American Housewife : "Krampus Katie"

Premiered December 13, 2016

Anna-Kat: Viv is just like Santa. She gives gifts, she volunteers, she even wears the hat.
Katie: No, I'm like Santa. We both have the same body-type, and we make lists of people who've pissed us off.
Anna Kat: You're more like Krampus.
Katie: Who's Krampus?

Christmas is coming, but Katie Otto (Katy Mixon) is fed up with the materialism displayed by residents of Westport, Connecticut.  She doesn't want her kids to get caught up in the "shallowness" of the rich.

Katie's spirits are further dampened when her annoying neighbor Viv (Leslie Bibb) arrives unannounced and gifts Katie with a new Fit Bit.  After critiquing the Ottos' Christmas decorations, Viv tells them she's chairing the school holiday concert.  She needs help setting up and assumes Katie will volunteer to help.

Santa Viv brings Katie "the gift of potential" -- a Fitbit.  Katie does not appreciate the implications of this gift.

Anna-Kat (Julia Butters) says Viv is just like Santa, since she brings gifts, volunteers and wears the Santa hat.  She compares her mother to Krampus, the "half-goat, half-demon who punishes children during the holidays."

Anna-Kat worries their Elf on the Mantle (it's half the price of the one you're thinking of) is watching and will tell Santa that Katie is acting like Krampus. 

Of course, this would also mean no gifts for the entire family.    To make matters worse,  Katie accidentally sets the elf on fire and Anna-Kat witnesses it.

 Not wanting to be seen as a Krampus, Katie agrees to help Viv decorate for the concert, hoping it will make things right with the elf and Anna-Kat.

The older kids Taylor (Meg Donnelly) and Oliver (David DiMaggio)  find unwrapped gifts and tell their parents they're not satisfied with their presents.

Their father Greg (Diedrich Bader) decides to teach them a lesson by taking them to visit lonely senior citizens at a nursing home.  Unfortunately, the kids learn the wrong lesson when a woman mistakes them for her grand kids and gives them $100 cash.

Katie goes to the school to help Viv decorate for the concert.  Viv is even more obnoxious than usual and is driving Katie crazy.

Viv deems Katie's present wrapping skills to be sub-par

She wonders if Viv and the other housewives are as happy as they appear.  Her friends Doris (Ali Wong) and Angela (Carly Hughes) think the other housewives are creepy and tell Katie acting happy is against her nature.

Will Katie survive the festive season or will Krampus get the better of her?

J.A. Morris says:
This is a solid episode of American Housewife.  We see the Otto family grappling with difficulties many of us face during the holiday season.  Most of us would like to think of ourselves as being more like Santa than Krampus.  And I would like to think few of are like Krampus.  However, as Katie says, sometimes you have to be Krampus to get through the holiday season. 

Leslie Bibb gives a good performance here as "Santa Viv."  She makes Viv's over-the-top manic happiness believable.

Some notes about the actors:

This is the second time this blog has featured a Christmas episode that includes Deidrich Bader.  We reviewed the fantastic holiday episode of Batman:The Brave and The Bold a few Christmases ago.  Bader provided the voice of Batman in that episode.

Also, during the nursing home scenes, Greg meets a resident named Mr. Montez.  He's played by Hal Linden, who many will remember from his years playing the title role on Barney Miller.

This episode is available to watch on Amazon streaming and on iTunes.

"Krampus Katie" is very funny and also manages to make some points about consumerism and how we often feel the need to fake a cheerful attitude during the holiday season.  I won't call it a classic, but it's recommended.

J.A. Morris' rating:

.5

3 and a half candy canes

RigbyMel says: 

I enjoy the American Housewife series quite a bit and "Krampus Katie" is a fun holiday themed episode.   I find it interesting that the long standing European tradition surrounding Krampus -- who accompanies St. Nick and traditionally punishes bad children, seems to be gaining traction in the U.S.  of late to the point that a mainstream ABC sitcom references it.

Santa Viv is excited to "get her hands on" Katie.  Katie is ... less enthused.

As J.A. Morris points out, the difficulties faced by Katie and her family are recognizable ones that many of us face during the Christmas season.  The fact that the Ottos live in a wealthy suburb of Connecticut, but are not wealthy themselves is a regular feature of the show, and the holidays have a way of bringing these sorts of disparities to a head, and the show does a good job of highlighting the humor inherent in some of the more materialistic aspects of the season. 

There's also some nice interplay between Greg's generally more positive outlook on the season and his well meaning attempts to teach his entitled older kids a Christmas lesson -- which of course backfires spectacularly and keeps backfiring. 

The Krampus connection here makes a good counterpoint to the competitive materialism on show around Westport.   When Viv designates Katie to take some presents to "less fortunate" neighbors,  Katie agrees in hopes of getting on Anna-Kat's (and the Elf on the Mantle's) good side and the whole family goes to discover that the "less fortunate" family is only unfortunate in that they've had their overseas assets frozen and can only afford to go on vacation in ... Hawaii.   That might bring out the Krampus in anyone.

The older Otto kids' takeaway from the "less fortunate family" experience is that "No matter how rich you are, expensive gifts still make a difference."   Yikes! 

We also get a great climactic scene involving Anna-Kat's school concert  -- with over the top Santa's Workshop decorations by Viv,  who is using the volunteer task as a way to gain points with the  Westport elite.

The humor of the series lies somewhat in its snark.  Fun comedy relies on exaggeration and the unexpected and "Krampus Katie" serves up some good stuff in this regard -- I particularly appreciate the trampling of the Elf on the Mantle  (I am not a fan of the surveillance elf, sorry, it is creepy) and that Katie's ultimate Christmas lesson of the episode is summed up as "Identify morons and yell at them."  The holidays are rife with potential for frustration and disappointment and being able to laugh about our foibles as exaggerated in a sitcom provides a nice bit of Yuletide catharsis  -   which is probably part of why holiday episodes are such a popular TV trope.

Anna-Kat checks in with the (scorched) elf

"Krampus Katie" is a fun episode of an enjoyable series.  Although maybe not quite a classic, it's well worth seeking out if you need a laugh or two this holiday season.

RigbyMel's rating: 



3 candy canes

a half-goat, half-demon who punishes children during the holidays, and sometimes eats their hands and butts.
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Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Invasion of the Secret Santas!"

Red Tornado:"I am lacking Christmas Spirit."
Batman:"It's overrated."

After a brief fight with some bad guys at a Christmas bowling tournament, Blue Beetle (Will Friedle) invites Batman (Dedrich Bader) to spend Christmas Eve dinner with him.   Batman rebuffs the offer saying, "Crime doesn't take a holiday, and neither do I." Batman is not a huge fan of the holiday season, since his parents were murdered in front of him on Christmas night.

Meanwhile, android superhero Red Tornado (Corey Burton) is also having trouble getting into the holiday spirit, despite extensive research and home decorating.   Red Tornado has never celebrated the holiday before and longs to experience the "tingling sensation" of good cheer.

Batman and Red Tornado's search for Christmas cheer is rudely interrupted when a villain called Fun Haus (Gary Anthony Williams) unleashes an army of evil robot Santas and dangerous toys on the unsuspecting citizens of Gotham City.

Red Tornando and Batman join forces to stop Fun Haus, but can even their combined might save Christmas, let alone their Holiday spirit?  

J.A. Morris says:

This is one of my favorite modern Christmas episodes.  I've always been a big fan of comic books and superheroes. Batman: The Brave and the Bold was a great show and a reminder that Batman doesn't always need to be grim and gritty.  There should always be room for "Fun Batman," and this episode is lots of fun.  Any Christmas episode that features Batman riding a reindeer while chasing down a sleigh driven by a robot Santa Claus is a classic in my book!

But it's not all laughs.  We learn that Batman doesn't celebrate Christmas because that's the day his parents were gunned down.  Their deaths are shown via flashback and it's a very powerful moment in for show aimed at children.

The Red Tornado's desire to learn about the Holiday season (and become more human) was very touching. The "robot who wants to be human" is a plot that's been done many times, but it's handled nicely here.  Veteran voice actor Corey Burton does a great job portraying Red Tornado.

There are also some nice references to other classic Christmas programming.  We get a cool piano jazz holiday tune on the soundtrack that's reminiscent of Vince Guaradi's Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack.

Fun Haus is a new villain  (his appearance is based on an old comic villain named Toyman) and he makes for a great Christmas antagonist.  His "evil" toys and robot St. Nicks add to the Yultide mayhem.

One note of caution: Some very young children may be frightened or saddened by the robot Santas and their onscreen destruction.

"Invasion of the Secret Santas!" (yes, the title has an exclamation point!) is available on DVD & Blu Ray and also streams on Netflix and Amazon instant video.

It's been part of my annual Christmas viewing ever since 2008.  It contains a great mix of action, comedy and Holiday sentiment.

J.A. Morris' rating:

 

4 candy canes!

RigbyMel says: 

This is a great Christmas episode of a great series.   Part of what makes the whole Batman: The Brave and the Bold series so fun in general is the sense of humor and fun that prevailed in and around the great action sequences.

This Christmas episode is no exception, and might even be a notch above the show's usual high "Fun Batman" standards.  

The sense of fun is underscored by the many meta-awesome references that are sprinkled like Christmas ornaments throughout the show.

Red Tornado is shown teaching archaeology at a local college a la Indiana Jones.  Fun Haus' first ploy to attract Batman's attention involves flying saucers and makes me think of Santa Claus Conquers The Martians.   The evil robot Santas evoke several holiday themed Doctor Who episodes.  The theft of Christmas presents angle is reminiscent of the Grinch.

But don't think that this is just an arch collection of references, this episode really has heart as well.  Red Tornado's quest to experience the "tingling sensation" brought on by the Christmas spirit is quite touching.  He even goes so far as to give Batman a "World's Greatest Detective" mug (referencing Batman's first appearances in Detective Comics as well one of the monikers by which he is known). This is probably my favorite moment in the whole episode.

Getting to see Batman riding a reindeer is pretty awesome too, though.  

The fun and heart are also mixed with pathos as we learn of the reason for Batman's dislike of the holiday season.  

The range of emotions, great action sequences and the sense of wonder underlying this episode make it well worth adding to your annual holiday viewing.  Highly recommended.

Rigbymel's rating:

4 candy canes!