DO YOU FEAR WHAT I FEAR?

Ellen
Season 3 (1995)

I like a touch of darkness mixed in with the sticky sweetness of Christmas, whether it’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, a sonorous rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (the most somber of carols) or a Christmas-themed Fear Street horror novel.  This Season 3 episode of Ellen fits the bill, perfectly mixing the brightness of the holiday with comedy and a good dose of the macabre.

Ellen is preparing for another Christmas with her parents and she convinces her cousin Spence to join her, warning him of the many annoying family traditions that await them.  Her parents, however, announce that they spontaneously booked a cruise for the holiday and so they’ll have to celebrate prior to their departure.  When Ellen and Spence arrive Ellen’s parents are already in their cruising clothes and rushing out the door, as their flight is overbooked and they have to hurry to depart.  They decide to have Christmas in the car on the way to the airport.

A very automotive Christmas

Despite her earlier protestations Ellen is miffed over the harried version of her family’s traditions (which includes carols, ambrosia and the opening of gifts).  Things take even more of a turn when she unwraps her big gift from her parents: a cemetery plot.  With her parents gone and a saddled with her final resting place she falls into a morbid mood, despite her friends’ efforts to cheer her up, which includes a visit from Spence dressed as a half-assed Santa. In one of the episode’s best scenes Ellen chases her bookstore’s customers away by throwing candy canes at them and reminding them of their imminent deaths.

"Ho Ho Ho! Santa says cheer up!"

En route to a party on Christmas Eve with her friends Ellen requests a detour, which ends up being the cemetery.  She finds her plot and then refuses to leave; her friends rally around her.  After convincing Ellen that her life is meaningful and sharing some egg nog and pfeffernusse the group decides to decorate the cemetery to the strains of “Linus & Lucy.”  The episode ends with a series of snapshots showing the cast goofing off amid the bedecked tombstones and memorials.

I've always loved this shot of Joely Fischer--gives me a Tim Burton vibe

This is a hilarious and clever episode that makes good work of Ellen DeGeneres' comedic skills, first via her attempts to downplay the weirdness of her Christmas gift and then later her holiday funk.  The supporting cast is great as well, especially Clea Lewis as ever-perky Audrey, who sports first an amazing gift-wrap dress and then later a sexy Santa ensemble over the course of the episode. 

If only all women dressed liked Audrey Penney! 

A young Jamie Kennedy (remember him?) also appears in this episode as Tad, the dimwitted extra holiday help at the bookstore This is the perfect episode for anyone who both loves Christmas but also likes a hint of bitterness to balance out the yuletide sweet.

Recurring Themes: Ellen does some Yelling at Carolers.

Christmas Quotient: 5

See It, Skip It or Own It?
Add this one to your permanent collection!