Hallmark Movies: Small Town Royalty Magically Celebrating Rekindled Love! - General Discussion

[Jaded]

14 minutes ago, Orcinus orca said:

Abbott should be a politician.  Way to skirt around issues without answering questions.

GAF will produce only films that meet CCB's standards - straight and White being the only criteria. Period.

I agree with your whole reply especially the part where you say that Abbott should be a politician. I was glad I wasn't drinking anything when in was going on and on and on in the Variety interview about how hard CCB works and how she is at all the stuff he said she's doing there. Something about the way Abbott talks about CCB gives me the creeps outside of him creeping me out in general if that makes any sense at all.

[Kemper]

I cannot stand CCB; she plays the same character no matter what movie she is in. And now her daughter has been folded into the network. Who would have thought. Could Lori Laughlin’s daughters be next? They must have graduated college by now. 😁

[Door County Cherry]

Please take the current discussion of Abbott at GAF over to the GAF thread since the article and ensuing discussion is about GAF people & programming.  

 

[anniebird]

I watched my first Hallmark Christmas movie for 2023 and it was so bad I may not watch any more. Christmas by Design has so many things wrong with it - every fan of Project Runway will cringe through the entire thing, plus it's formulaic and I didn't see any chemistry between the two leads. 

Edited October 28, 2023 by anniebird

[DanaMB]

2 hours ago, anniebird said:

I watched my first Hallmark Christmas movie for 2023 and it was so bad I may not watch any more. Christmas by Design has so many things wrong with it - every fan of Project Runway will cringe through the entire thing, plus it's formulaic and I didn't see any chemistry between the two leads. 

I didn’t hate it, but the acting was not good and the stupid misunderstanding is one we’ve seen so many times. And those pajamas were so generic. 😂 I really just had it on as background noise. 
 

I also watched Ms. Christmas Comes to Town.  I thought it was good. I was dreading a stupid misunderstanding at the reveal, but it was handled maturely. I’d have been pissed if she got mad the male lead didn’t tell her about the host’s terminal illness. It  wasn’t his place.  Thankfully, that didn’t happen. 
 

I don’t know, so far this year my tolerance is higher for these movies* I guess. It’s an escape from the atrocities in real life right now.
 

*Except that stupid astronaut one. 

Edited October 28, 2023 by DanaMB

[Guest]

There was a lot bad about Christmas by Design but somehow I still enjoyed. I think it was because the actors were charming and I thought they had decent chemistry. 

The fashion plot was ridiculous. A one-of-kind designer is not showing at fashion week and her designs were not high end. Her genius idea was a personalized onesie.

Charlotte often acted like a snobby and obnoxious teenager. The crisis of the flannel pajamas being ruined by a coffee spill was ridiculous. Her bailing on the the fashion show was completely pointless. 

It’s not going on my favorite list but I wouldn’t having it on in the background. 

On 10/8/2023 at 2:06 PM, Trini said:

Speaking of, I know some of the Christmas movies have been announced already; anyone have an idea of what will be this year's 'Three Wise Men and a Baby' ?

I have no clue if it will be that good but Never Been Chris’d looks to be the one Hallmark wants to be this year’s Three Wise Men and a Baby. 

 

[Irlandesa]

10 hours ago, DanaMB said:

I don’t know, so far this year my tolerance is higher for these movies* I guess. It’s an escape from the atrocities in real life right now.

I thought last year was rather strong in the movie department, but I had been underwhelmed this year UNTIL tonight's Mystic Christmas.  That's one I'd like to watch again and again.

The script was especially strong.  It had a good pace, it had a lot of jokes, asides, and callbacks.  I especially liked how characters outright mocked the lead couple for poor communication--the kind of poor communication that usually leads to a misunderstanding in these movies. 

I liked the cast quite a bit.  I'm a fan of Jessy, Chandler and Patty and they all had great chemistry together.

7 hours ago, Dani said:

There was a lot bad about Christmas by Design but somehow I still enjoyed. I think it was because the actors were charming and I thought they had decent chemistry. 

I liked it for a bit when they did one of my favorite tropes "fake dating" but it was too slight for two hours so I got bored with it.

7 hours ago, Dani said:

I have no clue if it will be that good but Never Been Chris’d looks to be the one Hallmark wants to be this year’s Three Wise Men and a Baby.

It's definitely something different.  I like the commercials but I'm curious how they're going to pull off two friends fighting for the same guy. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Irlandesa said:

I liked it for a bit when they did one of my favorite tropes "fake dating" but it was too slight for two hours so I got bored with it.

Absolutely. I started fast forwarding through parts right around the misunderstanding. They could easily cut out thirty minutes. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So, I watched a Christmas movie on Hallmark, and I now know what they did with CCB leaving, I'm putting it on the Holiday movie thread. 

Edited November 2, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[EtheltoTillie]

i have the Hallmark Channel app set up to link with my cable subscription.  It seems that's how they're showing the on-demand replays now, for a few days after last airing.  Is that a correct understanding?  That's if I fail to DVR something.  I'm also following the choices on the Hallmark Movie Checklist app.  Obviously I can't or won't catch everything. 

[anniebird]

11 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I thought last year was rather strong in the movie department, but I had been underwhelmed this year UNTIL tonight's Mystic Christmas.  That's one I'd like to watch again and again.

The script was especially strong.  It had a good pace, it had a lot of jokes, asides, and callbacks.  I especially liked how characters outright mocked the lead couple for poor communication--the kind of poor communication that usually leads to a misunderstanding in these movies. 

I liked the cast quite a bit.  I'm a fan of Jessy, Chandler and Patty and they all had great chemistry together.

 

I hadn't planned on watching this but I read your comments and thought I'd give it a try. It was better than average  but not up there with the greats (3 Wise Men and a Baby was on yesterday and that one sets the bar really high.) It kept me entertained right up to the ending. The only real issue I had with it is that she came to town with only one large backpack that apparently held 3 or 4 full-length winter coats. Someone in Hallmark's wardrobe department is in love with outerwear.

[GeorgiaRai]

Mystic Christmas was a win for me.  Jessy is a fave of mine, and the setting in Mystic was fun.  My sister lives in CT and we go to Mystic every time I visit her.  And we ALWAYS go to Sift because it's fabulous (and we've liked owner Adam Young ever since he was on - and won - Food Network's America's Best Baker a few years ago.)

I liked the trio of main characters, the seals, the humor, the interns, and the not-so-typical-Hallmark ending.  Will definitely watch again!

[anniebird]

29 minutes ago, GeorgiaRai said:

Mystic Christmas was a win for me.  Jessy is a fave of mine, and the setting in Mystic was fun.  My sister lives in CT and we go to Mystic every time I visit her.  And we ALWAYS go to Sift because it's fabulous (and we've liked owner Adam Young ever since he was on - and won - Food Network's America's Best Baker a few years ago.)

I liked the trio of main characters, the seals, the humor, the interns, and the not-so-typical-Hallmark ending.  Will definitely watch again!

Yes, I especially liked that they changed up the typical ending.

[ECM1231]

I enjoyed it too. I love Mystic ; it's such a cute town. As parents of a toddler, my husband and I went to Mystic for a much needed weekend  alone and a few weeks later found out that I was expecting. So, only happy memories. 

Plus, I love aquariums.

[EyewatchTV211]

I enjoyed the movie for most of the reasons everyone has already stated. BUT, I did not feel any romantic chemistry between the leads, which was a bummer. I just thought they had good friendship chemistry. I didn't buy that they had shared the most romantic evening ever at the sister's wedding. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by EyewatchTV211

[DanaMB]

20 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

It's definitely something different.  I like the commercials but I'm curious how they're going to pull off two friends fighting for the same guy. 

After seeing the commercials for Never Been Chris’d, I hope it ends up being more about their friendship and neither ends up with him. 

[Terrafamilia]

Joyeux Noel - Copy editor, who, just seconds before going on about the importance of grammar, had herself mixed up the proper usage of she and her. I would not have settled the writer's strike until my demand had been met - anyone wanting to be a member of the writer's guild would have to pass a basic English grammar test and be subject to periodic pop quizzes thereafter.

[anniebird]

55 minutes ago, Terrafamilia said:

Joyeux Noel - Copy editor, who, just seconds before going on about the importance of grammar, had herself mixed up the proper usage of she and her. I would not have settled the writer's strike until my demand had been met - anyone wanting to be a member of the writer's guild would have to pass a basic English grammar test and be subject to periodic pop quizzes thereafter.

I got that far in the movie and quit. A few years ago there was another Hallmark movie about a young woman who got her PHD and she got a card from one of her advisers that said"Congradulations!" I never saw any more of that movie either. Don't any of these people have grammar nerds for friends?

[Orcinus orca]

8 hours ago, EyewatchTV211 said:

I enjoyed the movie for most of the reasons everyone has already stated. BUT, I did not feel any romantic chemistry between the leads, which was a bummer. I just thought they had good friendship chemistry. I didn't buy that they had shared the most romantic evening ever at the sister's wedding. 

I liked the movie, some nice humor.  But I didn't see any chemistry, either.  Friends, pals, siblings but not lovers.

[EyewatchTV211]

1 hour ago, Terrafamilia said:

Joyeux Noel - Copy editor, who, just seconds before going on about the importance of grammar, had herself mixed up the proper usage of she and her. I would not have settled the writer's strike until my demand had been met - anyone wanting to be a member of the writer's guild would have to pass a basic English grammar test and be subject to periodic pop quizzes thereafter.

I noticed a mistake before her rant also, but it was mixing up him and he. Ugh. 

[Chippings]

I just watched the first 20 minutes or so of Joyeux Noel, but from the beginning the heroine was truly unlikable, and there's no way the hero should have to end up with her.  Also, sending two people over to Europe, flights, hotels, &c, for a story they might or might not be able to find?  Sounds unlikely.  

May check in toward the end, but I'm not hopeful about it. 

I didn't like the actress in her previous one about Fashion.  Both characters were big complainers and not likable. 

[CAM]

2 hours ago, Chippings said:

I just watched the first 20 minutes or so of Joyeux Noel, but from the beginning the heroine was truly unlikable, and there's no way the hero should have to end up with her.  Also, sending two people over to Europe, flights, hotels, &c, for a story they might or might not be able to find?  Sounds unlikely.  

May check in toward the end, but I'm not hopeful about it. 

I didn't like the actress in her previous one about Fashion.  Both characters were big complainers and not likable. 

Agree with the last part; it felt like she was playing the exact same character.  The chemistry seemed very basic and the relationship didn't feel earned...would have been better for them to end up as what they were coworkers who found an understanding and respect for each other.

This one definitely won't make it on to my re-watch list.

Now Mystic will make it...it was cute and seal and sea lions stole the show. I also agree that the relationship felt more friend/sibling like.

[voiceover]

On 10/28/2023 at 7:46 PM, Irlandesa said:

but I'm curious how they're going to pull off two friends fighting for the same guy. 

I’m taking the over on Chris being a twin 🤣

[Bronx Babe]

Forgive me guys but I thought MYSTIC CHRISTMAS was terrible -- the entire script seemed to consist of the usual Hallmark 20 and 30-somethings asking each other what is their favorite this and that, over and over and over again!  That peculiar Hallmark obsession with lists....."Juniper" the vet (or the actress) didn't have much rapport with the seals who seemed to be an afterthought anyway, lol.   

[Bronx Babe]

On 10/23/2023 at 3:53 PM, Orcinus orca said:

Trust me, my eyes were rolling out of my head every time it was said. I was being sarcastic.

And I totally agree that these movies couldn't possibly be any worse. It's like they have 20 tropes, put them in a bag and draw 5 or 6 to be forced into every movie.  People talk about AI being the demise of writers but I have to wonder if AI couldn't do a better job than these Hallmark hacks.

Thanks!   I keep hoping upon hope the next production will go in another (more realistic?) direction but this never happens.  They are in their own strange bubble where all the characters act more like androids than human beings.

[Kaoteek]

I was all set to like Where are you Christmas, but something rubbed me the wrong way, mainly in everybody somewhat overacting/overreacting. And once the plot got going, it was a tad repetitive.

On the opposite, I though I wouldn't care for Under the Christmas Sky, but Jessica Parker Kennedy made it work for me, despite the tropes and everything.

As for Joyeux Noel, I hadn't planned on watching it, but... I can't help it, after skimming through it online, I wanna see the trainwreck where Rouen looks like every other Hallmark Christmas movie location, buried under fake snow and tons of cheap ornaments. I think I'll have a good laugh with it.

[Bronx Babe]

One positive thing I'll mention about Mystic Christmas is that the lead actress didn't have the ubiquitous mermaid hair, lol. 

[kirinan]

This is tangentially related to Hallmark via Lacey Chabert: 

Mean Girls reunion Walmart commercial with Lacey Chabert

[norcalgal]

12 minutes ago, kirinan said:

This is tangentially related to Hallmark via Lacey Chabert: 

Mean Girls reunion Walmart commercial with Lacey Chabert

OMG - how much did I love that commercial!  I think my favorite part was when Lacey's daughter told her to stop trying to make "fetch" happen and then the look on Gretchen's face!!!   🤣

Too bad they 

Spoiler

weren't able to get Rachel into the ad as well.  It's just not the same without the complete set.

 

[kirinan]

14 minutes ago, norcalgal said:

OMG - how much did I love that commercial!  I think my favorite part was when Lacey's daughter told her to stop trying to make "fetch" happen and then the look on Gretchen's face!!!   🤣

I thought Lacey was the funniest part of the commercial. Especially since Haul Out the Holly, I've done such a big turn-around on my opinion of her. She has some good comic chops, and I'm glad she's using them. It makes her so much more likable and relatable for me.

Edited November 1, 2023 by kirinan

[coffeebean]

56 minutes ago, kirinan said:

I thought Lacey was the funniest part of the commercial. Especially since Haul Out the Holly, I've done such a big turn-around on my opinion of her. She has some good comic chops, and I'm glad she's using them. It makes her so much more likable and relatable for me.

I've always loved Lacey Chabert. Yes, she has some comedic chops and I'm glad she is using them. Wes Brown shocked the hell out of me in Haul Out the Holly. He is funny too.

[GeorgiaRai]

I was surpised how much I enjoyed Haul Out the Holly last year; I've come to like it even more while rewatching this year.  I find it way more funny & engaging than Three Wise Men & a Baby (which Hallmark seemed to feel was their standout move last season.) I hope the Lit Up sequel is as good as the original.

[DanaMB]

On 10/29/2023 at 11:51 PM, Chippings said:

I just watched the first 20 minutes or so of Joyeux Noel, but from the beginning the heroine was truly unlikable, and there's no way the hero should have to end up with her.  Also, sending two people over to Europe, flights, hotels, &c, for a story they might or might not be able to find?  Sounds unlikely.  

May check in toward the end, but I'm not hopeful about it. 

I didn't like the actress in her previous one about Fashion.  Both characters were big complainers and not likable. 

I stuck with it. I didn’t hate it, but I was multi tasking so that may explain it. 

[Kaoteek]

Honestly expected worse from Joyeux Noel. Don't get me wrong : it was laughably bad in its depiction of France, and it was a very american, Hallmarkian vision of Christmas in France, so I had plenty of laughs throughout ; and the romance aspect of it all was weak-ish (they had chemistry, but not necessarily romantic chemistry), but it was watchable. It did felt a bit more Hallmark Movies & Mysteries than pure Hallmark, though, with that investigation, and all that.

[Irlandesa]

Yeah.  I didn't hate Joyeux Noel.  It wasn't as good as Mystic Christmas but I liked the leads and they did film it in France, even if I wish they had utilized the country a bit more. 

I had some Christmas movies running in the background today while I was working and I think they might have spoiled Never Been Chris'd in a commercial (nice going, Hallmark.)  They showed two of the characters kissing.  I'll put it in tags if you can't wait two days.

Spoiler

Tyler was kissing Janel's character.  That doesn't mean it's the ending but it's probably not a lesbian OTP.

 

[Bronx Babe]

On 11/2/2023 at 2:22 PM, Kaoteek said:

Honestly expected worse from Joyeux Noel. Don't get me wrong : it was laughably bad in its depiction of France, and it was a very american, Hallmarkian vision of Christmas in France, so I had plenty of laughs throughout ; and the romance aspect of it all was weak-ish (they had chemistry, but not necessarily romantic chemistry), but it was watchable. It did felt a bit more Hallmark Movies & Mysteries than pure Hallmark, though, with that investigation, and all that.

The actress is so glum and sadly always seems self-conscious about her body -- she ironically didn't feel comfortable in her own skin in that other Hallmark opus with her as a plus-size fashion designer.

I thought JOYEUX NOEL was filmed in Montreal, lol, quite a surprise to discover they really were in Paris.  

The bed and breakfast owner:  "Welcome to Par-isss, theese ees my petite fils"

Yes, laughably bad all around.

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, Bronx Babe said:

I thought JOYEUX NOEL was filmed in Montreal, lol, quite a surprise to discover they really were in Paris.

They filmed in Rouen.

Edited November 4, 2023 by Irlandesa

[Daff]

The guide dog movie was watchable. Two things annoyed, though. No way the dedicated trainer would have even gone beyond one date with the slimy narcissist, and why in the world would the father just suddenly give up the dog? I did appreciate the very realistic views of winter slush-filled streets which reminded me of odd-even parking.

In a snow related contrast, while rewatching Haul Out the Holly (needed some laughs), one of the “snowballs” very visibly bounced off the road like a tennis ball instead of disintegrating into a splat of snow. Missed that first time around.

[Orcinus orca]

That Chris'd movie was SO bad.  Best friends blathered on at top speed about virtually nothing.  The high school schtick was cringe-worthy.  The mothers were both over-the-top caricatures of bad moms.  Why everyone was supposedly gaga over Chris is a mystery based on how Tyler portrayed him.  There was no chemistry at all between Chris and the ultimate choice.  And Hallmark had the chance to do something interesting - ditch the romance - but, as always, never fails to disappoint.

Just awful.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Orcinus orca

[KaveDweller]

2 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

That Chris'd movie was SO bad.  Best friends blathered on at top speed about virtually nothing.  The high school schtick was cringe-worthy.  The mothers were both over-the-top caricatures of bad moms.  Why everyone was supposedly gaga over Chris is a mystery based on how Tyler portrayed him.  There was no chemistry at all between Chris and the ultimate choice.  And Hallmark had the chance to do something interesting - ditch the romance - but, as always, never fails to disappoint.

Just awful.

For a minute, I thought the movie was going to end with neither woman with Chris, but having learned something about themselves and how they need to grow. I thought Chris was going to turn out to be an ass and they could do the "choose me" thing.

I would have been so impressed if that was how it actually ended.

[Kemper]

From the endless promos for the "Chris'd" movie I figured it was going to be terrible.  The two "girls" seemed like high school "Swifties" ... or in my era, Beatles hysteria.  (I was one!). And like some other Hallmarks this year, a total fail in matching people up.  Like it or not, the network used to specialize in that. 

Don't know if this is true or not, but I read that the ratings for the Hallmark Christmas movies this year have not been as good as years before.  And the other network...GAC?...they are one of the fastest growing networks out there. It seems a lot of Hallmark actresses are not with GAC.  Granted, I don't miss most of them.

Sorry, actresses are NOW with GAC… 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Kemper

[anniebird]

I fell asleep watching this so I had no idea he ended up with either one and I'm not sure I care enough which one it was to go back and finish. This was like two separate movies - it started off as Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion and then got dark. I like Tyler Hynes but his character wasn't at all appealing and the whole "Is he or isn't he a vegan?" sublot was ridiculous.

[Orcinus orca]

2 hours ago, anniebird said:

I like Tyler Hynes but his character wasn't at all appealing and the whole "Is he or isn't he a vegan?" sublot was ridiculous.

Couldn't figure that out at all.  And Tyler clearly phoned in that performance.  What a dud.

[MerBearHou]

I tuned out Never Been Chris’d very quickly.  First the two lead women were babbling like teen girls between the two of them, then Chris appeared at the coffee shop and the way they behaved — I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  Last straw for me was the hyper mom of Janell’s character — she was too, too much — after her first manic scene as an over-the-top-for-Christmas mom, I was OUT.  

[EyewatchTV211]

3 hours ago, Kemper said:

Don't know if this is true or not, but I read that the ratings for the Hallmark Christmas movies this year have not been as good as years before.  And the other network...GAC?...they are one of the fastest growing networks out there. It seems a lot of Hallmark actresses are not with GAC.  Granted, I don't miss most of them.

Actually, if you follow SleepyKittyPaws on twitter, who has posted a lot of the ratings information, this isn't accurate. GAC is promoting itself as being the fastest growing, but their numbers are actually abysmal. It looks like Hallmark's Christmas movies have been doing decently well considering the overall decline in cable viewership. 

[kirinan]

I'll sit through anything with Tyler Hynes, so I stuck it out. It was an odd movie. Two 35-year-old women whose emotional development was apparently perma-frozen in the middle of a squeal during high school. I didn't like either of their characters, especially the blonde girl, who seemed so combative with everyone for...what reason? I never really figured it out. Although I did think she had more chemistry with Tyler than Janell Parrish did. As far as Tyler, there are movies I liked him in more...but I thought he looked really good. I don't think the writing did the three leads any favors, and I doubt it's one I'll watch again.

Edited November 6, 2023 by kirinan

[Miss Bones]

I guess I’m a simpleton, because I actually enjoyed Never Been Chris’d and I thought Tyler and Janell had good chemistry. I liked the friendship between the girls. Like some others though, I did think that Chris was going to turn out to be an asshole, and that neither girl would end up with him. I’d have been fine with that, too.  Seems to be the unpopular opinion, but I liked it overall. 
 

I was happy to catch The Christmas Secret today, which is one of my absolute favorites! I love that it’s a little darker, in tone, for HM, but such a happy ending that always makes me smile…And tear up a little, not gonna lie!

[Makai]

6 hours ago, Kemper said:

Don't know if this is true or not, but I read that the ratings for the Hallmark Christmas movies this year have not been as good as years before.  And the other network...GAC?...they are one of the fastest growing networks out there. It seems a lot of Hallmark actresses are not with GAC.  Granted, I don't miss most of them.

Sorry, actresses are NOW with GAC… 

Not really. GAF is touting that they are the fastest growing network but that’s because their ratings have been in the toilet. When your programming bring in a .01 ratings share it’s not hard to claim big growth. The Hallmark actresses that jumped ship are not bringing in big numbers.

Hallmark’s main channel ratings have been on par with last year’s ratings and HMM’s Thursday Christmas premieres have been significantly up. Overall Hallmark’s numbers have been really good considering live tv viewing has been consistently falling. Their movies are usually in the top 10 or 15 of cable programming and only behind sports. GAF isn’t cracking the top 150.

That also doesn’t to take into account people who watch Hallmark on Peacock. Hallmark seems pretty much bulletproof. Probably because more and more people want an escape from reality. 

2 hours ago, kirinan said:

I'll sit through anything with Tyler Hynes, so I stuck it out. It was an odd movie. Two 35-year-old women whose emotional development was apparently perma-frozen in the middle of a squeal during high school. I didn't like either of their characters, especially the blonde girl, who seemed so combative with everyone for...what reason? I never really figured it out.

Ugh. That was my concern when watching the promo. I like Tyler so I’ll probably still watch. It had the same writer as 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost so I was hoping it would be better than the premise indicated. 

[WhyAmIHere]

I almost want to check out Never Been Chris'd just to see how bad it is for myself.  Promos did not appeal to me, even though Tyler is one of my favorites.  I'll definitely listen to the Deck the Hallmark recap of this one.

So far this year's Christmas movies have been effective sleep aids.   Most of the movies I'm looking forward to will air during Thanksgiving week or after. 

[Irlandesa]

12 hours ago, Kemper said:

And like some other Hallmarks this year, a total fail in matching people up.  Like it or not, the network used to specialize in that. 

I really don't think they did.  It has always been more of a dumb luck thing if the characters had chemistry, IMO. 

6 hours ago, Miss Bones said:

I guess I’m a simpleton, because I actually enjoyed Never Been Chris’d and I thought Tyler and Janell had good chemistry. I liked the friendship between the girls.

I find some movies so boring.  This one I didn't find boring and I kind of liked it.  I liked the focus on friendship and didn't think they were silly. 

I did think he had more chemistry with the blonde but I think it would have been better had they kept up the vague "is he flirting with her?" vibe he had with both of the women throughout the movie and have it be revealed later that he was married or not interested in either of them.  I'm usually all in for the romcom aspect of these movies even if they rarely have chemistry but this is one instance where I didn't need it.

I'm surprised they didn't give the blonde a love interest.