O C'mon All Ye Faithful

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"O C'mon All Ye Faithful"
The Simpsons episodes
The Simpsons O C'mon All Ye Faithful poster.jpg
Promotional image for the episodes
Episode nos.Season 36
Episodes 10 and 11
Directed byDebbie Bruce Mahan (Part 1)
Matthew Faughnan (Part 2)
Written by Carolyn Omine
Production codes35ABF21 (Part 1)
35ABF22 (Part 2)
Original release dateDecember 17, 2024 (2024-12-17)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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The Simpsons season 36
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"O C'mon All Ye Faithful", titled onscreen as "A Derren Brown Christmas", is the tenth and eleventh episodes of the thirty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 778th and 779th episodes overall. The episodes were the first to be released exclusively on the streaming service Disney+ and were released on December 17, 2024. The episodes were written by Carolyn Omine and directed by Debbie Bruce Mahan and Matthew Faughnan.

Contents

In this episode, Derren Brown accidentally hypnotizes Homer into believing he is Santa Claus while Ned questions his faith in God. Illusionist Derren Brown, musician Patti LaBelle, and a cappella group Pentatonix appeared as themselves. The episode received positive reviews.

Plot

Derren Brown comes to Springfield to film a Christmas special where he secretly tries to raise the Christmas spirit of the disillusioned townsfolk. Marge allows Brown to hypnotize Homer to become a better gift buyer. He traps Homer as he buys cupcakes from a vending machine. Brown holds the cupcake package to his forehead, but Homer is hypnotized to believe he is the Santa Claus on the package. The town joins him in the delusion with Ralph becoming his elf. At a town meeting, Brown reveals his true purpose and fixes Homer. When the people tell him to fix them, he says they were not hypnotized but were exhibiting cult-like behavior to believe in a magical being. Hearing this, Flanders questions his belief in God.

Flanders tells Marge that he has been questioning why God would take two wives from him. Marge tells him to continue to have faith. The next day, Flanders puts away his religious objects at home. Marge gets worried while Bart tells Lisa he is not feeling the Christmas spirit. Lisa tells him that as he grows up, it becomes more about giving than receiving. Marge asks Brown to hypnotize Ned into believing in God, but he declines. Later, Bart tries to scare Ned into believing in God. Marge exposes him but is touched by his intentions. Meanwhile, Homer is feeling depressed now that he is not Santa, so he makes presents with Ralph to give to the townsfolk.

Homer is caught breaking into Rainier Wolfcastle's home to deliver his present and is sent to jail. Ralph breaks him out, and Homer decides to only give presents to his family. Meanwhile, Marge checks on Ned, and Lisa tells him a story about an ox yoke floating in the ocean and a sea turtle that miraculously surfaces to breathe in the middle of the yoke. Ned wanders the town, and Professor Frink invites him on a ride in his submarine. Under the ocean, Ned is moved by the creatures he sees. When the submarine cannot withstand the water pressure, the submarine explodes. Ned surfaces in the middle of a floating ox yoke, restoring his faith in God. He meets his kids and the Simpsons at the dock. After Ned leaves, Brown reveals that the submarine encounter was a ploy by him to help Ned, however the ox yoke was not part of it. The Simpsons go home where Homer gives Marge a book of "Sexy Sudokus".

Production

Development

In August 2024, it was announced that four original episodes of the series would be released exclusively on Disney+. These two episodes were released to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the series premiere. [1] Executive producer Matt Selman described them as a double-length episode with no cliffhanger to separate the two parts, which was unlike previous two-part episodes. [2] Writer Carolyn Omine said the release on Disney+ allowed for the episode "to breathe" without the time constraints of broadcast television while not sacrificing the budget for the episode. [3] It also allowed producers not to create climactic moments where the episode would pause for commercial breaks. [4]

The producers decided to create a Christmas episode for their first Disney+ episode because Fox preferred not to have holiday episodes other than ones for Halloween because they were not popular in reruns. [5] Omine said the episode was inspired by "the difficult year she experienced personally" and wanting to find "magic in the world". [3] Omine originally planned not to write an episode due to those difficulties, but because of the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes causing delays in the production schedule, she pitched a story that was "something uplifting and sort of soul nourishing". [6] The idea of Flanders considering God's existence is based on Omine's experience when she first considered that God may not exist. To return Flanders' faith, Omine tried to write a story where Reverend Lovejoy talked to him but was not sure he belonged in the story. Her solution was based on a story she heard on the radio of a woman who was moved by seeing the life forms in the ocean. [5] Originally, Brown was also responsible for the yoke through which Flanders surfaces, but after hearing the reaction to the story from a friend, Omine changed it so "there is some magic." [6]

When it was decided to release the episode on the 35th anniversary of the series premiere, several references to the first episode were added. [7] The Christmas tree in the Simpson house only has a birdhouse as an ornament, and the episode ends with a Christmas card freeze frame. Several references were also included from previous Christmas episodes such as Funzo and the astrolabe. [5]

Casting

Illusionist Derren Brown appeared as himself. He described the role as "the best thing that's happened in my life so far". Omine said it was "one of the largest guest starring roles we've ever had" in terms of lines spoken and time on screen. [8] During her difficult 2023, Omine watched videos of Brown on YouTube and thought his shows were "very entertaining and light-hearted, but there was always something sort of deeper, underneath it." [9] Omine wrote the episode with Brown already included before sending the script to him to ask for his participation. After agreeing, Omine recorded his part in London. [6]

Musician Patti LaBelle sings a version of "Silent Night" with non-faith denominational parody lyrics. Omine wanted someone who could sing in a way that was similar to the Mahalia Jackson Christmas album she heard growing up. [6] A cappella group Pentatonix is heard singing a version of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", also with parody lyrics. [10] The group also sang the words "The Simpsons" in the opening title card of the episode, which they requested. [6]

This was the final episode by production order for actress Pamela Hayden, who voiced Milhouse and Rod in the episode. [7] Hayden would continue to act two more Disney+ episodes as part of this season. [11]

Promotion

The trailer for the episode was released on December 11, 2024. [12]

Release

The world premiere for the episode was held at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on December 13, 2024. [13] [14] The episode was released on the streaming service Disney+ on December 17, 2024. [15]

Reception

Rafael Motamayor of IGN gave the episode an 8 out of 10. He called it "the best Ned Flanders story in decades" and said "the connected stories of Homer and Ned finding meaning in the holiday and in life that makes this a touching Christmas special." [16]

John Schwarz of Bubbleblabber gave the episode a 9 out of 10. He said the episode proved that writer Carolyn Omine was at least one of the top ten writers in the series' history and that the parts by the two directors worked well together. He highlighted the performance by Derren Brown, and thought the story was "one that was well fleshed out and still respectful". He also noted that Simpsons two-part episodes tended to focus on religion and Flanders. [17]

Ben Gibbons of Screen Rant gave the episode a 9 out of 10. He said it was a "wonderful episode filled with all the humor that makes the show great" and liked the use of Derren Brown. [18]

Mike Celestino of Laughing Place liked the message about faith and its meaning at Christmas. He highlighted the performance of Harry Shearer as Flanders. [19]

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References

  1. ↑ Schneider, Michael (August 10, 2024). "'The Simpsons' to Produce Four New Episodes Exclusively for Disney+ — Including a New Christmas Two-Parter". Variety . Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  2. ↑ Murphy, Jackson (September 23, 2024). "INTERVIEW: Matt Selman On "The Simpsons" At NYCC And New Season". Animation Scoop. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Reif, Alex (October 19, 2024). "NYCC Recap: "The Simpsons" Reveal Disney+ Holiday Special While Highlighting the Show's Subversive Legacy". Laughing Place. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  4. ↑ Zachary, Brandon (December 17, 2024). "The Simpsons Writers Matt Selman & Carolyn Omine Break Down The Holiday Crises In O C'Mon All Ye Faithful". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 VanHooker, Brian (December 16, 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: The Inside Story Behind 'The Simpsons' First Special for Disney+". Cracked.com . Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Schneider, Michael (December 23, 2024). "Inside 'The Simpsons' Touching Disney+ Christmas Episode: Homer Regains Some Maturity, While Prof. Frink Restores Ned Flanders' Belief in God". Variety . Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Valdez, Nick (December 17, 2024). "The Simpsons Creative Team Talks New Disney+ Christmas Special, Pamela Hayden's Retirement and More". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ Evans, Greg (November 26, 2024). "The Simpsons set to feature British star in 'one of the largest guest roles ever'". The Independent . Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  9. ↑ Sarner, Lauren (December 17, 2024). "'The Simpsons' showrunner reveals how the sitcom 'predicts the future' ahead of new holiday special". New York Post . Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  10. ↑ Dailey, Hannah (December 11, 2024). "'The Simpsons' Christmas Special to Feature Musical Guests Pentatonix & Patti LaBelle: Watch the Trailer". Billboard . Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  11. ↑ Omine, Carolyn [@CarolynOmine] (November 20, 2024). "A beautiful tribute to a beautiful soul. We already miss her. One correction: This Sunday is not her final performance. The last show she recorded was "O C'mon All Ye Faithful" But she appears in "The Past and the Furious" and "Yellow Planet" which air after O C'mon" (Tweet). Retrieved December 20, 2024– via Twitter.
  12. ↑ Gelman, Vlada (December 11, 2024). "TVLine Items: SNL50 Documentary on Peacock, Jerry Springer Docu Trailer and More". TVLine . Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  13. ↑ Celestino, Mike (December 14, 2024). "Photos / Video: "The Simpsons" Disney+ Holiday Special "O C'mon All Ye Faithful" Holds World Premiere at El Capitan Theatre". Laughing Place. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  14. ↑ Pizzello, Chris (December 14, 2024). "LA Premiere of "The Simpsons" Holiday Special". The Northern Virginia Daily . Associated Press . Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  15. ↑ ""O C'mon All Ye Faithful"". The Futon Critic . Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  16. ↑ Motamayor, Rafael (December 17, 2024). "The Simpsons: "O C'mon All Ye Faithful" Review". IGN . Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  17. ↑ Schwarz, John (December 17, 2024). "Review: The Simpsons "O C'mon All Ye Faithful"". Bubbleblabber. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ Gibbons, Ben (December 17, 2024). "The Simpsons Christmas Special Review: "O C'mon All Ye Faithful" Is An Unforgettable Masterclass In Animated Comedy Storytelling". Screen Rant . Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  19. ↑ Celestino, Mike (December 17, 2024). "Review: Homer's Hypnosis Causes Ned Flanders to Have a Crisis of Faith in "The Simpsons" Disney+ Holiday Special "O C'mon All Ye Faithful"". Laughing Place. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
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