Oh no, they did it again with a Peanuts special being called "Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), with Love" no Charlie Brown. With that again put aside, apparently, Apple, Wildbrain and Peanuts have decided that they have to make up for the idea there were no Peanuts specials from 2011 to 2020 by giving three in the span of 5 months. This time, they are going for a holiday not really covered in Peanuts : Mother's Day.
"How can Peanuts do Mother's Day, there's no shown adults rrrrrrrrr!" That guy then proceeds to tear his shirt and scream into the street, which is weird. Yeah, the one thing Peanuts is known for is not showing adults in the strip, but have been shown in some specials, this special won't but it's not like it hasn't been done.
"To Mom (and Dad), with Love" I'm just going to call this "To Mom" for short later on, because yes, (good reason) first came out May 6, 2022 again on Apple TV Plus. (The streaming service that gives you that fresh new car feeling) It's 38 minutes again, because they really like that length.
I do like to mention the 38 minutes here because the first minute is Woodstock flying around as he goes to Snoopy and wakes him up. (That was a good minute) It also shows Charlie Brown kicking a football (reeeee he can't do that, even though he's been shown to kick one, just that Lucy messes things up when she holds it, reeeee) and this leads to more sports because football practice, which um, that's different, Charlie Brown has a football team. (what?)
Lucy almost had a "My Nose" moment / Copyright Peanuts/Wildbrain
This special has the water color styled backgrounds again while the animation quality is still pretty good (they really want the 2000's specials to feel bad about themselves).
Peppermint Patty and Marcie show up and it's about Peppermint Patty getting there to be the coach of the team. You, the person reading this post, might be wondering we are 3 minutes in and no Mother's Day, where the plot? I say, how do you do know this was 3 minutes in? Pig Pen shows up with a fancy wrapped gift and has to explain why he's late to football practice. (He prefers soccer?) The fancy wrapped gift is mother's Day. (They are playing football in Spring, is this the USFL?)
This is the AAC / Copyright Peanuts/ Wildbrain
The other kids are like, woah, Mother's Day is tomorrow? Woah! (If you are not reading this on a Saturday before Mother's Day it's not tomorrow) Peppermint Patty quickly changes the subject, because we need more football stuff. (we do?) Charlie Brown is talking to Linus about what his mother likes and wonder what Linus is doing for Mother's Day. He's going to write her a special letter. (Thanks son)
More after the Jump
I don't see Rerun, and they better not be erasing him, I'll find you! They have Patty, Violet, and Freida here, so that's interesting. Peppermint noticed that no one cared about the football plot. There is time for Woodstock to remember his mother teaching him and his siblings how to fly and that he seems to miss her. I guess this is our second plot line.
I'm not going to ask, how a bird can get glasses/ Copyright Peanuts/ Wildbrain
For those that don't know, Peppermint Patty lives with just her father, which has been the case since she was introduced in the comic strips back in 1966, so Mother's Day is touchy subject for her. This plays into the special's main plot. Peppermint Patty explains how she feels that she's the only one without a mom (apparently as a Peanuts character it feels she's not) Here I will add that I like how they show Peppermint Patty and Marcie's friendship here, where Marcie understands Peppermint Patty's problem and wants to help. It's a little different to how they are sometimes shown, but it works to show there is a valuable friendship they do have.
The idea that Peppermint Patty gets, also happened in a Mother's Day themed strip from May, 9. 1982
Copyright Peanuts
The idea that P.P gets to get Mother's Day card for her father, who she says has acted like a Mom for her. This special is essentially going to what this 11 panel strip had as a fleshed out story about her celebrating her father for Mother's Day. (Also, the read the title)
There are also little showing of what the other's are doing for Mother's Day. I do like to see Charlie Brown and Sally working together on their thing. (Use instant pancake mix, Charlie Brown)
Charlie Brown is making himself delicious / Copyright Peanuts /Wildbrain
That other plot, Snoopy is helping Woodstock see his mother. It's a nice little one, Snoopy helping his friend on this journey is sweet. This special is going back to Auld Lang Syne's style of adding in more Snoopy stuff to fill up the time.
Snoopy and Woodstock create fire/ Copyright Peanuts/Wildbrain
Back to the Patty plot, this part feels like that strip I mentioned by her looking for a Mother's Day card for her father. (That's how you take care of cards, Peppermint Patty?) She goes on to find a gift.
The Charlie Brown/ Sally , Linus/Lucy, and Peppermint Patty/Marcie plots have smooshed together. Peppermint Patty screams in a rage, causing Charlie Brown, somehow, to jump and cause the cake that was for his mother's day gift fall and destroy Lucy's gift. She later gets mad at Marcie and tells her to leave her alone. ( I wasn't expecting this much drama in a Peanuts special)
Peppermint Patty... went to the dark side / Copyright Peanuts/Wildbrain
Maybe the Woodstock plotline is for levity, anyway, Snoopy and Woodstock make it to the nest that he remembers and sees his mother isn't there, only a note. (About that levity)
Later, Peppermint Patty talks about how her father calls her a "rare gem" (which also comes from the strips) Then she starts to cry. Which again, I wasn't expecting this from a peanuts special. Marcie tries to help give Peppermint Patty an idea, and it works she decides she's going to spend her whole day with him.
I'm sad/ Copyright Peanuts/ Wildbrain
Now to give some finishing up the other stories. Lucy made a card for her mother which Linus says is good, but (big but) it's missing a message, and Linus shows her his letter and it impresses her. Linus suggests they combine their gifts into one thing. This is sweet. (It hurts) Linus' reading poem shows the different characters doing their things for their mothers. I like how it also shows in away that Snoopy acts a motherly figure to Woodstock.
This was interesting, because it's very rare to have a Peanuts special be more serious, it's not unheard of, but it is rare. I can think of "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown", "Why, Charlie Brown Why?" and the like. The focus on Peppermint Patty was good and going on something from canon was also good. These newer stories have been more focused on emotional stories compared to way before, with a slight difference to how some older stories are told. That depends on which special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a demure special , while "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" is more energic and giving a funny story, "Flashbeagle" is the 1980's in animated form, so specials do ebb and change for different stories. I'm saying that these three recent ones have been focused on more characterization and their relationships. This special shows both Peppermint Patty's love of her father and that she wants to express that, while Marcie shows that she's a good friend and helps her out through out. It also gives us Peppermint Patty crying which is not something I've seen before much.
There is that emotion for people who've lost mothers or any other reason that they can't really view mother's day in a positive light, that this special shows well. Peppermint Patty hasn't grown up knowing her mother and feels out of place for it, and doesn't like that others were happier than her as they celebrate. It's the kind of special that a kid with a lost mother can empathize with , and maybe even older people at the same time, especially on holidays, and especially on a date dedicated to honoring a mother.
The Woodstock and Snoopy plot does add more of the Snoopy agenda, but also is enjoyable to the idea that Woodstock wants to see his mother again. The story doesn't explicitly say where his mother is at the end of the storyline , it leaves it open, but it is sad in anyway. It does show how much Snoopy cares about friend and do what he thinks to works to help him. The other little plots were a nice and good tie in to the Mother's Day simplicity and story.
It's a nice special using Peanuts characters well and it's well done in animation and in story.
That's it for now, tune in next time when we are fashionably late on doing a Father's day special after Father's Day.
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