# The Simpsons Xmas episode 12/17 (spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566 "2006-12-18T01:02:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/1 "2006-12-18T01:02:07Z")
I caught it at 7pm Eastern on canadian TV. Really liked it. Is our favorite family off onto a good streak now? 😃 And… is the holiday-themed opening credit sequence all new or have they shown that one before?? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/2 "2006-12-18T01:02:15Z")
Cool, they even had Christmas-themed opening credits. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/3 "2006-12-18T01:13:43Z")
Is this the fastest opening of a Simpson’s thread ever? It’s not even half over. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/4 "2006-12-18T01:14:08Z")
Is this the first Christmas special they’ve done? Since the Tracey Ullman Show, I mean? I remember other Christmas-themed episodes, but this one seems to have really gone whole-hog. “Fresh off the plane… from his father’s funeral… it’s SIDESHOW MEL!” ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/5 "2006-12-18T01:14:20Z")
Actually, the OP started it right as the episode was starting. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/6 "2006-12-18T01:24:01Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] Is this the first Christmas special they’ve done? Since the Tracey Ullman Show, I mean? [/QUOTE] They’ve done a bunch of Christmas-themed episodes over the years - especially the last few years. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/7 "2006-12-18T01:46:34Z")
Huh. When there are duplicate threads, I usually just close the second, later thread and link to the first one, but since both threads were started at the same time, I figure I’d just merge them. My powers at Christmas are mighty. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/8 "2006-12-18T02:19:54Z")
Me… (Sorry, watching this awful episode made me too listless to add the “h”. What a waste after last week’s episode.) ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/9 "2006-12-18T02:23:07Z")
I like Gil, but a whole episode of his character is a bit much to take. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/10 "2006-12-18T02:27:27Z")
“You want some eggs a la Harold Stassen? They’re always running!” I had to look that up to get this joke- it’s actually pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/11 "2006-12-18T02:56:04Z")
Forgettable episode, overall - few ‘modern’ entries would have looked good after last week’s, but still. As usual, I can’t remember the lines I liked, but the two or three decent ones\* didn’t redeem the rest of it, particularly the Grumble gag, which was WAY overused. I did like the development of Gil’s character and I’ve got no problem with a Gil-centric episode. When they got to Arizona, I was hoping the signs meant that Gil was actually a big success there, and was pretending to be a loser in Springfield. That would have changed the way we see the character, and it also would have made this episode less like “The Ziff Who Came to Dinner,” which had a similar plot but was a better episode. \*Ah, now I remember a few: the calendar gag was pretty good, and the MLK Day newspaper (headline: Today We Remember Dr. Martin Luther King; subhead: Tomorrow, We Don’t) was very cutting. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/12 "2006-12-18T03:19:57Z")
One of the worst episodes I can remember. Everyone was just plain annoying or mean. (Marge has to drive all the way to Scottsdale just so she can yell at Gil?) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/13 "2006-12-18T03:22:36Z")
Odd. Last weeks was weak, this week’s was much stronger. The Krusty’s Holiday on Ice was funny, and the various holidays on the calendar very much so. I alsoloved the twist that Gil had left before Marge could say “no” to him. “That’s OK. I make six of these a year.” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/14 "2006-12-18T04:19:51Z")
Marge: Christian charity. Homer: What does a porn star have to do with it? ---
**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 18, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/15 "2006-12-18T04:33:23Z")
It was good, but I have to admit this was this first Sunday when _Simpsons_ was edged out by a more clever _American Dad_. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/16 "2006-12-18T04:34:16Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] It was good, but I have to admit this was this first Sunday when _Simpsons_ was edged out by a more clever _American Dad_. [/QUOTE] I have to agree. Gil doesn’t hold a candle to time-traveling adventures to shoot Ronald Reagan. Sorry, Gil. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/17 "2006-12-18T04:34:44Z")
I thought it sucked. Worst episode this season. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/18 "2006-12-18T04:41:15Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] Is this the first Christmas special they’ve done? Since the Tracey Ullman Show, I mean? I remember other Christmas-themed episodes, but this one seems to have really gone whole-hog. [/QUOTE] Actually, this one was only a half-Christmas episode, IMHO. It was mainly focused on Gil, but happened to start at Christmastime and took a whole year to get to the end at next Christmas. I think “'Tis the Sixteenth Season” was the last true “Christmas special.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/19 "2006-12-18T05:29:54Z")
Had a few laughs, but I liked the astrolabe Christmas episode from a few years ago better. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566/20 "2006-12-18T13:08:33Z")
The bit with the fight and the baskeball players had to be the most appropriately timed TV show ever. The production staff must have been amazed when they heard about the Knicks the night before. Maybe Matt Groening is God! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-xmas-episode-12-17-spoilers/384566.md?page=2)