My number 7 favorite Christmas episode comes from:
"It's No Place Like Home for the Holidays"
First aired December 15, 1992.
Plot Synopsis:Everyone is snowed in on Christmas Eve. Um, yeah that's basically it. More below.
Best Line:”What are we talking about this, God and Heaven and everything?!? It's Christmas!!!"...Jackie
Nitpick of the Episode:Oh ok I'll pick the obvious. Why in the world did Roseanne insist they work on Christmas Eve? And why do people on sitcoms refuse to listen to weather reports, was the storm a huge surprise or something?
Standout Character:Darlene, for what she does at the end of the episode. I'll discuss that in a bit.
Syndication Edit:David's two sisters and how Darlene sends them to bed. They quickly vanished from the series soon after.
Episode Fun Fact:This episode has a clever framing device, as "It's a Wonderful Life" plays in the background as the events occur
Final Thoughts:Yeah this show didn't do Christmas big as it did Halloween, and in fact this is the only Christmas episode that is good. But man, is it really good! Just something about the writing in this one (that whole season actually, this was the same season which gave us the Halloween Christmas Carol I raves about).
So let's go over this vignette by vignette. We have Dan and D.J. cooking and stuck with Nancy and Marla. This is OK, obviously just here to establish what Dan and D.J. are doing since there really isn't anything important happening. Dan is still getting used to Marla being a lesbian and D.J. wants his present. Still works.
Roseanne is stuck at the diner with Jackie, Bev, and Nanna Marie. Of course Estelle Parsons and Shelley Winters are as crazy as ever. Then they get into a pseudo-religious discussion which works. And the fact Bev stopped believing in god makes sense. The best part is the end when the three decorate the napping Nana Marie.
David and Darlene are hanging out in David's house. They do some bickering and it's pretty typical stuff for them. The most important part comes when David's mother comes home and...wow. Sally Kirkland plays a very convincing bitch. The way she is obviously a slit and is so abusive to David gives so much depth to his character. The abuse is even tossed Darlene's way as she calls her a slut practically to her face. The scene works and even affects Darlene as she feels the need to give Roseanne a soft kiss at the end of the episode. A little nod saying that she was a pretty good Mom all things considered.
Fantastic ending to a really well written and funny episode.
Grade-A-
Honorable Mention:Everybody Loves Raymond
Speaking of dysfunctional family Christmas episodes. This little top 8 list covers shows which did a lot of Christmas episodes. Raymond is the one you won't see on here. Not because their episodes were bad. In fact I like the way they focused on the more dysfunctional side of Christmas. Families do fight about family pictures, the perfect gift, and even the aggravation of Christmas cards. So why won't it appear on this countdown? The simple fact is, I ran out of room plus I couldn't pick an episode that really stood out above the rest.
#6 is coming in a few days my friends.
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