"Skinner's Sense of Snow" is the fifth Christmas episode of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, aired in the show's twelfth season.
Synopsis
While the Simpsons attend a French Canadian circus called "Cirque de Purée", a freak blizzard (specifically, a "classic nor'easter meeting a classic sou'wester") hits Springfield, turning it into a winter wonderland overnight. However, Springfield Elementary School stays open regardless of the storm. Only some students, including Bart and Lisa's classes show up, while Principal Skinner and Groundskeeper Willie are the only faculty members to show up for work while the rest of the faculty is at an emergency caucus (actually a party at a ski lodge). To pass the time, Skinner plays his professed favorite film, a very low-budget, long-running holiday movie The Christmas That Almost Wasn't, But Then Was, which angers the students (who were expecting How the Grinch Stole Christmas!). The movie gets wrecked and Principal Skinner lets the children out early. Unfortunately, snow has piled up outside the school, trapping the kids with Skinner and Groundskeeper Willie. Skinner fixes the DVD, much to the student's horror.
Skinner tries to keep the children under control, forcing them to stay together in the cafeteria and eat apples, relish and (only if they behave well enough) mayonnaise and won't let them go home until the snow melts. After a botched escape attempt, Skinner unearths his U.S. Army memorabilia and is reminded of the days when he commanded respect from his troops.
Meanwhile, Homer, with the help of Ned Flanders, his car, and a sawed-off piece of Flanders' roof tied to the front of said car as a makeshift plow, sets out to rescue Bart and Lisa. (When Ned asks whatever happened to his snow-plow business, Homer acts as though he doesn't remember it.) Unfortunately, he crashes the car into a fire hydrant, which sprays water that freezes Flanders' car in place. Homer's repeated gunning of the accelerator causes carbon monoxide to flood the front of the car. Flanders and Homer get high from the fumes and wildly hallucinate. Homer hallucinates about bellydancing women that wait on him.
The kids go wild with power. Skinner uses the school hamster, Nibbles, to roll in his ball to get a message to the outside world. Nibbles makes it to Ned and Homer: they crash into a salt silo, melting the snow around the school and badly rusting the car. The kids are freed. Homer hallucinates again and ends up crashing the car. Before the credits roll, Lisa as a camel (for Homer is still hallucinating) wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.
Songs
All uncredited.
- "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"
- "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't Then It Was"
- "Feel Like Making Love" - Bad Company (Sung by Homer Simpson)
- "Blitzkrieg Bop" (Instrumental) - Ramones
Cast
| Voice actor/actress | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Dan Castellaneta | Homer Simpson Clown Sideshow Mel Radio weatherman Disco Stu Abraham Simpson Santa Claus Hobgoblin Groundskeeper Willie Soldier 2 |
| Julie Kavner | Marge Simpson |
| Nancy Cartwright | Bart Simpson Nelson Muntz Kearney Ralph Wiggum |
| Yeardley Smith | Lisa Simpson |
| Hank Azaria | Al Third man Usher Man Ringmaster Apu Nahasapeemapetilon Chief Wiggum Lou Elf Superintendent Chalmers |
| Harry Shearer | Jerry Lenny Cap'n McAllister Announcer Principal Seymour Skinner Kent Brockman Charles Montgomery Burns Waylon Smithers Ned Flanders Soldier 1 Factory guard |
| Marcia Wallace | Edna Krabappel |
| Pamela Hayden | Milhouse Van Houten Martin Prince |
| Tress MacNeille | Little Bo Peep |
| Russi Taylor | Sherri Terri |
| Karl Wiedergott | Wardrobe manager |
Availability
The episode made its home video debut on The Simpsons Christmas 2 DVD, released in 2004. It was later included on The Simpsons: The Complete 12th Season DVD set in 2009.
External links
- The Simpsons Wiki: Skinner's Sense of Snow
- "Skinner's Sense of Snow" at the Simpsons Archive
- Template:Tv.com episode
- "Skinner's Sense of Snow" recap at TV Tropes
- "Skinner's Sense of Snow" at the Internet Movie Database
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