“Gift Me Liberty” decides to imbue itself with a little extra gravitas by taking the form of a broken, soused Stan recanting this tale in Roger’s bar. Right away this story is painted with qualifiers that make it feel like an especially sordid story from Stan’s very checkered history with the CIA. This becomes all the more interesting when we learn that it’s a Christmas story, more specifically, one involving a high stakes game of “Evil Santa” (Yankee Swap).

Bullock comes wise to the fact that someone didn’t bring a gift to Evil Santa and goes on a warpath accordingly, to try and figure out who the Scrooge is. We’ve seen plenty of examples of Bullock being temperamental or downright illogical, so his hair trigger over Christmas cheer feels very in character. As does Stan being the one appointed to try and calm the man down and figure out who’s to blame here.

As crazy as Bullock’s grenade pin-pulling demeanor might appear, he actually turns this around into a solid point about trust being fundamental in the CIA. If agents can’t be trusted to bring a simple gift to a game, then how can they be expected to have someone’s back in the fray? Think about that next time you weasel out of your next non-denominational holiday themed game!

Elsewhere in a less hostile powder keg, Steve is getting ready for the Harvest Dance, with the problem being that he can’t find the right outfit. I was more than ready for Roger to pop out as the one coaching Steve through this task, but was pleasantly surprised when this season’s MVP, Klaus, was the one dishing out advice here. Their aside about Klaus’ outfit for Steve’s funeral might have been my favorite bit from the episode (and I love the small touch that Roger is attending as some female persona). It makes for a fresh dynamic that only becomes stronger once the elderly tailor is added to the mix, preaching the wonders of antique handkerchiefs.

It’s not long before Steve is ditching the extravagant outfit plan in lieu of parlaying a handkerchief into being seen as a gentleman by all of the ladies within earshot. Pretty soon he’s found all sorts of women to grow old into the robot apocalypse uprising with, the only problem is that they’re using him as a front to please their parents. Rather than letting this get to him, Steve decides to rent out his services as a gentleman-for-hire, hopeful that he’ll be able to take advantage of his situation in time.