This time, I have decided to look at an episode of one of my favorite Nicktoon series, that would be "My Life as a Teenage Robot". This series ran from 2003-2009 (too much detail for this post to explain that date) and has 39 episodes, like Weekenders! Anyway, I'm looking at the Christmas episode : A Robot for All Seasons. This is the first episode of season 2 and it first aired on December 8th 2004.
The episode already starts with some action of very fast "Santa" coming through and delivering presents. It's actually the main character, the robot, Jenny (or XJ-9) the reason why she is doing Santa's job is because Santa was injured in a mysterious accident. So Jenny has saved Christmas, that means this special is short, what a great special, I enjoyed that. There's even a cheesy Christmas song, that happens in Christmas specials, which is slightly catchy. That was a great episode, short but great!
Christmas is saved! / Copyright Viacom
Well tune in next time, when we don't pull this joke....
The episode continues with the day after Christmas, and Jenny, Brad, and Tuck go the mall to go for the annual tradition of post-Christmas shopping. Jenny sees a sad child who is sad that he doesn't get what he wants for Christmas. Jenny decides to let the boy , Todd Sweeny (wait they did what now? Oh you crafty crafty writers) to take her to his house for day of fun with a robot. (What does that mean?) She also finds out he is rich. Jenny plays along with him and when he puts a device on her; she thinks nonetheless.
Control Robot with Robot stuff/ Copyright Viacom
Todd tells her that he really wants weapons for Christmas, and that's what he really wants. (There's the reason, he didn't qualify for the background checks, duh!) He knocks out Jenny; but it seems she wakes up and escapes the mansion. Jenny makes it back to town and notices the town is celebrating Christmas.
There's something we and she don't yet. People in the town start attacking her and she doesn't know why. This makes her go back to Todd to wonder what the heck is going on? This Christmas episode really has taken a dark turn: Jenny is being chased by police and everyone in the town hates her. The drama is really built up well and we are just as confused because we with Jenny in the technical sense. (I was literally there, I'm a cartoon)
Luckily the one boy who has crush on her, Sheldon, finds her and he's the only one that doesn't hate her. (His Robot Love keeps his heart strong) He's also there to tell us what is going on here.
We'll get to that but first, Santa says there are spoilers a head, so yes. Also more after the Jump.
Sheldon tells Jenny that she disappeared nearly a year ago, until she started showing up holidays and wrecking them. (Aww that's cute, this special thinks groundhog day is a holiday,and not a movie) Jenny is back to visit Todd Sweeney.
The villain gets a sappy backstory! [ Todd doesn't like Christmas because Santa gave his parents a vacation and they decided to not return. Todd wants no more holiday cheer. Now, he wants to destroy Christmas. In fact, that's the reason why Santa was injured the year before.]
Meanwhile, Brad is out to help Santa and stop Jenny from destroying Christmas. Also, Santa has an elf army. (Merry Christmas!) Ripped Santa and Jenny have a fight because that's the kind of Christmas we need. Actually it was Todd controlling Jenny, but she had a trick and faked in mind control and she spanks Todd. (What?)
Merry and Bright, Santa is ready to fight/Copyright Viacom
[ Todd is then added to the naughty list and Jenny makes away give away some stuff. Also, Hey Charlie Brown what are you doing here?
When Toddy gives away a gift himself he turns nice and they make a Grinch reference and his parents returned because what? Then the special ends with that song again, and it's a funny ending that'll have to see.
This episode has a lot of great things going for it. There is the start that makes it feel like you came in at the end of the episode where it feels like you tuned into the channel late. The opening scene feels like they went with a Jenny saves Christmas plot,which would be one of those plots you'd expect. Then it turns it against that plot and creates a story that has its own twist instead.
If you don't know this series, it's basically a series about a teenage robot who acts like a human girl but also keeps the world , and her town safe from whatever villain wants to cause chaos.
Most of the episode feels like a parody of Christmas episodes and specials. There's a song that the characters sing at the beginning with a spontaneous musical moment but Tuck questions how this is happening, and this happens at the end too. The villain having a sad backstory thinking his parents abandoned him sets off the plot and feels like a parody of Christmas sad back stories and super-hero sad back stories. Then they go and make it where the parents just show up at the end. The humor is well balanced with the slightly dark plot because, this plot is dark with Jenny being mind controlled into destroying other holidays and becoming the town's enemy.
Since this is My Life as a Teenage Robot, the art style of the show follows an 1930's art-deco vibe and they use it well here especially with the colors for the holidays. There's not much else to say about the art becuase the whole show is really nice like that.
You can watch this and not have seen the entire series to mostly understand it, the story is really fun and brings it's own flair.
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