Last, last Christmas!

Last year we were unknowingly in the beginning of DuckTales “mid-season hiatus” in December. We weren’t sure how long we would go without new episodes of our new favorite show, but we were treated to at least one episode in December in season one.

I remember our minds were reeling with thoughts of a Christmas episode for DuckTales. We knew the creators of the show were real fans of the characters and their legacy but honestly we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Nine episode of the show (including a 44-minute premiere) had aired, and that was just enough for us to begin grasping the scope of what was planned. Looking back the surface had just been scratched.

“The Impossible Summit Of Mount Neverrest!” was a great adventure full of laughs that bridged the gap between the first and second halves of the first season, but we were a little disappointed that it wasn’t an elaborate holiday episode. All we got was one mention of Christmas and Santa Clause… but they made for a pretty fun moment.

It was episodes like”Beware the BUDDY System!”, “McMystery at McDuck McManor!”, “The Golden Lagoon Of White Agony Plains!” and “Confidential Case Files of Agent 22!” that began to reveal how DuckTales 2017 was going to utilize the many notalgic aspects of these Ducks. After season one’s hefty hiatus the show seemed to really dive into the Disney Ducks’ past iterations and and blend them with new concepts that made for fun and original content that still felt nostalgic. This is where the new DuckTales succeeds where many reboots fail.

This “Last Christmas!”

Now, let’s catch up to where we are in season two. We’ve had five 22-minute episodes of season two. The season began without the need of explaining the characters or locations. Season two allowed us to see the aftermath of season one’s finale (well most of it), and we saw the duck family has continued to adventure together.

By this episode we had seen the family take on miniature savages, catch up with Cousin Fethry, become involved in a high-stakes wager with Glomgold, and stop flying terrors from… terrorizing Duckburg. Season two has already been a wild ride.

“Last Christmas!” begins with the McDuck mansion being overtaken by… Christmas decorations. Last season it was made clear that ol’ Scrooge hates Christmas when he forced the family to go on an adventure instead of spending Christmas at the mansion. After a tantrum when he find a motorized Santa in the mansion, Scrooge shuts himself in his room.

It’s fun to see a bunch of connections between the new DuckTales Scrooge and the classic versions. Mrs. Beakley mentions a movie titled “Christmas on Bear Mountain” a clear homage to Scrooge’s first appearance in the Donald Duck story of the same name. Scrooge appears to hate all things Christmas and even utters the word “Bah Humbug” to Webby’s fangirl glee. Next to “The Life and Times Of Scrooge McDuck” And DuckTales 87 I would say Mickey’s Christmas Carol is one of the most well-known versions of the character… even if it’s not meant to be Scrooge McDuck.

We also see that Dewey is especially having a hard time this holiday season with the knowledge that his mother may be lost in space instead of celebrating the holidays with her family. After everything Dewey experienced last season trying to learn about his mother, it feels right that he would be sulking on his own during the holidays.

Despite his tantrum, we soon learn that Scrooge’s hatred for Christmas is a fabrication. He secretly loves Christmas and it is the one time of the year that he safeguards as his opportunity to let loose and party with his buddies… at the best parties of all time (literally because they travel through time).

Speaking of his buddies, the inclusion of the Ghosts Of Christmas from A Christmas Carol is ingenious in the part of the DuckTales writers. And their explanation for having met Scrooge is one of the most satisfying Easter eggs ever laid. The comradery among the ghost and Scrooge is one of my favorite parts of this episode.

Before Scrooge and his buddies take off on their trip to parties of the past, Dewey secretly hitches a ride, but falls and is lost some…when in time. While trying to cut loose, Scrooge learns a lesson about the importance of sharing Christmas with family. Of course someone disagrees with his sentiment and it leads to a battle with unexpected, larger ramifications.

Meanwhile, Dewey lands in front of the mansion at a different time. He pumps into A younger, grungier Donald Duck and they set out to find Della. Dewey does have an opportunity to spend some time with his mom. Donald and Della realize Dewey must be someone from their future, but they refuse to allow Dewey to tell them anything that may damage the time steam.

During his time traveling adventure Dewey learns a similar lesson as Scrooge and when all is said and done they return to their family to celebrate the holiday.

It should be noted that on their return Donald appears to acknowledge that he knows it was Dewey who visited his him and Della that Christmas Eve night. It makes you wonder if there will be any consequences to the events of this episode…

“Last Christmas!” was promised to be the most Easter egg infused episode of DuckTales to date. There are plenty of little morsels that satisfy all of our nostalgia appetite. The story itself is fun, adventurous, and moving (tell me you didn’t cry when you realized Donald was wearing THE sweater, just tell me). It is an epic Christmas episode that is worthy the high expectations that we had going in. I can’t praise the episode enough.

Tell us what you thought of “Last Christmas!” What did you think of the Easter eggs? Who was your favorite Christmas Ghost? Do you believe events from the episode will have ramifications in the future? Join the conversation below or on Twitter at @DuckTalks