It’s Christmas time, and you know what that means?
No, not carols and candy, The Simpsons!
Launching with a pilot episode revolving around the holiday season, The Simpsons have provided viewers with 16 episodes of pure Christmas magic in their decades-long run. Although not all episodes were created equal.
At FinalBoss, we’ve enjoyed and endured all the Christmas episodes The Simpsons has to offer, and think we’ve whittled the list down to the three greatest outings you simply cannot miss at Christmas time.
So, get your hot cocoa ready, settle in by the Christmas tree and get ready to watch the best Simpsons Christmas episodes ever put to the small screen.
3. Skinner’s Sense of Snow
As a blizzard grips Springfield, the entire town shuts down. The police are off duty, the power-plant is closed and everyone is having a great time. Except for the kids of Springfield Elementary, that is. Fresh-faced Principal Skinner forces everyone to brave the treacherous conditions and turn up for a normal day of schooling. Unsurprisingly, things take a bit of turn, and those stupid enough to turn up for school find themselves snowed in. Trapped, it doesn’t take long for the kids to mutiny against Skinner’s excessive rules.
This episode has heart and it has humour. Bart and Skinner’s interactions are great, as are Flanders and Homer’s; both caught on a quest to rescue the kids. It might not be the most profound episode of The Simpsons in terms of plot or message, but it’s a very entertaining one and a great start to your Christmas viewing schedule.
2. Gift of the Magi
After Bart breaks his ass, the school is unwilling subjected to a mob construction job; one that aims to build ramps for the poor little guy. Left with a bill of $200,000, Springfield Elementary is forced to close. Despite the efforts of the kids to gain some much needed funding from Mr Burns, they are unable to secure the finances they need and face Christmas at home. Luckily for them, a private toy retailer picks up the bill and reopens the school, although it doesn’t take Lisa long to figure out things aren’t as they seem.
Once again, this episode is not the most densely packed or rich in terms of themes and story ideas, although it does touch upon the commercialisation of Christmas. However, it has some of the best gags in the show, a great cameo from Gary Coleman and Homer at his very finest. For us, there is no doubt that this is one of the funniest episodes of The Simpsons you’ll find, and the perfect example of a fun Christmas special to get you into the festive spirit!
1. She of Little Faith
Another take the commercialisation of Christmas, this time a little bit more extreme, the church is overtaken by Monty Burns and his marketing executives after Homer wrecks shop with a model rocket and a rifle. Outraged, our darling Lisa can no longer put up with the horrendous advertising and lack of spiritualism in the church and abandons it, quickly finding comfort in a new religion: Buddhism.
This episode provides a really poignant commentary on acceptance of faith and others. While Lisa struggles with her identity, Marge constantly tries to effectively guilt-trip her back to Christianity. The episode is funny, sure, but what makes it so great is how endearing it is, and how it develops the characters of both Lisa and Marge.
It’s a proper Christmassy adventure in Springfield, and the best Simpsons Christmas episode out there; in our honest opinion anyways.
Leave us a comment with your favourite festive Simpsons episodes, and if you’d like more Christmas content, be sure to check out the rest of FinalBoss! And remember, have a merry Christmas, crazy Kwanzaa, a tip-top-tet and a solemn, dignified Ramadan!