Relaxing After a Job Well Done
I’ve been saying for a few years that I didn’t see how much longer that Hallmark’s Once Upon a Christmas series could keep going, so I wasn’t too surprised when I saw that the series was going to end with 2020’s release, A Job Well Done. As the title of the ornament suggests, the series goes out…well.
Santa is back from his Christmas Eve delivering toys. He’s relaxing in his chair, and his shoes are
on the floor next to him. His hat is
hanging on the edge of the chair. He’s
got a mug of hot cocoa in one hand and a snow globe in the other. And he’s got a puppy keeping him company as
well.
When this series started, Santa was sitting as well, that time in a chair with a table next to him as he went over his naughty and nice list with his puppy on the floor next to him. I love the symmetry between these two ornaments.
Like all the rest, this ornament features light and sound when plugged into Hallmark’s Magic Cord. This cord is on the way out; in fact, I’m sure that the ornaments released this year for it will be the final two ornaments that use the cord. As such, if you haven’t stocked up on the cord yet, I suggest you do so quickly.
Anyway, when you plug this into the cord, you’ll find the base and the snow globe Santa is holding light up. Push the button by the puppy and you are treated to a show. As Santa talks about his satisfaction with another successful Christmas Eve, the lights on the ornament blink. After about 20 seconds, he stops talking and we get a musical version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” All the while, the lights of this and ALL the ornaments attached to the same Magic Cord blink in time with the music. The show lasts about a minute before abruptly stopping. That’s the only part I found weird. I’m sure it is an issue of space on the recording in the ornament, but it just needed another few seconds to fully wrap up. Or maybe it is just my ornament.
I will say again, I will miss the Magic Cord. The way ornaments from a series can interact to tell one story with the new Power Cord is wonderful and fun, but I miss the way all the ornaments on the Magic Cord interacted, whether they were part of the same series or not. I wish that both cords were going to be used going forward since they both have strengths. I’m sure it’s an issue of not wanting to confuse casual collectors, so I understand.
All of the ornaments in the Once Upon a Christmas series feature nice flat bases, and this ornament is no exception. As such, you can set them out in a line and enjoy Santa’s journey in chronological order if you so desire. The series marker, a 10 in a Christmas tree, is also on the bottom of the ornament.
The hook to hang the ornament is on Santa’s head. Slip a loop through it, and you’ll find that it really tips forward. It would be hard to hide in among tree branches, too. The ornaments in this series are heavy, so be sure to find a sturdy branch on your tree to hang them on.
I keep referring to this as the final ornament in the series, and it is the final official ornament in the series. Like the first year, which offered a companion ornament, we will get an unofficial entry in the series in the fall to bookend Santa’s December.
It’s unfortunate that A Job Well Done doesn’t send the series out with perfection. Still, fans of the series will be happy with how it ends.
Missing part of Santa’s journey? Here are the rest of the Once Upon a Christmas ornaments.
Very Bad ! Poor sound and Lights.Not up too HallMark standards
ReplyDeleteI have mine on my tree, and I'm enjoying. I haven't noticed the issues you have talked about. Maybe you have a bad ornament? Hopefully, you can try to replace yours.
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