0813  -  The Worst Noel


Synopsis:  On the night of Xmas eve, Al and Peg are glued to the couch to try and find something
on TV that they can both agree on while from behind them, Bud and Kelly try to get a conveniently
acquired jukebox upstairs without Al or Peg noticing.  Next door, Marcy and Jefferson are having
a party.

Thoughts:  Put simply, and others are going to disagree with me, but this is bar none one of the
worst episodes in the entire series run and the worst out of all of the Xmas episodes.  Peg and
Al complaining about "how every year it’s the same thing, watching TV at Xmas reeks!"  When did
this happen?!  None of the other Xmas episodes pre or post has ever had this sort of plot.  All
previous episodes had the story of how the family wants presents and moneys tight and the last
one to air was about family activities at Xmas.  NONE of them were about watching TV.  

While Al can always make me laugh with his faces and delivery of lines, it is this, his little to 
convincing ignorance to Marcy’s party next door (Marcy is having a party, she doesn’t want the
Bundys finding out, she visits to Bundys for ice and chairs and Al takes it in stride, but dog-
gone it I think they’re having a party over there!) that this episode has to rely on for laughs.
A few can be had from the parodies of TV shows that Al and Peg watch but none are memorable.

Bud and Kelly for once in a later season integrated into the main episode story but sadly it is
so unbelievable, that not one laugh is formed and has the criminal sin of one character address-
ing the camera before something "funny" happens.  Shameful.

Why I wasted this much effort on writing this review for this episode is beyond me to say the 
least.  Like any episode of a series you like, watch it once, just so you can say that you 
watched it.  If I may quote now from the movie, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (which 
coincidentally co-starred Ed O’Neill as a former Disco star turned cop) watching this episode is 
like masturbating with a cheese grater, slightly amusing but overly painful.

Rating:  .5 shoes out of 10.  Goes toward the bottom of my least favorite episodes.  At least the 
title of the episode is appropriate.


Quotable Quotes:  There is nothing quote worthy here.  Sorry