Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Christmas Chronicles 2!
Santa Claus manages to save the day once again with the help of some friends in The Christmas Chronicles 2, and the group learns a few important lessons along the way. After the success of The Christmas Chronicles in 2018, Netflix made the easy choice to greenlight a sequel. Rather than stay on as a producer, Chris Columbus took over as director for a new holiday adventure centered on jolly ol' Saint Nick. Not only does Kurt Russell reprise his role as Santa, but he's joined by returning cast members like Darby Camp and his long-time partner, Goldie Hawn.
A few years after Teddy (Judah Lewis) and Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) helped Santa save Christmas in the first Christmas Chronicles movie, the pair find themselves spending the holiday in Cancun, Mexico. In addition to their widowed mother, Claire (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), they are accompanied by Claire's boyfriend Bob (Tyrese Gibson) and Bob's young son Jack (Jahzir Bruno). While the rest are making the best of the trip, Kate is too busy sulking as she misses normal holiday traditions back in Massachusetts. Before she attempts to abandon the vacation, Kate and Jack are transported to the North Pole by a disgruntled elf named Belsnickel (Julian Dennison). When Belsnickel steals the Christmas star that powers the magic of Santa's Village, the group must find a way to thwart his plan before it's too late.
As the case with the first film, Santa and his loyal pals find a way to save Christmas. Along the way, Kate and Jack learn some key lessons about the importance of family and believing in yourself. Santa and Mrs. Claus (Goldie Hawn) also come to realize why Belsnickel is acting out. Though most of the plot is tied up in a neat little bow, there's certainly room for further sequels. For now, here's an explanation of the The Christmas Chronicles 2's ending, and what it means.
How & Why Kate's Dad, Doug, Appears In The Christmas Chronicles 2 Ending
Toward the end of the movie, Belsnickel transports Santa and Kate to 1990 where they are forced to increase the Christmas Spirit within a packed Boston airport. At first the time travel sub-plot seems random, but it pays off with the inclusion of a young boy who cheers up Kate after she's held by airport security. That fellow unaccompanied minor turns out to be the tween version of Doug Pierce (Sunny Suljic), Kate's father, who is deceased in the present timeline. Before Kate realizes this fact, he teaches her that Christmas is more about who you spend the holiday with rather than where you celebrate it. Like Kate, Doug is a true believer, something that apparently runs deep in her family. After Santa uses music to increase Christmas Spirit, he reunites with Kate and seemingly knows about Doug's identity.
The fact that Doug is involved with the airport sequence is a bit of a plot hole. The point of the subplot is to allow Kate to do something she always wanted: tell her father goodbye in person. Santa grants her this ultimate Christmas wish, but Belsnickel is said to be the one who transports the pair back to 1990 in the first place. Either he's never as evil as he seems or Santa is in full control the entire time. Either way, Kate gets one last adventure with her dad, giving her a chance at closure.
Belsnickel's Redemption & Elf Transformation Was What He Truly Wanted
Belsnickel's complicated arc is another major element of The Christmas Chronicles 2. Granted, he's portrayed as the film's main antagonist, but the elf's motivations are never rooted in evil. Before he transforms into a human due to his sins, Belsnickel serves as Santa's protege. The tiny elf starts to act out when Saint Nick doesn't have enough time for him anymore. Instead of voicing his hurt feelings, Belsnickel lets his own ego get the best of him. After becoming human he spirals, believing the only way to find solace is to enact war on Santa and Christmas.
Even when Belsnickel returns to the village to steal the Christmas star, he doesn't seem to be fully committed to his actions. Instead, he acts as if he's going down a certain path with no going back to his old elf-self. The fact that he seems concerned about Dasher after her run-in with the Yule Cat is another indication that he doesn't mean actual harm. In the end, Mrs. Claus compels the truth out of Belsnickel, who unearths his dismay regarding the distance between himself and the Claus couple. When Santa gifts Belsnickel the first ever toy he worked on, he has a full change of heart. Both parties realize the harm they have caused, putting an end to the war on Christmas. With Belsnickel redeemed, he gets what he always wanted: the chance at being an elf again. Back to his small stature, Belsnickel, Santa, and Mrs. Claus have a new chance at harmony.
Christmas Chronicles 2's Ending Is Bittersweet for Santa & Mrs. Claus
With Belsnickel back in the mix and Christmas officially saved, Santa and Mrs. Claus get a sense of happiness. The village is back together and everything goes as planned. That said, there's a bittersweet aspect to Santa and Mrs. Claus' fate, especially with Kate and Jack heading back to their respective families in Cancun. Throughout The Christmas Chronicles 2, Mrs. Claus clearly harbors a sense of sadness without the presence of children in the North Pole. Belsnickel is the closest thing that Santa and Mrs. Claus have to a child. While they're obviously pleased about his return, Mrs. Claus still seems saddened with the lack of human kids to focus on by the end of the sequel.
Mrs. Claus becomes ecstatic while caring for Kate and Jack, insinuating that she either never had kids of her own or possibly, her kids have since grown and left. She holds a motherly demeanor, which seems like she has had plenty of experience raising children. It's possible that the pair had kids, but they aren't able to return due to the rules surrounding the North Pole. Either way, there's a void in Mrs. Claus' life that was made bigger by the departure of Kate and Jack.
Kate's New Family In Christmas Chronicles 2's Ending (What About Her Dad?)
After she's given the chance to say goodbye to her father, Kate embraces the dynamics of her current family situation. Despite the pushback when it came to Bob prior to the Cancun vacation, Kate realizes that nobody will ever replace her real dad. Claire deserves to be happy, and Doug would have wanted his family to eventually move on to the point that they could find happiness.
By accepting Bob at the end of the movie, Kate comes to terms with her father's death while also showing that there's room for both men in her life. Even though Doug is gone, Kate knows that she is always with him by carrying on his ideologies. Bob was never trying to get rid of Doug's memory, but he now has a chance to bond with Kate. She fully accepts Jack during their mission while in the North Pole, and she will presumably do the same when it comes to her relationship with Bob.
What The Christmas Chronicles 2's Ending Really Means
Ultimately, The Christmas Chronicles 2 is about the power of Christmas Spirit. Even though Kate identified as a true believer, she becomes cynical about the true meanings of the December holiday. It's understandable that the loss of her dad affects her perspective, especially given her young age. That said, Kate needed a reminder about love, loss, and the importance of family. While Santa helps Kate come to the conclusion about her situation, it's young Doug who causes her to change her mindset.
The new-look Pierce family aren't the only ones who represent the significance of a family being together, Santa and Mrs. Claus encounter a similar situation. Sometimes it's easier to be stubborn rather than unearthing true feelings. Santa and Belsnickel are both guilty of that until Mrs. Claus convinces them that it's easier to love than to hate. Whereas Mrs. Claus taught Jack about self-confidence, she reminds Santa, Belsnickel, and herself that overcoming problems is important for families, especially during the Christmas season.