Episode #210 "I Saw Daddy Hitting Santa Claus"

It’s Christmas Eve, and Henry, very upset, is telling everyone that Santa isn’t coming. Claudia tells Sean that she was about to go watch him play Joseph in the living manger scene. Sean says she missed quite a show; Santa sent his elves to ambush Sean. Claudia points out that Walt is Santa, and every year Henry waits upstairs to get a peek at him. They’ll all be better off without Walt this year, Sean assures her. Eddie and Jimmy come in with a tree that Eddie says they got for free. Lily finds a gift on the front porch that she thinks is from Dean and takes it upstairs. Eddie thinks Sean must have upset their dad, but Sean’s says it’s just the opposite. Earlier that day at Santa Land, Walt, as Santa, promises Henry an Astro Jammer Battle Buggy unaware that Sean and Claudia had spent months trying to talk him out of the thing. Sean tells Walt that the Astro Jammer costs $350, and Walt’s amazed, but he won’t take back his promise to Henry. Sean gets angry, and an elf tries to escort him out; Sean leaves but not before punching the gingerbread man. Lily proudly shows everyone a pair of novelty boxer shorts with Santas and reindeer on them that Dean got her. On closer inspection of the card, however, Lily realizes that the boxers are from Brad. Now she’s disgusted. Eddie finishes putting up the tree, and Claudia observes that it’s eight o’clock already and they haven’t even started decorating. Earlier in the evening Eddie and Jimmy had waited around for a Christmas tree lot to close. A single tree remained, and Eddie refused to buy it, because he doesn’t buy trees. Sean waits for Henry to go to bed and then dresses up as Santa. He’s looks pathetic, but he’s adamant about not wanting Walt around. He tells Claudia more about what happened at the manger scene. All of the actors are thoroughly enjoying the attention they’re receiving from the people around the manger scene when Santa pulls up in a red convertible, complete with elves, blaring “Ho, ho, ho” through a megaphone. Sean’s fuming, because Walt’s blatently pulling everyone’s attention away from the manger scene. Sean grabs a tomato from the food for the shepherds’ goat and hurls it at Walt. It splats across Walt’s face. The little person playing Jesus screams that Sean did it. The elves come after Sean, and the battle is on. Lily tries to give Brad back the boxers until she realizes that he didn’t give them to her; his gift was perfume. Claudia demands that Eddie tell her where he actually got their beautiful tree, and Eddie reveals that he stole it from a hospital lobby. Claudia says the tree has to go back immediately, but Eddie reminds her that Henry would be so disappointed if they had no tree. Take it back tomorrow evening, says Claudia. Dean arrives, and Lily models the boxers for him. He’s confused, but game for anything. Brad arrives with eggnog and wants to know what’s going on. Lily wants him gone and tells him that she hates perfume. Dean says he got her perfume also. Lily suddenly loves perfume again. Henry comes in and asks why Lily’s wearing Santa’s underwear; the boxers are his present for Santa. Henry then watches Sean do a half-hearted Santa imitation, but Walt, the “real” Santa, arrives with Henry’s Astro Jammer , and all’s forgiven, though not before Walt nails Sean in the face with a ripe tomato.