BUBBLE CAN Review: The Stanley Dynamic “The Stanley Christmas”

Posted on December 8, 2015April 13, 2022 by Tommy North

It appears to be that time of year again. Doesn’t Christmas always seem to sneak up on us? The Stanley’s are also getting ready for Christmas in their own ways. How was this Stanley Dynamic Holiday Special? Read on to find out!
In “The Stanley Christmas” The Stanley’s are all getting ready for Christmas. Larry competes with Summer to sell the most Christmas tree, Mom, Dad, and Dupe are coached by Lori to be better carolers, and Luke competes with Ronnie and Morgan to see who can become Santa’s elf assistant.

There was a lot going on this week. With three running stories this episode, it feels as though they spread themselves thin with this one. The Stanley Dynamic is a family-comedy that leans further to the comedy side. There aren’t very heart warming moments in the show, but we sort of had one with Luke this week when he tends to a crying child. It was a nice touch. Still, in an episode where it seems the family should have been together a little more, everybody seemed spaced out. There was a feeling of community in this episode, but not one of family.

Having just about the entire cast together was a nice alternative to focusing on the family. The Stanley’s have many friends, and it’s nice to see the entire cast all in one episode, celebrating together, even if it does take away from the story a little bit.

Mom & Dad’s story this episode was the most comedy driven of the three. Lori giving the adults a hard time, but from a position of knowledge. That’s been her role throughout the show and this episode was no different. There was some fun and clever dialogue, but ultimately it didn’t bring much more to the episode than that. Also, mom was so willing to save Lori’s feelings at the beginning of the episode when the family didn’t like her sweaters, but Lori was quick to make fun of their singing. Sort of seemed like a great opportunity to really show her what you really thought of the sweaters, but being good parents is also a good way to go.

Larry and Summer’s story was frantic. We’ve seen the show get crazy at times in the past, but this time it seemed justified. The holidays are a frantic time and this story highlighted that well. Larry and Summer’s competitive chemistry has been fun to watch in this later half of the season, this episode was no different. There was a moral lesson to be learned for Larry and Summer, but Darnell and Pam were the real winners.

Finally, Luke’s story was probably the best of the three. It really represented what Christmas is all about. Luke is a kind-hearted character and this comes across perfectly. Never wavering from what he believes, his character made the entire episode. Sometimes in comedies, a happy ending sometimes comes with a caveat, but not this time. By just being a great guy, Luke got the ending he deserved. I was expecting the episode to pull the rug out from under him, but that wasn’t the case. Morgan and Ronnie had a lot of great moments in this story. Ronnie showing up as an elf from Middle Earth was perfect.

Overall, this was a pretty good episodes. Not a perfect Christmas special, but this episode has been on par with the rest of the season. Clever writing, great character interactions and fun moments. There was also a little bit of heart in this one, which is admirable. A little more wouldn’t have hurt, this is an episode where you can get away with it, but that’s just me nitpicking. I’m a sucker for feel-good moments. That said, despite a few faults, this is another good one for The Stanley Dynamic.