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The Santa Clauses Review Season 1 Episode 3 Into the Wobbly Woods The Santa Clauses Review Season 1 Episode 3 Into the Wobbly Woods

The Santa Clauses

The Santa Clauses Review – Into the Wobbly Woods (103)

Credit: The Santa Clauses/ Disney+

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The Santa Clauses Season 1 Episode 3 was a bit wobbly, at times proving that the limited series may have been better off as a TV film after all. 

While I’m enjoying getting lost in the magic of the North Pole—and being reminded about how unmagical the real world is all of its hand dryers in the bathroom, bills, and C Zone boarding groups—at times, the episode included too much filler material that wasn’t exactly necessary to move the storyline along.

The whole scene with Sandra and Grace wandering off into the woods to chat with the Christmas Witch (La Befana in Italian folklore) was strange and felt out of place, even if the outcome was an important father-daughter lesson that normalized feeling afraid of the unknown. They could have reached the same conclusion without all the extra La Befana scenes.  

That being said, the episode also set the stage for Simon Choksi’s Santa Claus takeover, which, inevitably, sent Scott Calvin and his family packing to the Chicago suburbs, far far far away from the North Pole. 

Ideally, the best course of action is for the Calvin family to find the magic in the real world, which I’m confident at least Cal will be able to do, but losing Scott as Santa may come at the price of the North Pole and Christmas entirely. Also, how long before they get bored of the mundane and miss all the whimsical gadgets of the NP?

Simon doesn’t seem like a bad candidate on the surface. Yes, he’s a budding tech entrepreneur who is very determined to drive sales, and selfishly, getting an inside look at the mechanics of Santa’s delivery system could be of use to him, but he’s also a father, first and foremost. While his interview as a potential Santa candidate didn’t go very well, Scott saw Simon’s true heart out in the woods as he opened up about his late wife’s passing and how he would do anything for his daughter, Grace. In fact, his decision to accept the role as the new Santa was mostly motivated by his desire to make Grace happy. 

The Santa Clauses Review Season 1 Episode 3 Into the Wobbly Woods

Credit: The Santa Clauses/ Disney+

As Scott told Sandra, he didn’t feel like he was the right man for the job when it fell into his lap (or rather, when Santa fell off his roof), but when he changed his perspective—and look at it through Charlie’s eyes—the gig was always in him. 

And so, Scott hopes the same will be true for Simon; He sees himself in Simon, which is why he decided to offer him the job.

But the truth is Santa’s boots are big boots to fill, and we don’t always get the hiring process right. A job as critical as Santa should have required Scott to stick around a bit to “test out” if Simon truly is a good fit. Simon didn’t even have any time to think it through, or fully understand the impact it would have on his life. 

He can no longer prioritize his company, EverythingNow, because his sole purpose in life is to be Santa. Can he let go of the “mortal” world? Or will his ambitions ruin everything?

One clear sign that Simon might not be the right candidate? Santa’s coat resufing to accept the change of hands! The coat literally ran away from Simon—why did no one call that out as a serious red flag?

Even though he did completely change from the man we met in the initial first two episodes when he accepted that he was at the North Pole—his joy upon seeing an elf and finding out he will get a one-on-one with Santa was so pure and heartwarming—his heart may not be in it for the right reasons.

The truth is, the North Pole is likely good in small doses, but it has the potential to erase every single part of your individual identity. Just ask Mrs. Claus, who was all too eager to go back to her old jean-wearing life. She didn’t even care what identity she would assume as long as she had one. I do think she’s been in this role for too long and has stopped seeing it for the magical opportunity that it is. The scene where the elves hugged her goodbye proved that her presence as a nurturer and caregiver was oftentimes more crucial and important than Santa himself. Though, I’m happy for her to get back to what makes her feel truly alive, even if it’s a short-lived break from her norm.

Once you assume the role of Santa, you are stripped of the person you once were and thrust fully into this new responsibility. It’s a huge commitment, and one I just don’t think Simon understood when he agreed to take it on for Grace. There are also plenty of unmentioned changes including his weight and appearance (Scott didn’t look like Santa before!) and the Mrs. Claus aspect of things. Santa has to have one, but Scott conveniently left that part out when selling Simon the gig. Who will his right-hand lady be?

As the energy crackles and surges in the North Pole, Scott and Carol might be back at the workshop sooner than they expected to undo the mess that Simon may inevitably create. There’s nothing like a holiday movie about saving Christmas after all—it’s what Santa does best. 

It was nice to see Tim Allen without the creepy Santa prosthetics (including those eyebrows!) for a bit, and seeing the horror on his children’s faces when they saw his transformation into a normal middle-aged male was quite hilarious, as was their joy over the above-freezing temps. As someone who has lived in Chicago her entire life, I can attest to the fact that we really do consider 8 degrees to feel like summer in the thick of winter sometimes. 

Other Must-See Moments

  • Santa’s “sit on my lap and tell me what you want” shirt definitely won’t work in the real world, but honestly, the adult humor is welcome as it proves the series doesn’t take itself too seriosuly.
  • The fact that Simon’s first thought is that he’ll get charged for eating the cookies at the “hotel” is peak millennial. Don’t touch anything.
  • Simon telling Cal that he has a cool name is hilarious once you realize the actor that plays Simon is Kal Penn.
  • Santa loves NFTs—Nutty Fudge Tea Cakes. I thought that’s what NFTs stood for this whole time. Could’ve fooled me. 

What did you think of the episode? How will it end? Will Scott and fam regret their choice to leave this world behind? Will Simon bow out? Or will there be two Santas—double the magic, double the fun!

You can read our review of the first two episodes of The Santa Clauses right here!

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Lizzy Buczak is the founder of CraveYouTV. What started off as a silly blog in her sophomore year at Columbia College Chicago turned her passion for watching TV into an opportunity! She has been in charge of CraveYou since 2011, writing reviews and news content for a wide variety of shows. Lizzy is a Music Business and Journalism major who has written for RADIO.COM, TV Fanatic, Time Out Chicago, Innerview, Pop’stache and Family Time.

The Santa Clauses

The Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 4 Recap – Miracle on Dead Creek

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The Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 4 Recap - Miracle on Dead Creek

Operation Save Easter is in full swing on The Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 4. Easter was celebrated as the holiday became the North Pole’s problem after Sandra accidentally turned the Easter Bunny into an actual bunny.

While Scott isn’t used to hiding Easter eggs and delivering baskets, he is used to sneaking into homes unnoticed to drop off goodies, so all they really needed to adjust was the costume—a funny hat, an eggplant coat, and an invisibility cloak that could’ve been straight from Hogwarts. 

Naturally, Cal assisted as part of his “Santa training,” which hasn’t been going so well, and while he definitely proved he has a long way to go when he mistakenly hid the Stink Eggs from the Basket of Tricks versus the actual eggs, it helped him get his mind off of Riley. 

Everything was going pretty smoothly, in fact, aside from Cal and Scott needing to backtrack to a few houses until Scott decided to be a good dad and stop by Riley’s place so that his son could see her. We knew Cal’s love life was going to cause problems, but in a way, it’s also a good thing that it brought the whole Mad Santa situation into Scott’s orbit as the elves were never going to fess up. Plus, it helped him make sense of the visions he was having. 

The arrival at Riley’s set off the alarms for Mad Santa, who put a whole plan into motion by using North Pole magic to turn Santaland into a premiere winter destination that rivaled the North Pole. Little did he know, Santa was actually in town for a different reason—and the elves chose to keep the North Pole magic being used in America a secret from Santa, as they were determined to keep him from finding out the truth about Mad Santa.

Was it the best decision? Likely not. But Noel is doing his best and hoping that it’s enough. Plus, they all vowed to protect Santa at all costs by closely monitoring him. When they realized he was on a collision course with Mad Santa, the emergency protocol was enacted just as Scott and Cal got caught in a trap set up by Olga. 

Mrs. Clause was the true hero of the episode, however, taking her jetpack to save her husband and son once she found out the truth about the missing nutcracker coming to life in Chicago. She never panics or misses a beat, which was also evident when she enlisted Sandra’s help to scavenge the Easter Bunny’s house to save the holiday. 

She use the opportunity to reconnect with Sandra, who was struggling from her fallout with La Befana and swore never to use magic again, despite the fact that she’s a witch. 

While I don’t know if destroying the Easter Bunny’s house—and defending it by saying he’s so messy he won’t even notice it—was the right move, it was sweet that she helped Sandra find an outlet to channel all of that anger. As women, we often need to be reminded that it is okay to be angry, and there’s a healthy way of getting all those emotions out without repressing them and letting them fester and make us resentful.

Overall, there were a few key developments, but mostly, the episode felt more like a filler, especially all the scenes with the Sandman. Even though Scott learned of Magnus Antas’ existence and came face to face with him, we will have to wait until next week’s episode to see what comes of it. Will he be furious with the elves, especially poor Noel?

What happened to him when he got hit with the ball of fire? Will Cal and Sandra play a role in helping Santa Scott defeat Mad Santa?

And what’s Magnus’ plan now that Santa is aware of him? It feels like he’s run his course in Santaland. You’d think Kris would’ve realized by now that Mad Santa is actually a villain, but alas, he’s just happy that he can make his father proud with his Christmas-themed park now a roaring success. 

Also, where is our girl Betty? Why aren’t we seeing more of her adventures in the real world? 

What did you think of the episode? Are you enjoying the season thus far?

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The Santa Clauses

The Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 3 Review – No Magic at the Dinner Table!

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The Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 3 Review - No Magic at the Dinner Table!

The Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 3, titled “No Magic at the Dinner Table,” was a slower-paced episode up until the final few moments where Cal and Sandra, being typical rebellious teenagers, took the reindeer to the real world to pay Cal’s ungrateful girlfriend, Riley, a visit, and unintentionally gave Mad Santa access to the magic he needed to kick off his reign of terror. 

That honestly about sums up the episode. 

Mad Santa and his sidekick struggled to make their way back to the North Pole for much of the episode, and without magic, they were rendered rather helpless, though they did bide the time by tormenting the poor Easter Bunny by forcing him to eat a huge pile of Peeps, which he likened to packing materials. They weren’t lying, Magnus Antas really is pure evil.

The Easter Bunny used his weaponized eggs—too many Peeps are bound to give you bad gas—to stage his swift escape, arriving at the North Pole to warn Santa Scott only to get turned into an actual bunny by Sandra, accidentally, of course. Scott’s children are creating a world of problems, and they can’t really be excused simply because they are accidents. They are both adult enough to understand that their actions have real-world consequences, but it proves that they aren’t ready to take on the family business. 

Not only is Scott completely unaware of the threat bubbling up in the real world, but because of Cal’s carelessness, Mad Santa was able to restore his powers using the Santa in training vest.

Cal threw the vest in anger after his visit to see his love Riley backfired, with the teen girl breaking up with him because he spends “too much time with his father” and not enough time with her. It was harsh when she asked him to dust her so she could forget all about him after he fought to have her included in all the North Pole shenanigans.

It’s almost like she didn’t realize he was in training to become Santa. But that’s the problem with young, and specifically, first love—it happens when you’re so young that it’s your whole world, when, in reality, Riley was never the right person for Cal, and he should’ve been focusing more on his future before letting the right woman in on his secret; a woman who would want to be part of it all right alongside him rather than making him choose. 

Teenagers, right? Instead of focusing so much on getting Cal to fly the sleigh, maybe Scott should be showing him the true meaning of the job, and emphasizing how important it is not to allow North Pole magic to infiltrate the real world as, clearly, danger is lurking everywhere.

Hopefully, now Cal will see things in a new light and begin to take his training seriously—or tell his father he’s not interested—because it’s something he wants to do, not because it’s something other people want from him. As you grow older, you begin to learn that you can’t please everyone.

And now that Mad Santa has access to magic, he can make good on his threat against Santa Scott, infiltrating the North Pole with his gnomes. It’s going to get ugly, I can feel it.

I hate to say anything negative against Mrs. Clause, especially after she had such a hard time accepting that her daughter was spending so much time with La Befana, but why has it been three months since she launched her investigation into the missing nutcracker and she’s wielded zero results? She couldn’t even verify that it was last seen in Chicago!

She should’ve focused more on the case and less on her jealousy, which was unwarranted as Sandra wasn’t trying to replace her or cut her out of her life, she was simply enjoying learning more about herself and her powers. Unfortunately, Sandra’s misstep with the transformation spell on the Easter Bunny drove a wedge between her and La Befana, who suggested that they hit the brakes on the training as she’s becoming too powerful too quickly. Everyone seems to have underestimated Sandra, so I understand her frustration over the years.

Of course, her powers could always come in handy now that the North Pole is about to get infiltrated by Mad Santa’s attack.

Also, where is Betty? None of this would’ve happened under her watch. Not to mention it’s been several months and she hasn’t come across Mad Santa in the real world, which seems unbelievable considering he smelled the reindeer the moment they set foot in the real world. I guess Mad Santa doesn’t have an elf radar at all. 

How is Betty faring? Will she make it back to the North Pole to help Santa Scott? Will the Legendaries be notified of Mad Santa’s return?

As for the best moments of the episode, it’s between Mad Santa and Olga trying to find a rideshare with their goat, stating that they’ve “brought their own provisions for the journey,” La Befana clarifying that her beautiful sing-songy voice is just her Italian accent, and Mrs. Clause dressing like Alice Cooper to connect with her teen daughter… for some reason.

What did you think of the episode? Did it feel more like filler to you before the real action starts? Will Santa Scott begin to understand that his children aren’t ready for the responsibilities of the North Pole?

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The Santa Clauses Season 2 Premiere Review – Kribble Krabble Floofy

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The Santa Clauses Season 2 Premiere Review Episode 1 and 2 - Kribble Krabble Floofy

It’s the holiday season, which means that Santa Claus is preparing for the holidays. Or so we’d like to think.

In the reality presented on season 2 of The Santa Clauses, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus have joined forces to solve a new mystery at the North Pole surrounding Magnus Antas. 

The second season hit Disney+ on Nov. 8 with two back-to-back episodes that dumped a lot of plot development onto us, alongside the rise of the Mad Santa in Chicago, Illinois, Scott Calvin’s old stomping ground.

A little backstory, that was gifted to audiences via the “cagey” elves that are trying to prevent Santa Scott from learning the truth about Mad Santa, Magnus Antas was turned into a nutcracker by the elves after he essentially went on an angry tirade against the world, earning him the nickname. After he was turned, Gary sold him off in an online auction to pay off his gambling debts, and thus, Mad Santa the nutcracker ended up in a failing Christmas shop in the Windy City. 

It’s in the elves’ best interest for present-day Santa not to find out about what they did, and it seems to be the North Pole’s biggest kept secret, though not the best as the moment Scott begins to ask questions about the specific Santa, the elves begin to scramble in fear. It doesn’t help that Betty, the Head Elf who always knows what to do, had to complete a mandatory Kribble Krabble aka a leave of absence from the North Pole to the real world for “rejuvenating purposes,” so no one knows exactly how to keep the Mad Santa situation under wraps. 

But it’s likely a good thing she’s out there visiting the top destinations of the world because it means she’ll be able to see first-hand the wrath of Mad Santa, who has come back to life after being a nutcracker for 700 years, along with his chilling gnome sidekick, Olga. And yes, she bites. 

Magnus Antas was sold to Kris, a Christmas museum manager who loves all-things Christmas and really believes in Santa Scott’s plan to restore the holiday magic. Kris’ shop is struggling, however, as the holiday season isn’t what it used to be, and after a fight with his pops, who wants to sell the store, a snowglobe breaks with the North Pole magic leaking next to the nutcracker and giving him life. 

Kris thinks he’s found the real Santa, but little does he know, he has the evil version that for a brief moment gets soft and wants to accept that people have changed only to realize that Olga was right—humanity is even worse now. All the kids scoff at his figs and walnuts as they hurl requests for Roblox at him. And thus, he declares his reign of terror with a plan to get rid of “weak” Santa and make the whole world pay. Is it dramatic? Yes. Is Eric Stonestreet the perfect villain, sprinkled with a dash of Donald Trump’s personality? It seems so…. which honestly, amplifies the whole storyline. 

And if you think that’s a lot, just strap on in because there’s so much more! 

The Santa Clauses Season 2 Premiere Review Episode 1 and 2 - Kribble Krabble Floofy

Credit: The Santa Clauses/ Disney+

Scott is determined to keep his family together by turning the North Pole into a family business. He gives Sandra the task of managing the reindeer, but her powers have amplified and she can now hear all the animals, which is driving her a bit mad. 

As for Cal, Scott’s decided that he’s going to be the next Santa Claus, waving away any doubts, objections, and criticism from the elves and the “legendaries” like Cupid, the Tooth Fairy, and more, which doesn’t seem to be wise since all of those people actually see Cal for the immature 18-year-old he really is. 

Cal seems interested in the North Pole business, but right now, he’s also more invested in his girlfriend, Riley. As Cupid pointed out, first love is much more powerful than any magic, so while I agree with Scott that she’s a nuisance, we have to let the floofy’s relationship just run its course. 

Scott should also be reminded that when the Santa suit fell into his lap (and the previous Santa fell off his roof) in the original film, he wasn’t all too thrilled to give up the life he had/envisioned for himself either, so it would be wise to at least let Cal figure out who he is before forcing all this responsibility on him. He’s grown up in the North Pole, sheltered for most of his life, so he doesn’t even have the grasp of life to understand how important the role is or what’s needed of him.

I’d like to think that the Santa suit finds its next successor when ready—sorry, Cal. 

Additionally, Scott seems to be pushing this narrative because he’s always wanted someone in the family to take over when it was his time to retire, and his first son, Charlie, wasn’t interested either. I hope they acknowledge that this is the motivation at some point this season to not completely shrug off the fact that Scott has another child. 

Looping back to Sandra, while Mrs. Claus insisted that she was just going through “biological” developments, it turns out that she’s harnessing powers of her own. Witchy powers, that is. The idea of being a witch seems very frowned upon at the North Pole, but Sandra, don’t worry, in the real world, witches are the absolute coolest! La Befana offered to help Sandra get control over her magic, and not only is it a nice reprieve from the North Poleness of it all, but La Befana is an actual hoot! If I’m being quite honest, I’m more interested to see how Sandra’s storyline will play out than I am to see Cal’s training take place. 

As you can see, there’s no shortage of material for the second season of The Santa Clauses. I’d argue that this season might even be better than the first one since we’re already acquainted with all the elves and know exactly what to expect from everyone. The Mad Santa storyline also allows us to dig deeper into the elves’ backstories, and somehow, seeing them as elves decades ago makes the whole thing less childish. The North Pole may be super tacky now, but back in the day, it was nothing but caves and iron thrones—they’ve come a long way!

What did you think of The Santa Clauses Season 2 Episodes 1 and 2? Are you looking forward to a face-off between Santa Scott and Mad Santa? 

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