As much as I love the older Peanuts shorts, they tended to have a problem of recycling jokes that had appeared in comics. The movies did a better job by incorporating larger, more original storylines.
But the shows rarely explored other characters in much depth. Sure, Linus shines in the Christmas special, but...
Giving the spotlight to Marcie was a fantastic idea. I think Marcie has been a fan favorite, possibly because she didn't seem to have the obvious faults that other characters did. Plus, she seemed somehow more adult than the others.
Anyway, this is an exploration of Marcie. Part of it is framed using her relationship with Peppermint Patty, where her advice is indispensable for Patty's golf game. This opens the window to Marcie's love of problem solving. She likes making people happy by making sure things work out.
But Marcie is an introvert, and finds that her happiness comes not from recognition, but from the satisfaction of making others happy.
Marcie gets uncomfortable when her recognition as a problem-solver gets her elected class president.
I found this very touching. I wonder about how it plays to younger kids. I wasn't sure how much a younger audience would appreciate a character-driven story like this, but there's always a chance that some kids out there will find this story important. There aren't enough introverted characters that are treated as normal people.
But for adult fans of Peanuts, this is a real quality gem.
But the shows rarely explored other characters in much depth. Sure, Linus shines in the Christmas special, but...
Giving the spotlight to Marcie was a fantastic idea. I think Marcie has been a fan favorite, possibly because she didn't seem to have the obvious faults that other characters did. Plus, she seemed somehow more adult than the others.
Anyway, this is an exploration of Marcie. Part of it is framed using her relationship with Peppermint Patty, where her advice is indispensable for Patty's golf game. This opens the window to Marcie's love of problem solving. She likes making people happy by making sure things work out.
But Marcie is an introvert, and finds that her happiness comes not from recognition, but from the satisfaction of making others happy.
Marcie gets uncomfortable when her recognition as a problem-solver gets her elected class president.
I found this very touching. I wonder about how it plays to younger kids. I wasn't sure how much a younger audience would appreciate a character-driven story like this, but there's always a chance that some kids out there will find this story important. There aren't enough introverted characters that are treated as normal people.
But for adult fans of Peanuts, this is a real quality gem.