God Help Ye Merry Bundymen is the 8th episode of Season 11 of Married... with Children, and the 246th overall series episode. Directed by Mark K. Samuels and written by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher, it premiered on FOX-TV on December 22, 1996.
Synopsis[]
Christmas is around the corner for the Bundys. Al doesn't want a Christmas tree, but the rest of the family does. Marcy is determined to win the neighborhood decorating contest. Gary hires two young guys, Hal and Biff, to help Al and Griff at the shoe store. Someone (actually Bud and Kelly) kidnaps Mary and Joseph from Marcy's nativity scene and demand $500 in ransom. Hal and Biff turn out to be such good workers that Gary decides to replace Al and Griff with them permanently.
Plot Summary[]
As the Christmas holiday is quickly approaching, to help Al and Griff, Gary hires two young employees named Hal and Biff. The two young men, who seem to resemble Al and Griff in their younger days, are able to their jobs better than the older and more experienced duo, which leads to Gary firing them.
Desperate for work, Al and Griff end up getting mall jobs, with Al as an elf who drives the children's train and Griff as a reindeer, though the two are still miserable. Al goes to plead for his job back, where the shoe store has a load of customers. Hal and Biff are frightened, and Al makes them horrified when he notes the similarities between Hal and Al's early feelings about how it was "just a summer job", among various things. The thought of being like Al and Griff makes the two quit and, deluged with customers, Gary hires Al immediately. Griff, crept out by the other reindeer, runs back to the store and asks for his job back, too. Al will only come back to work once his demands are met - no pay raise, but he gets to bring home the store's Christmas tree before Christmas.
Meanwhile, the neighborhood decorating contest is going on, and Marcy wants to win desperately and pays $5,000 to import a nativity scene. Peggy decides to make a gingerbread house, though she won't eat it, nor will she let anyone else.
Kelly and Bud steal Mary and Joseph from Marcy's nativity scene, demanding a ransom. However the deal is off when Kelly accidentally busts the heads off of them by sticking them out the car window while Bud was driving through a tunnel. Marcy tells the two that she will beat whoever stole them senseless, which leads Bud to admit to the crime. As punishment, the two pose as Mary and Joseph for the contest. At first, it looks like Marcy will win. However, the trophy is taken away as the judges see Peggy's gingerbread house of the whole neighborhood. Marcy receives second place and a fruitcake. Angered, Marcy tells the judges to shove the fruitcake as Bud and Kelly tell her that they will take it since they love fruitcake.
Guest Stars[]
- Jonathan Mangum as Hal
- Kevin Lamont Smith as Biff
- Amy Lyndon as Mall Manager
- Steven Anthony Lawrence as Kid #1
- Lynette Bennett as Judge #1
- Mary Stein as Judge #2
- Christian McLaughlin as Reindeer Dancer
Quotes[]
- Al: All right, listen. We've got two young, eager boys hanging around us. You know what that makes us?
- Griff: Michael Jackson?
- [As Bud and Kelly are hugging and jumping around after negotiating with the D'Arcys for the return of their statues, Peggy arrives home with some shopping bags]
- Peggy: [upbeat] Aww, I knew you kids would get the Christmas spirit!
- Bud: Hey, mom. I though you finished our gingerbread house.
- Peggy: Well, I did. But, I had so much fun that I decided to bake the whole neighborhood.
- [Peggy lifts up a green drape off of the kitchen table, revealing that she made a gingerbread model of their neighborhood]
- Kelly: [amazed] This is incredible!
- Bud: Hey look, there's old man McGinty's house.
- Kelly: He even got the telescope he uses to watch me shower.
- Bud: Mom, what are those two marshmallows in your bedroom window?
- Peggy: Ohohoho! That's daddy mooning the D'Arcys.
- [the trio laugh and continue to admire the model]
- [Al, who is now working as an elf who is driving the mall's children's train, is stopped by Griff, after they both lost their jobs at Gary's shoes]
- Griff: [smiling, mockingly] Al, is that you?! Man, you make one ugly hobbit.
- Al: [points to his hat] I happen to be the "Elfineer"! At least I got a job!
- Griff: I got a job.
- Al: I though you said you had money put away?
- Griff: Well, I did. but, uh, then I got a corn dog and a kiddie Coke, and there went my nest egg.
- Al: Well, what kind of job are you doing?
- Griff: [confidently] I got an executive position in the overnight-delivery business.
- [Just then, a blonde woman in business attire suddenly appear and calls out to Griff]
- Mall Manager: Hey, Blitzen, get your tail back over to the sled!
- [Immediately after that, an effeminate man, dressed as a reindeer, suddenly appears in front of Griff]
- Prancer: [in a high pitched, effeminate voice] Hi, I'm Prancer.
- Al: No kidding.
- Prancer: [to Griff] Come on, Blitzen. It's time to get into our harness. [hands Griff a pair of antlers]
- Al: [grinning, mockingly] What kind of reindeer games you playing over there, Griff?
- Griff: One more crack out of you and I'll kick your curly-toed butt!
Notes[]
Title[]
- The title of the episode is a reference to the Christmas carol, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".
Trivia[]
- MWC writer/story editor Christian McLaughlin (who joined the series for Season 11) makes a cameo appearance as Prancer, a camp reindeer dancer.
- The flashing end credits are enclosed with a red/white picture frame effect and the phrase "Happy Holidays" is written in the lower left-hand corner, the background music is "Deck The Halls", followed by "Jingle Bells".
- Jonathan Mangum, who played Hal, would later become known as the announcer of the 2009–present CBS version of the game show Let’s Make A Deal, serving as a de facto sidekick to host Wayne Brady.
- After Al complains to Hal and Biff that he wanted his burgers well done, Griff blames the public school system and Al says that's the reason why he doesn't pay taxes. In several past episodes, Al has mentioned that he doesn't pay his taxes.
- Gary says that Al has worked at the store for 25 years. As this takes place in Christmas 1996, Al would have started working there in 1971.
- The gingerbread neighborhood that Peggy made reveals that the McGintys live close by the Bundy residence. They have been mentioned several times in past MWC episodes.
- Kelly reveals that Mr. McGinty spies on her with his telescope.
- One of the judges, Marge, is revealed to be the McGinty's daughter.
- Peggy reveals that she was "Miss Teenage Wanker".
Cultural References[]
- The subplot involving Kelly and Bud kidnapping the D'Arcy's statue of Mary and Joseph features references to the 1996 action thriller film Ransom.
- Kelly using a fake deep voice asking them if they ever want to see the statues alive again parodies the villain asking Mel Gibson's character for the ransom if he wants to see his son alive again.
- Jefferson holding a stack of cash and saying, "You see this money? This is the closest those kidnappers are gonna get to it. I'm gonna hunt that scum down if it takes every last cent she [gestures to Marcy] has.", parodies Gibson's character going on national television with a large sum of cash, and declaring it is the closest that the villain will get to it, as he intends to use it as a bounty and states that he will hunt him down.
- After Hal and Biff arrive at the shoe store, Al asks Griff what does having two young boys at the shoe store make them. Griff then says "Michael Jackson?" .
- This is in reference to the pop singer who at the time this episode aired was facing accusations of child sexual abuse.
- At one point, Kelly begins to talk like actor James Cagney, an actor and dancer who was often portrayed a tough-sounding gangster with his unique nasally voice.
Music[]
- "Ride of the Valkyries" from the opera The Valkyries by Richard Wagner is heard when Al and Griff open the shoe store and a horde of women run in.
- The traditional Christmas song, "Jingle Bells" is heard twice:
- The first time, Al and Griff sing the song at the New Market Mall while holding a sign that reads "Will Stop Singing for 25 Cents".
- The second time, an instrumental version plays in the second half of the ending credits after "Deck The Halls" plays over a still frame of the Bundys celebrating Christmas.
- The traditional Christmas carol, "Deck The Halls" is heard twice:
- First during the beginning when Al and Griff kneel in prayer before the store opens.
- Then later, during the first half of the ending credits over a still frame of the Bundys celebrating Christmas together.
Locations[]
- Bundy Residence
- Rhoades/D'Arcy Residence
- Gary's Shoes & Accessories for Today's Woman
- New Market Mall
Sets[]
- Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
- D'Arcy Residence Driveway
- Gary's Shoes' Seating Area / Cash Register
- New Market Mall Walkway / Train
Goofs[]
- When Al is shown asking Griff what does having two young boys at the shoe store make them, Griff's hands are separated and his left thumb is rubbing his other fingers. The camera then changes angles when Griff says "Michael Jackson?" and now both of his hands are clasped together.
- Gary says that Al has worked at the store for 25 years. As this takes place in Christmas 1996, Al would have started working there in 1971 at the age of 23. But this would contradict earlier episodes that show Al was in high school when he took the job. It would also contradict season 6's "So This is How Sinatra Felt", when Al stated that he was a "rookie shoe salesman" in the winter of 1968.
- After Kelly makes the phone call to Marcy and Jefferson, she and Bud jump up and embrace. Bud is then suppose to say "This is going to be the best Christmas ever", but it is clearly dubbed in, as David Faustino's mouth doesn't appear to be moving in that scene and the audio sounds noticeably different than when he screamed out in happiness.
- When the judge points out to the other judge Marge that Bundy's gingerbread neighborhood has her father looking through a telescope, Marge has her head tilted up and with a smile. The camera then immediately cuts to a wider shot, but Marge is now leaning back and looking down at Marcy, as if she was taken back by what Marcy said or did.