A Christmas Story

## Synopsis

While out doing Christmas shopping to procure an organ that Elizabeth has been dreaming of owning, Graham and Marie end up having car trouble. Unfortunately, it's determined that the entire transmission must be replaced, which will be very expensive. Not only that, but fixing the car will cost exactly the same amount as the organ that Graham wants to purchase.

Now forced to resort to a unexpected backup plan, Graham is forced to wait a bit longer to buy the organ for his wife. In desperation, Graham resorts to drastic measures. After coincidentally catching Gavin Doosler arriving late to school at that particular moment, the teacher lets his goofy student off the hook for being late to school.

The clever teacher decides to convince Gavin Doosler to go back into town - during school hours, no less - to sell his transmission-less car. Gavin agrees to the deal, and does exactly what he was told. In a surprise twist - unbeknownst to Graham - the person whom Doosler sells the car to just happens to be Father Hargis - who is under the impression that the car is actually in great condition with absolutely nothing wrong.

Skeptical of Graham's true motives, Father Hargis has the car thoroughly checked out, and harshly threatens to fire him if anything is wrong with it. This causes Graham to panic because of his decision to hide the transmission issue during the sale. Luckily, the "Lubbock Babes" have secretly taken the car to be repaired - unbeknownst to Graham - so that their father can afford to purchase the organ that his wife strongly desires.

With the car having undergone repairs, and now running smoothly, Father Hargis still decides to decline the offer to purchase it. But the good news is that Graham is able to afford the organ for Elizabeth "as a gift from Santa Claus", all while keeping the truth about the car's fragile condition a secret from his boss. After everything ends up working out for the best, Graham's job is now safe.

While celebrating Christmas Eve with houseguest Duane Johnson, Elizabeth is pleasantly surprised to learn that she is now the proud owner of her very own organ. Unexpectedly, Father Hargis happens to drop by the house with blessings for everybody, and he agrees to "break in" the new organ for the family.

## Guest Appearances

*Bill Marcus* as Bobbie Watts

*Bill Erwin* as Ralphie

*Les Katsumata* as Workman #1

## Memorable Quotes

**Cindy**: *(after foolishly mistaking the use of the word 'organ')* "*I'll donate whatever she needs.*"

--

**Graham**: "*Get up off your duffs. This is a tender moment.*"

## Trivia

* First appearance of Bill Erwin, who actually portrays multiple characters throughout the series.

## Mistakes

### Plot Holes

* It is highly unlikely that a large item — such as an organ — would go unnoticed on the front porch.
* It is unclear whether Graham pays for the organ at the time of purchase, or if he returns it when he suddenly cannot afford it. If he keeps it the whole time, it must be stored/hidden somewhere out-of-view until the family opens gifts.
* In another episode, the older teenage daughters sneak off to the pizzeria with the car, while their parents think it has been stolen. This time, it clearly goes unnoticed by the parents that the girls have the car. Also, it is unclear exactly how the girls actually paid for such an expensive repair on their own.