Our take
More a snow-day episode than a Christmas one, but a very good snow day. The snowball war is planned like a military campaign, the teenage bully gets exactly what he deserves, and the parents' knitting race adds a gentle festive thread. It is small in scale, quick and funny, and the misshapen-scarf ending is lovely.
What happens
A huge snowfall promises the sledding of the year, until Louise's teenage nemesis Logan and his friends take over the hill and pelt the younger kids with snowballs. Louise declares war. She recruits Regular Sized Rudy's older cousin Mandy, a fearsome thrower, has the kids advance behind their sleds in an Ancient Greek-style phalanx, and talks Teddy into ploughing the hill with his snowplough, while Logan answers by bringing in a varsity basketball player whose snowballs land like artillery. Tina is distracted by the teenage boys, and Gene is late to the final battle. Mandy comes back with three women's varsity teams, Logan is surrounded, and Louise, moved by the Christmas spirit, gives him a head start. Back at the restaurant, Linda is trying to knit three scarves before Christmas and is haunted by the Knitcracker, while Bob takes up knitting and turns out to be a natural. The kids love their mother's misshapen scarf best.
Can the kids watch it?
Rated TV-14 in the US for language and a crude insult or two; best for children of about 12 and up.
Cast and crew
Starring
- H. Jon Benjamin as Bob Belcher
- John Roberts as Linda Belcher
- Dan Mintz as Tina Belcher
- Eugene Mirman as Gene Belcher
- Kristen Schaal as Louise Belcher
- Larry Murphy as Teddy
Guest stars
- Brian Huskey as Rudy and the Nutcracker
- Aziz Ansari as Darryl
- Kurt Braunohler as Logan
- Jillian Bell as Mandy
- Pamela Adlon as Olsen Benner and teenage girls
Director
- Ian Hamilton