All Through the House
All Through the House is the shortest episode in Love, Death & Robots’ second season but don’t let that put you off – this is easily one of the best. This 5 minute gem begins with two kids on Christmas eve tiptoeing downstairs to catch a glimpse of Santa at work. Billy and Leah creep downstairs quickly, where they catch a glimpse of the TV on with Santa talking to kids. The duo hide behind the sofa, waiting hopefully to find Santa. Instead, they’re horrified to catch a glimpse of a tentacled creature which shows itself to them. Burping loudly, it eats the cookies and slurps up the milk. Both kids back away from this alien menace, taking inspiration from Aliens in the way it snarls at Leah. With two hands either side of its face, this creature growls both their names, coughing up a present for them both and calling them both good. If that’s what happens for the good children…what happens to the bad? That’s something Billy and Leah both question as they head back to bed again. Stay good kids and don’t be naughty for Santa!
The Episode Review
Well that episode certainly took a turn for the extreme. This is certainly not an episode to show the kids but it’s a really imaginative idea brought to life in the best possible way. The idea that Santa is some sort of maniacal snarling xenomorphic creature is fascinating and horrifying at the same time. It’s also a creature that’s brought to life with horrifying precision through the animators. There’s an almost comedic view to the way it’s presented, with the way it coughs up these presents and hands them over covered in saliva typifying this dark humour. Despite being the shortest chapter, All Through the House is a brilliant example of how you don’t need a long run-time to tell a cohesive story. This is a fantastic episode.
