Review in a Tweet: “The #SantasInTheBarn start losing their holiday spirit, and get a little Grinchy”
Episode Description: “The Krampus Attacks! In tonight’s episode the Santa’s venture into the workshop only to discover it has been attacked by the mischievous Krampus, leaving all the presents in pieces. Thus, it’s up to the nine remaining Santa’s to save Christmas by making toys. In so doing, the Santas discover the art of toy-making, gingerbread house-building and what it truly means to have the Christmas spirit.”
Santa John is immediately eliminated! That’s just good television. Instant gratification and I didn’t have to wait a whole week. This guy really didn’t fit in with the rest of the Santas, who for the most part seem like decent normal people who don’t drink energy drinks for breakfast. But as the new games commence, new tensions build. The first games have teams creating toys out of broken toys in a scenario where Karmpus messes with Santa’s Workshop so the Santas are forced to make some makeshift toys out of whatever they can salvage. The best part about this competition is the judging, as Jon Gabrus brings in a bunch of children to judge the toys. There is no coheision as to why each kid liked or disliked anything, making me personally laugh and fear having a child.
The next competition was to have teams build giant ginger bread houses, two members build while the other member tells them how to build and decorate them according to a model. I imagine it would a lot of fun playing the game, but it was boring to watch. Some snide remarks from Gabrus here and ther helped, but it was mostly just a bunch of yelling and bad shots of an incomplete ginger bread house. The drama of eliminating someone was not high in tension this episode, which is why I think they revealed it immediately. I won’t spoil it if you haven’t watched it. But it does start setting up lines and potential future Santas who will likely often return to the elimination discussion.
Without the obnoxious jerk, it allows for audiences to choose who they want to lose. I personally feel a lot less holiday spirited doing so, as I find myself choosing people I find to be less intelligent, or have an annoying voice, to lose. Overall, the contestants seem to be stickting to their Santacratic oathes and voting on how they believe that dictates. It was a fun episode, but the Santa draw is losing it’s appeal, and now it’s seeming just like another reality competition show.
Summary
The show is quickly becoming another run in the mill reality competition but with a Christmas theme. Fun for the family, but it defintely only gets a boost because of the holiday season.
