I could have asked for any gift this holiday season, and aside from a few intangible things like world peace, I don’t think I could’ve got anything better than a new episode of Top Gear. Yes, it’s already that time of the year again, where four months have seemingly flown by and tight knit inner circles speak in hushed tones of the holy grail of motoring programs returning once again. This Christmas brought our hosts to a land most people only recognize on the news in night vision, a place they like to call the Middle East, not to be confused with the land where Gandalf and Frodo live. In 2010 years, Jerusalem and its surrounding countries have been known much more for their political unrest than for being a holy land. Yet this year three men who are temporarily calling themselves wise have taken it upon themselves to remind everyone what Christmas is all about, just like Linus van Pelt.

Top Gear is known for using a formula with their challenges, but at this point it’s been time tested so long that you might as well give up on watching if you don’t think it’s perfect. The hosts are given certain parameters on what kind of automobile to buy and then certain amount of money to find that kind of car and keep in budget. It’s not the only way they’ve managed to work out challenges, but it’s easily the most entertaining knowing I’m not the only one dealing with the hellish experience that owning a used car can be.

Using the formula stated in the last paragraph, the guys had about 3000 pounds to buy a two-seater convertible aka a “Roadster.” This led Jeremy to stick with the all-time classic, the Mazda Miata, James in the classy BMW Z3, and Richard in some front wheel drive Alfa Romeo that we don’t get here in the States. The travel part of the challenge entailed a tremendously long route from Iraq to Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, ending in Jerusalem, Israel. The 1200 mile route included not only several war zones, but an entire section of desert that was crossed in cars meant for the street leading to a long segment of three guys pushing cars out of sand. Easily the most boring part of the adventure, but it did lead to the worst injury I’ve seen on the show since Hammond almost died.

In concept it was another very similar Top-Gear-hitting-the-road type flick, but consistently proves its worth by using similar plots over and over again and still managing to stay entirely fresh. The crew got to spend some time in areas that usually only get terribly negative news coverage, revealing a lot of towns to be much more docile than anyone ever lets on. On top of that the fodder for humor may be easier at the expense of nerves, which sets Jeremy up perfectly to keep cracking everyone up. The tone and environment of the film gives it one of the most unique and alluring Top Gear specials to date, and it works pretty good as a Christmas special too. The biblical three wise men may not have taken as long to get to Jerusalem, but they also didn’t have so many excited fans to throughly entertain on the way.