Why Christmas Is Vital to the Future Success of “Fantastic Beasts”
What’s the best thing about Harry Potter? Is it the magic? Is it the characters? Is it the hope it offers? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re wrong. The best thing about Harry Potter is its depiction of Christmas, because Christmas is one of the times that all of those are present at once. Christmas delivered on the magical spirit of Harry Potter. It gave characters time to slow down for just a moment and process everything. It also gave way to some of the most important scenes in the entire series.
That is why, sitting through Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I was miffed that it didn’t show Christmas in the same way. I am, first and foremost, in support of all traditions. And in Harry Potter, Christmas became the very backbone of the series. It never stood out prominently, but if you remove it, it all falls apart.
Those scenes led to some of the most memorable of the series. Who didn’t shed a tear when Hermione Granger placed a Christmas wreath upon Lily and James Potter’s grave in Deathly Hallows? And who could have possibly not smiled at young Harry opening the first Christmas present of his life? These moments aren’t particularly important to any overall story arc, but if you remove them from the series, it suffers greatly and we lose a lot of character growth.
Fantastic Beasts must continue this tradition. It’s non-optional and important for the series’ own success! In ten years, when people look back fondly upon the series, the most memorable scene isn’t going to be the kitchen scene from the first movie. It’s going to be the ones where the characters get to be together and connect. And that is what Christmas offers for the series. A quick, lighthearted chance to connect and make memories.
Fantastic Beasts is already darker than the first three Harry Potter movies combined. With that darkness comes the need for happiness. No one wants to see a completely sad movie. Let’s not forget that at the end of the day, we watch movies for entertainment. This world is complex and dark, and Christmas provides a moment for the characters to calm down, breathe, and think for a moment. Those moments are the things that fuel everything in the fandom. It gives the character drama that everyone loves and provides character speculation and fan fiction. We need to see our characters at peace, sharing love, and having their own traditions. It’s those things that ground the characters we love and shows them in their most vulnerable, and relatable, state.
Fantastic Beasts simply cannot afford to lose what Christmas brings. It offers love, the most important part of Harry Potter, and does the incredibly complex job of helping characters get through the darkest of times. I’m not saying that they can’t have moments like this in other ways, but with Christmas already in canon so much, it would be an absolute travesty to not continue this tradition! With four more movies still to come, there’s plenty of room for the continuation of this important tradition. And we need more Christmas in the series.
What do you think? Is Christmas a must-have for the future of the series, or do you think that Fantastic Beasts should start a new tradition?
