Considering some tinsel in the newsroom hardly makes "The Rival" count, the three are "Season's Greedings," "Home is Where the Hurt is," and "Twas the Night Before Mxymas."

While I enjoy moments from all, my favorite is HIWTHI. I love the glimpses we get into Lois' family life versus Clark's, and the way their families start to coexist as they move toward marriage. This episode is a really good indication of why Lois is the way she is, especially with the way Sam and Ellen treat each other. You have to assume they've mellowed with age, too.

I also think the scenes where Superman is slowly succumbing to the virus are some of Teri and Dean's best work from the third season. I love the part where he apologizes to her for dying, and when she asks him to hold onto his belief that being with her is stronger than him alone. Her love, coupled with Sam's medicine, is what brings him back to life, and the way she flies into his arms after he rescues them from the microwave, is one of the sweetest moments of the season.

And oh yeah, this ep spawned one of my fave nfics I have written.

However, I do have to say, in SG, I love the last scene where they stand in front of her little tree, and for a split second, you wonder if they're going to kiss ...

And in TTNBM, I love that the way that Clark gets Lois to break out of the doom and gloom by making her believe in the good -- and in him. And I have to admit that Ralph's drunken, "I love you guys the most!" cracks me up every time.

Season's Greedings is, by far, my favorite of the three. I think because it is the one that feels the most "Christmasy" to me. I do love HIWTHI, but there is less of the Christmas aspect to it for me. TTNBM is full of great comic moments and has the distinction of being the only episode in which the inspiration for my name appears, but I think it's probably my least favorite of the three. However, they are all great, and I think I should pull them out and watch them pretty soon!

They're all really good eps, actually.

I haven't seen Mxymas many times, and though I do enjoy it quite a bit, it's my least favorite of the three.

HIWTHI and Seasons Greedings are pretty much tied. Other than being Christmas eps, they're nearly complete opposites, so it's hard to compare them. Seasons Greedings fulfills my love of humor and fluff - even has one of the absolute best fluffy moments between Lois and Clark in the entire show - but HIWTHI gives my rampant appetite for angst something to gnaw on. And man, do I love angst.

So yeah, they all have their moments, but I don't think I'll ever be able to choose between SG and HIWTHI.

Jessi

I like all three of them for very different reasons, and every time I start to choose one over the other, I remember other favorite scenes from the others and can't make a decision again. I love the silliness of L&C acting like children and Clark burning the heel off Lois's boot in SG, but I also love the whole "look who's coming to dinner" insanity from HIWTHI, as well as all the funny lines from Mxymas. I love the romance of the end of SG and the end of HIWTHI, as well as the moment when Lois breaks out of Mxy's spell in Mxymas. I love the drama and angst of Clark's 'deathbed' scene in HIWTHI, but I also love how much he has grown by Mxymas and his determination not to be blackmailed into leaving Earth so Mxy won't hurt them more.

Three good eps.

My 4 year old daughters favorite episode is "Seasons Greedings"... so it gets played all year around, although she also loves the Mindy Church scene coming down the road with her rein-men from "Home is where the Hurt is" and frequently wanders around the house with her Christmas hat on going 'Ho Ho Ho' a la Mindy. My daughter has been a fan of the show (or should I say the lead male actor) since she was 18 months old...

Myself... I love the final scene in Seasons Greedings where Clark turns up, Lois tells him to get stuffed (yes.. it is a lot funnier when you're a kiwi or aussie) and Lois ends up with her head on his shoulder. It's the start of where the show goes in my opinion.

I agree entirely with EditorJax though... that "Home is where the Hurt is" is the best Christmas episode for a lot of the reasons she mentioned... and I love the scene with Lois and Mindy Church where she says 'why would someone want to kill you Lois'.. I laugh every time... sooo funny...
But the chemistry between Lois and Clark through this pulls them together and really does emphasize the "together Lois and Clark are stronger than Superman alone" theme of the entire show....

Hmmm... I think I choose SG. Mostly because Clark's dance just cracks me up and I pretty much laugh through out the entire episode. Plus, the ending is just too sweet. /me thinks I'll watch that ep tonight

Season's Greedings is by far my favorite. I love the silliness of Clark, Jimmy, Lois and Perry in the newsroom and the end of the ep by Lois' Christmas tree.

TTNBM is my second favorite although it is pretty silly. I love the progression of Brenda's hair through each day. I also love Ralph in this ep, it cracks me up everytime

HIWTHI is my third because I just can't stand Mindy and she is in most of the ep. I do love the interaction between Dean and Teri when Superman is dying is wonderful.

I may have to pull them out and watch them sometime soon.

I always count Witness as a Christmas episode because you do - albeit fleetingly - see Christmas decorations at one point.

So that would be my absolute favourite.

But if we're not counting that - and I'll admit to it being a tenuous link - my favourite would have to be SG just for the ending. <waffy sigh>.

LabRat

Okay, I'd figure I'd weigh in.

I have to admit that I've watched SG about 10 times in the past month (thanks to it currently being the only disc I have in my bathtub tv/DVD player - don't ask).

Like many others, I love that the actors get to act like kids. Clark's "dance" is great, but my favorite moment is where Lois de-invites her sister to dinner. I swear she'd be great at voice-overs for childrens' movies.

And I'm jealous - I've never learned to blow a bubble like Teri's!!

~Kelly

I love both Season's Greedings (the funniest) and HIWTHI (emotional pull). I don't care for the the third episode with Howie Mandel at all so don't watch it very often at all.

For me the first two are a tie and actually some of my all time favorites from the show particular the "Dean Dance" and I love Martha tugging on his ear yelling at him although "tanning his hide like cheap leather" is just very poor script writing - sorry Dean I know you wrote this episode.

How can you not like Gizmo?

What can I say. I didn't like the story line and I don't care for Howie Mandel. What works for some doesn't work for others.

Seasons Greedings. Definitely. C'mon, Dean sings AND dances. It's truly unique.