From: mxg77@po.cwru.edu   
      
   I liked the idea for this episode, having Homer and Marge (and everyone,   
   really) find some new and unexpected insights about/during the holidays (some   
   of which was touching), and even the basic misunderstanding wasn't handled too   
   poorly, but the    
   execution was pretty bad and the whole thing was chock full of stupid gags and   
   things that made no sense and I shan't list them all. It was also ridiculously   
   short and needed weird padding to get even up to 21 minutes (some establishing   
   shots and the    
   like dragged out, plus the promo at the end).    
      
   DYN:   
   ...the "Cosmic Wars" Holiday Special is presented 4:3 as appropriate?   
   ...Dr. Hibbert's note to Hans says to call him first thing January 3rd,   
   suggesting that's his first day back after the holidays, though it's a   
   Saturday in 2015?   
   ...there are Kang and Kodos/Rigellian gingerbread cookies (more than 2, I   
   think)? (Appropriate, given the promo at the end.)   
   ...Homer's line about Isaac Newton's birthday (12/25) seems to have been   
   something else before?   
   ...the police Secret Santa exchange apparently never reveals the pairings?   
   ...Homer's weight is still 239?   
   ...the mall worker party does not seem to be remotely full of people dressed   
   like food?   
      
   Previous episode stuff   
   9F22: Sideshow Bob rake gag enacted with gingerbread cookies   
   CABF21: Burly paper towels at the Kwik-E-Mart   
   (5F23)/GABF02/KABF03/?: "Jerkass Homer" fan epithet specifically used   
   BABF21: Load-bearing item on gingerbread house (candy cane/wall)   
      
   Meta   
   Maggie's star-shaped head silhouette, Jerkass Homer, the remark from Marge   
   about his escapades sometimes being crazy and entertaining.   
      
   Promo   
   Between the execs and the rest of the credits, we got an 18-second promo for   
   the next new episode, the long-delayed "The Man Who Came to Be Dinner"   
   (RABF15) on 1/4, with the episode title and date (minus the year). It's about   
   a year to a year and a half    
   late, and I don't know why it's been delayed so much or if this airdate is   
   particularly apt, but I didn't think anyone who needed this alert would have   
   known of its existence let alone been waiting impatiently for it. The real   
   question, though, is if it    
   will stay around on repeats; the only other episode I know of to specifically   
   promote the next one is RABF08 (the bedbugs bit during the credits), and that   
   has stuck around for good, though this mentions a date. Is there anything else   
   along the same    
   lines? NABF15's couch gag contest bit changed to be fairly self-referential in   
   repeats...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)