Santa, Inc., HBO Max's latest eight-episode animated series from Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman, landed on the streaming service earlier this month. Noddings to Rankin-Bass Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Santa, Inc. follows a female elf named Candy Smalls (Silverman) who decides that she wants to break down the inherent patriarchal structures of the North Pole and become the next Santa Clause (Rogen).
Since its release, however, Santa, Inc. has received extremely negative reviews and currently holds a 4% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The holiday-inspired series wouldn't, of course, be the first time that Rogen has incorporated his signature (and popular) crude comedy into animated media--the 2016 comedy Sausage Party was filled with mature humor--leaving many people wondering why Santa, Inc. has seemingly bombed with critics and audiences. Rogen, in fact, blames white supremacists for the negative reviews, citing the series' progressive values as a fundamental reason for their dislike. Even still, when a show gets this much buzz, it is almost certain that many will be tuning in to watch in order to judge for themselves. Let's dive into the possibility of Santa, Inc. getting a second season.
The Cast: Who Could Return
The cast is led by the talented Rogen and Silverman. The chances of the show returning without these two are slim to none. The series is also filled with other A-list talents. Nicholas Braun, for instance, voices the character of Devin The Intern. Braun has been gaining a lot of praise and popularity mostly due to his fan-favorite role of cousin Greg on HBO's Succession. The cast also includes comedic actor Craig Robinson who has worked with Rogan before in films like This Is The End. Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe plays Goldie, a bi-sexual reindeer, and stand-up comedian Maria Bamford takes the part of Mrs. Claus. With a star-studded cast such as this, it would be expected that they would return for a second season. At the same time, Rogen is known to work with several comedic actors such as Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill in the past. It could be expected that some of his long-time collaborators could sign on for season two.
The Plot: What Other Stories Could Be Told
Santa, Inc.'s plot in season one follows Candy as she tries to break through the patriarchy of the North Pole and become the first woman Santa Claus. Along the way, she overcomes several obstacles with the help of her friends. The season ends with her intern Devin being offered the position of Santa. Candy starts a revolution for Santa Inc's workers and leads a walkout on Christmas Eve. On her way home from work one day, Candy accidentally runs over Junior the reindeer (Robinson) and flees the accident. We find out that Junior is still alive, leaving a major cliffhanger for the audience. The series has many strings left untied and sets up the possibility for a second season where Candy will continue her quest in bringing down the patriarchy, while also facing criminal consequences for hurting Junior.
What The Critics Are Saying
The critics have been a bit more favorable to Santa, Inc. compared to audience reviews. In an article about whether to stream or skip Santa, Inc., Joel Keller from Decider stated,
"STREAM IT. Sure, Santa, Inc. isn’t afraid to get raunchy, and it feels like it lays that raunchiness on a bit thick. But there is a fun story at its center, backed by funny performances from Silverman, Rogen and the rest of the cast."
The ode to stop motion animation, with Rogan's crude humor seems to work for many critics. For others, including Daniel D'Addario from Variety, it doesn't work as much. D'Addario stated,
"The juxtaposition of the admittedly gaudy trappings of a season of joy and Santa, Inc.’s calculated raunchiness tend to feel less irreverent than attention-seeking in a way the sheer joke-writing can’t justify.”
For many critics, the combination of adult humor and Christmas traditions just don't play out.
Would Audiences Want a Season 2 of Santa, Inc.?
Santa, Inc. has been getting a shocking amount of hate from audiences. The series has become the lowest-rated television show in history and has landed the number one spot in IMDB's lowest-rated series. Rogen has stated that “tens of thousands of white supremacists'' are to blame for the low rating. We live in a country that is extremely politically divided. Woke culture is a rather new concept that many people are not ready to hop on. One would think that themes of equality and feminism would be something that all people could get behind. At the end of the day, one has to wonder whether it is the message that the show is trying to convey, or the actual creative content that is creating so much hate. Rogen and Silverman's comedy is usually very popular, but there seems to be a disconnect between their latest project and some audiences. Maybe it is the fact that Christmas is so sacred to many, and there is resistance to seeing those traditions change. Maybe the world isn't quite ready for a woman Santa Claus. In the end, viewership will inform HBO Max's decision on whether the much-talked-about series will get a season 2.