Season twenty-three's Holidays Of Future Passed is not only a decent Christmas Simpsons episode, it's also one of the better "glimpse into the future" episodes of the series. Featuring the Simpson kids taking their own children to see Homer and Marge for the holidays, the episode manages to avoid many of the failings of past "future" episodes, or at least downplays them (Lisa, for example, is still involved with Milhouse, but the situation isn't mined for awkward humour as badly as usual). Over the course of the show, we find Bart trying to grow up and be a real dad, Lisa learning that her daughter really does respect and admire her, Maggie once again finding an excuse not to talk even as a grown up (despite being a singer), and in a stroke of genius, Grandpa being cryogenically frozen despite the disease he was suffering from already having been cured (he was too rude for Homer to want to thaw him out, leading to a hilarious thaw/freeze/thaw/freeze segment of grandpa mouthing off). Sight gags work well in this episode as well - Moe's being a continuous crime scene, and the cryogenics facility being in a graveyard, for example. This is one of those episodes where a modern Simpsons tale outshines many of the earlier efforts.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
