Review: Craig of the Creek “Locked Out Cold”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

On the eve of a big holiday party, the Williams kids are locked out of the house. Naturally, this leads to a frantic search all over town for a spare key.

Our Take:

It looks like Cartoon Network is also getting in on the holiday festivities this year. This week sees the channel releasing brand new holiday-themed episodes of different shows, some of which I haven’t watched very often. Today kicks off the cartoon shenanigans with another winter-themed scenario that Craig has to face.

Craig of the Creek has already started its fourth season back in October with “The Legend of the Library”. That episode featured Craig and his friends getting their spooks on as they solved the Creek Kids’ mysterious disappearances. Its second episode quickly kicks another holiday into high gear with the titular character and his siblings being locked out in the cold, snowy weather.

I’ve only watched a few episodes of the show now and then, and I’ve been enjoying what I saw so far. Would I say it’s my favorite show from Cartoon Network? Not really, but I can admit it has plenty of good intentions in its representation and storytelling. This episode continues the show’s successful qualities with an amusing situation with the siblings scrambling to find a spare key.

From going through a game of musical chairs to digging in Kelsey’s front yard, “Locked Out Cold” is a fun wintery adventure featuring Craig solving a problem with Jessica and Bernard. One of the main highlights of the episode was Craig’s younger sister Jessica regarding her humor, such as winning a game of musical chairs. I remembered liking this character while watching the previous episodes, and “Locked Out Cold” did a suitable job in reminding me of that memory. It would be interesting to see if Jessica can headline her spin-off series when it premieres on Cartoon Network’s preschool block soon.

It was also funny to see Bernard’s cartoony reactions whenever something didn’t go his way. The primary example was when Craig unintentionally locked them out of the house, and Bernard got so shocked that he lost his soul, literally. That visual gag is something that you would typically see in other cartoons that rely on slapstick. They may seem off-putting at first, but they surprisingly managed to provide some effective laughs for me.

Overall, “Locked Out Cold” may not provide any originality in its story. Still, it’s another enjoyable episode in the show’s fourth season. It’s pretty amazing how far Craig of the Creek has gone since its debut in 2018. Regarding its characters, stories, and imagination, the show has continued to be one of the most enjoyable cartoons in recent memory. After watching its current episode, I may have to find the time to revisit the creek more often.