I say mostly fine because I enjoyed 5/6 episodes. I thought in general the show was well-written, with good jokes that fit the overall tone of the series. The cast were good, I really thought Betty was a good successor to Bernard and Curtis before her, and everyone else did a good job overall.
Now, what I didn't like. The 1 episode I object to is episode 5. In this, it's revealed that Scott Calvin is, despite what the previous 3 movies led us to believe, not the latest in a long line of humans who took up the role of Santa Claus. He is the first human Santa (what the previous ones were is never properly addressed), and was chosen specifically for some arbitrary reason of them wanting to raise human kids at the North Pole.
This of course raises plenty of plot-related questions, such as "If Mrs Claus is so important and specifically planned by Bernard, why did Bernard wait 8 years before mentioning it?". Questions such as why the Escape Clause exists at all, and why Jack Frost was able to trigger the Santa Clause. Where did all those snow globes come from in the 3rd film?
And of course, the fact is kind of ruins the themes of the movies, that Scott was a grumpy guy who randomly stumbles into this enormous responsibility, and uses it to turn his life around and that of his family. It's much better than the "chosen one" nature that this series wants to portray. I'm reminded of the Timeless Child twist in Doctor Who, where decades of continuity are retconned for the sake of a plot twist.
Personally, until something proves otherwise, I'm gonna go with the explanation that Bernard and the previous Santa were lying in order to give Scott a pep-talk, and that no, he's not the first human Santa.
Now, what I didn't like. The 1 episode I object to is episode 5. In this, it's revealed that Scott Calvin is, despite what the previous 3 movies led us to believe, not the latest in a long line of humans who took up the role of Santa Claus. He is the first human Santa (what the previous ones were is never properly addressed), and was chosen specifically for some arbitrary reason of them wanting to raise human kids at the North Pole.
This of course raises plenty of plot-related questions, such as "If Mrs Claus is so important and specifically planned by Bernard, why did Bernard wait 8 years before mentioning it?". Questions such as why the Escape Clause exists at all, and why Jack Frost was able to trigger the Santa Clause. Where did all those snow globes come from in the 3rd film?
And of course, the fact is kind of ruins the themes of the movies, that Scott was a grumpy guy who randomly stumbles into this enormous responsibility, and uses it to turn his life around and that of his family. It's much better than the "chosen one" nature that this series wants to portray. I'm reminded of the Timeless Child twist in Doctor Who, where decades of continuity are retconned for the sake of a plot twist.
Personally, until something proves otherwise, I'm gonna go with the explanation that Bernard and the previous Santa were lying in order to give Scott a pep-talk, and that no, he's not the first human Santa.