# Bad Santa Ending **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106 "2016-12-19T02:06:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/1 "2016-12-19T02:06:51Z")
Ok…sorry for being dumb. I don’t get it. How did he stay out of jail? I know that the police shot an unarmed Santa but still…I don’t get why ‘the letter’ exonerates him. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/2 "2016-12-19T02:58:11Z")
As I recall, the authorities were ashamed that the police had shot an unarmed Santa, and further ashamed that Santa was just trying to deliver a gift. So they didn’t pursue any criminal punishment. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/3 "2016-12-19T03:14:37Z")
Wait, what? Didn’t he write the kid a letter _from_ jail? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/4 "2016-12-19T03:39:29Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Wait, what? > > Didn’t he write the kid a letter _from_ jail? From the hospital, where he was recovering. > [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Ok…sorry for being dumb. I don’t get it. > > How did he stay out of jail? I know that the police shot an unarmed Santa but still…I don’t get why ‘the letter’ exonerates him. He tipped the police off to the heist so they were able to break it up. And I assume he would got a plea bargain by agreeing to testify against Marcus and Lois. That and the cops’ embarrassment over shooting Santa Claus while he was delivering a gift allowed him to avoid jail. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/5 "2016-12-19T04:28:09Z")
Right, when he tried to commit suicide, he left a letter for Thurman to give to the police tipping them off to Marcus’ and his crimes. Even though he gave up on the suicide attempt, Thurman gave the police the letter anyway. The letter plus “Everyone agreeing the Phoenix police department shooting an unarmed Santa is even more fucked up than Rodney King” is what kept his ass out of jail. We find all this out at the end, which is a voiceover of him narrating the letter he sent Thurman from the hospital, along with the “Shit Happens when you Party Naked” T-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/6 "2016-12-19T12:16:55Z")
Well that definitely wins the award for “The most misrepresented film in trailers” in cinema history. Beating out “Muriel’s Wedding” (Abba! Australia! Wackiness!) and “Gross Anatomy” (Animal House at a medical school!!) I thought I was getting a “Christmas Mall Cop” (With a mall santa) and what I got was “Barfly For the Holidays” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/7 "2016-12-19T16:00:55Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Well that definitely wins the award for “The most misrepresented film in trailers” in cinema history. > > Beating out “Muriel’s Wedding” (Abba! Australia! Wackiness!) and “Gross Anatomy” (Animal House at a medical school!!) > > I thought I was getting a “Christmas Mall Cop” (With a mall santa) and what I got was “Barfly For the Holidays” “Bad Santa 2” is apparently “Bad Santa” without the charm and good taste, according to reviews I’ve read. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/8 "2016-12-19T16:14:44Z")
Now see…a post like that makes me wonder if I should go “fuck that shit” or “man, count me in!” He’s not going to say fuckwit in front of the children is he? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/9 "2016-12-19T16:29:59Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Now see…a post like that makes me wonder if I should go “fuck that shit” or “man, count me in!” > > He’s not going to say fuckwit in front of the children is he? fuck stick, not fuckwit. Jesus! Two year olds flip this movie better shit than you. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/10 "2016-12-19T16:32:48Z")
Heh 🙂 I need to tell my real life Bad Santa story…maybe later when I have more time. HALF! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/11 "2016-12-19T16:36:29Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Heh 🙂 > I need to tell my real life Bad Santa story…maybe later when I have more time. Maybe when you’re on your fucking break? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/12 "2016-12-19T16:39:47Z")
Well, I haven’t typed right since we talked last month…but I’ll try 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/13 "2016-12-19T17:23:18Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Now see…a post like that makes me wonder if I should go “fuck that shit” or “man, count me in!” > > He’s not going to say fuckwit in front of the children is he? Oh, I’ll probably watch it when it goes to video, which from the looks of things won’t be long. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/14 "2016-12-19T17:37:48Z")
Thank the fuck christ. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/15 "2016-12-19T22:00:48Z")
The Kid must’ve held onto the suicide note for quite a while - Marcus and Willie had been working the store for at least an hour before the cops (led by John Bunnell - !) showed up. It’s not actually clear at all, I figure, \*how \*the cops found out. I think it’s more rational that a store employee came back after closing for another reason and saw the place was being robbed, or that Willie and/or Marcus tripped a secondary alarm without realizing it. There isn’t really a good opportunity for Willie’s suicide note to have been the catalyst. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-santa-ending/775106/16 "2016-12-20T14:02:20Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > The Kid must’ve held onto the suicide note for quite a while - Marcus and Willie had been working the store for at least an hour before the cops (led by John Bunnell - !) showed up. > > It’s not actually clear at all, I figure, \*how \*the cops found out. I think it’s more rational that a store employee came back after closing for another reason and saw the place was being robbed, or that Willie and/or Marcus tripped a secondary alarm without realizing it. There isn’t really a good opportunity for Willie’s suicide note to have been the catalyst. Going strictly from what I’ve learned in movies (specifically [Heat](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113277/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)) it’s much easier to prosecute grand theft if you wait until they leave the premises with the loot. So the cops were just waiting until they got into the van and drove off. But when Marcus pulled the gun on Willie and said he had killed Gin, it became a murder case and they intervened.