7 BEARS: Episodes 1.1-1.3

7 BEARS is an animated children’s comedy streaming on Netflix that focuses on seven silly bears who live in a cottage in a fairytale land. Each episode gives a fun twist to classic Fairy tales. Snow White and other Fairy Tale characters that we all know, and love, make appearances throughout the season.

The first three episodes of Season One of 7 BEARS are active and engaging. The production is of high quality, featuring bright colors and intricate details. The series features a mix of biblical/moral worldviews, as the bears attempt to help one another. However, it also incorporates pagan and occult elements, including witches and spells, throughout each episode.

In episode 1, the 7 bears wake up and begin their morning with a “scratching butt” circle, where they all rub their butts together. Then Snow White tries to retrieve her shoes, which can make people run very fast, from a man who has taken them. Later, one of the bears goes for a walk, and the others don’t know where he went, so they assume that he has turned into a fly present in the house. They go to a witch to seek her help, and she makes a potion that turns into a giant dragon cloud that passes gas. Then one bear drinks the potion, and his fart causes him to fly throughout the land.

In episode 2, the 7 bears eat potatoes in their cottage when they smell something from outside. They follow the scent to the palace, where they find bacon-wrapped potatoes, but the king becomes angry and decides to dispose of the potatoes. They dance to make the prince happy. Later, the witch brews a potion to help with dancing and then kicks the bears out when she finds out that no one invited her to the ball. Then the Prince accidentally drinks the potion.

The bears approach the king to persuade him to cancel the ball and not pressure the prince into marriage. Later, the witch’s daughter loses control of her broomstick and lands on a bear. The witch casts a spell, giving one bear the ability to turn things into potatoes. He accidentally turns everything he touches into potatoes, including some of the other bears. Then a man mashing potatoes tries to mash the bears, but one of the bears gets help from the witch’s daughter, and she casts a spell to turn the bears back into potatoes.

In episode 3, a girl is reading “Stumblebumpskin” to the bears, and after his name is said three times, he magically appears. He challenges the bears to kick people in the butt and see who can do it the most. They all go around the land kicking people in the butt. A bear kicks the king and wins but then gets put in a cage at the castle. They then get back at Stumblebumpskin by kicking him in the butt. Later, Snow White decides that one of the bears is her true love. She pretends to be in danger to see who will come to her rescue. The bears all rescue her because she has a piece of their toast stuck to her back. They retrieve the toast and display it in their cottage.

The first three episodes of Season 1 of 7 BEARs feature fast-paced motion and action, accompanied by a high level of slapstick violence and potty humor. The show combines a biblical and moral worldview, a pagan worldview, and occult elements. The bears work together to help one another, but most episodes feature magic, witches, and potions. The potty humor is overdone. A common action that happens in every episode is the bears rubbing their butts with each other, and although the intentions within the show are for it to be bear-like, normalizing this action within a show for children seems concerning. MOVIEGUIDE® suggests caution for young children.