Sideshow Bob gets contracted as the new mall Santa; someone steals all the Christmas packages off people's front porches.
This episode provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents:
- Milhouse mentions that Luan kicked Kirk out of the house and he's now tapping on his window and if he responds, there's no presents for him.
- This is what motivates Mr. Burns to steal everyone's holiday packages. As a child he asked a mall Santa for a hug and smile from his parents and sent him to boarding school on Christmas Day. When he came back, they died, their ghosts offer him a hug but disappear in a few seconds because he was "too late".
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Cassandra apparently knows who Sideshow Bob is and the things he's done and still wants to be with him to the point of giving written consent.
- Bookends: The episode starts and ends with Sideshow Bob at his lighthouse meeting the same woman.
- Call-Back:
- Homer mentions he was a mall Santa too, a reference to the very first Simpsons episode.
- Homer suspects the initials "S.B." stand for Selma Bouvier. There's precedence for this in "Wedding for Disaster", after all.
- The Christmas gnome that scares Maggie comes back as a terrifying ride for toddlers.
- Christmas Episode: The one for the 31st season.
- Couldn't Find a Pen: Lenny recognizes the package thief, but is unable to speak after the dye packet he set up for them explodes on him. Using the paint he's covered in, he writes the initials "SB".
- Enemy Mine: The latest of quite a few strategic teamups between Sideshow Bob and the Simpsons.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: Once it's clear he's not trying to kill Bart at the moment, the Simpsons all seem to enjoy their Enemy Mine antics with Sideshow Bob, even applauding his contortionism when he folds himself up to fit inside a small box.
- How the Character Stole Christmas: Everyone in Springfield is getting their holiday packages stolen off of their front porches. The culprit turns out to be Mr. Burns, who was depressed that a mall Santa didn't give him what he wished for as a child (a hug from his mother and a smile from his father).
- Mall Santa: Sideshow Bob gets a job as the Santa Claus of a Christmas village theme park.
- Misplaced Retribution: When Bart sees Milhouse in line, he pretends Milhouse was saving his place. Too bad the bullies were behind Milhouse and equally blame both the cutter and "cutee".
- Not Me This Time: Bart instantly assumes the SB that Lenny wrote in blood stands for Sideshow Bob, while Homer believes it to be Selma Bouvier. They're both wrong.
- Obstructive Code of Conduct: Sideshow Bob won't kill Bart, no matter how much he wants to, because as a
method actor, he can't break character as Santa Claus. - Pet the Dog: Sideshow Bob helps find out the package thieves and when revealed it was Mr. Burns, cheers him up with Christmas spirit. Aside from making Christmas ornaments depicting Bart with fatal injuries, he doesn't do anything evil.
- Playground Song: While stuck in traffic, the Simpson family sings "Baby Shark".
- Pragmatic Villainy: Kearney is against the idea of beating up Bart and Milhouse since he doesn't want blood on his sweater. Jimbo and Dolph then hit him a couple of times getting blood stains on him.
- Recognition Failure: Homer thinks the movie Roma is about the founder of Tony Roma's restaurants.
- Recycled Animation: Footage from "Cape Feare" and "The Bob Next Door" can be seen during Bob's flashback about wanting to kill Bart.
- Red Herring: The initials SB point at Sideshow Bob, and Homer assumes it's Selma Bouvier; plus, the police have arrested several people with those initials, including Scott Bakula, Sandra Bullock, and LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. In the end, however, the culprit is Smithers and Mr. Burns, with Homer questioning why Smithers' name goes first.
- Shout-Out:
- Once Sandra Bullock is released from custody, she wears a blindfold like in Bird Box.
- The title is a reference to the Christmas song "Baby, It's Cold Outside".
- While stuck in traffic, Bart and Lisa sing Pinkfong's Baby Shark, annoying Homer. Eventually, Marge joins, and so does Homer after being pushed to do it by her.
- Status Quo Is God: Sideshow Bob’s Heel–Face Turn from Gone Boy has, for the most part, disappeared. While he quickly gives up on trying to kill Bart and even helps the Simpsons, the initial intent is still there.
- Weird Trade Union: Both Sideshow Bob and Homer belong to the Kris Kringle Union, Local #5732.
