XPost: rec.arts.tv, alt.simpsons
From: weberm@polaris.net

When audiences think of the ways in which The Simpsons honors the
holidays, fans likely immediately jump to the fact that the animated
series delivers viewers a Halloween-themed adventure every year with
its "Treehouse of Horror" series, though there are plenty of
Christmas-themed exploits for the first family in animation that stick
with viewers. These events might not come as often as Halloween
episodes, but they are delivered with enough frequency to amass more
than a dozen entries over the years. As with most episodes of The
Simpsons, however, the holiday episodes hit their stride earlier in its
tenure, as each subsequent season saw more middling results.

At their best, The Simpsons' holiday episodes hit just as hard with
their heart as they do with their humor and, at their worst, are thinly
veiled attempts at cashing in on the holiday excitement by wrapping a
subpar episode in holiday packaging. Additionally, the absurdist nature
of the series and the ways in which it can span days, weeks, or months
at a time mean that a handful of episodes feature scenes involving
Christmas, though these sequences take up so little screen time that
they don't feel like genuine "holiday episodes." In this regard,
episodes like "Skinner's Sense of Snow" and "The Burns and The Bees"
briefly touch upon holiday festivities, but it's a stretch to include
them alongside much more Christmas-centric adventures.

With all that out of the way, scroll down to see how we think The
Simpsons' Christmas episodes stack up!

15) "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II" - Season 18, Episode 9
With the Simpson family inadvertently being responsible for Gil
Gunderson getting fired as a mall Santa, they offer him a place to
stay, only for him to wear out his welcome. After staying with the
family for nearly a year, Gil is kicked out and heads to Scottsdale,
Arizona to become a realtor. The Simpsons then head to Scottsdale to
check on Gil, only to accidentally get him fired again, though they buy
a house from him out of pity.

Between the family visiting a "Krusty's Kristmas on Ice" and the
inciting incident being directly connected to Christmas, the overall
experience largely feels like a Gil-focused episode that just so
happened to align with the holidays, as opposed to one that required
the holiday setting. Add to this episode largely being holiday-themed
in aesthetics more than in authenticity is that Gil plays a major role
and, despite being highly entertaining in small bursts and with
depressing non-sequiturs, centering a whole episode around a D-list
resident of Springfield doesn't really stand out.

The only real bit that works is Homer's rivalry with the "Grumple," a Grinch-like character he accosted at the ice rink that refuses to let
their rivalry subside.

14) "Simpson Christmas Stories" - Season 17, Episode 9
Likely due to the success they found with the "Treehouse of Horror"
concept, The Simpsons would go on to replicate the structure of an
episode featuring multiple outlandish tales that would be more
difficult to pull off in a traditional capacity, with "Simpson
Christmas Stories" being a weaker execution of the formula.

The first story sees the Simpson family recreating the birth of Christ,
with Marge representing Mary, Homer representing Joseph, and Bart
representing Jesus, giving their "hilarious" take on the Biblical tale.
Next, Grampa Simpson tells Bart and Lisa about the time he was stranded
on an island during World War II and accidentally shot down Santa
Claus. The final vignette sees the entire town of Springfield
contributing to parody of various excerpts from The Nutcracker, as
Marge notes that the songs are in the public domain and anyone can use
the music.

Other than those well-versed in the Bible, there's little to laugh at
in the opening story, as a Simpson-ized retelling of the Bible is
already enough of a parody, that the weak attempts to add more jokes to
the concept fall flat. (Though, one joke about the origins of a
Christmas Tree being a number of dead soldiers getting impaled on a
massive structure will surely cause a chuckle.) Grampa's recollection
of his time on an island with Santa, alongside Mr. Burns, is a far cry
from the joys of their time together as part of the Flying Hellfish,
resulting in another underwhelming experience.

Luckily, with the final vignette taking a number of ancillary
Springfield residents and giving them a mere line or two as part of the Nutcracker does bring some delightful moments, especially the entire
montage of Moe trying (and failing) to kill himself to the tune of
"Dance of the Flutes." While Moe is often shown as being a depressed
person in the series, his regular attempts to commit suicide on the
holidays become a staple of The Simpsons shocking audiences by finding
ways to make punchlines with the most macabre of subjects.

13) "The Fight Before Christmas" - Season 22, Episode 8
In an almost direct lift from the structure of Season Three's
"Treehouse of Horror II," the Simpson family all experience a variety
of bizarre dreams on Christmas Eve, much like when they all had too
much Halloween candy and experienced nightmares.

The first sequence focuses on Bart's dream in which he is treated to a
Polar Express-esque journey, with Otto escorting him to the North Pole,
hitting all the major beats of that book to essentially serve as a
straight-up parody of the kids' book. Lisa's dream sees her imagining
herself living in the 1940s with Marge being a soldier in World War II,
as the rest of the family struggles without her. Marge's dream features
Martha Stewart showing up to construct the perfect Christmas
decorations, but they're at the cost of connecting with her family on
such an important day. Maggie's dream delivers a somewhat live-action experience, as the Simpson family appears as puppets going on vacation
for the holidays, with Moe arriving as the housesitter, who invites his girlfriend Katy Perry over to join him.

Given how closely the structure of this episode resembles the
"Treehouse of Horror" setup and how late into the animated series'
career this episode debuted, both the concept and execution feel pretty
lazily thrown together. Strangely, it's also the concept that most
works in its favor, as fans will likely view it as "Treehouse of
Horror: Christmas Edition," and while the Katy Perry cameo surely dates
the event to the peak of her popularity, seeing puppet versions of this character is exciting enough to keep our attention for a few minutes.

12) "'Tis the 30th Season" - Season 30, Episode 10
After Marge makes a Black Friday sacrifice to help Gil get a toy
instead of buying the TV the family wants, Homer, Bart, and Lisa all
decide to treat her to a vacation, with the group heading down to
Florida for the holidays. With the entire experience being
disappointing on all counts, they head back to Springfield and join Moe
at his bar as he feeds the old and needy.

With so many holiday specials throughout time using snowy landscapes
and wintery imagery to set the stage, pivoting to celebrate the
holidays in Florida will likely excite those who live in warmer
climates. Admittedly, much of what happens in Florida is devoid of any holiday-specific humor, but the strength of the opening scenes in which
Marge waits in line for Black Friday are strong enough to make this
episode stand out from other installments as a whole.

11) "Holidays of Future Passed" - Season 23, Episode 9
As the Simpsons gather for a holiday photo, the annual photos begin to
flip and we jump decades into the future, where Bart is a deadbeat dad,
Lisa fails to connect with her daughter, and Maggie is about to go into
labor. While we see that the familiar interpersonal dynamics continue
into the future, we also witness how Homer appears to be a wonderful grandfather, despite not always being the best father, with the entire
extended family earning a new appreciation for one another as they come together for a new family photo.

The series has often gone into the future, with this journey offering
more opportunities to make gags about how the future could unfold.
Whether it be airlines turning into Mad Max-style experiences or
browsing the internet being an experience akin to entering The Matrix,
this episode has a number of gimmicky gags, though we are still treated
to some heartfelt moments in seeing how the now-adult Simpson children
cope with being parents themselves. However, the holiday nature of the
episode feels more like an afterthought than an integral piece of the
story.

10) "White Christmas Blues" - Season 25, Episode 8
Due to global warming, the entire country will be devoid of snow on
Christmas, with a unique alignment of climate conditions and city-
specific pollution colliding and resulting Springfield being the only
place with snow, bringing in a surge of tourists. Marge and the rest of
the family turn their home into a bed and breakfast, delivering guests
a variety of holiday experiences.

What this episode might lack in solid gags, it more than makes up for
with its "holiday spirit." With tourists being treated to holiday
traditions, as is the viewer, delivering the Simpson-ized version of
these traditions, even though Marge can't help but note, "All eggnog is terrible." Before even diving into the meat of the narrative, another
highlight is the series' extended Christmas-themed opening, whereas
previous installments featured much more brief twists on the famous
couch-gag sequence.

9) "I Won’t Be Home for Christmas" - Season 26, Episode 9
Even though he genuinely makes an effort to be home on Christmas Eve,
Homer accidentally stays out late drinking, with Marge kicking him out
of the house. Homer explores a lonely Springfield, spotlighting the
sights, sounds, and fellow residents who are also alone on the
important date, only for Marge to ultimately realize Homer's folly
wasn't his own.

Homer's status as a good husband might regularly be called into
question by his actions, but it's clear how much he cherishes Marge,
making the emotional impact of this episode and how Moe is ultimately responsible for Homer's delinquency on his journey home causing genuine emotional reactions in viewers. Given how many times his own actions
have caused a rift at home, seeing him subjected to a lonely evening
while also showcasing the various unconventional ways one can celebrate
the holidays, even without traditional experiences, can still result in memorable connections with others will surely hit home with viewers.

It's also worth noting that this episode features Comic Book Guy
referencing the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special (though it's titled
"Cosmic Wars Holiday Special"), which adds an extra level of excitement
for all of the series' nerdy viewers.

8) "She of Little Faith" - Season 13, Episode 6
Due to a model rocket malfunction, the Springfield church sees serious
damage, ultimately enlisting the sponsorship of corporations to make
repairs. With Lisa disgusted by the commercialization of religion, she
abandons the church, ultimately embracing Buddhist teachings. In hopes
of wooing her back to Christianity, the episode culminates with a
Christmas celebration, with Richard Gere elucidating Lisa on the idea
that, with Buddhism being about love and acceptance, she is encouraged
to participate in the traditions of other religions to support her
family.

While other episodes earlier in this list were chastised for how little
they related to the holiday, "She of Little Faith" is an exception to
this idea, as it proves a major character evolution for Lisa. Christmas
only comes into play in the final act, but with the genuine display of
themes of love and acceptance, it marks a significant tonal shift for
the satirical series, with Lisa identifying as Buddhist throughout the
rest of the series following the events of this episode.

As with all Lisa-focused episodes, by giving her the brunt of the
narrative weight, it also means all of the other characters can pop in
with absurd experiences to compensate for the humor missing from her
journey.

7) "The Nightmare After Krustmas" - Season 28, Episode 10
Krusty struggles to connect with his daughter during the holidays, as
he's Jewish and she's Christian, with the clown joining the local
church so that the pair can celebrate holiday traditions together.
Meanwhile, Marge introduces Maggie to the "Gnome in the Home," a parody
of the Elf on the Shelf, resulting in Maggie's immense fear of the
visitor.

Essentially another mediocre episode of late-era The Simpsons that
happens to have a holiday veneer to it, the payoff of Krusty being
willing to convert religions just for the sake of being a good father
is effective, though he ultimately reverts back to Judaism with the
support of his daughter. The real highlight of the episode is the
horrifying experience of Maggie being watched by the Gnome in the Home,
as it never stops watching her and seems to scurry around her room when
she's not looking. Mocking Elf on the Shelf might feel like cliched
territory now, but The Simpsons' take on it is arguably the most
effective send-up of the growing tradition.

6) "Bobby, It’s Cold Outside" - Season 31, Episode 10
A number of Springfield residents are having their holiday packages
stolen from their porches, with many people suspecting Sideshow Bob to
be the culprit. An investigation reveals that Mr. Burns is behind the
thefts, as he recalls how he was denied Christmas presents by his
parents as a child. Mr. Burns ultimately realizes the errors of his
ways, as he heads back out into Springfield to give the town back their presents.

Even though he isn't attempting to murder anyone, fans will surely
appreciate Sideshow Bob getting involved in the holiday hijinks, while
even giving him somewhat of a happy ending. Mr. Burns' trajectory of
living in poverty inspiring his quest for wealth and ultimate change of
heart manages to both mirror Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch's
backstories, to the point that it's almost a genuine parody of those
stories. The various selections of holiday tunes that are added into
the episode also inject some added seasonal spirit.

5) "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" - Season 1, Episode 1
After Homer learns he won't be getting a Christmas bonus, he is forced
to take a second job as a mall Santa, though Bart gets a tattoo
honoring his mother, requiring the family to blow their savings on its

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