Brian, who finds Christmas a commercialized waste of time, is the number one suspect after Mayor West's nativity scene is ruined.
Tropes:
- Boring, but Practical: Brian's attempt to hide the broken nativity scene is to place the pieces in his car and abandon said car in an airport parking lot in order to blend in with the other crappy-looking cars. Stewie even commends him for this.
- Brick Joke: The red M&M in the Griffins' Advent Calendar gets ready to shoot Peter in vengeance for eating the rest of his family. Later, when the Griffins go to visit Brian in jail, Peter's arm is in a cast due to being shot by the M&M.
- Commercialized Christmas: Deconstructed; Brian's belief that this trope has become the case results in him getting drunk to cope with everyone else's obliviousness to it, crashing his car into Mayor West's nativity scene, and getting thrown in jail for it.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Brian may have been a total Scrooge throughout the episode (mostly because he was drunk), but to say that Christmas hasn't become overly commercialized would be a total lie.
- Literal-Minded: When Brian asks Wild West if you get three square meals in jail, he responds "I can't speak for the shape, but the number sounds right."
- My God, What Have I Done?: Brian realizes that while it's true Christmas is also commercialized, it's about being with your family and spending time with them. It also makes Brian realize he's the one that forgot the true meaning of Christmas, not everybody else.
- Not Helping Your Case: When Wild West asks Brian about the Baby Jesus-Shaped dent in his car, Brian responds that it could be any baby he hit with his car.
- Out-Gambitted: The people of Quahog manage to get one over on the company in China manufacturing the Happy Asking Panda dolls due to how low their savings balance is, causing the whole factory to go under.
- Pet the Dog:
- When Meg reveals one of her weird hobbies (passing out hard boiled eggs during the holidays), Peter looks uninterested on how Meg is now different and dark. But he then whispers to Chris and Lois admitting he likes how Meg is now different and dark.
- Even at the nativity scene, Joe was genuinely happy to see Meg and asks for an egg.
- Prison Rape: Referenced when the narration mentions that "Brian's butthole grew three sizes that day".
- Pyrrhic Victory: The Chinese government successfully steal all information about the American population's security and income through the Happy Asking Pandas, but it's so pathetically low that making the toys actually cost them more and the company literally dissolves.Peter: Can't rob America if America's broke. Merry Christmas, everyone!
- Secret Test of Character: Mayor West has Brian arrested in order for him to realize what he is missing on Christmas.
- Serious Business: Stewie is rather nonchalant about keeping Brian's crime a secret.... until he realizes it will prevent him getting a Happy Asking Panda, upon which he instantly snaps and turns him in.
- The Stool Pigeon: When Brian's crime causes Mayor West to decide to can Christmas in Quahog, Stewie soon snitches on Brian and tells Mayor West where the broken nativity scene is in order to get his Happy Asking Panda.
- The Tell: Stewie knows when Brian is hiding something because his voice always cracks at the end of his sentences.
