This is how sitcoms often do it, because of all the conflicting things going on between November and December - there’s a lot of sports, there’s Thanksgiving, and it’s generally a bad time for TV. Often what they will do is have a Halloween episode and then take a break until December and air the holiday special.
Modern Family consistently did this, they had their mid-season finale in October, take a break until December, and then sometimes even take another break until February before wrapping up.
Well you see normally an entire season is written and animated together, they don’t just take a break before the finale.
Might be due to the strikes?
This is how sitcoms often do it, because of all the conflicting things going on between November and December - there’s a lot of sports, there’s Thanksgiving, and it’s generally a bad time for TV. Often what they will do is have a Halloween episode and then take a break until December and air the holiday special.
Modern Family consistently did this, they had their mid-season finale in October, take a break until December, and then sometimes even take another break until February before wrapping up.