***SPOILER ALERT***
Those of us who are familiar with Jennette McCurdy's resume prior to iCarly know how capable she is of dramatic roles. But the same couldn't be said for Miranda Cosgrove until this episode. True, this episode is a clear derivative of "It's a Wonderful Life," but not as much of one as the two-part "Married ...with Children" Christmas episodes "It's a Bundy-ful Life." Not so much because of the title, as much as it is because of the wish shared by George Bailey and Al Bundy.
After Carly and Spencer put Christmas presents under a homemade Christmas tree made of scrap from electro-magnet that catches on fire, and takes the presents with it, Carly wishes Spencer were "born normal," rather than wishing she or her brother were never born. And since this is a Christmas episode, Carly is visited by an angel named Mitch, played by Danny Woodburn, who grants her wish. While some of the events in this alternate universe make sense, others don't. For what does Carly find after she wishes Spencer were normal? She no longer has the webshow that made her famous, Sam is in a Juvenile Detention Center, Freddie gave up on his crush on Carly, and settles for a stuck-up little bitch, Spencer, who is now the lawyer he was previously training to be in college, is about to marry Freddie's mother, and her boyfriend is Nevel Papperman! It's obvious she had to settle too.
What's so unexpected about this aren't the elements of the new universe she finds herself trapped in, but the scene where she begs her family and friends, and even Mitch for a return to the life she once knew before bursting into tears. If the show isn't filmed before a live studio audience, as many of those on The Disney Channel are, it's easy to understand why. However, since this is a Christmas episode, and a Frank Capra-clone to boot, we know everything returns back to normal. The hug that Carly gives Freddie was something he wanted for a long time, and I'm surprised that the camera didn't focus on the big suggestive grin on his face that we'd expect from him. There's also a nice spin on the "angel getting his wings" line. It may not be on the same level as "Arnold's Christmas" or the American Dragon: Jake Long episode "Hairy Christmas," Kim Possible's "A Very Possible Christmas," or even the Rankin-Bass specials in their heyday, but it's still a surprise.
Those of us who are familiar with Jennette McCurdy's resume prior to iCarly know how capable she is of dramatic roles. But the same couldn't be said for Miranda Cosgrove until this episode. True, this episode is a clear derivative of "It's a Wonderful Life," but not as much of one as the two-part "Married ...with Children" Christmas episodes "It's a Bundy-ful Life." Not so much because of the title, as much as it is because of the wish shared by George Bailey and Al Bundy.
After Carly and Spencer put Christmas presents under a homemade Christmas tree made of scrap from electro-magnet that catches on fire, and takes the presents with it, Carly wishes Spencer were "born normal," rather than wishing she or her brother were never born. And since this is a Christmas episode, Carly is visited by an angel named Mitch, played by Danny Woodburn, who grants her wish. While some of the events in this alternate universe make sense, others don't. For what does Carly find after she wishes Spencer were normal? She no longer has the webshow that made her famous, Sam is in a Juvenile Detention Center, Freddie gave up on his crush on Carly, and settles for a stuck-up little bitch, Spencer, who is now the lawyer he was previously training to be in college, is about to marry Freddie's mother, and her boyfriend is Nevel Papperman! It's obvious she had to settle too.
What's so unexpected about this aren't the elements of the new universe she finds herself trapped in, but the scene where she begs her family and friends, and even Mitch for a return to the life she once knew before bursting into tears. If the show isn't filmed before a live studio audience, as many of those on The Disney Channel are, it's easy to understand why. However, since this is a Christmas episode, and a Frank Capra-clone to boot, we know everything returns back to normal. The hug that Carly gives Freddie was something he wanted for a long time, and I'm surprised that the camera didn't focus on the big suggestive grin on his face that we'd expect from him. There's also a nice spin on the "angel getting his wings" line. It may not be on the same level as "Arnold's Christmas" or the American Dragon: Jake Long episode "Hairy Christmas," Kim Possible's "A Very Possible Christmas," or even the Rankin-Bass specials in their heyday, but it's still a surprise.
