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O C'mon All Ye Faithful |
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"O C'mon All Ye Faithful", titled onscreen as "A Derren Brown Christmas", is the fifth two-parter episode of the series as well as the first Disney+ special, comprising the 778th and 779th episodes of the series. It was released on December 17, 2024. The episode was written by Carolyn Omine and directed by Debbie Mahan and Matthew Faughnan. It features guest stars Derren Brown as himself, Patti LaBelle as herself, and Pentatonix as World Famous Santa Claus.
This episode notably aired on the 35th anniversary of the first episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".
Synopsis[]
Famed British mentalist, Derren Brown, comes to Springfield and uses psychological tricks and showmanship to raise the town's Christmas spirit. When Homer gets hypnotized and mistakenly believes he is Santa Claus, it sets off a cheery chain-reaction and causes everyone to question what they believe and to explore the meaning of "miracle."
Plot[]
As the Christmas season approaches, Derren Brown arrives in Springfield to film a Christmas documentary aimed at uplifting the town's spirits. He begins by interviewing Mayor Quimby about a fraudulent award, causing the mayor discomfort. Alongside this, Brown interacts with Miss Springfield, who needs a key to the Lake House. In response, Quimby authorizes the crew to install cameras throughout the premises for filming purposes.
Meanwhile, while Gil is waiting for a bus at the bus stop, a lady working for Brown throws down a baby carriage and cries about her "baby" being in danger. Gil is knocked down by the carriage; as he is not looking, a real baby is placed in the carriage, and the woman tells Gil that he is a hero for saving the baby. This fills Gil with enough confidence to call his own family and try reconciling with them.
Marge compels Homer to go shopping, which he is usually not good at, to purchase her a gift. As Homer becomes more frustrated and continues to doubt himself, Derren Brown asks Marge for assistance. She agrees to a deal that allows Brown to hypnotize Homer.
Later, Homer attempts to purchase cupcakes from a modified vending machine at the nuclear plant, where Brown is waiting for him. Homer kicks the machine, causing himself to fall inside. However, an issue with the hypnosis makes him believe he is Santa Claus, prompting him to leave. The following day, Homer asks Smithers for a new company ID as Santa, but Smithers refuses; Homer figures that this is smart, since he should not actually reveal to others that he is Santa. Instead, Homer hands Smithers a thimble. When Mr. Burns enters the room, he receives what he thinks is a gift from Smithers. He really loves the thimble, and it causes his heart to grow three sizes, à la The Grinch. However, he ends up needing to be taken from the hospital for his unusually large heart.
The townspeople sign numerous requests for gifts. Ralph joins Homer as an elf, and their collaboration soon gains widespread belief, leading to appearances on Channel 6's Smartline. The Christmas spirit soars, and Homer becomes a celebrity, while Ned Flanders remains skeptical. Marge is displeased with Homer's excessive involvement in the Santa persona, and Maggie is jealous of other children who sit on Homer's lap. Bart is also concerned about Homer becoming Santa. Additionally, Brown inadvertently establishes a Santa cult and decides to come clean.
At the Jubilee held in the town hall, the townspeople participate in a gathering where Brown confesses that Homer was hypnotized and insists that everyone needs Homer to return to normal, however, the townspeople disagree. Brown unhypnotizes Homer anyways, who returns back to his old self. Moe asks Brown to unhypnotize them and becomes confused when Brown explains they weren't. Brown explains that the town fell for the same tactics used by cults to recruit members and Ned repeats Browns points to disprove Santa's existence but gradually realizes that his reasons to why Santa doesn't exist sounds similar to arguments against the existence of God. Ned starts wondering if there is no God and starts panicking, causing Brown and his crew to cut the footage and just say it ended when Homer was unhypnotized. To calm Ned down, Marge takes him to the rooftop of the town hall to talk.
Ned tells Marge how he used to write sticky notes to leave messages for Maude in the bathroom mirror after she died, and continued to text Edna on his phone after her death too. However, one day he received a reply that he believed was from Edna in the afterlife, only to discover that it was actually Nelson who had taken her phone number. The next morning, he attempts to leave another sticky note for Maude in the bathroom mirror but stops himself from doing so. Marge suggests that Ned take a rest to feel better the next day. Despite her suggestion, Ned decides to remove all religious items from his house. Marge notices Ned removing religious decorations and encourages Bart and Lisa to spend time with Rod and Todd to help remind Ned of the existence of God. Bart tells Lisa that he is not experiencing the Christmas spirit this year and feels as though he is outgrowing it. Lisa explains that he doesn't have to outgrow Christmas; as people get older, Christmas becomes more about giving. Since he doesn't have any money, she suggests that he start by helping others, beginning with Rod and Todd.
Ralph arrives at the Simpson house, still believing that Homer is Springfield's Santa. If Ralph helps him as an elf, he will be Santa to everyone he knows. Meanwhile, during lunch, Ned neglects to say his prayer before eating, which concerns Rod and Todd. Bart and Lisa inquire about their Christmas wishes from Santa, but the siblings explain that they do not receive toys because they give them to those in need. Bart is correct, and Ned informs them that this year, they need to make changes because they themselves lack faith in God. As they both panic about not wanting to be possessed by the Christmas spirit, Bart hands them a toy catalog containing the toys they desire. They both begin fighting over what they want.
Marge requests Brown's assistance in finding a way to restore Ned's faith in God, with the aid of charlatans, but Brown declines. Instead, Brown touches Marge, causing her to fall asleep. She later awakens on a bench with his book. Meanwhile, Homer and Ralph are enjoying themselves as they construct toys and a sled from a car, crashing into Moe's. Ned inquires of the children whether they constructed a snowman in the garden, but they deny it. Since they are skipping church at his suggestion, they will watch TV instead. When it is time to go to bed, they encounter a shadowy snowman that has moved, and a frightening voice starts singing lines from "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town".
Upon Marge ringing of the bell, they re-enter the house, where they encounter further observe additional shadows within. Another frightening voice starts singing "Jingle Bells", but Marge discovers it was Bart making scary sound to them while attempting to perform the Bartman. Marge would like to invite them to have eggnog at their house while tidying up, which Ned agreed to. Bart explained that he did it for Marge to try to help Ned regain his belief of God, which Brown was unable to accomplish. Marge inquires why he created it to be so frightening, but he asserts that it was not. When the girl from The Ring appeared, coming out of screen, in fact it was Milhouse.
Meanwhile, Homer and Ralph arrive outside the mansion to deliver to Rainier Wolfcastle. However, they are caught by the security system. Ralph starts his car and drives off, leaving Homer behind. The police officers tasered and arrested him. Back at home, Ned spends time with Marge and Lisa, he wonders if Lisa missed miracles when she embraced Buddhism. She explains that Buddhism also acknowledges miracles and shares the story of the turtle swimming directly into the yoke in one birth. Marge dislikes the idea of the fact that their brief system lacks an afterlife focus, preferring instead to concentrate on the present day. While they're argument, Ned leaves the house.
At the police station, Homer is in jail and demanding more cocoa and marshmallows which Lou told him to stop or face mace on him. He persists, but Lou sprays him until he runs out of mace. After the police officers leave the station, Ralph appears to free Homer from the cell with a key he stole from his father. Homer then shares his plan with Ralph, explaining that he intends to be Santa, but only for his family and Ralph will remain an elf for his. Meanwhile, Ned walks to the church for Christmas Eve, but he ignores it and continues walking in his depression. When Ned arrives at Springfield Squidport, he is almost hit by a wrench from Professor Frink. Ned is about to walk away, but Frink invites him to join him in a submarine dive to explore, and Ned agrees to join him.
Under the ocean, Frink reveals that he must maintain an open mind and has his own idea of God, suggesting that uncertainty about God's existence is what makes faith worthwhile and therefore, restores faith. Ned is mesmerised by the ocean but becomes worried when Frink reveals that they are the first to make the type of voyage they are on and. Ned insists that Frink return to the surface. Shortly thereafter, the submarine begins to take damage, the pressure zone having went above its limit. The submarine gets destroyed but Ned and Frink make it out alive. They swim to the surface, and Frink notices that Ned is holding a plow yoke that was not from a ship, similar to Lisas story. Ned declares it a miracle and, as a result, regains his faith in God. Ned and Frink, both filled with excitement, happily return to the port, where Flanders reunites with the Simpson family and eagerly recounts his recent experience.
When Ned and his children return home, Brown emerges from the ocean, showing that Flanders recent experience was all his doing. With Frink's help, the crew staged a dive. Since Brown is on the nice list, Homer presents him with a bowtie as a gift. Brown realizes that it's the one he lost during his ventriloquist days. He concludes that Homer must be Santa because of that, and he gives him a hug before leaving. Another gift goes to Maggie.
Everyone went back home to celebrate Christmas. Ned is rebuilding religious decorations on the roof with his children, while Brown has prepared biscuits and a can of Duff Beer and is giving a blue bow to his ventriloquist dummy. The Simpson family is opening gifts, with Maggie enjoying an Applebee's gift card. Bart and Lisa are watching and laughing from the stairs.
Behind the Laughter[]
Actress Pamela Hayden announced her retirement from the series in November 2024, with this episode being the last that she worked on in production order. However, she starred in the other Disney+ exclusives, which will air later on.[1][2][3]
Videos[]
External Links[]
- O C'mon All Ye Faithful at the Disney Wiki
- "O C'mon All Ye Faithful" at the Internet Movie Database
- "O C'mon All Ye Faithful" script via Springfield! Springfield!
References[]
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| O C'mon All Ye Faithful ● The Past and the Furious ● Yellow Planet | |||