Michael Price, writing only his second Simpsons episode, could’ve used this opportunity for another de rigueur version of A Christmas Carol (and in the Simpsons universe, there’s some potential with that idea), but he cleverly sets it up so that Homer has never heard of A Christmas Carol, so when Mr. Magoo, er, McGrew, gets the three-ghosts treatment, it blows his mind.

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As Homer tells Marge later:

“TV and nightmares have joined forces to teach me a lesson. From now on I will stop being selfish and start being good.”
“You’ve made that promise before.” 
“Yes, but this time I’m sober—ish.”

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What makes this episode work is how it basically looks at Ebenezer Scrooge post-reformation, and the unintended consequences of generosity, as Ned Flanders’ jealousy of Homer ends up making charity competitive. (“Ha ha! Your position has been usurped!” teases Nelson. “Ha ha, you’re sad at Christmas!”) Complain all you want about The Simpsons in the past decade, but the series has had some nice moments that humanize Flanders and make him more three-dimensional and less of a caricature (whereas Ralph Wiggum only gets stupider).

Homer vows to top Ned’s giving presents to everyone in Springfield by buying everyone a car (“What’s that one good American car?”), but Lisa’s Buddhism leads him to take the opposite route via a funny sequence.

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Grinch allusions are nothing new in pop culture, either, though the beloved holiday special hasn’t been strip-mined quite as badly as A Christmas Carol. Here, Homer goes on a mission to steal everyone’s presents to make them realize the true meaning of the holiday, with a funny parody of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” to soundtrack it: “You’re a hero, Homer J. / you’re as crafty as a skunk / they’ll thank you in the morning / for stealing Flanders’ junk / Homer J. / you’re a double bacon genius burger and just a little drunk!”

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Unlike the residents of Whoville, Springfieldians aren’t moved by the holiday spirit, and the angry mob approaching him isn’t “shaking their fists in gratitude.” But a signal flare from a stranded Hans Moleman tames them, leading to a sweet scene where Flanders reads them a passage from the Bible—only to be stopped by Mayor Quimby for praying on public property. (“God-free since ’63” says the banner underneath City Hall.)

Homer nicely summarizes the sentiment, zinging Christian ignorance and arrogance in one tidy sentence: “Let’s just say that, on this day a million years ago, a dude was born who most of us think was magic. But others don’t, and that’s cool, but we’re probably right, amen.”

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Again, that sounds cynical, but The Simpsons has always had genuine heart underneath the satire. Behind the swipe at Christians who don’t understand Jesus (“most of us think was magic”) or believe other religions are wrong (“but we’re probably right”) is disappointment that something so sacred can be so poorly realized. The old quote about cynics really being disappointed idealists holds true.

The look on Homer’s face as Ned reads the passage from the Bible is anything but cynical, and “our Lord Jesus Christ” in the astrolabe’s episode-closing line—“Today is the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ. And singer Barbara Mandrell. Merry Christmas!”—speaks to a reverence, to those family values, Simpsons critics never would have anticipated when the show became popular. Maybe The Simpsons has gotten softer in its old age, because the world certainly hasn’t grown less reactionary; but “’Tis The Fifteenth Season” strikes a nice balance between sharp satire and real heart. The Simpsons had the latter since “The Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire,” and it has the former even in its twilight.

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Tomorrow: Christmas in the comics.