Pour The Wine, It's Rom-Com Time

Hallmark's Holidazed: S1 E4 - The Woods Family

• Garry & Amy

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Join Garry & Amy on this episode of Pour The Wine, It’s Rom-Com Time as they unwrap Episode 4 of Holidazed: The Woods Family. Lucy Woods has the holidays down to a science; days at her bakery and cozy Christmas movie nights with her teenage daughter, Annie. When her spontaneous sister Sylvie breezes back into town, Lucy’s perfectly planned season is thrown into chaos. Can the sisters find common ground before old wounds ruin the magic of the holidays? Tune in now to find out!

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Amy:

Welcome to Pour the Wine. It's rom-com time where we'll sip some wine and review all things. Rom-com on the Homework channel. I'm Amy.

Garry:

And I'm Gary, and I'm pouring, you're pouring.

Amy:

Your job is to pour the wine.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

Pouring a cab sap.

Garry:

I actually practice this.

Amy:

Oh you practice pouring yes Like you needed practice. Yes, Come on now. Sap I actually practice this. Oh, you practice pouring yes Like you needed practice. Yes, Come on now. Should we get right into it?

Garry:

Yeah why not?

Amy:

Today we're reviewing episode four excuse me of Holidays the Woods Family. It originally aired on November 28th 2024 on Hallmark Plus and aired on the Hallmark channel on Sunday, july 13th 2025, during Christmas in July.

Garry:

Christmas in July. Can you believe it?

Amy:

We're halfway through the year. Yes, I can't believe it.

Garry:

Me either. We would love it if you would click that follow button on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss an episode If you listen on Apple or Spotify. You can also leave us a review and hopefully it's a positive one, so you don't miss an episode.

Amy:

I like the way you said that.

Garry:

You can also find us on YouTube and social media Facebook, instagram, blue Sky X and.

Amy:

Threads, All the socials. You can also email us at pourthewineitsromcomtime at gmailcom. Shoot us an email. We'd love to hear from you what you think about the podcast, what you think about holidays. The families on Oaks Lane.

Garry:

Oh, yeah, let us know.

Amy:

We'd love to hear from you. We might even read it on the pod and we'll definitely respond.

Garry:

Yes, we will, as long as it's a nice email. A nice email, so you want to tell us who's in this one Sure.

Amy:

All right. Rochelle Lafar plays Sylvie Woods. Her homework work includes the Secrets of Bella Vista and Mora's Lighthouse in 2022. Some of her other work is the series Proven Innocent. She was in for 13 episodes in 2019. She was in the popular Under the Dome that we watched. We really liked that from 2013 to 2015. Wasn't it, stephen King?

Garry:

Yes, is that correct? I believe so, yes.

Amy:

She's largely known for playing Victoria in the Twilight movies, and those were released in 2008, 2009, and 2012. I think the third one she might have been credited but wasn't in, but she played the. Victoria was kind of like the mean vampire, I don't know. And then there was a series that she was in between 2006 and 2007. She was in 11 episodes and it was called what About Brian, and I loved that series and was sad when it went away. Barry Watson, do you know who that is?

Garry:

No.

Amy:

He was the star. He was in Seventh Heaven. He was the oldest sibling in Seventh Heaven and Matthew Davis was in it, and Matthew Davis played Warner in Legally Blonde what Like it's hard. You know who else he was.

Garry:

What.

Amy:

And I did not know this until I was doing this research. He was Joel in Gross Point Garden Society, the cop. That's the same guy that was in Illegally Blonde. I know, I had no idea and we loved Gross Point Garden Society but it did get canceled, but it's worth a watch for one season. I really liked it. They don't give shows enough time, but that's just my I know you can't give them at least two seasons.

Amy:

But yeah, what about Brian? It was a TV show. Brian is friends with these like three different couples and it's kind of like they're all coupled up and it's like, what about Brian? They're like in their 30s and it's kind of cute, you know. So you have a couple that's been married for a while, a couple that's like newly married.

Amy:

And so they're newly engaged and stuff. So it was cute. I really enjoyed it. But she was in that Lindy Booth plays Lucy Woods. She was in for Hallmark. She was in Swept Up by Christmas in 2019, snowcoming in 2019, also Under the Autumn Moon and Rocky Mountain Christmas in 2017. More recently, she was in one episode of Tracker in 2024, the TV series Gotham Knights for three episodes in 2023, and we know and love her from the Librarians. Yes, another really good show. Yes, she was in 42 episodes of that between 2014 and 2018. And she was in 44 episodes of Relic Hunter between 1999 and 2001.

Garry:

Oh, wow.

Amy:

Bella Grace plays Annie Woods. She has five acting credits and she had one other Hallmark production, the Perfect Bride Wedding Bells in 2019. She's also been in one episode each of Snowpiercer and Nancy Drew. Those were in 2022. And iZombie in 2019. Steven Alaric plays Cole. This is his Hallmark premiere. He's been in. He had a ton of series listed for like an episode, so he's worked a lot done like single episodes, he squid game right and the or is it squid games?

Amy:

squid game and the irrational one episode each in 2024. Chicago fire for one episode in 2022. Station 19 in 2020, the rookie in 2018 and relic hunter. He was also in relic Hunter in 1999. Two people now. All right, lennox Leacock plays Max Lewin. Now we will talk about him in the next episode. He is in this episode for a little bit, right, yeah, and then we'll talk about him when we get to the Lewin family, which is episode number five.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

Keisha haynes plays janet for hallmark. She was in welcome to mamas in 2022. A christmas to cherish in 2019. Time for me to come home for christmas. In 2018 and some of her other work includes she was in a christmas movie called christmas takes flight for cbs in 2021. She's in one episode of A Million Little Things in 2020, one episode of Unreal in 2018, and one episode of iZombie in 2017. Oh wow. There's like repeats of these.

Garry:

Yes, exactly.

Amy:

Zara Nikosishani plays Stephanie. She's got eight credits and five are shorts For Hallmark. She was in the Christmas House in 2020. And I want to see this one it's Robert Buckley's in it. Treat Williams, jonathan Bennett yeah, jonathan Bennett, okay. And Sharon Lawrence we haven't seen that, but I've heard good things about that one. She was also in five episodes of the series Happy Face, which is on Paramount+.

Garry:

Awesome.

Amy:

There you go.

Garry:

And that's the list. Huh.

Amy:

That's the list.

Garry:

Well, awesome. So, time to drop the synopsis.

Amy:

Time to drop the synopsis. Let's go. You want to drop it?

Garry:

Sure, I'll drop it like a hot mic.

Amy:

Okay, like a hot mic.

Garry:

Lucy and her sister, sylvie, have been at odds since their mom's sudden passing when they were little kids. Now, as adults, sylvie's home for Hanukkah and wants to spice things up.

Amy:

Yeah, now we'll probably give away some spoilers in the episode, so if you haven't watched it yet, press pause on us, go watch it and then come back to our recap and review.

Garry:

Yes, man yes.

Amy:

Go watch it and then come back to our recap and review. Yes man, yes man. So what did?

Garry:

you think?

Amy:

I think this was an adventure. Yes, it was.

Garry:

I enjoyed this one. There's a lot of things going on.

Amy:

So in the first episode, you know the one that shows all the families yes, we see Lucy Woods has a crush on Cole, who's like the handyman. Yes, and Lucy owns a bakery.

Garry:

Yep, she does Right.

Amy:

And her friend is Janet, in the bakery with her and Janet is trying to, you know, get her to flirt more or have Cole come to her house to fix other things.

Garry:

Yes, trying to set her up.

Amy:

She's got the bakery and then she finds out her sister, sylvie, is coming home and you kind of get the gist that Sylvie is a whirlwind.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

Right, she comes in. She's kind of like a tornado, and not intentionally in a bad way. Right, but just kind of comes in and shakes things up.

Garry:

She's a free spirit and Lucy isn't looking forward to it. Yes.

Amy:

You know. So that's kind of where we left the first episode when we last saw them.

Garry:

Yeah, interesting. So Sylvie shows up.

Amy:

Yes, and at the end of the first episode she is talking with Cole.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

And Lucy walks up and she has to her house and Sylvie's in there talking with Cole and Lucy's a little disappointed and jelly Right.

Garry:

And a little disappointed.

Amy:

And jelly Right and a little jelly.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

That her sister just came into town and is already whooping it up with the guy that she has a crush on.

Garry:

Yeah, but eyes can deceive.

Amy:

Yes, yes, gotta have context in all this?

Garry:

Right, yeah, well, you know what I love the dynamic between these two.

Amy:

The sisters.

Garry:

Yes, oh, you know know what I love the dynamic between these two, the sisters yes you know, because you have one that's carefree.

Amy:

She's a free spirit?

Garry:

yes, you do likes to, you know, go on adventures. And then you have lucy she's, you know, she's controlling regimented yeah she's structured. She's got to have a routine. She's more serious. She's more serious business, wisewise, family-wise, with her daughter.

Amy:

Right, she doesn't take risks like Sylvie.

Garry:

And then you have Annie, her daughter, lucy's daughter, lucy's daughter, who, for me, is like both of them.

Amy:

Yeah, she's kind of in between, yeah, yeah.

Garry:

So I felt like that's kind of a cool dynamic to this whole, thing, I agree. So I agree it's going to be interesting to review it right.

Amy:

Yeah, yeah, so let's. So Sylvie basically tells Lucy I think Lucy, yeah, it doesn't start off with Lucy letting Sylvie know like you were talking to Cole.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

And Sylvie gets the idea that Lucy likes Cole, yes, and she's like I wasn't. No, no, no, she's like I got my own man, I got my own man, I got my own boyfriend, I don't need you. So she's like, but I can help you with Cole, yes, and Lucy's like no, thank you.

Garry:

And you kind of see Lucy is like, oh, you have a boyfriend.

Amy:

Right, right. And in the meantime you know, annie's got this crush on.

Garry:

Max.

Amy:

Yeah, and Sylvie wants to help her with that. You know she's kind of chimed right in.

Garry:

Right, it's so funny. I don't think it's ever a good idea when you try to matchmake somebody, you know, just let it happen. Just let it happen and I mean you can give a nudge here, a nudge there, but kind of let it happen.

Amy:

And I think you know Lucy is kind of like she really doesn't want Sylvie there.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

Because it's the holidays and she just likes her routine. Like you said earlier, you know she has a routine with Annie. They sit and they watch holiday movies. Yes, and I really. I found it interesting that the Hanukkah part comes in, where you know we don't really know that they celebrate Hanukkah.

Amy:

I didn't get that at the beginning, right, because Lucy's talking about how they just they have the routine, they watch Right Holiday movies and they just chill. And it's just the two of them, it's just Lucy and Annie, and Sylvie's going to kind of throw that all into turmoil.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

Right, and Lucy is talking to Janet about it and she's like. Janet says something like meaning with family coming for the holidays With them. There's always a problem, but without them it feels empty. There's always a problem, but without them it feels empty. Right, and I think that sums up how Lucy feels, like she wants the family, but Sylvie's such a whirlwind that she's kind of like no, you know.

Garry:

Gives her anxiety.

Amy:

Yes, yes.

Garry:

Yeah, I agree with you. You know, you don't know that they celebrate Hanukkah until one night. Sylvia is. She's kind of like in part of the house it's Christmas and in the other half of the house it's Hanukkah. So Sylvia one night is just Sylvie, or Sylvia. I keep saying Sylvia, sorry, sylvia one night is just bringing it all together. Yeah, she's kind of Christmaka, christmaka.

Amy:

Yeah. Yeah, she's kind of Krismica, Krismica. Yeah, she wants to combine both, which is kind of cool. You know you can celebrate both if that's okay with your family and stuff and you can see Lucy is like I don't want to do that, don't do this.

Garry:

I have structure. Stop it, you're making me anxious.

Amy:

But then you know, sylvie, while Lucy's at work, she finds the secret door. Yes, secret door, like in lucy's closet, and she opens it and there's a box of like family things in it right like um it's called the joy memorabilia and yeah, it's called the joy box because their mom was joy, joy, name name joy and it kind of sounds like their mom was the same as sylvie yes a little bit like a free spirit, and I gotta tell you, though, I would be kind of pissed if somebody came into my house and got that out, and I didn't want it out Right.

Amy:

And it had all this memorabilia in it. And even though it's Sylvie, it's not really hers.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

It's Lucy's, so what would you think if someone?

Garry:

came in and you walk in and they're wearing this.

Amy:

Well not only that, but Annie, her daughter, lucy's daughter, was there too, so she was kind of like what, what is this right?

Garry:

right which I find funny that there's a door in your closet and you never look in it. So but hey, whatever, whatever, yeah it's your boot, but she does get your boot. What's that I said? Whatever floats your boat.

Amy:

Oh, I thought you said your boot your booty, we got to go find an accent in there.

Garry:

I got you, I got you but so, sylvie, she's like, oh well, we're gonna open this up and see what's in it, right?

Amy:

so that's what they do, and then they discover they discover outfits, clothes, right right.

Garry:

Annie's in awe because she thought her she didn't know much about her grandmother, right, but she's now learning that her grandma was kind of cool and hip. And you know, that's what she wants to be, because she does have this crush on Max. And then they come across a recipe. What was it? Joy?

Amy:

bar the joy bar.

Garry:

They call it the joy bar. Yes, and so now Sylvie has an idea she wants to make, she wants to make the joy bars. So that's a cool scene. So yeah, so Sylvie wants to make the joy bars, so that's a cool scene.

Amy:

So, yeah, so Sylvie wants to make them at the bakery.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

And Lucy doesn't want to, no, and Sylvie wants to help with the financial situation, because then you find out she's like a partner.

Garry:

A silent partner.

Amy:

yeah, you find out, she's a silent partner in the bakery and you know Lucy won't tell her what's going on, but they have repairs they need to make and they're in sort of some financial straits and Sylvie really wants to help with it, but you know Lucy's so reluctant. She's like no, I got your silent partner for a reason. It's the silent part I want.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

You know, just zip it and just do. Well, you know, but Sylvie thinks that the Joy Bars are going to be the solution. Right, but they're like a healthy bakery.

Garry:

Yeah, they're like a vegan. They're like a vegan bakery and they have their customer base.

Amy:

And the Joy Bars are not.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

They're filled with all of the good stuff, right.

Garry:

It's the complete opposite.

Amy:

Like the crispy cereal and the marshmallows and it sounds good to me.

Garry:

But it's kind of like the kid situation where you tell them the situation but they just have to learn it on their own right.

Amy:

Right now was annie. I'm trying to think. If annie um did she go with max? Is he?

Garry:

I'm trying to remember go with max, are they?

Amy:

working on their project, because lucy goes to pick up annie from somewhere and that's when she.

Garry:

That's when, when um, annie's wearing her grandma's yes, what she thought was a dress, right, so she wears her dress because she's trying to impress max, because it's something she normally doesn't wear right she had been around.

Amy:

Max and lucy picks annie up and she's like what are you wearing? What is that, and, like you kind of said, though, it is a little odd. Odd that Lucy didn't know what was in like that. It wasn't her mom.

Garry:

Right Like she. She maybe she put the box away but didn't didn't know what was in it Right or look in it Right. Yeah.

Amy:

Very often, or since she put it away. I mean I don't know but and? And then she says it was. Does she say it was grandma's or it was?

Garry:

Joy's, it was Joy's, it was Joy's.

Amy:

Yeah, but she called it a shirt and Sylvie got it out. Yeah, and you know well, and that's what Lucy's like. You know, sylvie says it was a dress, but that's a shirt.

Garry:

Yeah, it's not meant to be a dress.

Amy:

It's supposed to be a shirt, you know.

Garry:

I thought that was kind of cute. That was a cute scene right there. So, going back to the restaurant, I thought it was pretty cool because, you know, it was all like Sylvie wanted to make it festive and everything.

Amy:

Oh, yes, yes, we didn't talk about this.

Garry:

But, lucy, you know she wanted to have it her own way and it kind of reminded me of like Gordon Ramsay and his little. You know, fix up the restaurant.

Amy:

Oh, his shows.

Garry:

But they decide to make it festive. But to get Lucy out of the way she had said have Cole help you widen the hallway, because the inspector had come in and said the hallway's not widened enough.

Amy:

No, she wanted her to help Cole, not Cole to help her Right to be the helper.

Garry:

So while she was off helping Cole do the renovations in the hallway, they spruced it up with Christmas stuff and I really liked how they wrapped the tables with wrapping paper. And they put a bow on the back of the chair.

Amy:

Right, I thought that was very cool. They made it very festive because there were a few things in there, but Sylvie and Annie and Janet all decorated it to the nines.

Garry:

Yeah, so it's all very festive now, and they were so happy about it.

Amy:

Yes.

Garry:

And then when Lucy came out, she was all excited too, because it was wow, you know what decorations can do to a place. And then she bought a jukebox in which I thought was pretty cool too.

Amy:

That was pretty cool, yeah, and while Lucy's but you know when Lucy was helping Cole can we just talk about. So they're sledgehammering a wall right.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

But I don't think he's helping her. She's helping him at the restaurant. I think they're like she went to volunteer to help him. That's the way I took that.

Garry:

No, no, because he it was there.

Amy:

Oh, okay, oh okay, so they're sledgehammering. Anyway, they're sledgehammering the wall and neither of them have goggles on.

Garry:

I know.

Amy:

And I'm like hello.

Garry:

Where's the protection? Where's the protection? I just thought that that was so funny, because if you ever tore a wall apart, things fly around, especially if you're sledgehammering it.

Amy:

And that scene was so cute because Lucy finally gets up her courage. She's kind of like um to cole, like she, she asked him out for a drink and she, like, stumbles through it. You know when she's like, do you, do you want to go get a drink? No biggie, just a drink like a seasonal drink muddled by mixologist.

Garry:

You know that was so funny, she's so, and then eventually he's like I'd like to get a muddled drink you know she's so nervous to ask him out. It's kind of cute really, you know, and she's but isn't it kind of interesting, like she owns this little bakery, yes, the Woods Bakery. So she's in customer service and she's always talking to people Right. Well, that's a fair point.

Amy:

But then, when it comes to relationships, she's like an introvert If you like somebody and you're afraid of being rejected.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

You know, whereas a baker, I guess you could hide, not hide, but you're behind the counter and you know, because I I didn't get it that.

Garry:

Did she have a breakup or anything like that?

Amy:

she didn't have a love before we don't know yeah, we don't know the history of annie's father.

Garry:

Yeah, this is one of them, hallmark movies where you're not sure if we. We don't know if she was hurt, if he died if right we don't know that situation right, so um yeah, but but um yeah, so anyways, I I'm getting off the subject about you know, does she have a heartbreak?

Amy:

no, that's all right. Yeah, I don't think they. They didn't talk about it yet.

Garry:

Maybe it comes out later but um, yeah, I thought that was a funny scene when they when she was asking him out.

Amy:

I just thought it was cute. She's like muddled by mixologist.

Garry:

And so the night progresses, and Sylvie decides to help Lucy get ready for the for the day.

Amy:

Well, and that's kind of what I loved about this episode, too, is you get to see the glimpses of and I probably should have said this at the beginning, but, like you do see some breakthrough moments like even though you know Sylvie is a whirlwind, she comes through. You know she's like a bull in a you know, in a china shop and. But you see, there are moments where they do they kind of connect as sisters. And that's one of them, the one you were just getting ready to talk about.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

Where Sylvie is helping Lucy get ready for her date.

Garry:

It is so funny because Lucy comes out and this outfit and she has these flat shoes on and Sylvie's like oh no no, no, no, she's like.

Amy:

well, these are nice shoes.

Garry:

They're metallic.

Amy:

Yeah, what.

Garry:

So she breaks out her, her mom Joy's red shoes that are like three-inch heels on them. I'm like, oh my God, right, I'm walking those things. And then she tries to give her her lip gloss for later, you know, to kind of plump up her lips Right A lip plump or whatever it's called. And she's like, no, I'm not going to do this. But then she kind of just slips it in lucy's purse in her purse.

Amy:

Yep, yep, yep, so you have um. So then lucy goes on the date right with cole, after sylvie has slipped it in her purse, her little lip gloss. So she goes on the date with cole, she excuses herself to go to the restroom and she puts on the lip gloss. Yes or lip plumper or whatever it is Right. And in the meantime, Sylvie and Annie go to the bakery.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

And start making the joy bars. Joy bars, but they first. I think they were just making them. She just wanted to bake them.

Garry:

Yeah, just to taste them, to see how they.

Amy:

Right so, and you kind of find out, you know, and that's when Sylvie and Annie kind of have a heart to heart somehow, right? And that's when Annie's saying she has a crush on somebody and Right, and she wants to know.

Garry:

you know, what should she do? And of course, sylvie's like put it all out there. Yeah, you know, you can't play it safe.

Amy:

You can't play a scene when you know you want it, when you know what you want. In a relationship like you can't play it safe, right? That's what sylvie says to annie. And then we find out that sylvie has basically given her boyfriend an ultimatum like we need to move forward in this relationship before we go to machu picchu, which I thought was hysterically funny because I had never heard of that movie until it was a movie in Passport to Love. We just watched a Machu Picchu proposal.

Amy:

And I was like I have never heard of that in Peru, and here it is twice in a month.

Garry:

I haven't known about it through Ancient Aliens.

Amy:

Well, yeah, you did know about it, but I never had and I just thought it was funny. So, sylvie, we find out she actually has given her boyfriend an ultimatum. So Sylvie has we find out she actually has given her boyfriend an ultimatum and she's like she's basically confident he's going to. Say yes, say yes, like we're going to move forward.

Garry:

We're going to move to the next. I forget what she right the next level in the relationship, Right.

Amy:

Because she wants.

Garry:

She wants to A family and she wants to move on. Yeah, yeah, she wants to be Lucy.

Amy:

So back to the restaurant. Yes, and lucy has put on the lip gloss and she's holding, and it was kind of funny because it reminded me of like hitch, but we'll get to in a minute, but she's holding the like a glass in front of her, and cole's like what are you doing?

Amy:

and she's like it just feels, my lips feel like they're burning, oh my goodness. And then she moves the glass and her lips are all swollen because she's had an allergic reaction. And all I could think of was Hitch. And if you haven't seen Hitch, it's with Will Smith and Kevin James and Will Smith, he goes to a cooking class with this woman that he really likes and I can't think of the actress's name, but Gina, something, but anyway. And then he eats something that has shellfish or something.

Garry:

Yeah, he's allergic to shellfish. He's allergic to it and his lips and his face swells up His eyes Like he's been in a boxing match and he's on his first date and he's like what's the matter?

Amy:

And she looks at him and she's, so. That's what it reminded me of. So Lucy's lips are really swollen and she's mortified, of course.

Garry:

Of course, and the first thing Cole says is like whoa.

Amy:

Whoa.

Garry:

And she's like what.

Amy:

It's like your lips, but it was kind of funny when she's like they feel like they're hot or something. That's why she had the cold glass on her lips. It's funny, oh gosh, Okay. So Lucy? Well, she goes to the bakery. Oh, so you cut to the next day, really right the next morning, and Lucy goes to the bakery and Sylvie is still there.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

Right and Lucy is upset because she finds out that Sylvie had baked all night. And used up all their ingredients and stuff and Sylvie kind of pleads her case like this is going to help. They're really good, you know. They're really really good. You got to taste it and we didn't mention that. So after Sylvie and Annie kind of make a few, they decide Sylvie's like we need to make. This is what's going to save this bakery Right, the Joy Bar.

Garry:

And that's yeah, she gets with Janet Right, Right.

Amy:

So where are we at then?

Garry:

But when she gets that day when she goes and she finds out that they used up all her ingredients. Sylvie had asked her how was the date and she said well, it was fine until I put your lip gloss on and learned that there was bee pollen in it Right, and I'm allergic to bee pollen and that's why she swelled up the way she did.

Amy:

Yeah, and I like how Lucy says nothing penetrates your Sylvie-ness, you know, because it's like she doesn't. She just keeps going, sylvie just keeps going, you know, no matter what. So then we cut to, I think, the nighttime. So Lucy, I think, is on board with the Joy Bar. She's kind of like, okay, we'll give it a shot. So that's again where they're trying to. She's like, okay, she has a heart for Sylvie. She's trying to let her in right and then it's nighttime and we're at the festival again.

Amy:

Yes, and Annie takes a selfie with.

Amy:

Max and the other friend who's there Right and right before she snaps the picture, she kisses him on the cheek, yes, and he's, he freaks out. He freaks out. He's like what are you doing? What are you doing? She's immediately embarrassed as I would be and mortified. I just you feel for her that because you remember being a teen where you know here she is taking a chance, like her aunt Sibley said, and it did not go well for her. No, he wasn't mad or rude, no, he was just surprised. Yeah, right. And then you look at the picture and you see her kissing him on the cheek and yeah, he was like did you kiss me?

Garry:

She's like no, no, no. The picture shows her Obviously. She's so loud bakery trying to sell the bars yes, oh yes yes, and and then that the one customer comes in and she's like you know what is that? And of course sylvie tells her and she's like I don't want that, you know, because she's vegan, or whatever right, so she leaves and then so, and then sylvie's like so she's sitting there and she's like kind of upset because she thought that, like you said, this was going to say it would like explode right, it was going to explode right and then outside of the of the bakery.

Garry:

Um some uh is the festival going on and the choirs, the carolers show up and sylvia gets sylvie. You got sylvia on your brain, Come on give these names, Sylvie, she gets this idea that oh, wait a minute, we're selling to the wrong base.

Amy:

We need to.

Garry:

You know this is you know vegan and out there is people that love this, so her and Janet decide to go out there and pass them out.

Amy:

Right, just to gen up business yeah.

Garry:

Like just to get out there.

Amy:

Kind know it. And the thing is, lucy was right. She's like, you're gonna make these and no one's. We're a healthy yes bake, people come here right for the vegan experience or whatever you know, the vegan baked goods or right not the healthier, not the sugar and the eggs and the butter. And the stuff that tastes really good.

Garry:

The stuff that makes you Right More fuzzy.

Amy:

So then she goes out and it's kind of cool because that's where we see Mrs Kaiser. Yes, she's from the second episode, right? Yes, she's from the Hill family episode because she was going caroling in that first episode. Yeah, and again I'm looking for people and I'm not finding them, and I have to go back and I'm going to have to slow it down and look.

Garry:

But yeah, we at least see one other character and it is pretty cool how they kind of wove that together, because Josh had gone to Mrs Kaiser's house as she was coming out to go to the carnival or the festival Right right right, and then in this episode, which is three, four, she's this is four, four. She's actually now there. Yes, so I thought that was pretty cool.

Amy:

So we see the Right, right, right, so they're kind of intertwining.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

The storylines, which they're all you know. And then in the meantime Max had gone to the bakery looking for. We kind of jumped the gun with.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

Sylvie and Janet going out. Sylvie and Janet going out. But before that happens, doesn't Max come to the bakery looking? For Annie yes, yes, and that gets Lucy out of the bakery Right right. And she goes and looks for Annie because he's like you know, did she come here? And she's like no, I thought she was with you at the booth or whatever, and he's like no. And so then she goes looking for her Right and she finds her Next to Santa Claus.

Amy:

Next to Santa Claus. I know him, yeah, so, and that's when, then, sylvie and Janet take the bars out. Right Because she's gone looking for Annie. Right, right, yeah. So then Lucy comes back and Sylvie and Janet are kind of excited. Yeah, they're excited Because everybody loved the bars, yes, but they didn't make no money.

Garry:

They didn't make any money, they didn't make no money.

Amy:

And Lucy's not real excited about that no. Because she's like you used all of our ingredients, you gave everything away and we didn't make anything.

Garry:

So you've made our best day of the year into the worst day of the year Right right. And you can just see that just devastated Sylvie.

Amy:

Yeah, because she calls Sylvie careless. Yes, and that's where you kind of see where you can't. It's sort of like you said, annie is a good combination of the two. It's okay to be spontaneous, it's okay to have good ideas and go for it, but you also have to be practical, right? And's okay to have good ideas and go for it, but you also have to be practical, right, you know? And Lucy needs to be more spontaneous.

Amy:

Yes, and understanding, but Sylvie needs to be more practical and I think we all have family members like each of them in our families.

Garry:

Yes, we do, and I'm probably you know I'm more Lucy. Yes, you are.

Amy:

I mean, I'm a little bit spontaneous, but I like a plan.

Garry:

And I'm a little bit of rock and roll.

Amy:

You're a little bit, I guess I'm country, I don't know, but yeah, so I'm more like that and I know I need to. You know, loosen up a little bit, but you know.

Garry:

I like the plan.

Amy:

I like things.

Garry:

Yes, there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, I know Everybody can't be the same, but you need to be a little more, because then that would make the world boring.

Amy:

I need to be a little more flexible, you know, with things, when things change yes, like with change. But you can understand why Lucy's so upset. You know, because this is her business, this is her livelihood. She lives there, she, you know, and it's Sylvie's business also.

Garry:

But the grind, doing it every day right so.

Amy:

So she kind of tells sylvia that she just needs to leave because she's upset, you know yeah, and then they, they end, they end up back at lucy's house, right? And this is when her and sylvia. This is when a lot of the family stuff comes out comes out right.

Amy:

So you kind of see that they're both not envious but sort of envious of one another. Envious might not be the right word, but they're kind of. They have misconceptions about each other. And it's interesting because when you think someone is so spontaneous, like sylvie, like they don't have a care in the world and all they are is happy and they view everything as happiness, and you know, I get, and you realize, realize that it's not all sunshine for Sylvie either.

Garry:

No.

Amy:

Like she is. You know, you find out that Lucy, their mom died when they were young and Lucy is still mad at her mom for leaving them and leaving her to take care of Sylvie, and she doesn't regret Sylvie. No, but she just has this. I always had to take care of Sylvie.

Garry:

And she doesn't regret.

Amy:

Sylvie? No, but she just has this. I always had to be the caretaker. I had to grow up really fast. You didn't have to, you know. And then Sylvie.

Garry:

Yeah, she well. It's kind of interesting how they each viewed what happened to their mother.

Amy:

Oh right.

Garry:

I didn't. That was interesting because Lucy looked at it as she didn't want them and just went out and partied Right.

Amy:

You know, ended up.

Garry:

She lived too carefree, right Right, that's a good point, and Sylvie was more like no, you know, mom loved us and you know she did what she did.

Amy:

Yeah, and that was her and, and you know she did what she did.

Garry:

Yeah, and that was her, and that was her point of view and I thought that Hallmark did a really good job of explaining that.

Amy:

No, that's a really good point. Yeah, that Lucy did view her mom. As you know, she died because she was careless.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

And Lucy was like no, she was living.

Garry:

She wasn't just existing she wasn't, you know.

Amy:

So, yeah, that's, that's a really good, that's a really good point. And you know, we forgot to mention too that in the box, in the joy box, was a menorah. Yeah Right. That that Sylvie and Lucy had made.

Garry:

Yeah, when they were younger, when they were younger and it's like got bottles.

Amy:

It was kind of cool, it was kind of cool, so, and it's like got bottles, it was kind of cool, it was kind of cool. So they got that out and put that out. We yeah, I just wanted to mention that because I because that comes into play in a little bit but so then, um, you know, and then sylvie also says you know, I, you don't think I want a family too, I want a family I want to settle down yeah you know, you just think I don't want anything.

Amy:

I just want to go around my whole life. No, I, I want to settle down. And Lucy's never really thought about Sylvie in that way.

Garry:

So it's really that was a really good scene, yeah, I think, and then she ends up kicking around right, gideon up, gideon up.

Amy:

Well, it starts to storm. Yes, so now we have the storm, so we're at the storm scene again and lucy, you know, was gonna make her leave, but she kind of says you can stay yeah until the storms, yeah, and then sylvie says why would I stay where I'm not wanted?

Garry:

and that's kind of when they get into it. Yeah, yeah. So sylvie leaves right, gets her suitcase, walks out the door, and then lucy decides to have you know their routine with her daughter, annie, which is Because it's Christmas Eve, right.

Garry:

Watching Christmas movies with popcorn and Coco. And Annie tells, because you know Annie's, like I wish Sylvie was here. And then Lucy was kind of like well, you know, she's carefree and she's got her boyfriend. And then that's when Annie says no, she doesn't, and she shows him a picture of him at Machu Picchu with some other woman, with another woman. Yeah, and you can see Lucy was like oh.

Amy:

Can we talk about their movie picks?

Garry:

Yes so.

Amy:

Lucy was like what do you want to watch Elf, or it's a Wonderful Life?

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

It was so good.

Garry:

Two of the ones that we watch we always watch.

Amy:

Yeah, they're on our list.

Garry:

I was like, ooh, that's a tough choice. I don't know.

Amy:

But then it got serious, like you said.

Garry:

Yeah, and then that's when it starts really thundering and lightning.

Amy:

The power goes out, the power goes out, the power goes out. So now we're at the power out part that has been in every episode right Now we're at the power out part that has been in every episode right.

Garry:

Right. So, they go and get the candles and they light everything, including the menorah.

Amy:

Yep, they get the menorah. I thought that was cute and he gets the menorah and.

Garry:

They're standing there and then, all of a sudden, the wind starts picking up and blows open their French doors you know inside. And all the candles go out except for the menorah.

Amy:

That was pretty cool. That gave me chills, isn't that part of the story?

Garry:

That's part of the story no, which I thought was pretty interesting. I thought that was really cool, so I like that. They're you know it's Hanukkah and they're're showing it without being preachy about it Right all in your face, just like they're not with the Christian side of it Right right right. Not with Jesus being born for Christmas.

Amy:

You don't get that either, usually in the Christmas, but it's kind of a good way to bring it in there and they're giving you some lessons about it know. Yeah, I thought it was really really good.

Garry:

Yeah, I like that. Walmart did a great job.

Amy:

Yeah, and you know, I think I don't know if someone says but like their mom, joy was all about the light that won't go out.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

She's always. She was such a vibrant light for us. So I thought that was pretty cool.

Garry:

Andy has said to annie this was joy right here right this was.

Amy:

Is that what she? Yeah, yeah, yeah so pretty good huh oh, there was a lot to unpack on that one too. Every time I think we're gonna like fly through it. I'm like, oh, there's more, but wait, there's more. But the family intricacies are very interesting and and the dynamics and you know, these are two sisters who don't have their parents around.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

And you know they're trying to make the best of it and it's I don't know. It's just, I'm just really liking this series.

Garry:

Yes, it's very good.

Amy:

Yeah.

Garry:

So what was your?

Amy:

You go first. What was your tinsel top moment?

Garry:

Man, I'm telling you, I know, I just think I don't know.

Amy:

There was a couple of them that I really liked. Well, for me, my tinsel top moment and you know it doesn't have to be like this hugely, not hugely, but this huge, like aha moment but I thought the tinsel top moment was when, towards the end, when Lucy and Sylvie are talking and finally saying how they feel.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

About things, because then the hope is maybe now that they realize they've misunderstood each other and haven't realized where each other was in terms of their thinking about their mom and everything, and I just so that for me would be the tinsel top moment because it finally came out.

Garry:

That's probably mine too, yeah, only because they do realize what the other had been going through during that time when they lost their mom.

Amy:

Right, and with the storm, you know you can see that Lucy's worried, yes, about Sylvie, yeah, because she's out somewhere.

Garry:

We. You can see that Lucy's worried.

Amy:

Yes, About Sylvie yeah, because she's out somewhere. We don't know where she's out, especially after knowing that she lost her boyfriend.

Garry:

Right, right and that she was trying to change her life and settle down and not be a you know whatever. They call him a gypsy.

Amy:

A gypsy Right. You know, so you know. Hey, we all live and learn, yeah, so out of five ornaments, how many would you hang on this tree? Five, how about you?

Garry:

I too am going to hang five. Our tree is getting very full.

Amy:

Yeah, it's going to be full. I just know it because I'm just really loving the series. I like how each is ending at the same point.

Garry:

Right at the same point, but with different things going on with the families.

Amy:

Each family is very different, which is real life.

Garry:

But it's still.

Amy:

You know, each family is going through different. Their own little their own little holiday fun yeah.

Garry:

Enter demons.

Amy:

Yeah, well, all right, I wouldn't go that far, but yeah.

Garry:

Anyhow is that a wrap.

Amy:

I think that's a wrap All right.

Garry:

Thanks for tuning in. Be sure to follow the podcast wherever you listen so you don't miss one. Also, follow us on social media. If you really really like the show, we would really really appreciate your positive review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And if you didn't really really like the show, we'd still appreciate your positive review.

Amy:

I mean we know it takes time to write reviews and everybody's busy and got stuff going on. So if you do have a spare moment or two and you want to drop a review or drop us a line, I know we'd really appreciate it.

Garry:

Yeah, it'd be great and we'll read it on the podcast.

Amy:

Yeah, we'll be dropping new podcast reviews of holidays and the new to Hallmark holiday movies every week in July, so be sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts and on social media so you don't miss a thing. Until then, fill up your glasses and push play. Thanks for listening.

Garry:

Cheers.