Virtually Christmas
Despite Bill's insistence he take part in the Greens' Christmas Eve traditions, Cricket visits Remy to play a new VR game, Outpost Infinity. But when they get snowed in, the family meets up inside the game to carry their traditions from there, but Cricket must hide the truth about the defense nature of the game.
"Virtually Christmas" contains examples of:
- An Asskicking Christmas: Despite Cricket’s attempts to prevent this, the Green family’s Christmas Eve quickly turns into one when their virtual home is overrun by monsters.
- Big Damn Heroes: Bill comes in at the right time to save Cricket from the monsters closing in on him from inside the game house and to destroy the snow giant.
- BFG: The Candy Cane Cannon, courtesy of Mr. Extras.
- Braving the Blizzard: Upon realizing he needs to be with his family in reality, Cricket uses the Remingtons' sleigh decoration to sled his way right through the snowstorm and make it safely back to the Green house.
- Brick Joke: When we first see the Remingtons, they are criticizing Vasquez for putting the reindeer in the rooftop display in the wrong order (even though they all look exactly the same). Much later, when Cricket goes up to use the sleigh on the roof, he notes that Vasquez put Cupid up in front.
- The Cavalry: Mr. Extras comes to the Greens’ aid by providing them with extra weapons right as the biggest monster is heading towards their house.
- Chameleon Camouflage: The VR fruit cake has a camo mode that makes it invisible. Bill activates it and puts it on the ground, knowing that no one would be able to find it hidden in plain sight. Alice later stumbles into it while fighting monsters.
- Chekhov's Gun: The camouflaged fruit cake eventually comes in handy when fighting monsters.
- Christmas Episode: The second in the series after "Green Christmas".
- Christmas Miracle: When Cricket finds out there’s a VR system at his house that his family can use, he tells his dad it’s a Christmas miracle.
- Death Glare: Cricket receives a whole round of them from his family after the humongous snow monster tears the roof off their game house.
- Department of Redundancy Department: When Cricket is explaining VR to his dad.Cricket: You put on these goggles and go inside a world that’s so lifelike, it’s like real life...like.
- Didn't Think This Through: Cricket's plan to have the family traditions inside Outpost Infinity seems like a good plan, except that the game is about fighting monsters who keep destroying whatever you build, and the longer you stay in the game, the tougher the monsters become. Cricket has Remy fight off the monsters while the Greens do their traditions, but it's not long before he's overwhelmed, and the monsters start making things tough for the Greens.
- Everyone Hates Fruit Cakes: One of the Green family traditions is to find a hidden fruit cake. Bill notes how rock hard it is, and it is implied that finding it is the only practical use for it. A VR version of the fruit cake is later used as a bludgeon.
- Eye Twitch: Cricket’s eye starts twitching when his dad’s taking forever to choose what kind of lights he wants on the tree.
- Food Fight: Gramma starts one by throwing icing at Nancy while the family is decorating cookies.
- Group Hug: The Greens all hug when Cricket surprises them at home on Christmas Eve in time for them to finish their family traditions IRL.
- Idiosyncratic Wipes: This episode features one of a fruit cake rolling across the screen to transition between scenes.
- Inner Thoughts, Outsider Puzzlement: Phoenix walks in on the Greens with their VR gear going through the motions of fighting monsters in the game. She rolls her eyes and walks away.
- I've Heard of That — What Is It?: When Cricket first brings up Outpost Infinity prior to leaving for Remy's, it leads into this conversation.Bill: Ah, yes! Outpost Infinity! I know Outpost Infinity! (to Tilly and Gramma) ...What is Outpost Infinity?
Tilly: I believe it's a VR video game, Papa.
Bill: Okay. Thanks sweetie. ...Um, what does "VR" mean?
Gramma: It means YOU'RE OLD! - Keep Away: The Greens do this with the Candy Cane Cannon to try to keep it out of the monsters’ grasp.
- Killer Bear Hug: Tilly kills one of the snow monsters by hugging it to death.
- Medium Blending: The Outpost Infinity scenes are done in stop motion-esque 3D CGI.
- The Most Dangerous Video Game: Subverted. Tilly tries to invoke this trope, but Remy corrects her that that’s not how this game works.Tilly: Remember: if you die here, you die in real life.Remy: That’s not true.
- Mood Whiplash: The serene and relaxing nature of the Greens' tree-topping ritual is suddenly interrupted when Remy runs into the house in total panic at the incoming wave of monsters, exposing Cricket's lies.
- Musicalis Interruptus: The episode starts with the Greens singing a take on "Joy to the World" about spending the holidays together, which gets interrupted midway through with a Record Needle Scratch due to Cricket leaving for Remy's.
- "Oh, Crap!" Smile: Cricket has one when the roof of the Greens' game house is torn off by one of the snow monsters, resulting in him being busted.Cricket: Merry Christmas...?
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Bill calls out, "Merry Christmas!" as he prepares to destroy the giant snow monster with the Candy Cane Cannon.
- Race Against the Clock: Cricket has to try to wrap up his family’s traditions quickly and get them out of the game before more monsters start spawning.
- Rule of Three: There are three Green family Christmas Eve traditions: decorating Christmas cookies, looking for the fruit cake, and putting the star on top of the tree.
- Sheet of Glass: As Cricket is racing down the snowy streets on the Remingtons' Santa display sleigh, he comes across two deliverymen carrying a glass pane in the middle of the blizzard. Seeing Cricket coming, the men are prepared and simply lift the glass over their heads. The sleigh makes it, but the glass does knock the head off the Santa figure.Delivery Man: Make way for the Christmas glass! Even a blizzard can’t stop us from delivering this beautifully plain and unstained pane!
- Shout-Out:
- Naturally, the headsets are a reference to the Oculus Quest.
- When the monsters start attacking, Tilly says “the weather outside is frightful” in reference to the Christmas song, “Let It Snow”.
- Bill paraphrases the Rousing Speech from Braveheart as he leads the family into battle.
Bill: They may take our virtual lives, but they'll never take our family traditions! - Snowed-In: Cricket was playing Outpost Infinity at Remy's when a blizzard hits, keeping him from returning home for the Greens family traditions.Cricket: Oh, dang...we’re snowed in!
- Snowlems: The monsters in Outpost Infinity are snow monsters of varying sizes.
- Special Edition Title: The theme song is done in the style of Outpost Infinity, complete with cyber effects added to the background score.
- Torso with a View: When Bill shoots the giant snow monster with the Candy Cane Cannon, a huge hole is blasted through its chest.
- True Meaning of Christmas: Cricket learns that spending time with your family is the most important part of the holiday.
- Unusual Euphemism:Bill: What in Santa’s beard was that?
- What the Hell, Hero?: After the Greens' game house gets destroyed by the monsters outnumbering him, thus revealing the true nature of Outpost Infinity, Bill proceeds to call out his son for lying to him about the game and especially for skipping out on the family traditions, causing Cricket to realize the error of his ways.Bill: I should've known we couldn't have family Christmas in a video game!
Cricket: Of course we can! we just need to fight off some super scary giant monsters first!
Bill: No... I've had enough. There's nothin' like a bunch of monsters to remind you this isn't reality! The real reality —
Cricket: No, Dad, wait! We can —
Bill: The REAL reality is that my son didn't want to do our family traditions and bailed on us! Sometimes, you just gotta know when to throw in the decorative Christmas towel. - Word, Schmord!: When Rashida is concerned about Cricket visiting due to the heavy snowfall, Cricket responds, "Snow, schmow!"
