It's Christmas time, and the TGS crew's annual "Ludachristmas" tradition goes underway. In addition, Liz' family and Jack's mother come up to visit their respective children in New York.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Accidental Innuendo: In-Universe, Dick unwittingly references an infamous shock photo of old men having an orgy:Dick: It's not a Lemon party without old Dick!
- Also, Mitch gets one in due him thinking it's still 1985.
Mitch: 'Cause I'm kind of like the George Michael of my school. - Apple of Discord: Colleen promises Jack that she'll have the sweet, perky Lemons fighting "like drag queens at a wig sale". She makes good on that promise.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Tracy laments his court-mandated sobriety.Tracy: But this time of the year? Ludachristmas? New Year's Eve? Martin Luther King Day? All you do is drink!
- Bait-and-Switch: Kenneth tries to help Tracy by saying that he was addicted to coke during his Wall Street days. A flashback then shows that Kenneth used to work at Blockbuster and was addicted to Coca Cola during the time when the film Wall Street was popular on home video.
- Beer Goggles: A newly-sober Tracy mentions that he doesn't find his wife's sister nearly as attractive anymore.
- Brick Joke: The scanner/shredder hybrids are sent to Guatemala for children to play with. They seem to have a great time beating them with the pieces of wood from earlier.
- Chekhov's Gag: Turns out Liz playing football is not just a one-off gag.
- Childhood Brain Damage: Liz' brother, Mitch, sustained a brain injury from a skiing accident in high school, and as such still thinks it's 1985. His parents sustain the illusion for as long as they can, but it's broken by the end of the episode.
- Christmas Episode: The whole episode takes place during Christmas time.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Mitch is never seen or heard again after this episode, and several episodes heavily imply (if not outright state) that Liz is an only child. (His character was presumably considered too grim to really expand on or do anything else with)
- Determinator: Colleen won't let a little thing like a hurricane get in the way of visiting her son. Instead of flying from Florida, she took a bus to Atlanta and got Jet Blue to take an Amtrak ticket.
- Didn't Think This Through: Jack gifts the TGS crew a device that functions as both a photo scanner and a paper shredder. When asked if this would result in shredding the photos by accident, he shows that there's a switch to toggle between the two options...both of which are labeled "PS".
- Drinking on Duty: The reason why the officers monitoring Tracy's alcohol-triggered ankle bracelet miss it going off is because they're in the middle of a debauched Christmas party of their own.
- Good Parents: Unlike Colleen, Dick and Margaret Lemon are sweet-natured and endlessly supportive of their daughter.
- Incredibly Lame Fun: Kenneth hijacks the normally-debauched Ludachristmas party in order to teach the TGS crew a lesson on the meaning of Christmas (and to keep Tracy sober). It involves a reverend, Bible study, and folk songs.Kenneth: (cheerfully) It was to the tune of "American Pie", but so much longer!
- Reverend Garrett shows footage of his mission trip to Guatemala, where he handed out blocks of wood to the poor children as Christmas gifts. The kids are overjoyed.
- I Was Just Joking: Liz jokes when Tracy and his entourage enter her office wearing suits.Liz: Ha! Nice suits, guys. How was court?Grizz: Not great, Beth.Liz: Oh, you guys were actually in court?
- Parental Substitute: Jack sees the Lemons as this, even though his mother is still alive.Colleen: I suppose you think they're more nurturing than I am.Jack: Mother, there are terrorist cells that are more nurturing than you are.
- The Cameo: Mitch is played by Andy Richter.
- True Meaning of Christmas: Kenneth attempts to teach the TGS crew this in lieu of their traditional Christmas party. It works...a little too well, to the point where they're whipped into a frenzy and go to chop down the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.
