Marge kicks Homer out of the house after Moe convinces him to stay out all night on Christmas Eve at his bar. Depressed, Homer takes a lonely walk through Springfield instead of being with his family.
Tropes:
- Aspect Ratio Switch: Comic Book Guy and Kumiko watch a parody of the Star Wars Holiday Special. The close-up shots of it on the TV are in 4:3.
- Bait-and-Switch: While looking for Homer, his family walks through a scene with neon signs of places where Homer might be. It's then revealed that they're at a store specialized on neon signs.
- Bait-and-Switch Comment:
- Mr. Burns speaks to Homer as Christmas approaches.Mr. Burns: Simpson!
(Homer screams)
Mr. Burns: Time for your holiday gift!
(Homer sounds excited)
Mr. Burns: In your name, a donation has been made...
(Homer sounds disappointed)
Mr. Burns: ...to the Salvation Army.
(Homer is disappointed again) - When Homer is trying to find a comforting movie to watch, the clerk offers him three films: one about a nutty professor (with advanced Alzheimer's), Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill (in a concentration camp drama), and a movie about a cute model... airplane that lost its propeller. Homer chooses to go with the concentration camp one.
- Mr. Burns speaks to Homer as Christmas approaches.
- Brick Joke: Moe comments that his usual Christmas gifts are wallets that patrons forget at his bar. Later on, it's revealed that Homer forgot his.
- By Wall That Is Holey: Done with Homer and a collapsing gingerbread house.
- Disproportionate Retribution: During the "obligatory Frozen reference", Bart throws a snowball at Lisa, who retaliates by making an ice castle grow under Bart, which sticks him to the top.
- Fourth Wall Psych: The episode begins with Comic Book Guy looking at the camera and saying, "You're about to see the worst half-hour of television ever." Turns out he's talking to Kumiko about the Cosmic Wars Holiday Special.
- Fun with Acronyms: Apu tells Homer that he can buy Kwik-E-Nog as a last-minute gift for Marge. "Nog" does not refer to eggnog, but is instead an acronym for "Not Okayed by Government." Homer decides not to buy it.
- Lame Pun Reaction: Comic Book Guy when the C-3PO parody says “May the sauce be with you” while running a soup kitchen.CBG: The sauce? Since when is soup sauce?
- Medium Blending: Homer watches footage from Miracle on 34th Street on a TV at Moe's Tavern.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Marge has this reaction when she realizes it wasn't Homer's fault he came back so late.
- Rake Take: Marge makes a gingerbread Sideshow Bob step on a gingerbread rake.
- Tastes Like Chicken: For this episode's chalkboard gag, Bart writes that reindeer meat doesn't taste like chicken.