The Fight Before Christmas
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This episode is considered non-canon and the events featured do not relate to the series and therefore may not have actually happened/existed.
The reason behind this decision is: . If you dispute this, please bring it up on the episode's talk page. |
- "This tree reminds me of your father. Round in the middle, thinning up top and your hands get sticky when you touch him."
- ―Marge Simpson
"The Fight Before Christmas" is the eighth episode of season 22.
Contents
Synopsis
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Springfield, but while Marge gets in the holiday spirit, it's bah humbug for the rest of the family. Disappointed that she is alone spreading the holiday cheer, Marge sends a letter to Martha Stewart (guest voice Stewart) to help her save the family Christmas. Martha comes to the rescue and transforms the house into the North Pole chalet Marge has always dreamed of, but when the family is noticeably absent from the perfectly trimmed holiday home, she realizes that it's Homer and the kids who make the holidays special. Meanwhile, the Simpsons get ready to sneak away for a tropical holiday vacation in Hawaii, but surprise visitors Mr. Burns and Moe's new girlfriend, Katy Perry (guest-starring as herself in a special live-action sequence) delay their getaway.
Plot
It's Christmas Eve and Bart has his BB gun out to hurt Santa Claus as he hasn't given him a dirt bike. As everyone goes to sleep, they have different dreams.
Bart's dream
At midnight, the Polar Express, driven by Otto Man, pulls up outside of the house and flies Bart to the North Pole where he works his way up through the ranks of the elves to reach Santa to ask why he hasn't gotten a dirt bike. After taking out two snowman guards (by turning up the thermostat), he enters the office of Santa to find that it is a run down dump. Santa tells Bart that he is poor due to handing out presents every year. When Bart leaves, Santa presses a button to reveal a disco like room and loads of girls come out.
Lisa's dream
It is World War II and Marge is fighting on the front line while Homer is working in the Springfield Bomber Factory. Homer returns home with a Christmas tree and Lisa tells him to take it away as the last time she saw one, Marge got conscripted into the army. Homer then receives a telegram telling him that Marge is Missing in Action. Lisa blames the tree again and runs off. She ends up in the place she last saw Marge and Rafael reveals that Marge bought a tree last year but never took it. It looks like Marge. Lisa takes it home and Bart and Homer are taking it in turns to be sad. When they see the tree, they become happier and they decorate the tree.
Meanwhile, Marge is in Nazi-occupied France. She heads into a cinema where Nazis are watching a film of a flying elephant destroying London. Marge blows up the cinema, killing Hitler.
Marge's dream
Marge is upset that Christmas will be bad. She writes a letter to Martha Stewart and she comes to help out, transforming the bed into a four poster. She then uses Maggie's head as a stencil to spray paint snowflakes on the window. When Marge asks about shampooing the paint out of Maggie's hair, Martha asks why. She turns Bart and Milhouse into nutcracker soldiers and tells them to march for an hour. She also turns Homer into a Christmas display, putting him to sleep with a chemical. Marge, upset with how the family is now, asks Martha to put everything back the way it was and she does so with her magic wand.
Maggie's dream
Maggie has received a video called A Fluppet Christmas Special and in her dream the Simpson family and friends appear as puppet versions of themselves. The Simpsons are about to go to Hawaii and have arranged for Moe to house-sit. Moe takes advantage of the situation and passes 742 Evergreen Terrace off as his own bachelor pad in order to make a date with his hot new girlfriend, Katy Perry. Things are complicated by the arrival of Mr. Burns, to whom Homer had lied about being injured in order to take time off to go to Hawaii, and Katy Perry (appearing as her real-life self), who finds a family home instead of the bachelor pad Moe had led her to expect. Burns is initially angry about Homer's going to Hawaii under false pretences, but settles down and forgives Homer after Katy gives him a hug and kiss. They finally sing a song "The Thirty-Nine Days of Christmas". After the end credits Moe tries to reach up and kiss Katy but can't so he decides to kiss her bellybutton but Katy tells him that what he is kissing is not her bellybutton. Moe breaks off the kiss but Katy says she did not ask him to stop.
Production
Katy Perry was originally set to appear in an episode of Sesame Street, but when complaints surfaced about her "raunchy" outfit, her appearance was cut out of the episode. Al Jean invited her to guest star on The Simpsons instead. The segment of the episode that she appears in is a clear parody of The Muppet Show and Sesame Street.
Reception
TV Squad gave the episode a positive review saying "This episode started good and got progressively better. It showed a level of imagination that the recent Halloween episodes have been lacking." The last segment was praised by several critics due to the Jim Henson references like "Moe stuffing down cookies like the Cookie Monster and Abe "Grampa" Simpson and Jasper Beardly playing Statler and Waldorf." However, the A.V. Club gave the episode a mixed review saying "Tonight's episode wasn't awful, and it did have some solid laughs, but the quality of the segments was decidedly hit and miss.". He mostly criticized the last two segments calling Marge's dream with Martha Stewart "one joke streched too far"
Promotional images
Katy Perry With Moe. Grandpa, Mr. Burns, Homer, Marge and Maggie
Katy Perry with Mr. Burns
Katy Perry with Moe
Katy Perry with Mr. Burns, Moe, Grampa and Homer
Martha and Marge
Katy Perry and The Simpsons characters as puppets
