! — Frank 2 mins ago

Hi Giacomo! Thank you for your answer! Thank you for pointing out thanksgiving is different. Just out of curiosity, why would people think an invitation to try a new restaurant is loaded? — Frank 2 mins ago

For the SO, I think this point of yours is particularly relevant when you and your friend are opposite genders. Nice to imply that their bond is such that they're a unit to a third party. — Euchris 2 mins ago

@Euchris: that hadn't even entered into my mind, but you make an excellent point. It also helps put the SO at ease that you aren't competing for the affections of the friend and you see them as a couple. Thanks for the feedback! — baldPrussian 1 min ago

@Frank “Why would people think an invitation to try a new restaurant is loaded?” Because Thanksgiving is not a reciprocal holiday, and you are a visitor to the U.S. so they want to be polite but not rude and refusing an invitation to a restaurant presented as a gift is considered rude to many. The reality is you are overthinking it. Don’t do anything past remembering the gesture and paying it back in the future if/when an opportunity avails itself. And if one doesn’t? Just note it when you leave the U.S. and send them a thank you card. — Giacomo1968 32 secs ago

How much of this conflict is related to the show and how much is related to feeling left out? Does Friend A actually want to watch the show, or are they being noncommittal out of frustration? — eurieka 1 min ago

More so feeling left out, it’s related to the show to the extent that it’s long (5 seasons). He does want to, but it hasn’t been shown in actions since he’s communicated the least. He said he will change after I drew out opinions from everyone in order to talk about this conflict directly. — Austin Conlon 2 mins ago