We’re counting down the days until Christmas by looking back at Christmas episodes from a variety of TV shows. Tonight we’re talking about “Holly Jolly Secrets” from Adventure Time. What Christmas episode tropes did this episode use? Let’s take a look.
Basic Info
Written by: Kent Osborne
Episode Number: Season 3, Episodes 19 & 20
Where to Watch It: Hulu
Santa Claus
The Ice King sneaks into Finn and Jake’s treehouse, through the chimney. When his outfit becomes covered in soot, he puts on Finn and Jake’s red tablecloth and resembles Santa. Finn returns Ice King’s tapes to him and Ice King mistakes this for a gift. He gives Finn and Jake gifts on the fly in exchange. Then he suggests to Finn and Jake that they wear silly outfits and give each other gifts every year.
Christmas Miracle
When Finn and Jake agree to do this every year, Shelby narrates that the new holiday was made to commemorate the one time that Finn and Jake felt “a fleeting moment of empathy for the biggest weirdo in Ooo.”
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The Ice King builds an army of snowmen. He gives one an apple for a nose and declares that since his nose shines so bright, he’ll be the leader. Then he changes his mind and decides to put the apple on his own nose, declaring that if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself.
Holiday Outfits
Jake wears a yarmulke and a scarf. When the Ice King covers the area around the tree house in snow, Finn and Jake have to bundle up in holiday sweaters. Ice King feels doubly insulted that Finn and Jake are “cozy.”
At the end of the episode, we see every character in a holiday sweater, except for Phil, who just wears festive underwear and a scarf.