The specials, on the other hand, have no qualms about showing everyone in the same class, including Peppermint Patty's group. That includes the siblings Van Pelt. The presence of both Linus and Lucy in class is never really explained. Did Linus skip a grade? Did Lucy get held back? Are they secretly retconned into the Van Pelt twins? In terms of visuals and storytelling, it makes sense, as sticking Linus, Lucy, and Charlie Brown into different classrooms means more work for the animators and possible story rewrites. However, there is just something strange about having the two share a classroom and a teacher.
That dynamic plays out in Lucy's School, the fourth special from AppleTV+, which again has all the major characters attending not only the same school, but, other than Sally, being in the same grade. To be fair, the plot, to a large extent, revolves around the fact that the gang is moving up to a new school. The emotional impact of the climax would play much differently if Lucy was moving up while Linus stayed behind at the old school. But it still feels rather odd.
The special starts in the final moments of the last day of school, as everyone is watching the clock tick down. For everyone but Sally, this is a bit of a bittersweet moment, as they'll be going to a new, much bigger school in the fall (since there is no way they're going to middle school, I'm assuming they live in a district that sends K-2 to one school and 3-5 to another. There's a brief mention later on about cramming in "9 years of eductation" that seems to suggest they're new 3rd graders). A summer montage follows as the kids, all of whose parents seem to have embraced the free range children philosophy, go to the lake, watch fireworks, eat ice cream, swim, and play baseball--until the realization that summer is almost over and school is about to start.
With the new school year--and new school--looming, everyone is a little nervous, but Lucy, who had previously been self-assured, finds herself in full-bore panic mode. However, she learns about what she thinks will be her salvation--a special test that will allow her to graduate and have an "endless summer". Her supreme self-confidence restored, she has absoutley no doubt that she'll ace the test, and as everyone else thinks just staying on summer break forever sounds like a fine idea, she agrees to tutor the gang so that they can pass the test, too.
Only Linus, Marcie, and Franklin have any doubts about the plan, doubts that are multipled when they learn her idea of teaching math is to play bingo and her knowledge of geography is based on the local putt-putt course. However, when Linus shows her a copy of an actual GED practice test, chock full of questions about things she's never even heard of, she once again panics, not wanting to let down her friends.
If the whole "Lucy has crisis of self-confidence, then does something crazy" plot sounds familiar, that's because it was done a whole three specials in For Auld Lang Syne, which premiered only eight months before this one did. While the two specials have somewhat different reasons for Lucy's panic and take two separate paths, they ultimately arrive in the same place, which blunts the impact of this one quite a bit. In addition, Lang Syne had real stakes--Lucy came close to pulling off a great party, and watching it fall apart because she couldn't let go of her need for control and perfection was heartbreaking. From the start here, it's obvious that Lucy nor anyone else is going to pass that test, so we're largely waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The ultimate message of the special is that being a teacher is a really, really hard job, something that Lucy quickly discovers when she decides to teach the test for real and sets up the garage to be an actual classroom (and reinforced by her closing monologue). While that is a great message for kids to hear, it is weakened a bit by our knowledge that actual teachers are generally at least somewhat familiar with what they're teaching and don't try to cram months worth of preparation into one night.
It may seem like I dislike the special, and while it is easily the weakest of the Apple specials so far, it is still quite funny and miles better than many of the "classic" specials. Telling a coherient, thought-through story, rather than endless, barely connected vignettes works wonders, and credit to the new production team for seeing that.
Disney vet Raymond S. Persi, who directed It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown, returns to helm this one (he'll also helm the next two specials), and the script is by the writing team of Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, and Cornelius Uliano (I especially want to credit Craig and Bryan, Charles's son and grandson respectively, for their part in making the specials relevant to the 21st century, rather than wanting them to be dipped in amber). Etienne Kellici, who voiced Charlie Brown in Lang Syne before Tyler Nathan took over for the next two, returns as Chuck. The rest of the voice cast remains consistent with the prior specials.
Indie-folk duo She & Him (consisting of actress Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) contribute two songs, a cover of The Beach Boys's "All Summer Long" over the opening montage and the original song "Back to School" over the credits. The latter wasn't bad, but Ben Folds's title song from Small Things is better. Lucy's School did become the first Peanuts specials since Why, Charlie Brown, Why? to be nominated for Animated Special (albeit at the Children's and Family Emmys, which didn't exist in 1990), though it lost to Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
Overall, Lucy's School is a bright, colorful special with a good message and some solid laughs. However, it is disappointing--and a bit concerning--that they're already recycling major plot elements just four specials in. Let's hope it's just a blip.
Next week: Another supporting character gets the spotlight, in One-of-A-Kind Marcie.
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