Every Simpsons Christmas Special - Ranked
6. Holidays Of Future Passed
While the flashback episodes can put a spanner in the show’s internal timeline (see the ridiculously unnecessary That 90s Show), future episodes are normally solid. We all know of classics like Lisa’s Wedding and infamous President Trump prediction, but from Season 15’s Future-Drama a lot of the flash forward episodes form a coherent story.
Because of this, Season 23’s holiday special works best having watched the episodes around it. Seeing an adult Lisa and Bart interact with an aging Marge and Homer is fun, but the best part is the stories individually. Bart is a deadbeat dad living in the school, and seeing him gain new respect for Homer as he struggles to raise his own kids is touching. Meanwhile, Lisa’s marriage to Milhouse is falling apart, but the writers know to use Van Houten sparingly. The high point comes when a very drunk Lisa confides in Bart that Nelson often calls her. Well, somebody calls somebody.
It’s great to see them taking risks with the holiday special, and as such this one stands out against others from better seasons. It sticks with Christmas the whole way through and tells an inventive story too.