Every Simpsons Christmas Special - Ranked
5. Grift Of The Magi
A fantastic episode that sees its ranking drop because it doesn’t fully commit to Christmas the way the ones above it do. The first half of the episode is devoid of any festivities whatsoever, although Christmas does come roaring to the frontline in the second half.
Springfield Elementary is forced to close, with a mysterious company taking over and teaching with some very strange ideals. Their relaxed approach to academics brings out the best in Bart, although Lisa is frustrated. After she’s given detention for doing algebra, she finds out the school has just been market research for a new toy: Funzo.
It’s from here where things start to get Christmassy. As Funzo tries to take over the other toys, Lisa teams up with Bart and Homer to save the day. There’s a fantastic sequence as the kids carol to distract families as Homer steals the Funzos. Their rendition of Silent Night while an inept Homer accidentally trashes the place is particularly funny.
The Grift Of The Magi is a good episode that only really reminds you it’s a Christmas episode halfway through. That said, ending with a Christmas dinner is good bookend to sign off with.