Night Court “Santa Goes Downtown” Review

“Harry, I am Santa Claus. … I mean the one, the only, the true, Santa Claus.”

A man claiming to be the Santa Claus shows up in Criminal Court Part 2. As does an angry teenager and his girlfriend – both of whom refuse to give their full names. 

Is “Santa” the real deal? That’s the question we still want to know after watching the second episode of Season 1 of “Night Court”, which originally aired 1984.

‘Twas “Santa Goes Downtown”

John Doe (Jeff Corey), who has white hair and a beard, and is wearing a red flannel suit, is appearing before the honorable Harold T. Stone (Harry Anderson) on charges of trespassing. He was found sleeping in a department after hours, with a half empty bottle of gin.

We don’t get any closure on that case before we return from break and are introduced to a new case involving a teenage couple (Michael J. Fox & Olivia Barash). We eventually learn only their first names are Mary and Eddie and that they feel like nobody cares about them, including their parents.

Eddie starts verbally assaulting Santa Claus, to which Harry takes offense. “This nut thinks he’s Santa Claus!” Eddie says, to which Harry asks, “How do you know he isn’t?”

Though Santa says he cares about Eddie, Eddie isn’t buying it and asks why he should get all excited about some “wino” telling him he cares. This sets off Santa, who gets animated, because he does care. He cares so much, in fact, he collapses to his knees.

Returning from break, we’re in Harry’s chambers. Once the doctor leaves, Santa does his best to convince Harry exactly who he is. He begins telling Harry about his search for a replacement, explaining that there is only one Santa at a time and it’s getting close for him to pass on “the power, the spirit”.

Liz (Paula Kelly) arrives with a file containing the kids’ identities. Santa convinces Harry to give him to folder so he can get them to believe in something and make a sick old man happy.

Bull Shannon (Richard Moll) ushers in the kids, and Santa reveals their full names and even Eddie’s home address. How does he know the names and addresses of every man, woman, child in the world – and that Eddie’s secret desire is to be loved, hugged, and cared for? “Because I’m Santa Claus,” he says.

That’s when Dr. Peter Green (Richard Stahl) arrives and reveals that “Santa” is actually John Stevens. Every year, John vanishes from the psychiatric center just before Christmas, but they eventually find him in February.

Eddie, who had just started to believe, blows up at John for being a fake. “Other people tell lies, you live them!”

Harry tells him he’s in a room full of people who care, but Eddie says they’re just words. So Harry hugs him forcibly to actually show Eddie he cares, and to give him his secret desire. As John is being taken away, Lana (Karen Austin) reads from the file folder, and we learn that names in the file were actually wrong  – they were for two completely different missing children.

“Harry, about my proposition,” Santa says. “Think it over? Ho. Ho. Ho.”

Our Review of “Santa Goes Downtown”

While the “is he or isn’t he Santa” plot is hardly original, this episode is a true standout from an uneven first season of “Night Court” – one of our favorite sitcoms from the 1980s.

Also, this show aired in January and clearly takes place after the Christmas holiday. That means it technically isn’t a Christmas episode, but it most definitely is an episode you should watch during the Christmas season if you can find it on TV or online.

The Nice List

Michael J. Fox = 🔥🦊

As mentioned, Fox is great in his role as Eddie. Even though he’s angry, Santa even recognizes that he’s not a bad boy, he’s “just a little frustrated,” which gives his character depth.

That frustration comes from constantly just hearing people talk about how much they care about him. He’s sick of it. Nobody is showing him they care. So his anger comes from a very real and relatable place.

Eddie also has some truly funny lines, such as when he introduces himself as Batman. “This is my old lady, Wonder Woman.” He also gives us a funny “Wally and the Beav” reference.

By the end, after the transformative hug, we can see and feel the change in his character – which is made clear in the final exchange between Eddie and Santa, when Eddie starts to tell Santa he didn’t mean what he said earlier, but Santa cuts him off and says, “I didn’t believe you, either.”

🎅🏻 How Does He Know So Much? 🎅🏻

We loved the ongoing bit of Santa referencing things from childhood of the staff:

Harry: Well, I think this fellow needs no introduction.
Santa: Thanks, Harry.
Harry: You remembered.

Bull: I was just doing my job.
Santa: That’s all right, son. Don’t worry. Thanks again for the nice letter.
Bull: Yeah.

Santa: Dan, there was that messy little business with a doll when you were 8. Don’t make me bring it up.

Santa: (to Harry) Remember when you were 5 and you were sick and your mother had to hold you down to get the medicine in?

😂 You’ll Laugh… 😂

Many times, including:

• After Santa introduces himself to Selma (Selma Diamond), she responds with, “I’m the Easter Bunny, we’ll have lunch.”
• After a smart remark by Eddie, Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) asking the court for, “Permission to smack him around a little, your honor?”
• The deadpan reaction of Bull after the doctor’s detailed medical explanation of what happened during the hug between Harry and Eddie. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
• And that unexpected reindeer appearance in the final scene (and Selma’s reaction to what it left behind in the hallway: “If you think I’m cleaning that up, you’re crazy.”).

😢 You’ll Cry…

You might, during that emotional moment when Harry hugs Eddie.

“I’m hugging you dummy. Shut up.”

🍾 The Naughty List 💔

As Santa tells Carla B. (Rita Taggart), the prostitute who appears in a recurring role in the series, there’s a fine line between naughty and nice.

In this case, it’s tough to find anything from this episode of “Night Court” to put on our “naughty list.”

Our biggest complaint? It didn’t feel like very Christmas-y – in the sense that there are no decorations, snow, or holiday music. But the plot and story? It is pure Christmas.

Also, Santa as a drunk, with a heart condition, and apparently nearing death, was a bit of a downer. His line, “If I don’t make it, tell Frosty goodbye. I’m just kidding, get a doctor,” managed to both be funny and sad at the same time.

Oh, and we still want to know: was that REALLY Santa Claus?