iChristmas

"Wow, you say, "Mitch" a lot!" — Mitch to Carly.

iChristmas is the ninth episode of the second season of iCarly and the 34th episode overall.

iChristmas
Season 2, Episode 9
First Aired	December 13, 2008
Production Code	209
Writer(s)	Dan Schneider
Director(s)	Steve Hoefer
Viewership	3.268 million
Episode Guide
previous	"iPie"
next	"iKiss"

Plot

Freddie with Rona Burger, which horrifies Carly.

After a special Christmas webcast of iCarly, Carly becomes annoyed when she sees that Spencer made an Electro-Magnetic Christmas Tree out of materials he got from the junk yard. When it burst into flames during the night, ruining all their presents, especially Carly's, she angrily wishes that Spencer was born normal. To her surprise, she is visited by her guardian angel Mitch, who makes the wish come true (we can describe the alternate reality as 2008A). The next day Carly comes downstairs and finds their apartment is decorated differently and Spencer is not an artist anymore but a lawyer (which is what his family wanted him to be) and making a call with a client. Later at Carly's school, Sam is absent, Freddie was also never friends with Carly, instead dating a mean girl named Rona Berger. Carly is horrified to learn Freddie does not know who she is, exclaiming he has always been in love with Carly. Mitch explains that Freddie gave up on Carly because she has a boyfriend - Nevel - who even kisses her, making her scream in terror. Carly questions Mitch about Sam's disappearance, and she is then taken to the Seattle Juvenile Detention Center, Juvie, where Sam is being held, according to Mitch's answer, which includes an explanation on how normal-born Spencer thought Sam was a "bad girl" and never let her and Carly hang out together when they were little, thus Carly and Sam never becoming friends or even doing their iCarly webcast every week, which does not exist.

Sam in 2008A

When she returns home and is told that Mrs. Benson and Spencer are now engaged to be married, she demands Spencer to make his trademark spaghetti tacos, to which Spencer refuses by telling her that they are having steamed halibut for dinner, which the real Spencer (outside of 2008A) finds "boring". She then angrily rants about how she hates this world and how much she wants her old life back before breaking down crying in front of the iCarly studio (which is just an attic used for storage of items in boxes and other electronics and objects in 2008A). Mitch turns the world back to normal, making Spencer born the abnormal way he was (ending 2008A, bringing the real 2008 back to existence). When Freddie asks Carly about which video is going up in the first segment of the next iCarly show, Carly realizes the world is back to how it was and happily greets everyone and everything she has missed so much, to her pure excitement. Carly is now happy with the electromagnetic Christmas tree made of the junk yard materials, and they all have a merry Christmas together in the end, standing by the tree humming "Hark The Herald The Angels Sing", which is a reference to the end of the classic holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Carly with her guardian angel in 2008A

The gang singing.

Tabitha playing Rona in iChristmas in 2008A

The tree in the real, unaltered 2008

Guest Stars

• Mary Scheer as Marissa Benson
• Danny Woodburn as Mitch
• Tabitha Morella as Rona Berger
• Mary Ann Springer as Wendy
• Reed Alexander as Nevel Papperman

Trivia

• The episode itself strongly parodies It's a Wonderful Life, two people are unhappy with their current life and only learn in the alternate world that a small change can impact their friends and family.
• A way to describe this alternate reality where Spencer is normal can be defined as 2008A, because the show was aired that year & it is unknown what the actual year the show's setting is, The "A" in 2008A represents the alternate reality which was originally used in the 80's Back to the Future Trilogy.
• The elevator door is not closed at the end when Carly is not in 2008A, although like in other episodes, the elevator door automatically closes.
• Unlike most episodes of iCarly which take place in reality, this episode has a strong magical component as there is no indication that Carly actually dreamed up Mitch the Angel or the "alternate reality" in which she found herself.
• When Carly is sitting in the hallway crying, and as everything returns to normal, watch for the impressive visual effect as her shirt changes color without any apparent edit or stop-tape.
• This special aired five days after the Drake & Josh special aired, which also starred Miranda Cosgrove.
• It is discovered that Sam's favorite color is brown, as it is the color of gravy, and that Sam wants to be an invisible ninja when she grows up.
• This episode was originally planned to have Lewbert make an appearance in Carly's alternate universe as her butler.^{[citation needed]}
• If Spencer had married Freddie's mother, Freddie would become Spencer's step-son, and Carly would become Mrs. Benson's sister-in-law. Carly would become Freddie's step-aunt, and Freddie would become Carly's step-nephew, but only by marriage and not blood. Mrs. Benson would also become Colonel Steven Shay's daughter-in-law and Granddad Shay's granddaughter-in-law and Freddie would become Colonel Steven Shay's step-grandson and Granddad Shay's step-great grandson.
• In the US, this episode only airs around Christmas time and in marathons, because it is a Christmas episode.
• During the web show, Carly and Sam are on a sleigh, with artificial snow falling down on them, and show Freddie in a flashlight costume that actually works! Carly responds that the audience doesn't want to know where the batteries go.
• This is the last episode to air in 2008.
• Sam's corrections officer in juvie is played by Dot Marie Jones, who is best known for her role as Coach Shannon Beiste (Football) on FOX's Glee. Sam's mother is played by Jane Lynch, who plays Coach Sue Sylvester (Cheerleading) in Glee.
• Because Gibby and Lewbert never appeared in this episode, it is unknown what becomes of them if Spencer was born normal.
• It is unknown how Sam was in juvie just because she didn't know Carly.
• It is never revealed why Freddie is in love with Rona. Though it is likely he was dating her due to his desperation.
• This episode is similar to the Hannah Montana episode "When You Wish You Were the Star" where Miley makes a wish and she wasn’t friends with Lilly and Oliver but regretted after what she saw and That 70s Show episode “It’s a Wonderful Life” where Eric made a wish but regretted after what he saw and the Kickin’ It episode You Don’t Know Jack where Jerry made a wish but regretted after what he saw and it is similar to the I Didn’t Do It episode Merry Miss Sis where Logan makes a wish but regrets it after what he saw.
• This is currently the only Christmas episode of both shows. There was never another Christmas-themed episode in the original show and there is yet to be one in the revival.

Allusions

• The ending, with Carly saying that the tree needs a little love, saying that Spencer's not normal but he made a nice tree, and the cast gathering around "oo oo ooohing" to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," is a take-off of the ending to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
• When Carly walks downstairs after talking to Mitch, Spencer is talking on the phone about Schneider and Newman, who are the names of the writers of the show.
• This episode is an obvious parody of "It's a Wonderful Life" where the main character is shown what the world would be like if he wasn't born.
  • Mitch talks about how he has to earn his wings, so teaching Carly a lesson would be a perfect opportunity (a reference to "It's a Wonderful Life"). In the end, it turns out he was talking about chicken wings, not angel wings.
• When Carly returns from school and into the iCarly studio or Storage room, there's a box at the front that reads 'Josh's Papers.', possibly referencing Josh Nichols from Drake & Josh.

Character Revelations

• Sam is right-handed, but punches harder with her left.
• Sam wears different colored socks for good luck.
• Sam's favourite color is brown because it's the color of gravy.
• The thing Sam hates most is people.
• Sam wants to be an invisible ninja.
• Sam's mom has a tattoo of a foot on her foot.

Goofs

• It is unlikely for the lights in the iCarly Studio to be on so late at night.
• In the opening sequence in the iCarly studio, there are two plastic donkeys with moose antlers attached; in subsequent sequences that show the iCarly studio, there is only one.
• When Carly's dream starts, she's wearing pajamas and it's the middle of the night, but when it ends she has her normal clothes on and Freddie and Sam are in her house as if it's the middle of the day.
  • All of the above issues could be nullified if the entire scenario was indeed a dream, as dreams often don't make logical sense.
  • Another theory amongst viewers is that Carly hallucinated throughout her day.
• When Mitch is talking to Carly in the end on the computer, she can see Mitch but her laptop doesn't have a webcam so he can't see her but it makes it look like he can.
• Carly should have known why Mitch knew who she was, as she was famous on the internet.
• When Carly first enters the studio, the pear on Freddie's PearBook is red. When Carly leaves the room, the PearBook is blue.
• In the end, when they are decorating the tree and Carly is not in the alternate universe, you can see that the elevator door is not closed. As seen in other episodes, the elevator door automatically closes and there is no one in the elevator to press the button to keep the elevator open.
• After the fire, Carly storms upstairs into her studio and closes the door. After her first encounter with Mitch, she goes to leave the studio - and the door is open.
• Carly dates Nevel Papperman in the alternate timeline, but the only reason she met Nevel in the first place was because of iCarly, which doesn't exist. However, she could have met him somehow due to Sam and Freddie not being her friends in this timeline.
• When Mitch tells Carly that her wish that Spencer had been born normal has been granted, they are in the iCarly studio, which should no longer exist. This point is made later when the room is filled with junk and Mitch tells her there is no iCarly.

Running Gags

To be added

Series Continuity

• The hammer that nearly killed Carly in the episode iWanna Stay with Spencer is briefly referenced by Carly when everything is back to normal: "Hello hammer that almost killed me!"
• This episode marks Reed Alexander (Nevel Papperman)'s season two debut. He then appears in iWant My Website Back and iGive Away a Car in the same season.
  • This is the first episode in which Nevel appears and does not use the term "rue."
  • Nevel's voice is notably deeper than it was in Season 1 due to the fact that Reed Alexander hit puberty between the production of IRue the Day, and this episode.
• This episode is the first to demonstrate the importance of not only Sam, but Freddie and his unrequited love for Carly, to Carly and the show.
• Sam wears the same red and white striped shirt that Carly wore in iHurt Lewbert.

Quotes

Carly: Mitch! Mitch! Mitch! Mitch: Wow, you say, "Mitch" a lot!

Carly: It's my fault you're in here. Sam: YOU'RE the one who called the cops?!

Carly: And how would I know that your mom's foot has a tattoo on it? Sam: A tattoo of what? Carly: A foot!

Sam: What's my favorite color? Carly: Brown. Sam: Why? Carly: It's the color of gravy! Sam: What do I hate most? Carly: People! Sam: What do I wanna be when I grow up? Carly: An invisible ninja! Sam: Wow ...

Mrs. Benson: Spencer and I are getting married. Carly: [moans in disgust] Freddie: Wow! Spencer: Isn't it grand? Nevel: So grand! Carly: [grows very upset] OK, THAT'S IT! [pulls Spencer's arm] Spencer: Huh? Oh, my arm! Carly: Make some spaghetti tacos! Spencer: What? We're having steamed halibut for dinner. Carly: You hate steamed halibut because it's boring. You like to make spaghetti tacos, and when you make them, you sing a little song. Spencer: Carly, I only sing songs in church. Carly: [screams] Freddie: What's wrong with your sister? Carly: I'm not just his sister, I'm your friend. Spencer: Carly, I think you better calm down. Carly: I don't wanna calm down! Rona: She's crazy. Carly: I heard that, Rona! Mrs. Benson: Can I get you some ibuprofen? Carly: No! I just want you back. I want you the way you're supposed to be. I want you to make crazy sculptures and to accidentally set stuff on fire, and to wear socks that light up! [To Mrs. Benson] And I want you to be single and lonely again! [to Nevel] I want you to leave the country! [to Rona] And nobody even likes you! [to Spencer] And I want Sam back! [to Freddie] And I want you to be my friend and say, "In 5,4,3,2...", but not the "1" which I never understood but I liked it! And I just want my life back! [runs upstairs crying] Nevel: Well, bah humbug.

Gallery

	See photos of iChristmas here.