Snowglobes! Saving Christmas For Orphans! Horrific Santa-Killing! Zapping People! Bunnies!

[astrogirl2]

I am pleased to report that the Pretender Christmas episode is still equal parts touching, vaguely schmaltzy, and incredibly fucking twisted.

Comments

[redstarrobot]

That's a pretty darn successful Christmas episode. Not too hip for traditional Christmas, nor too saccharine for the less sentimental among us.

[astrogirl2]

It integrates its amazingly varied elements well. :)

[sabra_n]

I like my Christmas episodes warped, so I approve of this entry. :D

(Seriously, my favorite Christmas episodes? One involves a giant spider alien, exploding ornaments, and evil robot Santas, and another centers on a holiday hostage situation and ends with two of the protagonists scarred for life.)

[astrogirl2]

I am so with you there! And I can identify the first of those, but I'm wondering about the second... :)

(My traditional Christmas watching each year, for what it's worth, is Blackadder's Christmas Carol. :))

[sabra_n]

The second one is "Chuck vs. Santa Claus", the second season Christmas episode of Chuck. There are guns, paper cuts, violent elves, a man with eight toes, and the entire thing is a Die Hard homage. God, I love that show.

There's plenty to be said for Blackadder's Christmas Carol, too, of course! "May the Yule log slip from your fire and burn your house down!"

[astrogirl2]

Ah, excellent! I haven't seen Chuck but I've heard nothing but good things about it, and it's definitely down on my to-watch list. I am delighted to know that I have a twisted Christmas episode to look forward to. :)

[vilakins]

Oh yeah, it's a good ep. I get nervous of holidays eps because many are just so schmaltzy. This one could easily have tipped that way but didn't. But then, the characters would never allow it. :-)

[astrogirl2]

Jarod may be quite capable of schmaltz, but he's got an entire corporation, and a host of random bad guys, working to keep his universe far too evil for it. :)

[vilakins]

I'm not sure that he is, having grown up without encountering any. They do very well, having him help people every week without stepping over that line.

[astrogirl2]

Well, he also doesn't know how to avoid it, either. Actually, he's very sentimental, but in an odd, sad, psychological-issue-laden way. Which makes it all okay. :)

[jhall1]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks to the vagaries of the scheduling process, Christmas episodes of US shows often get shown over here round about July.

[astrogirl2]

Half the shows I watch are on DVD these days, so the Christmas episodes tend to hit at random times. I think they're actually more interesting in July, actually. But rewatching them on Christmas is extra-fun. :)

[executrix]

I just finished reading a Matt Scudder private eye novel that ends on Christmas. Last night I watched "Brotherhood"'s awesome Thanksgiving episode.

[astrogirl2]

Festive! :)