| 1 | !Spoilers for all Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse works preceding this one, particularly ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', will be left unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned! |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %%Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16694967850.40635100 |
| 4 | %%Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 5 | %% |
| 6 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/epvsp8zh762a3.jpg]] |
| 7 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''[[{{Tagline}} This holiday season is going to be out of this world.]]'']] |
| 8 | %% |
| 9 | ->''Out on the third planet closest to the sun,\ |
| 10 | There's a special celebration and it sounds quite fun!\ |
| 11 | A jolly old fellow brings toys to everyone,\ |
| 12 | On a holiday they call Christmas!\ |
| 13 | Now I'm not gonna lie, it makes no sense to me,\ |
| 14 | But here's what Earthlings told me about this Christmas mystery...'' |
| 15 | |
| 16 | ''The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special'' is a superhero ChristmasSpecial set in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse -- the second "Special Presentation" and 40th overall installment in the franchise, as well as the 17th and final installment of Phase 4. It also happens to be the third installment in the ''Franchise/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' franchise and is once again written and directed by Creator/JamesGunn. Creator/ChrisPratt, Creator/DaveBautista, Creator/KarenGillan, Creator/PomKlementieff, Creator/SeanGunn, Creator/BradleyCooper, and Creator/VinDiesel all reprise their roles, with Creator/MariaBakalova also joining the cast as the voice of Cosmo the Dog. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Following the events of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', Peter "Star-Lord" Quill continues to mourn the loss of Gamora. With Christmas fast approaching, his teammate Mantis comes up with a plan to raise his spirits: travel with Drax to Earth to get him an extra special Christmas gift in the form of the legendary Creator/KevinBacon. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | The special premiered on Creator/DisneyPlus on November 25, 2022. It also serves to set up some plot elements for ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'', which it was filmed simultaneously with. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | '''Previews:''' [[https://youtu.be/OYhFFQl4fLs Trailer]] |
| 23 | ---- |
| 24 | !!''The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special'' provides examples of: |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 27 | |
| 28 | [[folder:Tropes A to C]] |
| 29 | * AbnormalLimbRotationRange: The alien that sings the Christmas song in the opening can spin his forearms 360 degrees to play guitar, which Peter admits is pretty awesome. |
| 30 | * AbortedArc: In ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'', the Guardians had exited the film early on to investigate some of the areas where Gorr the God Butcher had slaughtered some gods. None of that is brought up or referenced here. |
| 31 | * AccidentalTickleTorture: Drax is ImmuneToBullets, so when police officers open fire on him, he bursts into hysterics, as the bullets merely tickle him. |
| 32 | * ActorRoleConfusion: Mantis and Drax think that Kevin Bacon is an actual legendary Earth hero who has gone on many adventures and [[Film/{{Footloose}} saved a small town by dancing]]. They're absolutely ''disgusted'' to learn that Kevin is actually just an actor, because they hate actors. Hilariously, they assume that Peter's long time away from Earth spoiled his memory, and Mantis uses her powers to compel Kevin Bacon into acting like a more heroic version of himself; Peter, who is perfectly aware that Kevin Bacon is just an actor, makes her undo it as soon as they present him with his present. |
| 33 | * AlienAbduction: Played for laughs with the aliens Drax and Mantis kidnapping the Earther Kevin Bacon as a Christmas gift for Peter Quill. |
| 34 | * AlienArtsAreAppreciated: The inhabitants of Knowhere and especially the Guardians of the Galaxy, namely Drax and Mantis, are not only able to enjoy an Earth festival but also understand its significance thanks to stories that Peter told Kraglin who told Rocket who told the others. |
| 35 | * AndIntroducing: Kevin Bacon is credited this way as a joke. |
| 36 | * AndStarring: Creator/VinDiesel and Creator/BradleyCooper get their standard "featuring" spots. In addition, we have "With Creator/MichaelRooker / and introducing Creator/KevinBacon". |
| 37 | * TheAntiGrinch: Worried about Christmas potentially being ruined for Peter by Yondu, Drax and Mantis go to Earth to get Kevin Bacon, believing him to be somebody Peter would want more than anything. [[spoiler:This act almost completely ruins the holiday with Peter shouting they committed human trafficking. Fortunately, Kevin was nice enough to stick around and fix everything.]] |
| 38 | * AscendedExtra: Cosmo, previously a cameo in the original film, appears among the main cast. |
| 39 | * AsHimself: Kevin Bacon appears as himself, the famous Hollywood actor. His wife Creator/KyraSedgwick makes a voice-over cameo on a couple of phone calls to her husband. |
| 40 | * AsYouKnow: Nebula has an exposition dump at the beginning where she explains that Peter has been stressed out ever since they bought Knowhere, which Kraglin knows already but the audience doesn't. |
| 41 | * BeardOfSorrow: To better reflect Peter's depressed state, his facial hair is at the most haggard it's ever been. |
| 42 | * BerserkButton: After assuring Kevin Bacon that the denizens of Knowhere aren't going to hurt him, Rocket [[HypocriticalHumor lunges at Bacon]] for calling him a raccoon. |
| 43 | * BigBrotherInstinct: It's Kraglin who points out that Christmas is an Earth holiday, which might be why Peter is feeling down. It's shown that Peter often talked about Earth culture whilst among the Ravagers. [[spoiler:Yondu shot down any chance of celebrating Christmas, but changes his mind upon discovering what Peter gave him.]] |
| 44 | * BingeMontage: A brief one when Drax and Mantis start spending all their newly earned Earth money at a bar. |
| 45 | * BlackComedy: |
| 46 | ** A woman on the street starts weeping in terror at the sight of the ''Bowie'', clearly recalling [[Film/TheAvengers2012 past]] [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar alien]] [[Film/AvengersEndgame invasions]], which is PlayedForLaughs. |
| 47 | ** The main plot is Mantis and Drax ''kidnapping'' Kevin Bacon as a present for Peter, all while he's understandably terrified out of his wits. |
| 48 | ** The Guardians present Kevin Bacon to Peter in a large, lovely box... that doesn't have airholes. Peter is clearly horrified when the box starts moving and Bacon talks about running out of air. |
| 49 | ** When Kevin Bacon (understandably) flees from the Guardians after his trance is lifted, Peter has the other Guardians go after him. Nebula draws a ''gun'' before she does. |
| 50 | --->'''Nebula:''' You can't outrun me, Bacon! |
| 51 | * BlatantLies: Upon seeing people on Earth gaping at them, Mantis asks if Drax turned on the cloaking device. He says yes... and then inches towards the button to turn on the cloaking device. |
| 52 | * {{Bookends}}: Kraglin is the one who explains how Yondu was a Grinch towards Christmas to the Guardians, and is the one to explain to Kevin Bacon how Peter saw him as a hero. |
| 53 | * BreakingTheFourthWall: After Groot ruins all the decorations he was covered with in TheStinger, Rocket looks directly at the camera and says they're gonna have to have ''another'' Christmas special now. |
| 54 | * BreakingOldTrends: This marks the first MCU project without a real antagonist, as the focus of the plot is simply trying to lift a despondent Peter Quill's spirits. |
| 55 | * BreatherEpisode: Serves as one for the ''Guardians'' installments, as it takes place between the epic CrisisCrossover ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Avengers]]'' [[Film/AvengersEndgame films]] and the darker, emotionally intense ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'', being a light-hearted, irreverent Christmas-y romp. |
| 56 | * BrickJoke: Rocket's gift from Nebula is [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Bucky's arm]]. |
| 57 | * TheBusCameBack: Cosmo was last seen escaping her captivity of the Collector in TheStinger of the first ''Guardians'' movie and makes her return here -- speaking for the first time in the MCU and revealing her telekinetic powers. |
| 58 | * CallBack: |
| 59 | ** Drax and Mantis travel to Earth to get Kevin Bacon to surprise Peter Quill. This is a reference to the first movie where Peter described Bacon as a mighty warrior who [[Film/{{Footloose}} fought against a town that outlawed dancing.]] |
| 60 | ** Nebula gifts Rocket Bucky's vibranium arm, something he expressed a desire for when the two met in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. |
| 61 | * TheCameo: |
| 62 | ** Creator/KevinBacon's real-life wife, Creator/KyraSedgwick, makes a vocal cameo calling him over the phone. |
| 63 | ** Creator/FlulaBorg appears as an LA bartender. |
| 64 | ** Creator/MargotRobbie, Music/QueenLatifah, Creator/JohnCena, Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, and Creator/MarkPaulGosselaar appear on the map of the stars that Mantis and Drax use to locate Kevin Bacon's house. |
| 65 | * CannotTellFictionFromReality: Drax and Mantis act like this towards Kevin Bacon... to begin with. They ''do'' know what actors are, they just didn't realize that he was one. When they learn the truth, they are ''not'' amused. |
| 66 | * CastingGag: In the Japanese dub, this is not the first time Creator/AoiYuuki (Cosmo) had dubbed a female dog [[Literature/ADogsWayHome before]]. |
| 67 | * CasualHighDrop: Downplayed. Mantis and Drax casually jump from the first floor of Kevin Bacon's mansion and land on their feet with no problem. When Kevin Bacon attempts the same thing moments earlier, he lands on his back and hurts himself. |
| 68 | * CheerUpEpisode: The entire reason why this whole special even happens? To lift Peter's spirits up, as he is still saddened over Gamora's death. |
| 69 | * ChristmasEpisode: The third Christmas episode in the MCU and the first to primarily focus on the holiday, following ''Film/IronMan3'', which was set around Christmastime purely incidentally, and ''{{Series/Hawkeye|2021}}'', which took place during the holiday season for atmospheric purposes. |
| 70 | * ContinuityNod: |
| 71 | ** A poster for a Christmas-themed [[Film/{{Eternals}} Kingo movie]] can be seen in the background. |
| 72 | ** Drax laughs when Kevin tells him about his character in ''Film/{{Friday the 13th|1980}}'' getting stabbed in the neck by an arrow, [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 likely remembering when Kraglin did something similar to him by accident]]. Later on, Kraglin himself notes that he still hasn't quite mastered the fin yet. |
| 73 | ** Rocket threatens to kill Kevin Bacon when he calls him a raccoon, something that Rocket established that he hates being called in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2''. |
| 74 | ** Peter gifts Groot a Platform/GameBoy, a nod to how Groot was addicted to video games in TheStinger for ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' and much of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. |
| 75 | ** Groot's budding talent for arts and crafts have vastly improved since ''WesternAnimation/IAmGroot'' -- he gifts a whole series of dioramas to his friends. |
| 76 | ** One of the presents that Yondu threw in the trash in the flashback was addressed to [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Tazerface]]. |
| 77 | ** The green trinket given to Yondu can be seen in ''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'', third from the right on his dashboard. |
| 78 | * CurbStompBattle: The police officers who try to stop Drax and Mantis from kidnapping Kevin Bacon are subdued with ridiculous ease; Drax is ImmuneToBullets, Mantis physically and empathically puts them to sleep, and Drax upends a police car (the two officers inside wisely not pressing the issue when Mantis apologizes). |
| 79 | [[/folder]] |
| 80 | |
| 81 | [[folder:Tropes D to I]] |
| 82 | * DarkSecret: Mantis' motivation in giving Peter a Christmas to cheer him up is because she knows something he doesn't: [[spoiler:her father was also Ego, making her Peter's half-sister. Ego only kept her alive because of her abilities]]. Subverted in the end: When Peter finds out about [[spoiler:their relationship]], he tells Mantis that getting [[spoiler:a ''sister'']] for Christmas is the best present he could get. |
| 83 | * ADayInTheLimelight: The special mostly focuses on Drax and Mantis heading to Earth for Peter Quill's Christmas gift, with Mantis the one leading the charge since she wants to gift Kevin Bacon to Peter as a way to cheer him up (while hiding the fact that she's [[spoiler:secretly his sister]]). |
| 84 | * DeliberateValuesDissonance: No one except Quill finds anything wrong with kidnapping someone as a gift. |
| 85 | * DemotedToExtra: All of The Guardians not named Drax and Mantis only appear in the beginning and end of the special. |
| 86 | * TheDreadedToiletDuty: Yondu threatens Peter and Kraglin with this in order to get them to remove the Christmas decorations they've set up. Kraglin complains that latrine duty is Gef's favorite job. |
| 87 | * DrosteImage: Groot gifts the other Guardians with dioramas from the events of the special. One is Kraglin holding a diorama of himself holding a diorama of himself [[OverlyLongGag holding a diorama of himself]], which he finds to be hilarious. |
| 88 | * DrowningMySorrows: Peter is seen dejectedly drinking in an empty bar, mourning the loss of Gamora and having no one to spend Christmas with, not to mention trying to ''explain'' Christmas to everyone didn't go through very well. |
| 89 | * DudeNotFunny: After hearing Kraglin tell the story of how Yondu cruelly shot down Peter's Christmas spirit, Drax bursts out laughing. Mantis and even Nebula give him a look that his reaction is inappropriate. |
| 90 | * EurekaMoment: After hearing the story of Christmas from Kraglin, Mantis brings up the suggestion that a Christmas gift will be the thing to cheer Peter up. Then Drax decides not something, but some''one''. |
| 91 | * EyeTake: Peter has a horrified one when the band's song suggests Mrs. Claus is a pole dancer. |
| 92 | * EveryoneHasStandards: |
| 93 | ** Despite her aloofness and distaste for the holiday, even Nebula thinks that Drax laughing at Kraglin's sad story about Yondu wrecking Christmas was very tasteless, and she shakes her head at him with disgust. |
| 94 | ** While they're kidnapping Kevin Bacon, Mantis tries not to hurt the police officers who intervene, simply putting them to sleep with her powers. When Drax upends a car, Mantis calls him out for it, checks to make sure the officers are all right, and gives them the decorative candy cane she stole from Bacon's house to apologize. |
| 95 | ** While Peter is awestruck at how Knowhere has been decorated for Christmas all for him, he's utterly horrified when he realizes that not only did Mantis and Drax "gift" him Kevin Bacon, but that Mantis used her powers on him to manipulate his emotions. Peter rightfully calls them out for this and tells them what they did was ''human trafficking''. |
| 96 | * FantasticRacism: Drax harasses and later assaults a man dressed up as [[WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots Cy-Kill]] because "[=GoBots=] killed his cousin". Mantis even tells him to not be so prejudiced. |
| 97 | * FirstNameBasis: After saving the universe together, it seems the Guardians are this now with the Avengers. Mantis joyfully screams "STEVE!" while mistakenly hugging a Captain America cosplayer, and Rocket [[spoiler:refers to his present as "Bucky's arm"]]. |
| 98 | * FreezeFrameBonus: |
| 99 | ** During Drax and Mantis' travel in Hollywood, there's a sign showing [[Film/{{Eternals}} Kingo]] in the background. |
| 100 | ** After being gifted with Bucky's arm, you can see a SingleTear streaming down Rocket's face right before the camera cuts away. |
| 101 | * FriendOrIdolDecision: Played for Laughs. Drax accidentally loses the inflatable elf he stole from Kevin Bacon's front lawn. He has to choose between retrieving the elf and getting the escaping Kevin for Peter. He chooses the elf, until Mantis snaps at him. |
| 102 | * FurryReminder: Cosmo is an intelligent being, but she's still a dog; she works for dog treats, and her Christmas gift to Kraglin is a dead Orloni. |
| 103 | * GenderFlip: Cosmo the Space-Dog is revealed to be a female in the special. |
| 104 | * GiftGivingGaffe: During the Christmas present exchange, Cosmo gives Kraglin a dead Orloni with a bow around its neck and is clearly pleased with herself. Kraglin is disgusted, but gives Cosmo some head-pets and ear-scratches anyway. |
| 105 | * TheGlomp: Mistaking a Captain America cosplayer for the real deal, Mantis squeals a joyful "STEVE!" and leaps onto him with a giant hug. |
| 106 | * HypocriticalHumor: |
| 107 | ** Mantis admonishes Drax for trying to take one of Kevin Bacon's stuffed inflatables despite having already stolen cash and a tour map from a lady moments earlier. She joins in stealing a large candy cane immediately afterward. |
| 108 | ** Rocket wants to be reassuring toward Kevin Bacon, telling him that nobody is going to hurt him. A couple seconds later, after being called a "raccoon", Rocket lunges at Kevin while screaming he'll kill him. (Luckily, Groot catches him.) |
| 109 | * IGotBigger: Groot has gone through a massive growth spurt in between ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' and this special, having gotten bigger and burlier like a football player. |
| 110 | * ImmediateSelfContradiction: |
| 111 | ** Drax grabs a lawn elf from Kevin Bacon's yard, and Mantis reprimands him for stealing...only to take a giant candy cane for herself immediately after. |
| 112 | ** After Peter tells Mantis to remove the brainwashing on a (justifiably panicking) Kevin Bacon, Rocket states that they won't hurt him. After Kevin calls him a talking raccoon, Rocket reacts indignantly (Groot has to stop him from clawing Kevin's eyes out)...while talking to him. |
| 113 | --->'''Rocket:''' Dude, calm down. We're not gonna hurt you.\ |
| 114 | '''Kevin Bacon:''' ...that's a talking raccoon.\ |
| 115 | '''Rocket:''' I'LL KILL YOU! DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT! |
| 116 | * ImmuneToBullets: When police officers shoot at Drax, he starts ''laughing'' at each and every bullet that hits him as if they're tickling him. |
| 117 | * ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Par for the course regarding the traditional ugly Christmas sweater, with the one Drax sports having a cat with laser eyes. |
| 118 | * ImprobableWeaponUser: Mantis uses a candy cane front yard decoration as a weapon against the cops. |
| 119 | * InASingleBound: Drax is able to leap over Kevin Bacon's front gate after flinging Mantis over the top. Later, both Drax and Mantis leap over the walls of backyards to keep pace with Bacon as he flees from them. |
| 120 | * InferredSurvival: Nebula casually mentions that the Guardians bought Knowhere from the Collector, implying that he did not die in Thanos's raid on the station in ''Infinity War''. |
| 121 | * InstantExpert: The band whom Peter hires for the Christmas party somehow knows how to play Earth instruments despite finding them recently. Peter himself lampshades this. |
| 122 | * InternalHomage: Various cosplayers as [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]] heroes appear, including an [[Characters/MCUScottLang Ant-Man]], a [[Characters/MCUNatashaRomanoff Black Widow]], a (hapless) [[Characters/MCUSteveRogers Captain America]], and a [[Characters/MCUCarolDanvers Captain Marvel]]. |
| 123 | * InternalReveal: At the beginning of the special, the audience is given TheReveal of a secret which Mantis has always known and has at some point (perhaps canonizing a deleted scene in ''Guardians 2'') confided in Drax -- [[spoiler:that Peter Quill's father, Ego the Living Planet, is also her own father.]] She has kept it from him all these years due to fearing it would cause him to resent her, but at the end of the special, with visible emotional pain, she works up the courage to reveal it to him. |
| 124 | * {{Irony}}: The song that plays as Kevin Bacon flees from Mantis is "I Want an Alien for Christmas" by Fountains of Wayne. Something Kevin does ''not'' want at all. |
| 125 | [[/folder]] |
| 126 | |
| 127 | [[folder:Tropes L to R]] |
| 128 | * LetsSeeYouDoBetter: Cosmo's answer to Rocket when he derides her for her limited telekinesis. |
| 129 | * LighterAndSofter: While definitely as emotional as the previous films, the stakes are lowered from "save the universe" to "help a sad friend", and there is no deadly villain this time around. Humorously, [[Film/WerewolfByNight2022 the previous Marvel special]], released around six weeks prior, can somewhat also be described as helping a friend who's in trouble, though the stakes are higher there. |
| 130 | * LogoJoke: This time around, the comic book pages at the start of the Marvel Studios logo are of Christmas issues, snow is superimposed over every thing, and the logo itself is wrapped in Christmas lights. |
| 131 | * LongLostRelative: [[spoiler:Mantis is revealed to be another one of Ego's children and is thus Peter's half-sister.]] |
| 132 | * MediumBlending: The flashbacks use hand-drawn animation. |
| 133 | * MistakenIdentity: A family takes selfies with Drax and Mantis, mistaking Drax as [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]]. Prior to that, Mantis hugs a cosplayer who is dressed as Captain America and calls them "Steve". Drax also assumes a cosplayer as a [=GoBot=] is real. |
| 134 | * NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: During previous movies, Mantis could only read and alter emotions, which was only really used to lull Ego and later Drax and Thanos into a ForcedSleep. Here, she displays full-on EmotionControl, which lets her compel a store owner into giving her a map and all her money, and puts Kevin Bacon into a trance that makes him totally calm and compliant. |
| 135 | * NiceGuy: Kevin Bacon, though understandably freaked out by an alien environment and being kidnapped, decides to stick around when Kraglin tells him just how much his movies meant to Peter. By the end of the night, Bacon is cheerfully expecting to see the Guardians again at Easter. |
| 136 | * NoAntagonist: In an MCU first, there is no villain to defeat. The Guardians are simply trying to give Peter Quill a merry Christmas. The closest things to villains are Drax and Mantis abducting Kevin Bacon and casually stealing his lawn decorations, and even then they have no idea that anything they are doing is at all wrong. |
| 137 | * NoodleIncident: |
| 138 | ** According to Drax, Mantis once ate an entire bag of Zargnuts when she wasn't supposed to. [[BerserkButton She's not happy to be reminded about it.]] |
| 139 | ** According to Mantis, Drax's cousin was killed by, of all things, a [[WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots GoBot]]. |
| 140 | ** Later on in the special, Nebula gifts Rocket with Bucky's Vibranium arm without so much as an explanation as to how she managed to get it from him. Rocket himself is visibly confused. |
| 141 | * ObliviouslyEvil: Mantis and Drax just thought they were giving Peter a special gift by kidnapping Kevin Bacon. Peter has to spell it out for Mantis that what she and Drax did is considered ''human trafficking''. |
| 142 | * OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Nebula comments that the Guardians bought Knowhere from the Collector. This also means that the Collector somehow survived [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Thanos' attack]]. |
| 143 | * OhCrap: |
| 144 | ** Kevin Bacon is clearly scared out of his wits the entire time Mantis and Drax are chasing him. When his trance is lifted on Knowhere, he again freaks out. |
| 145 | ** Peter is visibly horrified to realize that the "gift" he's getting from the other Guardians is a ''person''. |
| 146 | * OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Apparently Mantis ate an entire stash of Zargnuts, and she gets ''really'' testy when Drax reminds her. |
| 147 | -->'''Drax:''' Maybe we can gift him [Quill] the zargnuts... but you ate them all!\ |
| 148 | '''Mantis:''' '''[[RageBreakingPoint GET OVER THE ZARGNUTS!]]''' |
| 149 | * OnceMoreWithClarity: Kraglin explains the tale of how Peter once tried to celebrate Christmas with the Ravagers, only for Yondu to barge in and tell him to tear down the tree and presents. Peter later tells Mantis what happened after, realising Kraglin didn't know the full story. [[spoiler:Yondu found a gift in the trash, a figurine. In return, Yondu would gift Peter his dual blasters.]] |
| 150 | * OnlyOneFindsItFun: Only Groot is happily dancing to the opening number. |
| 151 | * OnlySaneMan: Peter is the only one out of the Guardians to point out that kidnapping Kevin Bacon, even as a well-meaning gift, was a ''bad'' thing. |
| 152 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: A minor case, but it says something that [[WalkingShirtlessScene Drax]] really wants to make Peter happy if he's wearing a ''Christmas sweater''. |
| 153 | * PetTheDog: |
| 154 | ** Kraglin's perfectly happy to help the young Peter celebrate Christmas, until Yondu orders they stop. |
| 155 | ** Once Kraglin explains why Drax and Mantis abducted him, and the significance his movies held for Peter growing up, Kevin Bacon is happy to help the Guardians celebrate Christmas. |
| 156 | ** As Peter explains to Mantis, [[spoiler:Yondu would ease up on Peter upon opening his present, gifting the future Star-Lord his dual blasters in return]]. |
| 157 | ** Done literally when Cosmo brings Kraglin a dead Orloni as a present, with a bow and everything. Despite being disgusted, Kraglin gives her some scratches. |
| 158 | * RelatedInTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:Mantis is revealed to be Ego's biological daughter and Peter's half-sister.]] |
| 159 | * TheReveal: A small, but important tidbit is given to us in this episode: [[spoiler:Mantis is actually one of Ego's children, thus making her Peter's half-sister]]. When Mantis tells him this at the end of the special, Peter's absolutely overjoyed. |
| 160 | * RiddleForTheAges: It is never revealed how Nebula got Bucky's mechanical arm in the first place. |
| 161 | * RightForTheWrongReasons: Upon realizing that Kevin Bacon is merely an actor and didn't actually go on any of the adventures Peter frequently talked about while with the Guardians, Mantis becomes terrified that Peter is going to hate her gift for him due to Kevin not acting like how he perceives him to be in the movies. When he does receive his gift, Peter indeed expresses dissatisfaction with it... because said "gift" is a victim of ''human trafficking across time and space'', not because he's an actor. |
| 162 | * {{Rotoscoping}}: The animated sequences detailing Peter's Christmas with the Ravagers emulate this style, with the works of Creator/RalphBakshi cited as an influence. |
| 163 | * RuleOfFunny: Mantis needs to be tossed over Kevin Bacon's front gate by Drax because it's funny. Only a scene later, she's shown leaping over equally high walls along with Drax to keep pace with the fleeing Bacon because ''that's'' funny. |
| 164 | * RuleOfSymbolism: After Peter is pissed off at Mantis and Drax kidnapping Kevin Bacon, we cut to a inflatable Santa drooping. Peter's spirits have been ''deflated''. |
| 165 | [[/folder]] |
| 166 | |
| 167 | [[folder:Tropes S to W]] |
| 168 | * SadlyMythtaken: In-universe. The alien band completely mangles Earth's Christmas traditions and stories. |
| 169 | * SantaClausmas: The version of Christmas Peter Quill told his friends doesn't seem to include Jesus's birth at all, and it's not referenced aside from Mantis and Drax glancing at a Nativity scene. Justified, because Peter left Earth as a young child and probably wasn't from a super religious family, so secular Santa Claus stuff would have stuck out more. |
| 170 | * SavingChristmas: Subverted; Christmas isn't in danger, but Mantis ''sees'' it in this light when she sees Peter depressed and will do all she can to make him happy again. At the end of the special however, Kevin Bacon does just that, at least for Peter and many of the denizens of Knowhere. [[BlackComedy Whether he wanted to or not]]. |
| 171 | * SecretKeeper: Drax is the only one who knows that [[spoiler:Mantis is Peter's sister]] and that [[NoodleIncident she ate all of the Guardians' zargnuts.]] |
| 172 | * SelfFulfillingProphecy: Mantis wants to avoid the elephant in the room about [[spoiler:admitting that she's Peter's sister]] because it's a reminder of what Ego did. But by kidnapping Kevin Bacon, she's doing just that, as Peter is quick to tell her that she's not gifting him a famous childhood hero, but committing human trafficking. |
| 173 | * SeriousBusiness: |
| 174 | ** Mantis ''will'' get Kevin Bacon for Quill so she can save Christmas, and ''nothing'' will stop her! |
| 175 | ** Mantis eating all the Zargnuts is this for Drax, who thinks it's the secret she's extremely anxious about and constantly brings it up. Mantis implies that he's the only one who actually cares about it. |
| 176 | * ShoutOut: |
| 177 | ** The animation starting the show resembles a certain short from [[Film/TheStarWarsHolidaySpecial that other Holiday Special]]. Not to mention the inserted musical performances... |
| 178 | ** The opening credits are done in the style of the ''Film/TheSantaClause1''. |
| 179 | ** The first song from the alien band features a mention of [[WesternAnimation/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer1964 an elf who wants to be a dentist instead of doing Santa's bidding]]. (Apparently, Santa killed him in this EntertaininglyWrong recounting of those events. This itself may be a reference to a parody of ''Rudolph'' from ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken''.) |
| 180 | ** The cosplayers in Hollywood are dressed up like [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Captain Jack Sparrow]], [[WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots Cy-Kill]], and Franchise/{{Zorro}}. |
| 181 | ** One of the tourists who takes photos with Drax and Mantis assumes Drax is cosplaying Kratos from ''VideoGame/GodOfWar''. |
| 182 | ** One scene features Kevin Bacon watching ''Film/SantaClausConquersTheMartians''. |
| 183 | ** The leitmotif during the scene when Mantis and Drax are chasing Kevin Bacon through the streets of LA sounds a lot like Music/DannyElfman's "Christmas Eve Montage" from ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''. |
| 184 | ** Several characters ask Kevin Bacon questions about pop culture, including events from several films he appeared in (believing that he actually did them himself). |
| 185 | *** Mantis and Drax ask Bacon if he's friends with [[Series/HappyDays the Fonz]]; Bacon corrects them by saying that he ''is'' friends with the Fonz's actor Creator/HenryWinkler. |
| 186 | *** Drax and Kraglin separately talk about the time Bacon saved a small town through dancing, referencing ''Film/{{Footloose}}''; Bacon corrects Drax by attributing that to his character Ren [=McCormack=]. |
| 187 | *** Mantis mentions a story about Bacon killing [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]]; Bacon corrects her by saying [[Film/FridayThe13th1980 his character was actually stabbed in the neck with an arrow]] (which Drax finds hilarious). Going unmentioned is the fact that the ''Friday'' film Kevin Bacon was in didn't have Jason as the killer; assuming that Peter told the story, he likely got the first and [[Film/FridayThe13thTheFinalChapter fourth]] movies confused. |
| 188 | ** When Mantis compels Kevin Bacon to act like a hero, his first impulse is to assume the identity of a British soldier in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII; his second is to be ComicBook/{{Batman}}. |
| 189 | ** A new Guardians ship is used by Mantis and Drax. In keeping with the ThemeNaming of '80s pop culture figures (previous ships are the ''[[Creator/AlyssaMilano Milano]]'' and ''[[Music/PatBenatar Benatar]]''), this one is called the ''[[Music/DavidBowie Bowie]]''. |
| 190 | * SkewedPriorities: During the chase of Kevin Bacon, Drax complains that he dropped his lawn elf ornament and wants to go back for it. Mantis questions if that's more important than Peter's happiness. After a long pause, Drax answers "Yes". |
| 191 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: Kraglin gets the plot rolling by explaining what Christmas is to the Guardians and convincing Kevin Bacon to cheer Peter up. |
| 192 | * SoundtrackDissonance: The scene of Kevin Bacon fleeing for his life from Mantis and Drax is accompanied by the cheery song "I Want an Alien for Christmas" by Fountains of Wayne. |
| 193 | * TheStinger: Groot, covered in Christmas decorations, drop his arms, to which Cosmo and Rocket complain that [[BreakingTheFourthWall they need another special]]. |
| 194 | * SucksAtDancing: During Kevin Bacon's musical number, Nebula is shown ''attempting'' to dance, but can't summon the energy to do more than jerk around to the music. |
| 195 | * SuddenlyShouting: After Drax brings up [[RuleOfThree one too many times]] the entire bowl of zargnuts that Mantis ate, she screams to forget about those nuts at the top of her lungs and in a markedly hoarser voice than the one she usually uses. |
| 196 | * SuperCellReception: Lampshaded and justified. Kevin Bacon expresses shock that he's somehow able to receive a phone call from his wife despite being light-years away from Earth. Kraglin explains to him that there are satellite dishes that bounce signals to places throughout the universe (including Earth), hence how he's able to get a signal out on Knowhere. |
| 197 | * TakeThatUs: Upon learning that Kevin Bacon is an actor instead of a mighty hero, Mantis and Drax (who are, of course, played by professional actors) are ''disgusted'', as they are repulsed at the idea of people pretending to be someone else. Later, as Bacon leaves, having endeared himself to the Guardians, Nebula remarks with mild surprise that not ''all'' actors are "pieces of shit". |
| 198 | * ThereWasADoor: When Kevin Bacon refuses to let them in, Drax casually shatters a window next to the door like it is nothing. |
| 199 | * ThrowTheDogABone: The entire story is to do this for Peter Quill, giving him a happy moment after going through two movies as the team's ButtMonkey. The film shows him actually being a decent leader, and the other characters actually take his depression seriously and show care and concern for him. |
| 200 | * TookALevelInBadass: In the past, despite occasionally assuming an insectile fighting stance, Mantis has shown no combat ability outside of touching someone's head to make them fall asleep. In this special, we see that she's been developing her skills: touching someone's hand, previously only shown to allow her to feel their feelings, can now force people to obey her commands without question; she shows some impressive and downright frightening parkour skills while chasing after Kevin Bacon; and she shows off some impressive martial arts while subduing the cops, combining them with her powers to nonlethally subdue four of them in under a minute, without Drax's help and armed only with a giant ornamental candy cane. |
| 201 | * ToughLove: When Yondu first learns about Christmas, he's enraged, telling Peter that in space, such soft and sentimental practices will get him killed. He later softens his approach, however, and joins in the gift-giving. |
| 202 | * TraumaButton: Because Drax forgot to turn on the ship's cloaking device, a handful of onlookers see him and Mantis land in Hollywood in broad daylight. In a darkly humorous moment, one lady starts to sob with fear at the sight of the ship, clearly traumatized from all the ''other'' times aliens had invaded Earth. |
| 203 | * UnderNewManagement: At some point following ''Endgame'', the Guardians purchased Knowhere from the Collector and have been working to make it inhabitable again after it was nearly destroyed by Thanos in ''Infinity War''. |
| 204 | * UnusuallyUninterestingSight: The sight of Drax and Mantis having fun on Earth is barely given a second thought, as expected of a world that have seen weirder things like [[Film/{{Eternals}} a Celestial showing up in orbit; the corpse of another in the Indian Ocean]]; [[Film/ThorLoveAndThunder the whole bunch of Asgardians and other aliens (like the bug-like Miek) living in Norway]]; [[Series/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw a Hulk acting as a lawyer for and against magic users, superheroes and villains, and aliens]]; etc. There's also the fact that the Guardians have been recognized as one of the groups [[Film/AvengersEndgame who helped save the universe]], and [[Series/MsMarvel2022 there's even merchandise and cosplays of them]]. The only time someone panics is when Kevin Bacon sees them, which is justified since the two are ''kidnapping him''. That said, nobody on Earth in the special seems to actually know who they are, with Drax believed to be a [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] cosplayer. Even then, Bacon, after having seen the clearly alien Mantis on the video doorbell display, dismisses her and Drax with a largely irritated "not cool" when they persist at knocking on his door, only panicking when Drax breaks through the glass. |
| 205 | * WhamLine: Mantis is afraid of telling Peter her secret, to which Drax points out: |
| 206 | -->'''Drax:''' That you're [[spoiler:Quill's sister?]] |
| 207 | * WhatTheHellHero: Mantis and Drax fly all the way to Hollywood to kidnap Kevin Bacon for Peter. The first thing Peter asks to Mantis is "What did you do?!" in shock and anger because the two just committed human trafficking. |
| 208 | * WholePlotReference: To ''Film/SantaClausConquersTheMartians'', of all things. Extraterrestrials abduct semi-mythical Earthling in order to instill some Yuletide cheer on their home planet. Kevin Bacon is even seen watching the film in an explicit ShoutOut. |
| 209 | * WrittenInAbsence: Gamora is the only Guardian absent from the special following [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar her death at the hands of Thanos]] and [[Film/AvengersEndgame her variant disappearing after the final battle against him.]] Mantis explicitly notes that Peter is still mourning her. |
| 210 | [[/folder]] |
| 211 | ---- |
| 212 | ->''What the heck's a turtledove? And who lit up that deer?\ |
| 213 | I don't know what Christmas is but Christmastime is here!\ |
| 214 | I don't know what Christmas is but Christmastime is here!\ |
| 215 | (Or maybe it's there! But it's somewhere! I dunno... I dunno...)'' |
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