Episode no. 188 Written by Ron Hauge Production code 5F07 | Directed by Bob Anderson Showrunner(s) Mike Scully Original air date December 21, 1997 | |
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"Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 21, 1997. Bart accidentally ruins Christmas for the Simpson family by burning down the tree and all their presents.
Contents
It was written by Ron Hauge, directed by Bob Anderson, and guest starred Alex Trebek as himself. Hauge was inspired to write the episode after learning of an orphanage that had been ripped off. The episode was selected, among other Christmas themed episodes of the series, on an 2005 Christmas special boxed set on DVD. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide criticized the episode as a rehash of older themes, but it was also described as one of The Simpsons’ more memorable episodes in an review of the 2005 DVD boxed set release.
Plot
Homer and Marge go Christmas shopping at the Try-N-Save, where frenzied shoppers are quickly snatching the holiday season's most popular toys. Homer, posing as a store cashier, buys toys that customers were attempting to buy from him.
At bedtime on Christmas Eve, the family makes last-minute preparations at home, Marge tells everyone that no one can open presents until 7 AM and confiscates all of the alarm clocks. However, Bart drinks 12 glasses of water to wake up early and secretly unwraps his gifts, one of which is a remote-controlled fire truck. Bart plays with it until it sprays water on an overloaded electrical socket, causing a fire that engulfs and melts the plastic Christmas tree and all of the presents beneath it. Bart hides the evidence outside beneath the snow in the front yard.
When the family comes downstairs and discover the tree and presents gone, Bart makes up a story about how he caught a burglary in progress and the suspect making off with the tree and all of the family's presents. The police investigate and Kent Brockman does a human interest story on what he believes is the Simpsons' yuletide misfortune.
As a result of Brockman's report, everyone in Springfield shows their community spirit by giving them a new Christmas tree and $15,000. With the donations, Homer buys a new car. Driving it home Homer gets impatient when he gets stuck behind the Plow King and decides to pass. He unknowingly drives the car onto a frozen lake. The ice cracks, causing the car to sink and blow up.
The next morning, Bart's conscience gets to him, and finally he admits the truth, which prompts Homer and Lisa to choke him. Soon, Brockman and the news crew arrive to do a follow-up story. After the family go along with the lie, a cameraman, with help from Santa's Little Helper, finds the burned remains of the Christmas tree. The family is forced to explain the truth, but it is too late for the viewers, who feel they have been scammed. The citizens shun and harass them until the family can pay back the $15,000.
After a failed attempt by Marge to win back the money as a contestant on Jeopardy!, the Simpsons arrive home to find everyone in Springfield gathered on their lawn and Marge thinks they have forgiven them. However, while that is the case, they steal all of their belongings in order to cover the $15,000 debt. In the end, the family playfully fight over a tattered washcloth, the only thing they have left.
Production
Writer Ron Hauge said he got the idea for the episode one day when he was heading to work. He was listening to the radio and heard of an orphanage getting ripped off, and they were getting back more than they gave. The spectators in the stands during Bart's dreams are various animators.
When Krusty says "15,000 Missoulians" it is a reference to Ron Hauge having lived in Missoula, Montana. When the Simpsons' car says "I'll Keell you", this is a reference to a Wiffleball bat in the writer's office that said that.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" finished 23rd in ratings for the week of December 15–21, 1997, with a Nielsen rating of 9.8, equivalent to approximately 9.6 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following King of the Hill.
The episode received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide said "A deliberately mawkish Christmas episode that is low on good jokes (although the Simpsons watching their own fire on television is a good start) and a retread of any number of episodes where Bart does wrong, feels guilty and eventually has to fess up. The only real ray of sunshine is the closing moments when the neighbours get their revenge but the Simpsons find the family spirit after all."
In its review of a 2005 DVD boxed set of Christmas themed episodes of The Simpsons, The Journal described "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", "Miracle On Evergreen Terrace", "Skinner's Sense of Snow", and "Dude, Where's My Ranch?" among memorable episodes of the series.
In his review of the same DVD, Digitally Obsessed critic Joel Cunningham wrote that "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" is "a good one [...] A nice combo of humor, satire, and heartwarming holiday fuzzies". Andy Dougan wrote in Evening Times that the episode is "one of the darkest, blackest Christmas cartoons ever animated".