A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas

"A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" is an episode of Family Guy, guest starring the members of KISS (Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, and Paul Stanley) as themselves.

Plot summary

After Lois repeatedly reminds Peter to donate a present to charity, he mistakenly donates all of the family's Christmas gifts to a needy family.

Lois seems unfazed by the mistake, but insists that the entire family shop for new presents at the mall. Peter reluctantly agrees, although he only wants to watch KISS Saves Santa on television; Brian stays behind to keep an eye on the turkey cooking in the oven.

Lois encourages Stewie to star as baby Jesus in a nativity scene during the Quahog Christmas pageant. Although Stewie initially resists, he eventually plays along in hopes of pleasing Santa, who he believes is omnipotent and thereby can supply him with plutonium.

While the family is shopping, an ember shoots onto the rug from the fireplace; while Brian tries to deal with this crisis, the overcooked turkey begins to burn. Brian finds a fire extinguisher, but to his dismay it is merely a novelty item filled with plastic snakes. The interior of the house is destroyed, but Brian escapes with minor burns. Amazingly, Lois maintains a cheerful attitude, saying that they just need to clean up a bit; but when Meg tells her that there are no more paper towels, Lois snaps, in a parody of the "wire hangers" scene from Mommie Dearest. She screams at the family about how difficult it is to ensure that Christmas happens without a hitch, then runs from the ruined house on a rampage. (Meg then finds some paper towels mere seconds after Lois rampages out.)

Lois storms through town, berating happy people enjoying the season for their ridiculous optimism. When she reaches the town square, she begins to climb the huge Christmas tree there, bent on destroying the ornamental star on top. The rest of the family arrives and Stewie, eager to perform a good deed to earn Santa's grace, performs an extemporaneous monologue about Jesus and the meaning of Christmas. Lois, watching Stewie, has a change of heart and begins to descend the tree; the police shoot her with a powerful tranquilizer dart at Peter's urging.

In the closing scene, the Griffin family, including a heavily sedated Lois, wishes viewers a merry Christmas.

Cultural References

• After Lois asks Peter if he gave away the family's Christmas presents, Peter responds: "Lois, if you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." This is almost an exact quote of Obi-Wan Kenobi in his climactic duel with Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Another reference to Star Wars, in Stewie's dream, he fires a blaster at Santa. However, Santa deflects the bolts with his open hands, just like when Han Solo tried to shoot Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.

• On her way to destroy the town Christmas tree, Lois passes through It's a Wonderful Life and pushes George Bailey off the bridge right after he decides life is worth living again. She also melts Frosty the Snowman by swigging a bum's cheap hootch and breathing a flame right into his face.

• Peter asks for "Lights, please," like Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas.

• Brian watches "Bob Hope's Christmas with the Troops" where Bob Hope is entertaining Union soldiers.

• The fictional movie KISS Saves Santa, whose plot apparently involves the kidnapping of Santa Claus by pterodactyls, is a reference to the 1978 movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.

• When Peter says he will just tape KISS Saves Santa, Brian reminds him that he can't since he tried to tape Monday Night Football. A flashback then shows Peter inserting a tape into his VCR. As soon as he hits the record button the FBI then breaks in to his home, asking if he has "the expressed written consent of ABC and the NFL". Peter replies, "Just ABC," and holds up a note. The FBI then proceeds to shoot his VCR multiple times.
• When Peter runs out of the house during a football game he shouts “commercial!”, but as he leaves the house the game is still visible on the television.

• While walking around town under rage of her hard work in making Christmas special, Lois berates Frosty the Snowman, even igniting him. Frosty, beforehand, says one of his popular catchphrases: "Looks like there's some magic in that old hat". When beheaded by Lois, his good-spirited nature is quelled when he responds by saying, 'What the hell is her problem?"

• Stewie remarks that he is playing the part of Jesus, brought to life by actor Jeffrey Hunter. Hunter starred in King of Kings and, as Captain Christopher Pike, was the captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in Star Trek's first pilot, "The Cage". Hunter was then replaced by William Shatner who, as Captain Kirk, is often seen seducing alien women. This prompts Stewie's comment that "Hunter was good enough to die for our sins but not quite up to the task of seducing green women."

• When Peter is chasing the old lady in the shopping mall he finds her in a fish store. Called "The Age of Aquariums" this is a reference to The Age of Aquarius or Hair (musical) which is funnier.

References

• S. Callaghan, "Husband, Father... Brother?" Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide Seasons 1-3. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. 152 - 155.
• A. Delarte, "Nitpicking Family Guy: Season 3" in Bob's Poetry Magazine, 2.August 2005: 51 - 52 http://bobspoetry.com/Bobs02Au.pdf