20 Christmas TV Episodes that Deserve a Holiday Rewatch

4. “A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas” – Family Guy, Season 4

Family Guy is one of those shows you either love or hate. I’ve stuck with it since the first time it aired in 1999, so I’m definitely a fan. This episode is from Season 3, before the show was canceled for the first time. Back then, Seth MacFarlane’s characters were a bit more relaxed with one another. They did the occasional goofy thing, but there was still a clear-cut message woven through the entirety of the show. For this Season 3 episode, it was brought by Lois Griffin, who kept reminding the family how important it was to give back during the holiday season.

After accidentally donating all their Christmas presents to charity, Peter has to make a quick trip to the mall to pick up some last-minute gifts. Things don’t go well at home when the house accidentally burns down, thanks to Brian’s negligence and Peter’s penchant for gag fire extinguishers. Lois handles it well until she finds out there’s no paper towels to clean up the mess. Boom, she snaps, and goes rampaging throughout the town to make fun of everyone enjoying the holiday. It’s only after Stewie, playing Baby Jesus in a stereotypical pageant play, does Lois realize her Christmas spirit was muddled by her own anger. It’s a heartfelt moment. But like any good Family Guy episode, things had to end with Lois being shot with “enough tranquilizer to bring down a bull elephant.”

Sometimes we find Scrooges like Lois who want to ruin our nice little holiday feels but this episode reminds us we’re always going to be observed by our fellow man. So it’s best to treat those around you with respect, especially around Christmastime. Plus, this episode introduced to Kiss Saves Santa. We’d watch it.