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Santa.Inc is the new adult stop-motion eight-episode television show released by HBO Max for the holiday season. Stop-motion has essentially been a Christmas tradition directed towards children. But with Santa.Inc, creator Alexandra Rushfield offers adults a raunchy Christmas comedy in the garb of a stop-motion picture.
Santa.Inc tries something witty with the traditional Santa story. It's not the feel-good Christmas story that one anticipated. The series attempts to move away from the fairytale story of Christmas and instead employs realistic themes while keeping with the Christmas spirit.
Plot of 'Santa.Inc'
Santa.Inc is the story of what goes on in Santa's corporate house in the North Pole, named Santa.Inc. It is a realistic reflection of the corporate and capitalistic world but tells that tale in the vestige of a Christmas story.
Candy is an elf who recently leveled up to being chief of operations when Brent, a former employee, left the company to work at Amazon. Brent was the presumed successor to the current Santa. With him gone, Santa must now appoint another successor urgently.
Candy never dared to let her ambition soar, but with Brent gone, she was finally daring to dream big to become the next Santa - the first woman Santa in history. She pitches her idea and Santa decides to think about it. The series' narrative mirrors real-life instances of women pushing for success in a male-dominated corporate world where cut-throat competition and oppression of women are rampant.
Candy did not lose faith despite all the mockery she faced for her suggestion of the first female Santa. She continued her struggle but alienated her family and friends and blemished her personality. She lies and deceits to make it big but fails to grapple with the diminishing payoffs.
Can there be a second season?
Santa.Inc ends on a note that might create some anticipation about another season.
Despite the lengths Candy goes to, the role of Santa's successor is offered to Devin, her intern, the typically chubby white boy who would slip perfectly into Santa's shoes.
Candy now decides to start a revolution for the sake of the workers of Santa.Inc and organizes a walk-out on Christmas eve so that Santa is forced to consider their demands.
Candy also has certain tricks up her sleeves. She was aware of the corruption within Santa's factory. She threatened to make them public, forcing Santa to accept the workers' demands, like basic pay hikes, health care, and maternity benefits.
The feuding parties reach a compromise and it all seems to be drawing down on a good note. But then comes the twist. On her way to work one day, Candy runs over Junior, Santa's top reindeer. He had previously verbally assaulted and mistreated Candy.
Instead of helping Junior, Candy leaves the injured to his fate. But the ending doesn't suggest that he is dead. The final scene shows Junior's nose starting to glow again as he lay wounded in the middle of the road.
The series leaves viewers on a cliffhanger with questions like, Is Junior alive? If he is alive, what lies in store for Candy? She could technically be charged with homicide unless she can find a way to escape her fate. Only the second season of Santa.Inc could attempt to answer these questions.
Catch the new holiday series Santa.Inc is streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
