Review: The Simpsons “Bobby: It’s Cold Outside”

Overview:

Sideshow Bob has been offered a new job as a theme park Santa Claus. Which just so happens to land Bart into his lap, literally. But, his dedication to his role as Saint Nick keeps him from committing the murder he has always craved.

Meanwhile, someone has been stealing everyone’s packages from their front doors. With Christmas approaching, no one is getting their gifts. When Lenny witnesses the thief in the act, he draws out the initials S.B. before being taken out by his own sabotage.

Bart, confident that the package thief is Sideshow Bob, he ends up teaming with his old nemesis to discover the truth. With the help of the rest of the Simpsons clan, they uncover who has been stealing Christmas.

Our Take:

What? No Christmas of Horror? After that special Thanksgiving episode, I suppose that would be too much anyway. Regardless, The Simpsons doesn’t often put together a themed episode for the holiday season despite them always being great. So, this mystery wrapped inside a Christmas special was a bit of a gift. Especially considering the special guests, including one that was long overdue.

This episode saw the likes of actor/director Scott Baluka, former CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer, and Sideshow Bob himself, Kelsey Grammer. The former making his return to voice on The Simpsons since season 29’s “Gone Boy”. However, Sideshow Bob’s return is much more centralized and an ode to his origins in this episode more than the last decade or two. In fact, a flashback even gives us a montage of some of the characters’ best moments.

During the early years of The Simpsons, Sideshow Bob episodes were something to look forward to. It often brought in some of the best parts of the show. Bart and Lisa would team up to solve the mystery. Nancy Cartwright could perform Bart at his best. And, Kelsey Grammer… ‘nough said. But, much like many of The Simpsons long-running gags, it got kind of old seeing the clown try to murder Bart once again. Now, with enough time and space from Bob’s more pronounced plots, it is a perfect time for a revival.

This Christmas/mystery is anything but disappointing. With Bob being the centerpiece to this plot, there was just enough room for the writers to build the package thief subplot. Having the Simpsons family team up with there old enemy always makes for a good watch, and this time they get to save Christmas for all of Springfield. The third act was extremely rushed, and solving the crime should have been more interesting, but you can’t fit everything into the 20-some-minute episodes.

Beyond all of the excitement, the series did manage to squeeze in as many holiday jokes as possible. Whether it was going to the low budget Christmas theme park, Santa needing an oxygen mask as he flew on his sleigh, or the pun-ny song titles that appeared during the credits, the joy and hilarity were ringing. But, the best joke of the episode probably involved that damn lovable song “Baby Shark”, and how Homer would react to the repetitive lyrics. Between that and the Sideshow Bob throwbacks, there was plenty to laugh about during the episode.

This was like the best of themed episodes. Adding a Sideshow Bob plot with a Christmas story made for a lot going on, but it never feels forced or messy. The only thing we didn’t get to see is Bob try to murder Bart on Christmas morning – which would have made for a tremendous concluding scene. But, when the show creators are putting this much effort into the series, how can you really complain. They went all out as they have been most of the season, and it paid off once again. Maybe not the most excellent Simpsons Christmas episode, but it is still great that we get new content like this from our beloved show decades later.