S03.E10: Christmas Spirit

[ParadoxLost]

Quote

Holiday-themed incidents include a shopper pushed over the edge, a woman who is literally having a "Blue Christmas" and a luggage handler accident on a tarmac; Maddie revisits her past to embrace her future; Bobby receives shocking news.

[The Ringo Kidd]

Will the negligent ambulance driver run over Santa Claus?

[ParadoxLost]

Bobby, I didn't know you had Supernatural inside you.

[Lady Calypso]

Huh. So, instead of Bobby being sick, it's Michael? Damn. Now, if this show goes the way that it usually does, Michael should be just fine. This show doesn't tend to follow through on major storylines like this that would take up more than two episodes. I'm mildly worried, but not majorly...yet. 

Let's hope Maddie is finally moving on from Doug. She does deserve happiness and hopefully, that means she's fully committing to Chimney now. 

Yay for Hen and Karen for deciding to go down the foster route. That's a storyline I could get behind! 

That scene where Christopher asked Buck if he could stay with him for Christmas was super sweet. And Buck pulling together a Christmas dinner with Athena's help was great. Go Buck! He's definitely made up for his lawsuit fiasco; I'd rather pretend that never happened. 

It does suck that we have to wait about three-four months for the show to return. Damn you, 9-1-1 Lone Star! I'm not interested in YOU! I'm interested in THIS SHOW. 

[Ohwell]

Well, at least they showed some intimacy between Bobby and Athena.  The writers must have been reading social media.

I'm sorry about Michael though.

I hope that we're finally done with Maddie's story.

[elle]

Since when does one need passports to fly to Hawaii?  Assuming from their conversation, they are from California/US citizens.

[rhys]

Hmmm... I did not even notice passports. You have some great vision! I do hope Mike's ok. I really thought Athena was dreaming. Surely a real glass door would be tempered.

[ParadoxLost]

27 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Huh. So, instead of Bobby being sick, it's Michael? Damn. Now, if this show goes the way that it usually does, Michael should be just fine. This show doesn't tend to follow through on major storylines like this that would take up more than two episodes. I'm mildly worried, but not majorly...yet. 

I'm majorly worried. The Bobby/Athena/Michael/kids family unit is entirely too functional.  My gut says that Michael moves in with Bobby and Athena and then the show looks for the back half angst.  I'm guessing they tackle physician assisted death.

Edited December 3, 2019 by ParadoxLost

[CoyoteBlue]

29 minutes ago, elle said:

Since when does one need passports to fly to Hawaii?  Assuming from their conversation, they are from California/US citizens.

October next year, they'll be required (or the REAL-ID equivalent), so if you already own them, it's easier to just use them. I use mine to fly all the time, even in the US.

[elle]

30 minutes ago, rhys said:

Hmmm... I did not even notice passports. You have some great vision! I do hope Mike's ok. I really thought Athena was dreaming. Surely a real glass door would be tempered.

They could have been the tickets that the wife puts on the counter, but they seem to be more square than the typical sleeve and there is a quick glimmer of gold lettering on a blue cover.

Hen and Eddie need to set up more playdates for their boys.

Quote

October next year, they'll be required (or the REAL-ID equivalent), so if you already own them, it's easier to just use them. I use mine to fly all the time, even in the US.

Thanks, CoyoteBlue!  We've used the passport card for id for our daughter since she did not have a driver's license. That'll change soon (much too soon!)

Edited December 3, 2019 by elle

[preeya]

45 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Yay for Hen and Karen for deciding to go down the foster route. That's a storyline I could get behind! 

What could/will possibly go wrong??

[Chaos Theory]

The one message this show does tell well is that there is more then one kind of family.    
 

Michael is an extraneous character especially with his and Athena’s kids almost grown.   Michael could get sick and move in and the story wouldn’t really change.  
 

Buck continues to be an adorable little kid.  Loved when Christopher asked if he could spend Christmas with Buck.  

Edited December 3, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[Irlandesa]

I don't want them to kill off Michael and turn into a "killing off the parents" show.  Of the "personal" stories, Buck hanging out with Eddie and Christopher and Michael still being a part of Athena's new family unit are some of the most enjoyable moments.

But the show wasn't subtle at all when it forecasted Michael getting sick the way they focused on him when Bobby said he was doing well. 

I'm glad Hen and Karen realized fostering would be a good avenue for them. 

[Lady Calypso]

6 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I don't want them to kill off Michael and turn into a "killing off the parents" show.  Of the "personal" stories, Buck hanging out with Eddie and Christopher and Michael still being a part of Athena's new family unit are some of the most enjoyable moments.

To be fair to the show, the only reason they killed off Shannon was because she wasn't received well by the audience. The showrunner even confirmed this in an interview after her death episode. Michael is well received by the audience so I think that he should be alright. I would be surprised if Michael actually died. I think he's proven himself to be a vital part of the show, and I think his death would depress things too much. With Shannon, it was easy because she was barely around and her death didn't change anything. With Michael, it would change the dynamic of Athena's story and with the kids'. 

This show thrives on the balance between funny/light-hearted and the serious/dramatic stuff. Killing Michael off would probably shift the show in the serious/dramatic direction too much. 

This show hasn't gone the shocking death route with supporting or main characters besides with Shannon and with Doug. Maybe I'm too hopeful, but I'm not worried that they'll kill Michael off. They have enough story with him just getting sick and needing treatment. I do wonder how much impact this will have on his family, though. I was happy when Michael said that he'd tell Athena and his kids when he goes to the specialist. He wasn't going to wait weeks to tell them, which is refreshing. And I fully support Bobby keeping quiet for those couple of days. It was Christmas, after all. Nobody should hear bad news on a holiday like that.

[anna0852]

I'm really loving the Grant/Nash family dynamic. That a couple can divorce and still be friends, that they can respectfully co-parent and that remarriage simply means more love. And that love is romantic, parental, friends, siblings, etc... 

Such a refreshing change from the usual TV divorce full of acrimony and conflict. 

[chlban]

Enough JLH already. She is ruining another show for me.

[elle]

o/t here Did anyone watch the promo for the new show with Rob Lowe and Liv Tyler?  Towards the end there is a shot of a view of something in a rear view mirror (not a T-Rex).  It looks like a dust storm but could be a flood, any guesses?

[preeya]

19 minutes ago, elle said:

o/t here Did anyone watch the promo for the new show with Rob Lowe and Liv Tyler?  Towards the end there is a shot of a view of something in a rear view mirror (not a T-Rex).  It looks like a dust storm but could be a flood, any guesses?

dust storm

[tennisgurl]

I really hope that Michael is alright, I love the whole Grant/Nash family and the friendship between Bobby and Michael is always a highlight of any episode for me. 

Less drama than the last few Christmas episodes, with Bobby being alright, some cute Buck/Eddie/Christopher moments, Buck helping Athena make a big Christmas party (lawsuit? What lawsuit, that story never happened) Hen and Karen deciding to foster kids, and Maddie finally seeming to put her past behind her. Even all of the calls ended up with no fatalities, despite one poor guy getting sucked into a freaking jet engine! I guess the only victims were the doomed new golf clubs, RIP. I will also never get tired of people commenting on the ridiculous level of hotness of Eddie and Buck. Or the obvious puns that are connected to the cases of the week, ala Blue Christmas. 

I am so sad that we have to wait so long for more show! Darn you winter break!

[all fall down]

3 hours ago, elle said:

Since when does one need passports to fly to Hawaii?  Assuming from their conversation, they are from California/US citizens.

I've always used my passport as ID when flying domestically. I think they're preferred over other forms of ID, and since I had one, it was just easier. 

Good epiosde. I doubt they'll kill off Michael. 

[Gramto6]

Wait, did they ever address the guy that got sucked into the jet engine? That was so weird it was almost comical.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Gramto6
typo

[DisplayyName]

2 hours ago, chlban said:

Enough JLH already. She is ruining another show for me.

Last year the mid season finale was all about her. I wouldn't have thought she had the nerve to make yet another mid season finale all about herself. Well, I was wrong.

It makes me sad because Oliver/Buck, Aisha/Hen and Ryan/Eddie have been breathtaking this season. They deserved a chance to shine before the break... but unfortunately, she took that away from them.

Edited December 3, 2019 by DisplayyName

[elle]

37 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

Wait, did they ever address the guy that got sucked into the jet engine? That was is weird it was almost comical.

He appeared uninjured.  The theory was that the golf clubs were sucked in first, stopping the blades this keeping the guy from being severely injured or killed.  The clubs were destroyed  prompting their owner, watching from the window, to faint.

The beginning of the whole runaway luggage cart scene had to be based on this real life event.

Edited December 3, 2019 by elle

[Irlandesa]

20 minutes ago, DisplayyName said:

Last year the mid season finale was all about her. I wouldn't have thought she had the nerve to make yet another mid season finale all about herself. Well, I was wrong.

IMO, I don't think this midseason finale was all about her.

But even if it were, she's not a writer, producer or director on the series.  She's nothing more than a hired hand.  She didn't make anyone do anything.

[SuprSuprElevated]

9 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I hope that we're finally done with Maddie's story.

Initially, I was concerned about JLH's inclusion in the show, as I've always found her roles/acting to be sappy and overly dramatic.  After the first few episodes I was pleased that her part was at least moderately interesting.  I'm now back to finding her to be annoying and sappy again.  If not for her relationship with Chim, I would be wishing her character to vaporize.  

[Empress1]

9 hours ago, anna0852 said:

I'm really loving the Grant/Nash family dynamic. That a couple can divorce and still be friends, that they can respectfully co-parent and that remarriage simply means more love. And that love is romantic, parental, friends, siblings, etc... 

Such a refreshing change from the usual TV divorce full of acrimony and conflict. 

When Michael said this was Bobby's first Christmas with his new family and they were going to make it special, I totally cried. And you know Bobby and Michael see themselves as family to each other too. Michael seems like such a good guy. I would throw in a "call me, Michael" if he were straight.

Buck can call me, though. Call me, Buck! (Does he still have that girlfriend?)

Maddie, take the money. It was what, $400K? Take it. Donate some of it to a domestic violence cause if you like, or start one yourself with it, but take it.

I thought Hen was going to take in the boy whose mother had a heart attack. (I teared up in that scene too - I was like, don't you kill this child's mother on Christmas!) I was close. I know a few foster parents, including three who adopted kids out of foster care. One single foster mother who adopted a teenager and two sets of parents who adopted a second child (one who adopted a child older than the bio one they already had, and one who adopted a younger child). All three adopted transracially (white parents, nonwhite kids). 

6 hours ago, elle said:

The clubs were destroyed  prompting their owner, watching from the window, to faint.

I laughed at that. I gasped when the guy got sucked in - I was like, if they pull a shredded body out of this thing, I don't think I can handle it. I was relieved when he was OK and then I cracked up when Golf Club Guy dropped like a tree.

7 hours ago, Sarah Heart said:

Hen, I love her smile.

Aisha Hinds has a gorgeous smile and a great big laugh. The episode where Athena was locked up with her own handcuffs when she was messing around with a man and Hen had to rescue her and Hen just absolutely dies laughing is my favorite scene in the series.

[Eyes High]

11 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Michael is an extraneous character especially with his and Athena’s kids almost grown.   Michael could get sick and move in and the story wouldn’t really change.  

Michael spends so much time at Athena's that he seems to live there already.

8 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I will also never get tired of people commenting on the ridiculous level of hotness of Eddie and Buck. 

Oliver Stark's a very handsome man, but Ryan Guzman is insanely hot even by primetime TV standards.

I'm looking forward to the Hen/Karen foster storyline. 

Edited December 3, 2019 by Eyes High

[Empress1]

27 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

Oliver Stark's a very handsome man, but Ryan Guzman is insanely hot even by primetime TV standards.

Facts. Call me, Eddie! Especially now that you're out of fight club!

[bmoore4026]

Oh, God, Cap's gonna die horribly isn't he?  Between him and Michael, Athena is going to have a lot of heartbreak 😞

Was that Ellie Kemper at the start of the episode?  It looked like her. 

Poor Buck.  This has not been his year.  Almost died twice, got suspended, stuck with Halloween duty, everyone treating him like crap, and now ruining children's belief in Santa.

Loved the whole thing with the golf clubs.  Whoever the actor was playing the guy with the clubs was amazing, especially fainting.

[chlban]

2 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Initially, I was concerned about JLH's inclusion in the show, as I've always found her roles/acting to be sappy and overly dramatic.  After the first few episodes I was pleased that her part was at least moderately interesting.  I'm now back to finding her to be annoying and sappy again.  If not for her relationship with Chim, I would be wishing her character to vaporize.  

Chimney will get over it. Vaporize already. I totally stopped watching Criminal Minds after about 3 episodes with her, but I like this show a lot more. 

[DisplayyName]

40 minutes ago, chlban said:

Chimney will get over it. Vaporize already. I totally stopped watching Criminal Minds after about 3 episodes with her, but I like this show a lot more. 

Chimney will be better off without her. I hate to say this, but the show would be better without her.

She takes away screentime from the characters we love. Other than that I’m not sure what purpose she serves in the show. 

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, icemiser69 said:

I don't blame that woman at the mall for being pissed.  She was a nice person being surrounded by assholes.

I didn't blame her for being pissed, but she lost me when she sprayed Santa Claus.   Santa was just trying to diffuse the situation, and she knew it.  Also, she sprayed some people who weren't even involved.  So yeah, she should have been arrested.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Ohwell

[BookWitch]

TV likes to pretend that being pepper sprayed only affects the person you're spraying. Yeah, they get a facefull of it but it's in the air around you too. Your eyes will water as well.

[DearEvette]

If I am not mistaken nobody died in last year's Christmas episode either.  I enjoyed the first case with the baggage handler, mainly because the final act, the guy fainting because he saw how mangled his gold clubs were, was really just a great touch.

I was legit upset during the scene of the little boy giving his mom CPR that whole thing is my personal nightmare.  I hate the idea of any little kids being orphaned.  And he was such a sweetie.

I am glad this seems to be the final closure for Maddie (and us).  Hopefully we;ll never hear about him again.

I don't want Michael to die.  Sure he is not a first responder, but I like the role he fills in the show and I love his relationship with Bobby.   And I want him to find a good guy to settle down with!

I am enjoying the relationship the show is building between Athena and Buck.  He is a big ol' puppy dog and she is totally exasperated but indulgent with him

And I just love when they do the big celebrations with the entire extended family.

[iMonrey]

I have no issues with JLH but Maddie's story just doesn't feel organic to the show. I said the same thing last week, and it's because they've been dragging this thing out with her PTSD for way too long. Hen killed a girl and got over it in one episode. How long has this thing been going on with Maddie and her dead ex? Enough already.

In addition to that, the continuity was way out of whack. First she goes back to wherever it was that she killed her abusive ex, then in the next scene she's back at work talking to the kid whose mother had the heart attack. Then at the end of the episode she's at the station and Chim is asking her how "it" went - referring to her sojourn back to the woods. So . . . she went on this mental health journey way up in the woods, then came home and went back to work? And never saw or talked to Chim until she showed up at the station later? Was this all in one day?

I like Michael, and I like Athena and Bobby, but the whole dynamic is starting to feel like a throuple. It seems like it would be hella awkward.

Also, I'm not sure I believed Bobby when he told Athena his test results were all clear. It was way too casual and we never saw any conversation between him and the doctor.

[Sarahsmile416]

The scene with Buck, Eddie and Hen at the play date, I really thought Buck and Eddie would kiss.  Damn it show! Start taking the subtext between them and make it text.  

Even Mr Sarahsmile watches and expects/wants it to happen and he and I are pretty much never on the same page with couples or potential couples.  For instance, he liked Ronda Rousey.  Enough said 😬

[tennisgurl]

I generally like Maddie as a character and JLH as an actress, when Maddie is allowed to just be a character, and not a magnet for ridiculous levels of melodrama. I like Maddie in the call center, which she is pretty good at (when she isnt stalking the callers) and with Buck and Chimney, and I like that Maddie gave us a chance to explore the call center more than the show did before she got there. With Abbey as the main call center character in season one, she had been there for years and already knew what she was doing, while when Maddie came in as a new person, we got to see more of the call center and the important and often difficult job the people there have (especially as they are probably the least thought of first responders by most people) and even got a supporting cast of reoccurring characters there. I also think that JLH did a good job with her killing Doug, and the fallout from that, and that would have been a good climax for that part of her character arc. The problem I have had with her lately is that it just keeps on going, and it just doesent feel organic anymore. Her killing Doug and dealing with that and opening up to a relationship with Chim seems like a good way to have her get a new arc, or at least really start moving past this one. Yeah surviving all of that isnt something you walk off, but they could have done so many different, better things with her after everything with Doug. The whole plot with her stalking the gym lady was just terrible, not helped that it didnt really seem to do much to help Maddie really move past Doug in any meaningful way, and was right in the middle of a bunch of other dramatic personal subplots, and it just seemed like overkill. I am really hoping that this is the really for real end of this plot and we can finally move on.

So, are Maddie and Bucks parents still alive? I think they are, but where the hell have they been lately? Both of their kids keep almost dying and getting into these horrible and traumatic situations, and they cant come down for a visit? Or ask if they want to come home for the holidays or something?

Edited December 3, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Lady Calypso]

3 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

So, are Maddie and Bucks parents still alive? I think they are, but where the hell have they been lately? Both of their kids keep almost dying and getting into these horrible and traumatic situations, and they cant come down for a visit? Or ask if they want to come home for the holidays or something?

The weird thing is that they are both absolutely still alive. We've heard them mention their parents only a couple of times before. But...then they never say if they have shown up or have visited or anything. So, for all we know, they don't have a good relationship with either of their parents. It sounds like Maddie and Buck are both distant from their parents. Remember that, when Maddie first showed up, Buck said that he hadn't talked to her in three years (granted, that was all due to Doug isolating Maddie from her family, but still). So it seems like the entire Buckley family aren't very close in general. Maybe they have an ok relationship but apparently not close enough where the parents will show up when one of their kids are in trouble. 

Seriously, not even a mention of "Hey, Mom and Dad were just by to visit." So if/when the Buckley parents eventually show up, I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't know about Buck or Maddie's many close encounters with death. Generally, it wouldn't bother me if parents didn't show up if they lived far away. But they don't even have much dialogue about their parents, so it's hard to imagine that their family is close (especially when neither of them have gone home for the holidays in two years). They have a lot of leeway with the Buckley parents, but it would be extremely surprising if Maddie and Buck were close with their parents. 

And with Buck calling Bobby a father figure and how he wouldn't know what to do without him, it sounds like, at the very least, Buck isn't close with his father at all. Hence, why we desperately need a Buck(ley) Begins episode stat. 

[Lunula]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Also, I'm not sure I believed Bobby when he told Athena his test results were all clear. It was way too casual and we never saw any conversation between him and the doctor.

I thought the same thing, also - but then I think I saw Bobby showing her a piece of paper (assume it was the test results) when he told her?

[gonzosgirrl]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Also, I'm not sure I believed Bobby when he told Athena his test results were all clear. It was way too casual and we never saw any conversation between him and the doctor.

And no reason for him to have had the bloody nose, either.

[Jillybean]

6 hours ago, bmoore4026 said:

Was that Ellie Kemper at the start of the episode?  It looked like her. 

It was Erin Karpluk. She was in a Canadian show called Being Erica that also aired in the US a few years ago. No idea what she has done since.

I love Michael. He's basically my favorite character. However, the showrunners seem to have no idea what to do with him. He came out, divorced Athena and started a new relationship, and then...nothing. He seems to be single and have very little life other than spending time with his family. I'm not surprised they're going this route with him, I think they will kill him off because they apparently don't have a story to write for him. Rockmund Dunbar deserves better than that, so I hope he's snagged a lead on some other show.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I thought the same thing, also - but then I think I saw Bobby showing her a piece of paper (assume it was the test results) when he told her?

No I think he just had his cell phone in his hand, like he had gotten a text from his doctor or spoken to him over the phone. Athena didn't seem to really look at it - not enough to scrutinize it anyway. She maybe just glanced at it.

[Empress1]

46 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

No I think he just had his cell phone in his hand, like he had gotten a text from his doctor or spoken to him over the phone. Athena didn't seem to really look at it - not enough to scrutinize it anyway. She maybe just glanced at it.

He said his scans were clear and showed her his phone. I assumed the results were on it - I've gotten test results from my doctor that way. (I assume if they were NOT clear, the doctor would call with next steps.)

[Ohwell]

There's still no explanation for Bobby's nose bleeding though.  Maybe the writers were just messing with us and the nosebleed didn't mean anything, which would piss me off.

[Lady Calypso]

51 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

There's still no explanation for Bobby's nose bleeding though.  Maybe the writers were just messing with us and the nosebleed didn't mean anything, which would piss me off.

Well, Bobby DID give some plausible reasons for the nosebleed, as it did take place during their airport rescue (I wish I remembered exactly what he said; maybe something about the air? Or allergies?). So I assume that's what actually happened. It wasn't a symptom of the radiation poisoning, but a legitimate coincidence. 

I buy that Bobby's fine, just because it's clear that they wanted the fake out so that Michael would end up being sick instead. They did skip ahead six weeks to the end of Bobby's hospital visits that would give him the all clear for a reason, and not just to get it synced up for Christmas. 

[Jillybean]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

There's still no explanation for Bobby's nose bleeding though.  Maybe the writers were just messing with us and the nosebleed didn't mean anything, which would piss me off.

My nose randomly started bleeding a couple of weeks ago. I don't have an explanation other than my husband then revealed that our humidifier was on the fritz (we had the repair guy out the next day). Probably just the dry air, in my case. I'm not saying Bobby is in the clear, but nosebleeds are pretty common. I think it's Michael we need to worry about.

[Ohwell]

43 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Well, Bobby DID give some plausible reasons for the nosebleed, as it did take place during their airport rescue (I wish I remembered exactly what he said; maybe something about the air? Or allergies?). So I assume that's what actually happened. It wasn't a symptom of the radiation poisoning, but a legitimate coincidence. 

I missed that discussion then.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I buy that Bobby's fine, just because it's clear that they wanted the fake out so that Michael would end up being sick instead.

I buy it but feel it was poorly written, as more than one of us got the impression he wasn't telling the truth. There was an awful lot of drama and angst over his condition only to have it dismissed in such an offhand way, almost as an afterthought. Talk about sweeping something under the rug. 

[marceline]

Michael is going to die. There's no reason to keep him around and his death will be the catalyst for a ton of story next season. I've been confused by the whole Grant/Nash family dynamic this season but it all makes sense now.

[ParadoxLost]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I buy it but feel it was poorly written, as more than one of us got the impression he wasn't telling the truth. There was an awful lot of drama and angst over his condition only to have it dismissed in such an offhand way, almost as an afterthought. Talk about sweeping something under the rug. 

I've been getting the impression from the writing/acting that there were only three outcomes for Bobby. 

Immediate illness which was a hurdle he cleared when he got released from the hospital.

And that the tests were to decide if he was at high risk of developing complications/cancer in the somewhat immediate future or is he's just at elevated risk to develop cancer or other complications in a farther future.

That's why I didn't see any indication that Bobby was hiding anything.  I just took it as the best case scenario that was tempered by it being a no win scenario.