The Santa Clauses
The Santa Clauses Season Finale Review – A Christmas to Remember (106)
Scott Calvin is back where he belongs—at the North Pole, and more importantly, in the Santa suit.
The Santa Clauses wrapped up its six-episode run with a rather joyous episode that reignited the magic of the holidays at the North Pole and around the world.
But before the celebrations could truly begin, Scott and his family had to stop Simon Choksi from ruining everything… unintentionally, of course.
Simon, who was hand-picked as Scott’s successor, was totally unaware that he was the bad guy in the narrative. You would think that the disappearance of all the elves and Christmas cheer, in general, would’ve been a red flag, but he was so laser-focused on making Christmas accessible to everyone all the time that he lost sight of the true meaning. He didn’t feel the elves’ absence because he’d already replaced them with drones!
While the series made an effort not to label Simon as the bad guy—he was just a dad who lost his way—Simon was kind of embracing his inner villain by the end when he unleashed the “foot soldiers” to stop the intruders, shooed Grace away because he was on the brink of getting everything that he’s ever wanted, and tried to light the Santa coat on fire. I mean, his behavior was borderline unhinged, but thankfully, seeing all the pain and hurt that he caused through the eyes of his daughter snapped him back to reality.
Simon never meant to cause so much destruction, he simply didn’t recognize it for what it was until it was almost too late and the Christmas spirit orb turned pitch black signaling the end of times. Okay, that was bleak, but it didn’t bode well for operation save Christmas.
Scott didn’t point fingers at Simon—though he did question how he managed to remain convinced he was “the nice guy”—but instead, took the blame onto himself for shirking his responsibilities in the first place when things got tough. Instead of stepping up to the plate when things got hard, he stepped down. And Santa himself let go of the Christmas spirit, how could anyone else hold on?
The scene underscored exactly why Scott was the right fit for the role; his priorities are in order and he understands the true meaning of Christmas that goes beyond the gifts and the presents. It’s about the spirit of giving and spreading hope and joy, which gave him the idea of what might reignite the Christmas spirit around the world.
If it wasn’t for Scott’s experience in Chicago, he likely would’ve never been able to step back and reflect or see that the way out is through. But by distancing himself from the North Pole and the responsibilities that come with the red coat, he was able to appreciate it all and see it through a new lens.
It’s almost like Scott Calvin was feeling burnout, which is normal in any job. We’re human—we don’t always get it right, but when we’re reminded why we do what we do in our chosen field, it helps us reset and see the necessary steps.
His family also felt the burnout, so the break also gave them a new perspective of just how lucky they are to have this connection to the North Pole. When the coat found its way back to its rightful owner, Carol, Sandra, and Cal couldn’t be more supportive of Scott’s decision to re-embrace the role. After all, it’s why the coat hid itself from Simon as it never wanted to make this change permanent.
This might be a good time to suggest that Santa and his family be allowed to take a vacation from their version of Christmas every day. Maybe they can write that in as a new clause in the contracts now that the North Pole and the elves, including Betty, are loosening up on the rules a bit?
Credit: The Santa Clauses/Disney+
During Scott’s hiatus as Santa, the Calvin family also realized that they aren’t just bystanders at the North Pole—they are crucial to the whole ecosystem. Carol finally embraced her role as Mrs. Claus when she singlehandedly took down those life-size nutcracker foot soldiers. She went from a timid, “unknown” character to an action-movie heroine. And she’s right, it is the Chicago way.
Sandra found that talking to animals came with a handful of benefits, including learning that the reindeer don’t actually like their given names.
As for Cal, his magical powers manifested in a similar way to his father’s, which means that when the time finally comes for Scott Calvin to retire, he’ll be able to pass on the coat to his son. Cal may not be the brightest, but he has a knack for this Santa stuff! Did you see the way he connected with the drones who truly opened up when you got to know them? And hopefully, through his Santa-in-training apprenticeship, he’ll only get better.
With the Santa business becoming a full-blown family affair, Noel decided to hang back and spend time catching up with Betty while Scott and his family got to work on Christmas Eve. It was the first time that they spent Christmas together as a family in 20 years, and it couldn’t have been more special. And honestly, it’s how it always should have been. No offense to the elves, who do a fabulous job keeping the whole thing afloat, but since the holidays are all about families coming together, it only makes sense that Santa’s little helpers for the evening would be his closest family.
Disney+ may have only planned for a limited series run, but I think there’s potential here for an additional few seasons—within reason, of course. We don’t want to burn out the concept, but there’s definitely potential into making this something that generations to come can look forward to. When Tim Allen no longer finds the joy in this, audiences will already be primed to accept Austin Kane as his successor.
The last stop of the night was Riley’s house where Cal could prove to her that he wasn’t lying about his father being Santa. The poor girl’s reaction was sheer disbelief, but when Cal handed her the gift for her brother and her favorite flower, a poinsettia, it was clear that he was telling the truth. And that kiss leads me to believe that we may have found our future Mrs. Claus!
As for Simon and Grace, they both got the best gift of all—each other. All Grace ever wanted was her dad, and all Grace’s late mother ever wanted was for Simon to be present in her life. Simon lost sight in his attempt to give Grace, and himself, the world, but when he was finally shown her favorite Christmas memory that hinged on togetherness, he realized that he had gone slightly overboard.
Though the North Pole’s protocol has always been to erase the memories of outsiders, it definitely seemed as though they allowed the father-daughter duo, who are now like the Calvins’ extended family, the keep theirs intact. Honestly, since it helped Simon turn over a new leaf and reign himself in from his dreams of taking over the world, it’s probably for the best. This is a Christmas that they’ll always remember.
In the end, Scott, er, Santa, and his family needed to infuse the world with a little Christmas magic, leaving everyone on the nice list a snow globe that, upon shaking, unearthed their favorite Christmas memory. The only way to help someone remember is to remind them through a personal connection—just like the series did for all the ’90s kids!
Other Thoughts
- There’s a little Le Befana in all of us, especially when it comes to soup season.
- I also loved her outrage upon finding out that the Yule-verse was a boys-only club.
- Scott has been at the North Pole for 20+ years and he didn’t know that the jail cell bars were made of licorice? Oh, boy.
The series received mixed reviews, but I think we can all agree that while there was never any credible threat to the North Pole (it was obvious that a solution would be reached before it was too late), it was nice to catch up with the Calvins and go on yet another adventure with them. No sequel or limited series will measure up to the innocence and playfulness of the original 1994, but that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable.
In the end, the whole point was to sprinkle in some magic through nostalgia into our everyday lives—and that it did.
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?
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?
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!
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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