How the Brain Thieved Christmas Part One/Santamaniacs/How the Brain Thieved Christmas Part Two is the 35th and penultimate episode of the Animaniacs reboot and the ninth episode of its third season.
It is the seventh Christmas-themed episode of the franchise, and the only one of the reboot.
Annoyed by the incessant caroling that foiled his latest plan for world domination, Brain decides to thieve Christmas by creating a popular toy that is simple, pointless, and incredibly irritating, and he uses Pinky as his inspiration to produce a toy in his image.
The art of Pinky on the "Poity Pinky" box is sourced from the season 2poster and promotional art for the 1995 series (which has become popular in a fan-edited gif).
Disappointed to see that there are no presents under their tree, The Warners venture to the North Pole only to find that Santa does not want to fulfill his annual duties. So the Warners sing about why no one else could do the job like him, and Santa gives in and heads out on his sleigh to deliver the gifts with the Warners happily accompanying him.
The title card is heavily based on the show's shield logo.
Yakko holds up pictures of Hello Nurse and Minerva Mink when describing their mysterious disappearances as being partially why the Warners are "less naughty."
This is the only visual appearance of Hello Nurse in the reboot.
Despite Yakko calling Hello Nurse and Minerva Mink's disappearances "mysterious", Minerva had previously appeared physically in "Good Warner Hunting", and Hello Nurse had left Warner Bros. to join Doctors Without Borders as revealed by Dr. Scratchansniff in "Hindenburg Cola." It is assumed that they went missing afterwards.
Wakko's comment about Yakko being lactose intolerant is a reference to an end credit stinger from episode 25 of the original Animaniacs, where Yakko warns that he is allergic to anything with lactose in it. Infamously, this joke was dramatized in a 2007 Animaniacs fan-fiction by Mimi0204 called Big Brother's Responsibility; which became a meme within the Animaniacs fandom in 2020-2021.
How the Brain Thieved Christmas Part Two
Animation by Titmouse, Inc.
Plot
Once the Poity Pinky proved to be a successful, sought-after holiday toy, Brain enacts his plan of thieving Christmas by using his control to force the toys to take all of the presents from each household. Once the presents are gathered, Brain goes outside to hear the dismay of the people. However, a little girl sings "Silent Night", and Brian initially dismisses it until Pinky goes outside and joins her.
Brain continues with his plan of forcing the Poity Pinkys to cast the presents into the furnace, but then they hear the caroling and go outside to sing. Infuriated, Brain decides to throw the gifts into the fire by himself, but stops when he finds out that Pinky has given him the particle he wanted. Touched by the sentiment, Brain goes outside and joins the now large choir, and sings the last verse.
As the crowd cheers, Brain pulls out his remote control and gives everyone their presents back and even gives Pinky his very own Poity Pinky. Unfortunately, the Poity Pinky scares Brain and he accidentally drops the particle and it breaks. Brain commands Pinky and the Poity Pinkys to follow him back into the lab, where they are to prepare for their world domination scheme on Boxing Day.
This is the final two-parter in the reboot series.
Pinky mentions "meeces", which is a nod to Mr. Jinks, of the Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks segments from The Huckleberry Hound Show, whose catchphrase is "I hate those meeces to pieces". This could also be a nod to the opening number from The Muppet Christmas Carol, "Scrooge", where the chorus of mice sing "no cheeses for us meeces".
An arrangement of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker is prominently used in the scene where the Poity Pinky army steals the presents
Brain briefly attempts his own take on the Grinch's creepy smile.
When Brain orders the Poity Pinkys to destroy all of the presents, he shouts "Cast them into the fire!" and "Destroy them!" These are both references to a line from the Lord of the Rings film, The Fellowship of the Ring.
This is the first Animaniacs reboot episode to feature Pinky and the Brain cartoons without their intro (though their theme song still appears in the background throughout the episode). The next episode, "International Mouse of Mystery" also does this (most likely due to it being a cold open segment).
