Floofy
Santa Claus gets three months to train his son, Cal, to take over for him, but Cal has other plans as he can’t stop thinking about his girlfriend, Riley. And Santa’s daughter, Sandra, is developing witch powers and must be trained by the only witch she knows, La Befana. The Head Elf, Betty, must spend some time in the real world. Meanwhile, the Mad Santa and his gnome sidekick have been freed from their nutcracker prison and are bonding with Kris Kringle in Santopolis.
The Mad Santa
Eric Stonestreet as Magnus Atus continues to steal the show whenever he is on screen as the villainous Mad Santa. In this episode, he is a long way from the North Pole after having been turned into a nutcracker and sold on the black market to cover Gary’s, the head of E.L.F.S., gambling debts. Viewers also learn more about his working relationship with gnomes and how that caused consternation among the elves who don’t like working with gnomes.
Plus, the Mad Santa storyline allows viewers to learn more about Betty’s time as an elf and how she wasn’t always as dedicated to the North Pole as she has become under Scott Calvin’s time as Santa Claus. She was willing to leave because of the Mad Santa, but now she doesn’t want to leave because this is her home and she is the best at making the North Pole run smoothly.
Santa’s Family
While season one put a little focus on Santa’s family as part of the retirement storyline, this season is giving some in-depth details about his family. Cal is loveable and sweet and has developed some North Pole magical powers. However, he is afraid of heights and doesn’t want to be Santa. It presents an interesting dichotomy as Santa loves his son and wants to keep the job in the family business, but Cal doesn’t want the job.
Meanwhile, Sandra’s powers that were first described as being able to hear animals are developing further with each passing episode. She is learning how to harness her powers so the animals’ speech won’t overwhelm her. While this may lead to some issues between Sandra and her parents, La Befana goes about training her the right way. La Befana respects Santa Claus and while she’s willing to train Sandra, her parents have to know about it.
And Mrs. Claus is stepping up to have a purpose. Carol is taking over E.L.F.S. and leading the investigation into the missing nutcracker. While they don’t know that the Mad Santa is supposed to be contained in the nutcracker, they know it’s supposed to be at the North Pole and not sold on the black market. This is the most she’s had to do since the second film, and Elizabeth Mitchell is such a good actress, it seems a shame she was wasted in the third film and the first season of this show.
Other Magical Creatures
One of the best parts of the film trilogy is the introduction of other magical and mythical creatures. Episode two of season two features Cupid played by Kevin Pollack. He is on hand to spy on Santa as the other magical creatures are aware of Santa’s plan and aren’t sold on the idea of Cal as the next Santa. While most magical creatures don’t intervene with the actions of others, they are considering taking action if Cal isn’t ready in three months.
While Cupid’s appearance in episode two was solid, this series will benefit from the appearance of other magical creatures like him. The Easter Bunny has been teased for episode three, and hopefully, some others will make an appearance going forward. It’s a shame we can’t get Art Lillard’s Tooth Fairy due to Lillard’s passing, but more magical creatures will improve this series.
More Betty Needed
The only downside to this episode is the lack of Betty. She was one of the best parts for season one and while it makes sense she has to be outside the North Pole to drive the Mad Santa storyline, parallel editing can show viewers what she’s doing in the human world while everything else is going on at the North Pole. The young actress who plays Betty is clearly talented, and this reviewer wants to see more of her character going forward.
Conclusion
As this series goes on, viewers will learn more about the family Scott and Carol have built at the North Pole, as well as the interactions with elves and other North Pole creatures. Meanwhile, the Mad Santa is now on the loose and trying to make his way back to what he views as his rightful place as Santa Claus at the North Pole. It’s still cheesy, but it’s also a lot of fun and manages to hit all the right notes for a show focused on the holidays.
Be sure to check out The Santa Clauses streaming on Disney+.
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