Revision as of 10:25, December 7, 2015

Cultural references

• The episode title is a reference to the song by Bing Crosby "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and to the song by Blink-182 "I Won't Be Home for Christmas".
• Cosmic Wars: Holiday Special is a parody of the Star Wars Holiday Special.
• Comic Book Guy has Hulk and The Thing (from Marvel) bookstops on his bookshelf.
• Grounded is a parody of the 2013 computer-animated film Planes.
• Homer refers to Mr. Burns as Mr. Scroodge and Burns mentions his schedule says he'll be visited by 3 spirits; both references to A Christmas Carol
• Moe says to a mouse "Hey. It's the night before Christmas. Stop stirring." A reference to Twas The Night Before Christmas. The poem was previously parodied in the comic Twas the Eve Before Christmas

Trivia

• The opening sequence is a subtle rework of the opening from the previous season's Christmas episode, White Christmas Blues. Among the changes:
  • As the clouds part at the beginning, Barney as Santa in a sleigh pulled by reindeer lead by Santa's Little Helper (as Rudolph) is replaced by The Rich Texan in a convertible pulled by buffalo.
  • As Bart snowboards away from the school, two polar bears play catch with Groundskeeper Willie. In the previous version, Bart's landing revealed Grampa under the snow, with a sign "Still warmer than nursing home," seemingly having been buried by Willie, who is shoveling snow nearby. Additionally, the newer version deletes a number of Christmas trees and buildings in the background.
  • The sign in the background as Homer works is changed from "94 days till March 28, actual birth of Christ" to "31 days until Greek Orthodox Christmas."
  • The unibrow baby already has the "defective" stamp on his head, but Maggie gives him a present rather than him being taken away.
  • Instead of "Good King Wenceslas," the band plays "Jingle Bells," and when Lisa pops back in the door, snow falls on her.
  • Moe now stands at the door to his bar happy, with an ice "Venus de Milo" instead of standing there grumpy and alone.
  • Patty and Selma were originally Dr. Seuss characters, but are now hockey players.
  • As Bart passes the Chinese restaurant with Jewish characters in the window, Rabbi Krustofsky is seen as a ghost, per his death in the season premiere's Clown in the Dumps, along with the ghost of Joan Rivers.
  • While Lou, Dr. Hibbert and Carl appear celebrating Kwanzaa in season 25, Snake is seen holding up a sidewalk Santa in season 26.
  • As Marge drives herself and Maggie home in the sleigh, the Snow Monster is added to the sharp right-turn.
  • They are then chased down by Mr. Burns and Mr. Smithers in a sleigh pulled by Burns' guard dogs. In season 25's version, Crazy Cat Lady appears in a shopping cart pulled by her cats, which distracts Burns' dogs. The version in this episode also adds the Sea Captain in a boat on skis pulled by belly-sliding penguins.
  • As the camera quickly pans past numerous characters over to the Simpson house, the updated version adds Edna as an angel with wings (and her coffee mug).

Continuity

• Gil introduces Homer to his "family", namely Crazy Cat Lady, Kirk Van Houten and the Hobo. Gil celebrated St. Patrick's day with his "family" in "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II".
• Louie's tow truck is seen. ("Midnight Towboy")
  • Louie's tow truck is subsequently flash frozen after it hits a fire hydrant. This happened to Ned's car in "Skinner's Sense of Snow".
• Several of the characters from the episode coming together at the end of the episode is reminiscent of "Burns, Baby Burns".

Goofs =

• When Bart and Lisa come downstairs on Christmas, Lisa's slippers disappear after the first scene.