S01.E10: Merry Jaxmas

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

When Reverend Jax is visited by his charismatic parents, Arthur helps him overcome his lifelong feelings of living in their shadow, and encourages him to embrace his way of ministering in time for their Christmas performance. Meanwhile, Ginny and Wayne decide to have a secret fling.

Original air date: 12/12/19

Edited November 29, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[DanaK]

Aw, they did a Bollywood Christmas pageant for Jax’s little sister. I could only smile as she showed her excitement and got into it. That was so sweet

[tvburr]

21 hours ago, DanaK said:

Aw, they did a Bollywood Christmas pageant for Jax’s little sister. I could only smile as she showed her excitement and got into it. That was so sweet

It was really cute that moment.

For me, this show justifies its existence, even if (when) it gots cancelled.

Joy to the world everyone. Happy hollydays.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I love that this silly show also manages to be so sweet. Even grumpy atheist Arthur was willing to make sacrifices in order to make Jax look good to his judgey parents. And Jax was willing to disappoint his parents in order to connect with his new sister.

The Bollywood twist they put on a traditional Christmas song shows exactly why some churches (and this show) have been using secular music to draw people in. Not everyone is going to connect with old fashioned songs or Latin chants (I say this as someone who went to Catholic school and sang in choir at public school).

Like other old institutions, churches need to find ways to gain new members and retain existing members. Kids like Anjali who are forced to go to church may choose to quit going once they're old enough to have a say in the matter and that means declining membership. If you just stay rigid and traditional, there's a good chance that once those kids grow up they won't keep going, let alone bring their own kids.

Although Jax can be a little neurotic, it's clear that he cares about the members of his church and that he's open to doing different things to reach people. The day that he had Arthur stay at the church showed just how much he does for the community and how many different programs he has to try to reach different groups within the congregation.

The only sour note in this episode (heh, no pun intended) was Ginny possibly being pregnant. Please let Ginny and Wayne just get divorced without any further complications!

So is Barb going to stay in the choir? Or was she just in it for the solo?

I liked that Jax asked Anjali if he could tousle her hair and she said no. I hate when people act like they're allowed to touch kids just because they're kids. Not everyone likes that kind of stuff. For some reason, people have always wanted to touch my hair. I remember in elementary school whenever we had to line up to go to the bathroom after recess, whoever happened to be standing behind me would just start touching my hair. Even as a 7 year old, I was like WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP TOUCHING MY HAIR, DAMN IT!

Guest star bonus: Ellis Grey!

Edited December 14, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[kirinan]

I enjoyed 99.5% of this episode (please don't go there with the last moment, show!). I actually got a little choked up watching the Bollywood Christmas number. It was so joyful, and the big smile on Arthur's face just made it more so. 

This show has come so far for me--from "something I just happened to turn on because I couldn't find another show I wanted to watch" to a "must-see every single week." I hope it sticks around for at least another season or two. 

[schnauzergirl]

I started out with high expectations, then was disappointed, but this episode -- except for that last twist -- got me back in the fold.  Also anything with Kate Burton gets my attention.  Just no baby, please.

[memememe76]

This was my favourite Christmas episode of all my shows this year. So happy!

[tennisgurl]

That was so sweet, I loved the twist with Jax doing a Bollywood song to connect with his new sister, she looked so happy!

Ginny and Wayne are really playing with fire hooking up again, even if she isnt pregnant, which I hope she isnt. I did love them them talking about how they hooked up in high school at Abe Lincolns birth place, a staple of all Kentucky school field trips! 

"His service was so good, it made me possibly consider my atheism." "Just kidding, Merry Christmas." Awww Arthur, you softie. 

[aradia22]

This felt like a pretty solid episode. It wasn't consistently funny but the plotlines felt really focused on developing the characters and their relationships.

I don't get the plot with the internet and the game. Why would Arthur have to choose? If Jax's parents taped the concert on their phones, they could still upload it later. 

I really though Anjali would have been hiding some contraband in her bible.

I liked the function of the Bollywood Santa choir performance in the story but it sounded terrible. The singing was super canned and the music sounded like a midi file. 

Ugh, I hope Ginny isn't actually pregnant.