The gang tries to survive the Christmas shopping rush at their jobs, while Caitlin works to buy presents for everyone. However, events end up getting them all locked inside the mall after closing time.
Tropes:
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Jude has trouble not shopping for himself because “everything’s so shiny and looks so good”.
- Bad Job, Worse Uniform: Jonesy’s job as one of the Mall Santa’s elves requires him to wear an embarrassing elf costume, complete with red and white tights.
- Broken Tears: After a full day of dealing with her friends’ negativity and nothing going right, losing the presents that she worked so hard to get everyone is what finally causes Caitlin to break down in tears.
- Christmas Episode: It’s Christmas Eve, but no one except Caitlin is looking forward to the holiday. She tries her best to change their attitudes, but then they all get locked in the mall when it closes early.
- Description Cut: When Jen is complaining about Jonesy, Caitlin says at least he has Christmas spirit. Cut to Jonesy looking miserable at his job as Santa’s helper.
- Disrupting the Theater: Not only do the teens sneak into a movie without paying, they also sit in the middle of the aisle and talk loudly the whole time they’re there. Unsurprisingly, they get kicked out pretty quickly.
- Eating Contest: Discussed. Apparently one of the Christmas traditions Jonesy and his brothers have is a turkey eating contest.
- Exact Words: Jonesy’s reasoning when he sneaks the group into a movie and they end up having to stand off to the side.Jonesy: I said I could get us in for free, I didn’t say anything about seats.
- A Gift for Themselves: Jude buys himself a basketball and even goes through the trouble of struggling to wrap it, even though he ends up shooting it across the mall three times in the process.
- The Grinch: Her parents’ divorce, having to spend Christmas with Jonesy’s family, and her stressful job are causing Jen to be anything but jolly this holiday season.
- And the rest of the group, minus Caitlin, isn’t any better.
- I Can't Hear You: Wyatt and Jude when they try to have a conversation next to a brass band that’s playing Christmas songs.
- Jaw Drop: The rest of the group’s reaction to seeing Jonesy in his elf costume, that is until they burst out laughing.
- Mall Santa: Jonesy tries to get this role as his Once per Episode new job, but he ends up as an elf instead.
- Must Have Caffeine: Wyatt is so addicted to caffeine that when he can’t get his coffee at Grind Me because it’s too busy, he starts going through withdrawal.
- Oddly Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo: Because the rest of the group loses when drawing straws, they have to see Jude’s choice for a movie which is “Torque 2: More Torque”.
- Parental Sexuality Squick: Jude wonders if Jen’s mom and Jonesy’s dad kiss with tongue, grossing out Jen and Caitlin.Jude: What? Did you think they were gonna stay your innocent little parents forever?
- Pants-Pulling Prank: While Jonesy’s hitting on his mom, Stanley pulls down Jonesy’s elf tights and reveals his tiger print underwear.
- Pun-Based Title: A play on “Deck the Halls”.
- Retail Riot: After everything finally calms down after Christmas, Caitlin tries to remember if there’s anything that happens the day after Christmas. Then the floor rumbles as they all Speak in Unison, saying “Boxing Day!”
- Secret Santa: The group decides to take part in this holiday tradition, but poor Caitlin ends up shopping for all the gifts - including her own!
- Shout-Out: “Torque 2: More Torque”, the lame action movie Jude got everyone to see, is clearly based on 2 Fast 2 Furious - it even stars Vin Diesel.
- Skeleton Key: Jonesy has a copy of the mall’s master key that not only solves the problem of them being locked in when the mall closed early, but also allows them to have free rein of all the stores.
- Spiteful Spoiler: Nikki does this when she and her friends get kicked out of a movie.Nikki: Vin Diesel gets in an accident and dies in the end! Enjoy!
- Stepping Out to React: Stressed from all the demands she’s receiving at work, Jen takes an elevator ride to scream about how much she hates working during Christmas.
- True Meaning of Christmas: After losing their presents, the group remarks that at least they have each other as friends and that’s all they need for Christmas. When they later find the presents in the mall’s donation bin, they decide to leave them there for others to enjoy.
- Your Makeup Is Running: When she realizes they’ve been locked in the mall and their presents have been stolen, Caitlin starts sobbing with her mascara running down her face.
