The Simpsons - "The Fight Before Christmas" - Talkback [12/5]

[Space Cadet]

Broadcast Order: Season 22, Episode 8
Production Order: Season 21, Episode 22

Writer: Dan Castellaneta & Deb Lacusta
Director: Bob Anderson & Matthew Schofield

A new episode airs tonight at 8 PM Eastern. Here is the synopsis:

In this three-part Christmas episode, Santa's elves revolt against Santa Claus.

[Astrolupine]

Wait, what?
Seeing as the show is adding more fantastical elements every episode, it's hard to tell if Santa is canon in the show or not.

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Actually this is suppose to be like the Treehouse of Horror Episodes. Not only is it in three segments but these three segments also are out of canon of the original show's universe. They (TV Guide at least) say that this is the first Simspons episode to do this with Christmas but "Simpsons Christmas Stories" from Season 17 already did this. Anyway there are two other plots to this episode then Santa's elves revolting against Santa Claus (which is said to be a parody of the Polar Express). One includes marget getting help from Martha Stewart to fix up her house and the others feature Simpsons as live action puppets with a special guest appearence by the real life Katy Perry. I'd be shocked if they didn't make some sort of refrence to the whole Elmo Seaseme Katy scandal (yeah that happened a few months ago but still if it's live action the segment shouldn't take as long to make anyway).

[trance2009]

Haha, treating Polar Express like one big acid trip.

Aww, that Facebook suicide jab.

[Moto Pete]

well that fell flat

i have seen the Katy Perry segment already

don't have much hope for martha stewart

[Ryoutarou]

I'm not really liking any of these so far, they're way too short. It seems like they just skim through what should be a plot, we go from point A to point B without much of anything.

[Nel]

So far, it's not good or bad. Just weird. Really really weird.

[DarthGonzo]

Not too bad. Certainly better than the awful Futurama Christmas special from a few weeks ago.

Yeah, I said it.

[trance2009]

The Martha Stewart segment is honestly the funniest one.

That belly button joke...wow.

[Edward15]

Odd, yet a bit amusing.

[simpspin]

I liked the first act with Bart visiting the North Pole the best, but the shorts got worse as the show went on. Although Moe kissing Katie Perry at the end was the biggest WTF scene in the show in quite a while.

2/5.

Season 22 is well on the way to topping S21 as the new worst season.

[Moto Pete]

yeah this season is really making me lose faith in the Simpsons this episode will be a turning point for a lot of people ..... away just like the Tik-Tok Opening last season


I love the Concept of the episode the execution is TERRIBLE

[Karl Olson]

Can't believe the belly button joke. Guess they wanted to underline how to be offensive with Katy Perry and Muppets. Hit the pacing of the old Muppet show segment pretty decently, especially the Statler and Waldorf bits.

The other segments were okay too. Didn't laugh as much as last week, but relative the Halloween Special and the Futurama special, I'm willing to call this the winner and a solid B.

[Nexonius]

Not too bad. Certainly better than the awful Futurama Christmas special from a few weeks ago.

Yeah, I said it.

Well sure, almost any crappy christmas episode is better than Futurama's Christmas special. Even this christmas special was better...

And that ain't saying much, because this episode was still the usual Simpson fare. I'll take my Simpsons Roasting on a Open Fire over this anyday.

Grade: D+/C-

[speedy fast]

I really liked it. It was rather similar to Treehouse of Horror II. I say it's the best Christmas episode so far, with the possible exception of Marge Be Not Proud. I liked the puppet sequence best (including direct references to them being puppets). The Martha Stewart sequence was also good.

Reading the credits, I noticed that one of the puppeteers was Artie Epositio (or however that's spelled). He (instead of Steve Whitmire) performed Kermit when Kermit and Miss Piggy appeared on America's Got Talent last year.

[SetTheControls]

I actually really liked the World War Iike segment, if only for the "period" ambience.

I did like the third-wall breaking puppet jokes ("Great at chewing, not so much the swallowing!", "Get this thing off me!", etc.) and the Statler and Waldorf bits. (And good "casting", with Grandpa and Jasper.)

[HEATXZ]

Great Christmas episode :anime:
I enjoy The Simpsons puppets scene with not having enough budget to make dog puppets due to Kathy Perry XD

[Bw_Kaleidescope]

It was alright...not terrible, but not great either. I expect that they hoped to draw in viewers with Katy Perry's guest appearance. The whole episode had an overall ambience of an acid trip really. But I got a few laughs out of it and I guess that's what counts in the end?

[CyberCubed]

I actually thought all the segments were terrible except for the puppet one. I didn't really laugh at all.

Grandpa is right, you have to wonder if eps like this will kill the Simpsons someday.

Anyway the puppet part was cute I suppose, if only cause they never did anything like that before.

[Marvin Tikvah]

I liked the puppet part if only for being different. The rest was pretty forgettable.

Shoot, when was the last time Martha Stewart was relevant?