Chocolate from Last Christmas Precedes A New Festival in Smalton on This Week's "Big City Greens" on Disney Channel

Cricket learns some lessons(?) in self-control before the country town of Smalton is invaded by the latest festival, ruining the vibes that Alice wanted to enjoy, on the latest Big City Greens on Disney Channel.

Chocolate Santa

It’s the height of the summer and Bill is awfully excited for one reason - it’s the time of day in which he gets to have a piece of the Santa chocolate figure that he has been rationing since Christmas. It’s something that has been going on for months, and his caution in making sure nobody sees him doing so - namely his son - shows how meticulous this little operation is.

Unfortunately, this time around Cricket did indeed catch him, and he explains what has been going on. Cricket can’t believe that not only has this been going on, but that his dad has delicious Christmas chocolate still. How? As Bill says, a little something called “self-restraint." Something that viewers know Cricket does not possess.

Cricket asks for a piece of the chocolate, but Bill knows that he can’t be trusted with just a thin slice, calling in Tilly to help restrain her brother while he goes and returns the chocolate to his secret hiding spot.

Now, he has to take Gramma shopping, and leaves the two kids alone. However, Tilly knows exactly where that chocolate is, and Cricket knows it. He can read his sister like an open book, and quickly discovers that the half-eaten Santa is located in the freezer.

While Tilly tries to protect the chocolate Santa, Cricket tells her he only wants a quick taste of the cho—-oh it's completely gone. He has eaten the whole thing.  Now what does he do? He has to cover this up. But how? Thanks to some foil that wasn’t quite swallowed when he quickly ate the figure, the kids are able to discover that the chocolate comes from a delightful sounding chocolate factory and head to visit in the hopes of getting another Santa.

When they get there, the chocolate factory is less-than-whimsical, with a number of sad employees monotonously manning the assembly line. However, one staffer tells the kids that they might have a chocolate santa left in the clearance bin. Alas, they do find one - the last one - and now we have a bigger problem. On the way home, Cricket is tempted and entranced at the thought of having the Santa chocolate all to himself.

Tilly once again has to restrain him, and eventually (after the Santa starts talking to him in his mind), Cricket learns he needs to practice self-restraint. Not just from eating it at all…but because his Dad’s Santa was half-eaten. So, he needs to eat some of, but not all of the chocolate figure.

As he finishes the figure to its halfway point, Bill comes home from shopping and discovers that Cricket had the chocolate - but was not eating it.

Bill believes that his son had just been admiring the chocolate, as none of it appeared to be missing. He even offers Cricket a bite of the chocolate, but he passes. Remember, he had just eaten it.

Normally, I love this show at face value and don’t go too deep into it, But I can’t help but get past the lesson here. Sure there is the lesson in self-restraint - but it’s also like “If you do real good in covering up your bad behavior, you’ll have your chocolate and eat it too." Not sure about this one.

Oh and that shopping trip with Gramma was to get her a new leg since her old wooden one wasn’t doing too great. This kind of already happened in Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation, so this was really just the B storyline to get the adults out of the house for the kids’ chocolate adventure.

Meadow Mania

Gramma and the kids have escaped to Smalton for the weekend. Apparently, Bill wanted some alone time, but this allows Gramma to get back out to Smalton and enjoy some relaxation in the country while the kids spend time with Nancy and Nick.

However, as soon as they get to Smalton they realize that something different and strange is going on. There is an influx of people that Cricket describes as “like Gloria but cooler and with longer hair." They are all here for Meadow Mania, with everyone having alternative, hippie-esque, lifestyles obsessed with natural country life and good vibes. The group, deemed “Mead-Heads" are scattered throughout town, and Patti at the local diner suggests that Alice and the grandkids leave while they still can.

But they don’t.

Instead, they stay in town and discover the bulk of the festival is centered square across from the Smalton house. Alice quickly gets upset and shares that they are ruining her relaxing country time. Nancy, however, is kind of leaning into the festivities, though she “agrees" with Gramma the whole time.

Cricket and Nick also discover that the Mead-Heads have fancy, eco-friendly cars and somehow have a lot of money, with the two quickly concocting schemes to separate them from it.

Gramma and Tilly meet Fawn, who seems to be running the festival, and shows them her glowing faux-moon. A symbol of the festival. Alice just sees a bunch of noise and racket, and decides that she and Tilly must go around the festival and ruin the good vibes to push people away. After a bit of time, they realize that the best way to kill the vibe is to destroy the fake moon.

Tilly, eager to embrace a dark side for once, climbs the tower the fake moon sat upon and pushes it over. But on her way up there, Alice overhears the Mead-Heads and hears them share that they leave Big City to get away and enjoy getting out into the country for relaxation - you know, kind of like Alice did. Realizing that they appreciate the country the same way she does, Alice tries to stop Tilly but alas, it is too late. The glass moon comes down and shatters, killing the vibes and prompting everyone to leave.

This serves as another cash grab opportunity for Cricket and Nick who are now charging for the early retrieval of the mead-head’s cars.

Feeling guilty in ways we have rarely seen Alice before, she climbs the tower and crafts a new moon out of hay and flowers and lights, turning it on and beckoning the crowd back to enjoy the festivities. Tilly, who missed the revelation, asks Gramma why, with her telling Tilly that everyone should respect the country like them, and even let’s Nancy partake in the fun without her having to hide it.

Cricket and Nick also learn the error in their ways as they bump into one of the expensive cars, which causes a domino effect of the cars sliding into each other and damaging each one. Now, all the cash they earned must be used to pay back the drivers for the damages.

This episode of Big City Greens is now available on Disney Channel and the DisneyNOW website. You can also catch up with earlier episodes, streaming now on Disney+.