rebekahrox Reviews

Pollyanna (1973– )

More accurate to the book. Unfortunately.

[6/10 · 23 August 2024]

This was OK, but, for me it only served to highlight how brilliant the Disney version was. This was more accurate, of course. But it is missing some of the iconic scenes of the Hayley Mills movie. No sermon in the meadow where Pollyanna inspires a spiritual re-awakening in Reverend Ford. No tense climb up the tree with the beloved doll she just won and the equally charming charity fair. No showdown with Agnes Moorehead's Mrs. Snow. No Aunt Polly finding Pollyanna motionless on the ground. Nope. In this one Pollyanna falls down a ditch and hits her head. No congregation of all the townspeople trampling the flowers on the Harrington lawn in determination to get to Pollyanna to encourage her on the way to her operation that will hopefully fix her paralysis. Yes, as with the 2003 version, we do see that Pollyanna was indeed successfully operated on. And that's great. But the directors of the later versions did not seem to realize, as David Swift did, that it was not about her legs but her optimism returning from the depths of depression.

The actress who played Pollyanna was adorable and did a wonderful job. I have no complaints about the acting at all. They were not an improvement on the Disney cast, however. Ultimately, I was disappointed in the story.

Miracle in Bethlehem, PA. (2023 TV Movie)

Now that Abbott is gone, Hallmark is free to bring back God and Jesus.

[7/10 · 24 December 2023]

There has been a lot of revisionist Hallmark history going on and this movie highlights it. This movie is basically an allegory about the traditional story of the birth of Jesus, complete with The Bethlehem Star Inn, Mary (Ann), Joe, Goldie, Frankie, and Grandma Myrtle, an old barn, and even a Wise Man, a guy named Shephard and a dog named Donkey. The story is about a new adoptive mother (told the good news that her baby is ready for pick-up by a woman named Gabriella) who is caught in a snowstorm and has to bunk in with Joe because all of the hotel rooms are filled. In short, it is a very Christian religion-centric movie where the leads actually talk about their faith and God, and quote the bible.

Some seem to think that Bill Abbott and his GAF network somehow scared Hallmark back to faith-based programming when actually the opposite is true. It was under Abbott's leadership that Hallmark got away from more faith-based programming. Here is a quote from him about Hallmark in 2019 in answering why Hallmark seems to snub other religions and traditions:

"...we don't look at Christmas from a religious point of view, it's more a seasonal celebration. Once you start to slice it more finely within individual religions it's a little bit tougher to necessarily tell that story in a way that doesn't involve religion and we always want to stay clear of religion or controversy."

It was under *his* guidance that Hallmark cut out Christianity from Christmas. To the point that there were no more Christmas Carols that sung about God or Jesus. What forced him out of Hallmark was the incorporation of gay and lesbian couples and more racial diversity, not that he wanted to put on "Family and Faith-based programming." At Hallmark, he was all about keeping movies secular with no God or Jesus involved in Christmas movies. Needless to say, he has now changed his tune.

Now that Abbott is gone, Hallmark is returning to its faith-based roots with some of its movies and outdoing GAF at its own game. This movie, and many other movies since he left exemplify that in large ways and small (religious Christmas Carols are finally back.) Hallmark is incorporating the traditions and beliefs of other cultures and groups Including but not limited to Christians, both conservative and liberal. You can pick and choose which movies appeal to you and watch just those, or embrace all of them. At least, with Hallmark, you have a choice.

Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

Could have done without the romance.

[6/10 · 1 December 2023]

Yeah. I wasn't crazy about this one, although tears did come to my eyes near the end which is the ultimate measure of success for Movies and Mysteries, I guess. Mainly, everyone was just so goody-goody and I didn't like the romance. At first, I thought Shenae was going to remain footloose and fancy-free and instrumental in getting Matthew together with Jenny. Well, that took a turn. The guy seemed personality-free and somewhat of a non-entity. How oblivious can you be that you didn't notice the girl with the huge guitar case in the seat right in front of you? And then picking up a guitar pick and not sussing out that maybe it might be hers? And carrying it around for weeks? What did he do? Transfer it from change of clothes to change of clothes every day?

I do like Shanae Grimes, and she was fine in her part. But how do you get a letter from the father who abandoned you and not even open it? As far as I could tell she didn't even open it at the end, so we never know that story. And how is the church going to afford her services in the future since the pastor was paying her out of his pocket? I did like the choir part though and how she brought them together.

Joyeux Noel (2023 TV Movie)

Not a Fan.

[5/10 · 30 October 2023]

I guess the jury is in. This is the third movie I have seen Jaicy Elliot in and the verdict is that she is not a very good actress, in my opinion. In the two previous movies she was supposed to be a lovable character but the way she delivered her lines she came across as downright unpleasant. She was not as bad in this one, but her delivery was still monotone and dull. That's all. Just my opinion, I am sure she has her fans.

Brant Daugherty, on the other hand was excellent with lots of Charisma. He seems to get better looking with age.

One thing that I did like about this movie was that they didn't put a phony fairy tale ending on the story of the painter and the girl in the picture. I loved that he found true happiness with another woman.

Just didn't enjoy this one.

Christmas by Design (2023 TV Movie)

I Wouldn't wear those Pajamas to Wal-Mart, Let Alone to Bed.

[5/10 · 29 October 2023]

So far, Rebecca Dalton seems to have been cast as characters that have really rubbed me the wrong way. This one was no exception. She plays a snotty little pill in this movie who is not rehabilitated until the last 15 minutes or so. She is mean and rude to her newish stepfather, dismissive of her nice family, and looks down on the townspeople in her small town because she is all so important and cool as a NEW YORK CITY semi-successful fashion designer. She also hurts the guy who has been so nice and helpful to her by disparaging him to her friend when she doesn't know he is listening.

And haven't been too fond of her leading man either. He was actually pretty good in this one except for some reason, they have injected the info that he is the hometown hunk who is the object of desire of all of the cute single women in town. But at least he doesn't play a prince this time. In looks and stature he's kind on the wispy side compared to the usual Hallmark leading man. As kind of a humble sad widower seeking peace and healing in his new town, he was fine. He also comes across as quick witted and intelligent.

Because she was such an unlikable character in the beginning it made her repentance and rehabilitation that much more satisfying. That's all I came to say except that I wish they would use Joanna Douglas more often. I really like her. And the pajamas designed for the contest were spectacularly ugly.

Swing Into Romance (2023 TV Movie)

The Store must be Saved. Or Else.

[3/10 · 9 October 2023]

Danica Mckellar sure looks great and not just for her age. I have to hand it to her even though I'm not usually a huge fan of her perpetually worried expression. David Hayden Jones, even though younger than her, looked a little creaky in comparison, but that could have been his role.

The story was a little creaky as well. Former professional circuit dancer Danica returns home for a visit on her way to a great job in Seattle. She learns that her parents' general store is in trouble due to an upcoming increase in the rent. She is determined to "save" the store even though the store doesn't really look like it wants to be saved. Very sparse in the merchandise department which is carefully arranged and covered with fallish decor to disguise the lack of products on the shelves. Her parents don't seem all that desperate to keep the store open either. They were probably looking forward to retirement. But Danica cannot be stopped. She is going to enter a dance contest to win the prize money which will save the store. Single Widower David H-J ends up being her partner and love ensues. Can rejection of her great city career and embrace of small town life be far behind?

The infinity long garlands of leaves used in last week's movie have made their way over to this one. And what with being moved from farm to store to dance studio to bank to two homes to the auditorium of the contest, they are looking a little tired. I love stories with continuing characters and am looking forward to meeting them again in next week's "Fall into Autumn" offering.

A Harvest Homecoming (2023 TV Movie)

Leaf me Alone!

[4/10 · 1 October 2023]

This one was actually produced by GAF, not acquired from an independent studio. So we have shirts buttoned up to the top with no troublesome decolletage or hints that two adults might be having extra marital sex, or relationships based of deceit and lies that generated so much unhappiness and feelings of betrayal in some of their loyal viewership. We had meal time prayer, references to faith and God and blessings. And, by Golly, we had leaves.

I have never seen so many fake decorative leaves in all of my life. Leaves of every shade of orange or red imaginable. Stringed up everywhere. Twinkling. On the eaves, on the window sills, wound around fence posts, gates, rails, in wreaths, pasted to walls (indoor and outdoor), on tables and every other surface. Even at the school, the barn, and in every room. It was hilarious. GAF must have raided every Hobby Lobby in Canada. I can only imagine the behind the scenes convos that broke out between the professional set decorators and the powers that be.

MORE leaves??!!! But....

YES! YES! YES! MORE MORE MORE!

But this is an Apple Orchard! How about a few Apples?

NO! Apples don't say Fall, Autumn or Harvest! Our viewers need more leaves, not more Apples!

I think the final autumn overload was the revenge of the Set Decorators.

The Cases of Mystery Lane (2023 TV Movie)

nonsensical but cute

[8/10 · 20 March 2023]

This one didn't make a lick of sense as a murder mystery but it was super cute. Obviously the writers were counting on Campbell's popularity to gloss over the many problems with the actual murder and the solution to the mystery. How was the second murder supposed to have been accomplished? What was he hanging from? Was there a chandelier in his office? How did the murderer get him up there? She needed a spoiler to get her another spoiler into her car. Also, what was with all of the kudos (and the check at the end) for Paul solving the murder? All he did was get caught by the murderer, and almost murdered himself. The murderer was caught red-handed trying to murder Paul by other people not Paul. However, the murder mystery was just a McGuffin. The only thing he figured out was the GPS thing. Which would have been the first thing the police would have done had it not been classified as a suicide. The puzzle was just an excuse for comedy and character and relationship development. And there is nothing wrong with that.

I love Paul Campbell and also loved the actress who played his wife, who was new to Hallmark. I loved their characters and their relationship. The secondary characters added a lot to the story and open up some future possibilities. I hope Matt Hamilton remains with the series. He is really good at what he does. I Think there is a lot of potential for this series, despite the problems. It probably doesn't deserve an 8 but what the heck?

Family History Mysteries: Buried Past (2023 TV Movie)

Evil Step Father

[7/10 · 10 January 2023]

A forensic geneologist is asked by a family friend to track down the biological father of her son (also a good friend) because he needs a bone marrow transplant.

It's a good idea for a series and the story was involving and dramatic. I am a Niall Matter fan. He played the twin brother of the sick guy (Morgan David Jones) and love interest. I am a fan of Mr. Jones as well, and not only for his resemblance to Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy).

What I didn't like was that even when they know a man's life was at stake, supposed friends and loved ones would not share details of what they knew about the missing man. Particularly egregious was the step father. I did not particularly blame him for sending the returning from the dead husband of his wife away when he was a young newlywed, but for not sharing information that he knew about him with the heroine detective in the present. Again, even when the son he raised life was on the line. I just don't have the words. But all was forgiven at the end. Why? Also the two couples acted like teenagers rather than mature adults. Particularly the secondary couple. They were cute, but when his feelings for her were so obvious, why didn't she ask him out if she had been waiting so long for him? Grow up!

Christmas Lovers Anonymous (2021)

Weird

[4/10 · 26 December 2022]

There was something very weird or off about the way this movie looked and sounded. I kept watching it (off and on) in order to figure it out. It seemed very amateurish and produced on a shoestring . It was like it was done with one camera, almost like a cell phone. It was like they shot the movie and then had it redubbed. There was no or very little background noise except for a faint tinkling melody. There was no action or anyone running around, or interacting with extras. The actors just talked at each other, like they were taking turns reading their lines. During a break, a voice came on that essentially thanked viewers for leaving Hallmark and "coming home" to GFam. Desperate and divisive. Like an us versus them mentality. Not exactly Christian or in the spirit of Christmas. But an attitude I guess I would expect by those who are the money behind this network. I'm going to rate it but am giving them the benefit of the doubt since I didn't see the whole thing. Basically another weak version of the "you've got mail" plot.

.

The Most Colorful Time of the Year (2022 TV Movie)

Red and Green and all the Rest

[6/10 · 11 December 2022]

Last year, and especially this year, Hallmark started to push the envelope as far as venturing out beyond its safe and standard bone-tired plots, and this one is no exception. A secretly color-blind teacher meets an ophthalmologist, the single mother of one of his students, who sees through his lifelong tricks and strategies to disguise his disability. She enters him into a clinical trial without his consent after he tells her he is not interested once his subterfuges have been discovered. Although most definitely unethical and an invasion of privacy I can almost give her a pass on this because he doesn't fully understand what he is missing in life. See, he is not only color-confused (red and green or blue and yellow being indistinguishable from each other,) but totally unable to see any color whatsoever. Also, it's stupid he is not interested. Why wouldn't he be interested? He's a science teacher. Just because nothing has worked before, trying on a pair of glasses is hardly a surgical procedure or taking an untested drug. But it was wrong of her, it must be said. The way the whole color-blindness thing is handled is lazy and irresponsible. His condition is very rare, while the other is a fairly common condition that indeed can be mitigated by special glasses of the sort that are provided by this clinical trial. Monochromia would be impossible scientifically to correct with glasses due to the cause of the condition. Maybe this could be partially excused by deeming this cure part of a "clinical trial" but it is as far-fetched and as far from being science-based as a pill to cure alcoholism would be. In other words, the idea was interesting but the execution and details lacked authenticity to put it kindly. It is another example of Hallmark seeming like they have contempt for their viewers by glossing over unrealistic plot points that actually could potentially be harmful, hurtful, and deceitful if taken seriously.

To make matters worse this movie is sponsored by a company that makes the aforementioned glasses that mitigate color confusion in some people with lots of emotional videos of people acting like they once were blind and now can see. So they're using the emotions that might be generated by this movie to burnish and exaggerate the benefits of their product that has nothing to do with the disability portrayed. Or maybe they were not aware of the nature of the color blindness depicted in this movie and got manipulated to buy ad space. Whatever, someone did wrong.

Once he finally tries on the glasses and his world is changed, there really isn't anywhere else to go with it, other than going around looking at colorful scenes. Featuring mostly red and green. At one point she takes him to a church where I thought they were going to look at stained glass windows. But she took him there to wrap presents. In his first hours of seeing color for the first time? Really?

So it falls back on the usual tropes once the color-blindness thing is out of the way leading to the inevitable big misunderstanding. In this case, an over-eager wanna-be girlfriend and a more psycho and controlling stalker ex-boyfriend whom both leads are too nice and patient with. The good doctor even agreeing to him inviting himself to her child's Christmas pageant. The ex-boyfriend bit could have actually been a lot more entertaining if he had gotten punched in the nose by our hero when he crudely twitted him about his pay as a middle-school teacher. However, instead, our hero chose to deliver a lecture that seemed to suggest that teachers did not need fair pay, cuz it's "a calling" and they don't care about the money. Very noble, but I know a few teachers that would disagree with that.

It's not a secret that I have a soft spot for Christopher Russell. But, he should stick with the Cary Grant or Clark Gable-type roles where charm and good looks are more important than range of emotion. When he put on those glasses and saw color for the first time a lot more was required as far as an emotional reaction. On the positive side, Katrina Bowden was very good as the caring but over-stepping doctor, and her daughter was also very good. CR was believable and endearing as a committed teacher who was definitely overqualified for his job. Best of all though was Joanna Douglas as Heidi, the lead's supportive sister. Hey Hallmark! Lock this girl in and promote her from supportive sister/friend to head girl. STAT!

Christmas Class Reunion (2022 TV Movie)

A Class Act

[8/10 · 11 December 2022]

The movie starts with the Winter Prom of 2007 featuring 6 stereotypical teen "types." The smart and popular achiever, both male and female versions, the class clown, the in-love inseparable couple, the popular jock, and the class nerd. The mean girl is missing. They are part of the class deemed "cursed" due to disasters at prom, graduation, and other class events. They used the same early 30-something-year-old actors to play themselves as teens, which can be tricky.

Cut to 15 years later and the "achiever", Elle, short for Noelle, played by Aimee Teagarden is in charge of planning the class reunion. We know that she is the focus mainly because her name is Christmassy. She indeed has fulfilled her potential, having made quite a name for herself as the Chief Technology Officer of a successful and important company. She leaves Silicon Valley for Hartford CT, looking forward to seeing her old friends again, particularly Kam the male version of herself whom she had a crush on when she was in high school. We next meet Devin the class clown, very appealingly played by Tanner Novlan. At the 2007 prom, he flooded both Aimee and the school gym with his malfunctioning snow machine. Tanner is the male lead and his chemistry with Aimee was amazing.

As the reunion plans come into shape we also reconnect with the inseparable couple whose marriage is falling apart even as their real estate agency is booming. The Nerd Girl is now an attractive and successful TV host up for a big promotion to a national morning show. She still lacks self-confidence despite her success and is inseparable from her best friend who is also her very flamboyant stylist. When the popular jock makes an appearance we think we spy a love interest for our likable TV host, but sadly he is attracted to her gay best friend instead! Aimee is very happy when her old unrequited crush, Kam, shows up. He is just like her: career and success-focused and very very busy. Too busy and important to help with the reunion, so she finds herself partnering with her old nemesis, Devlin. He is the father of a daughter who idolizes Elle, and it is not long before she realizes that he is no longer an irresponsible screw-up. The young actress, so far uncredited, who played his daughter was a star.

Of course, the inevitable catastrophes start to happen with a fire breaking out at their fancy venue and Aimee's company being the target of a federal investigation putting her whole career in jeopardy. As she works with Devlin in finding a new venue and tackling all of the challenges, she realizes that her worth is not what she does for a living, but what she is inside. She and all of her friends' lives are happily sorted, which we learn in one of my beloved "one year later" epilogues. Hallmark is delighting fans by casting other popular Hallmark stars in cameo roles. This time was Chris McNally's turn in a cute performance as an Elf-garbed photographer. I tend to like movies using ensemble casts and this one was no exception.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cloudy with a Chance of Christmas (2022 TV Movie)

A Snoozer

[5/10 · 7 December 2022]

Cute title. But unfortunately, it is dull dull dull, and essentially an hour and a half commercial for Leavenworth, Washington, which is a picturesque if touristy Bavarian Village and home of the Nutcracker Museum. I would like to go there sometime if I am ever in that neck of the woods. But I don't think I will watch this very informative infomercial again. It has all of trappings a throwaway by Lifetime in order to make their goal of 26 new Christmas movies, check the diversity box, and rely on filler and scenery instead of actual plot and writing.

Bridget Torres is of Puerto Rican extraction and is the very popular night weather person for her Los Angeles (I think) network. She doesn't like Drake who is the cohost of the morning show because she thinks he chose his current co-host over her because of their "commonality" meaning "not a minority." Bridget is a star on the rise, and has been given an important opportunity to host her own on-location Christmas feature in Leavenworth, Washington (see above). Drake's co-host, Tatum, is jealous and because she is already a star, is allowed to horn in and basically try to steal the spotlight from Bridget. Meanwhile, Drake very passively just goes along with it while looking disgusted even though, far from not wanting to work with Bridget as a co-host, she was actually his first choice. He has had a crush on her from the very beginning. He and his family are from Leavenworth and the crew will be staying at the family resort. He takes Bridget on a multi-day tour of the town (see above), and they get close. She realizes that Drake is actually a good guy with a nice family. His mother is played by 70s and 80s TV sex symbol Audrey Landers who is too young-looking for the role. Meanwhile, Tatum is revealing her true colors including having somewhat of a hissy fit when she finds out she has to do her own hair and make-up.

Nothing much else happens. For example, the big crisis that brings everything to a head is whether to use a fake snow machine or not. They peacefully compromise. Yawn. Tatum, though unpleasant and bossy does not even come close to derailing Bridget's big break and the whole feature is a big success. I did like that Bridget always stood up for herself without being unpleasant. She gets her own show and finds out that Drake ended up accepting Tatum as his cohost because the network needed Bridget to save the nighttime broadcast and he was afraid that his feelings for Bridget would compromise his professionalism. This all comes as a surprise to Bridget. If he liked her so much, why didn't he privately explain that to her? Why didn't he have her back while Tatum was trying to take over the Christmas show? Unasked and unanswered. Tatum apologizes at the end and Bridget agrees to go on a date with Drake. Yawn.

There were some other casting problems in this. Brandon Quinn did not have the look of a morning tv host with his scruffy beard, rugged looks, and resting sad face. Now Sarah Jane Morris was great as the villainess who turns out to be pretty OK at the end. She mastered her character's frozen smile and outwardly friendly demeanor while raging and scheming on the inside. She was kind of scary, but nothing ever came of it.

A Fabled Holiday (2022 TV Movie)

Pretty package is not enough.

[7/10 · 5 December 2022]

I liked the trappings and the framing of the story but the basic plot of strangers coming together to repair what is wrong with their lives was tired. None of their arcs had a lot of substance or originality. Or, failing substance, humor, suspense, drama, or engaging romance. On the positive side, it did have Brooke D'Orsay and Ryan Paevey as the main couple. Their performances were charming as usual. I like them separately, and they were OK together, but just OK. Maybe they are both just too nice to generate much romantic tension with each other.

It all starts out with a little girl and her father reading a fairy story about a magical town called Wunderbrook. Sadly the Dad dies and the little girl and her mother move away. Before she goes, she gives her storybook to her best friend Anderson and she promises to send him her stories as she writes them.

When next we see her, she owns a bookstore. Her aspirations to be an author have died on the vine due to her lack of self-confidence and fear of failure. Meanwhile, we catch up on her childhood friend Anderson who is now a surgeon who is questioning his calling due to losing a patient. We also meet a married couple who have grown apart and are on the verge of divorce and an old man who is very lonely since his beloved wife died.

Through various magical means (a detour on a road, a wrong number, getting lost, and a flooded basement) they find themselves together in Wunderbrook. It is the magical town of the storybook come to life. It turns out that they all had the book as children, but for some reason, it is only Brooke that starts to make the connection between the story and the real-life town they find themselves in. She is poopoo-ed throughout the whole movie, almost. As they spend time with the owners of the B&B and their daughter (really the King, Queen, and Princess), and the other denizens of the place, including the wicked witch, they start to get cured of what ails them. The hostile bickering couple starts to repair their marriage and the old man finds a friend in the owner of the bar/restaurant who is also bitter and lonely (the witch.) The two childhood friends start to fall in love as well as, in the end, get over the fears that are holding them back from fulfilling their dreams. It all comes together at the end with not only our friends on a happy road to love and success but Wunderbrook itself being saved, thanks to a certain aspiring writer.

Their individual stories of love and learning are told by a storyteller as if they were characters in a storybook. This was a new path for Hallmark to take and I liked and appreciated the creativity. Christmas Magic is a common trope but usually has to do with Santa and time travel. This was something quite different and, again, I appreciated it. Unfortunately, they forgot to find engaging stories to put in all that creative framing. It was, to paraphrase one of Brooke's publisher's rejections, "cute" but not entirely enough for me.

A Big Fat Family Christmas (2022 TV Movie)

Ka-Chang!

[7/10 · 4 December 2022]

Liv is a photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle who reports to Jack Wagner who plays Charles. She is assigned to work with Henry, a newcomer from Bangkok, to write about the Chang family's famous Christmas party that raises money for the Chinatown community, affectionately called The Changtastic Christmas. It is circus-like, outlandish, and unapologetically over the top. Little do her boss and new partner know, Liv Rose is actually Liv Chang. She has always kept her identity a secret because she has always been embarrassed by her "Crazy Loud Asian" family, especially at Christmas. She prefers quiet elegance and muted tones. It's a tribute to Shannon Chan-Kent's portrayal that her character isn't thoroughly dislikable. It is made clear that other than her blind spot about her family's Christmas traditions, she loves them very much and she has a good heart.

It is not long before Henry, who is thoroughly charmed by the Chang family, finds out Liv's true identity as their beloved daughter. She agrees to help with the story as long as she and her connection to the family are kept out of it. She cares too much about what people think and does not want her connection to her parents (Mom played by Tia Carrere) made public. It is not long before love between the two journalists is on the horizon. Unfortunately, the romance is a weak point in the movie. Henry is very bland and has a very weird accent. For me, the vibe was "friendly colleague" rather than "smitten true love". He is kind of stand-offish with her even at the end. Too bad, I really liked him in The Conjuring.

Henry submits his story to Charles who gives it a thumbs down, saying it needs a more personal connection to the famous Changs. This is where Liv confesses her secret identity to Charles. With her OK, they set about giving the feature a more personal spin and bringing in more about the family. Henry goes with Liv to collect the donations from each family in the community which are hung in red bags on the Christmas tree at the party. (the donations, not the families.) This is where it all goes sideways. Liv (and Henry) lose the big bag of money on the trolley car! This in turn leads to what might be an unhealable and hurtful breach with her family. Words are had.

Luckily, this had a very strong and satisfying ending. We learn about a childhood incident that caused Liv to put up her boundaries in the first place. A depressed and contrite Liv seeks refuge at her local church, the historic Old Saint Mary's Cathedral on Grant Avenue. She is given wise advice and hope from a nice woman who works there. May I digress? I think it's really cool and says a lot for Hallmark that they have retreated from their move towards the more secular and incorporated some religious themes. And they have done it with subtlety, and with sensitivity and discretion. Yes, the shift was probably due to the emergence of GAC (Gack) as another alternative Christmas movie channel and the defection of some of their more prominent old...uh, stars and the attendant publicity. Of course as it turns out, GAC's ratings are not even a blip on the screen compared with Hallmark's mighty numbers. But competition sometimes shakes things up, doesn't it? Anyway, Liv finds a way to make good on the donations, heal the breach with her family, her community, and embrace her culture regardless of "what people think." And it all results in their story being featured on the front page of the newspaper! Ka-ching ka-Chang!

The Holiday Stocking (2022 TV Movie)

An Angel to the Rescue.

[8/10 · 4 December 2022]

A family of a mother, 2 daughters, and a son, are excited about their tradition of pulling out a Christmas riddle from their special Holiday stocking. Whoever solves it first gets to pick out the charity the family as a whole will participate in. 5 stockings, 5 charities. Even though they have their differences, working together for others at Christmas always brought them together. Thirty or so years later, the brother has died and is about to enter heaven. But first, he is allowed to try to correct his biggest regret, the estrangement of his sisters who have grown apart over the years. In fact, because of long nursed grievances and being too busy with their separate businesses, they are actively hostile and don't speak. Robert has 12 days (the boss has a thing for the number 12) to bring them back together. He is allowed to come back to earth to fix matters and decides to get them to participate in their old Christmas tradition. But nothing doing. Dani is too busy with being the owner of the biggest black-owned marketing firm in Chicago and Marlow is too busy trying to make her bakery a success. Charity work is not even a stray pen mark on the to-do list. That is until Dani is on the verge of losing a big business opportunity due to no community giving or participation, and Marlow realizes that her daughter Gia is becoming a mercenary self-involved little brat. They both agree to participate in the holiday tradition, led by the executor of the dead Robert's will, RJ Angel, who is really dead brother Robert in disguise.

The journey to the sisters becoming family again, Gia becoming a good kid, Marlow's marriage getting a kick in the pants, and a little romance entering all three ladies' lives, is very entertaining. It is well-paced, and full of humor, tender moments, and angst. The road to reconciliation is not always smooth, and of course, we have the climatic drama with about a half hour to go in the movie to get over, but all their lives are on the right path at the end. There is a shocker at the end involving CEO Dani that I didn't see coming, and even dead Robert has a personal revelation that needs some tending to. Penned by prolific black scriptwriter and sometime novelist Cass Sigers-Beedles and directed by Tyler Perry's first assistant director, Roger M. Bobb, this movie was in the best of hands and it showed on screen. I had never heard of any of the female actors but they were all fantastic, particularly Tamala Jones as Marlow.

A Holiday Spectacular (2022 TV Movie)

Lots to like, but a missed opportunity.

[7/10 · 4 December 2022]

I loved seeing Ann-Margret and Eve Plumb, Loved the vintage costumes and sets, loved seeing the Rockettes, and the story being set in 1957. I even liked the story of a rich girl escaping from her pampered life and following her heart while learning to live outside the ivory tower.

It is a story of following one's dreams, standing on one's own feet, and the power of friendship. It is not the story of what life was really like in the 1950s for non-white people in New York City. In a right-minded effort to correct their past lack of diversity in their movies, I feel, with this one, Hallmark has done a disservice to their viewership and to the truth of the African American experience. It shows an integrated dance troupe with a black dancer who is even promoted over the other girls at the end. In truth, the Rockettes did not have even one non-white dancer until 1985. And she was Japanese. It wasn't until 1987 that a black dancer was famously accepted. As much as I appreciate Hallmark's efforts at inclusion, falsifying history is just wrong and harmful. And I don't think you can just gloss over this situation by glibly proclaiming "It's the Hallmark Channel, not the History Channel!!!". There's a quote about being doomed to repeat history that might apply here. Not to belabor a point, but something similar happened in 2016's A Journey Back to Christmas. In that one, a nurse fresh from segregated 1945 is transported to 2016 and is treated and questioned by a black doctor and interrogated by a black Chief of Police. No incredulity, nor even a blink on her part. What a lost opportunity for a short but dramatic (or comedic!) history lesson! And it would have taken all of 10 seconds and a line or two. Not sure how I would have fixed this one, but even an expository paragraph at the beginning or end about the truth of the matter would have gone a long way toward remedying the problem while still giving a talented black actress a job.

Long Lost Christmas (2022 TV Movie)

A Nice Quiet Story

[7/10 · 4 December 2022]

Taylor Cole has never been a huge favorite with me but in the past year or two, she has really grown on me. She is very beautiful but does best playing more down-to-earth family-oriented characters. In some roles, her beauty is a almost little off-putting. And she finally settled on a hairstyle that works. This quiet well-paced story really worked for me.

Haley finds out that her mother, who was adopted, had a brother from whom she was separated as a child. Her mother, beautifully played by Jacqueline Ann Steuart, has been sad and reclusive since the death of her husband. As the perfect Christmas gift for her mom, she decides to see if she can find this mysterious brother. With the help of a friend, she narrows the possibilities down to a builder of mountain cabins in Colorado. She goes to visit and meet him to see if he could possibly be her long-lost uncle. Is he or isn't he? Of course we know he is, because otherwise why are we there for an hour and a half? But why is he being so secretive and denying his past?

Benjamin Ayers, who plays a protégé of the possible uncle, and Taylor made a good couple. She needs a strong-looking male lead, and Benjamin fits the bill. The romance seemed right and definitely added to the story. The actor who played her uncle had a strong impact as well. He had a lot of charisma. The other aspects that really added to the story were Haley's friendship with the uncle's daughter, her mother's personal journey back home, and Taylor's career-defining interior design project and its setbacks and successes.

Finally, I do want to give Hallmark props for doing away with the bottomless suitcase. Taylor plans only an overnight trip to Colorado and packed accordingly. In the past, regardless of only bringing minimal luggage for a trip, the leading lady pulls out outfit after outfit with different bulky and matching coats out of the magical suitcase. In this one, Taylor actually wears the same sweater two days in a row and makes a point of having to go shopping for more clothes when her trip is extended. Proof positive that Hallmark reads their reviews, as this phenomenon has been a favorite topic with Hallmark commenters for quite some time. The more I think about it, such an issue is made of her not having enough clothes that I think Hallmark is indulging in a little self-deprecating inside humor. Well Played.

Haul Out the Holly (2022 TV Movie)

Haul it Away

[4/10 · 29 November 2022]

This was so messed up. I think it was supposed to be a fun comedic look at recapturing one's love for Christmas decorations after a childhood of one's parents prioritizing the trappings of Christmas over their own child's simpler needs and desires. The movie opens with the parents of a little girl leaving the house on Christmas morning to attend some kind of Neighborhood Christmas Carnival. The little girl begs her mom and Dad to let her open just one present before they leave. They impatiently agree but give her the present she has to open. It's a camera so she can assist in the neighborhood project by taking pictures for the record. All the little girl wants is to open presents under the tree on Christmas morning as a family. The only thing her Mom and Dad want is to make sure the neighborhood carnival runs smoothly.

We meet the adult Lacey Chabert who after years of understandably avoiding Christmas with her mom and dad is at loose ends this year due to a breakup. She decides to go home for Christmas. Her parents are happy and encouraging, but as she arrives at the front door, to her shock, her parents leave for Florida! Left alone at Christmas, she promises to take care of the house and put up the decorations for the neighborhood extravaganza as her Christmas present to them. As soon as her parents leave, the nightmare begins. She is visited by her old friend, Wes Brown, who is now president of the HOA. He informs her that she is being given a citation for inadequate Christmas decorations. Lacey just wants to have a relaxing peaceful Christmas watching Hallmark Christmas movies, but instead is hounded by the neighborhood to participate in decorating her house to specification and pitching in with all of the organized "fun". Front and center among all of the obnoxious neighbors is the petty dictator of the HOA, who is absolutely serious when he measures her Nutcracker lawn ornament to ensure it meets the height requirement. He is the love interest.

Lacey is way too people-pleasing for her own good . By the end, in what can only be the Stockholm Syndrome effect, she has bought into it all and the message is clear. The trappings of Christmas are more important than family, love, peace on earth, and goodwill toward men. It turns out that this was all manipulated by her parents to get her used to living in their house and presumably complying with the HOA covenants. Without even running it by her, they give her their house as a Christmas present. They also want her to get together with their protegee, Wes Brown. Lacey is doomed for ever. Hopefully, he will put away his ever-present citation book before they settle down to marital bliss in the bedroom.

Even cameo appearances by Kristoffer Polaha and Eric Mabius can't save this one. And neither can Lacey, settling down to watch a Brennan Elliot Christmas movie professing "Oh I love him!" Cute inside joke for Hallmarkies. I laughed. I just wish Brennan could have ridden in on his white reindeer to rescue Lacey from this nightmare.

If you want to see the beloved Lacey Chabert, who plays a nice woman too tolerant and compliant for her own good, bossed around, manipulated, threatened, and bullied for almost an hour and half in service of a message that is diametrically opposed to the true meaning of Christmas, this is the one for you.

A Country Christmas Harmony (2022 TV Movie)

I don't see happiness in Chrissy's future.

[6/10 · 25 November 2022]

Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. Seldom have I been more disgusted by the behavior of a TV romance man. Let me back up. Brooke Elliot of Drop Dead Diva plays Chrissy, a Nashville singing star whose career has taken a hit due to a failure of a song called "Reindeer Slay". We see a clip of it and it is actually awesome. Anyway, her manager insists she goes back to her hometown to film a concert to get back to her roots and stop being trendy. She has not been back for 10 years where she also left her former musical and romantic partner, Luke. More on that later. Getting close to her old hometown, driving with her assistant, Eugene, they stop for an emergency comfort stop. She runs into a restaurant/bar which is now owned by Luke and they have a meet cute along with his Granny. He behaves very rudely toward her. Which, of course, is standard procedure in rom-coms. Just to fill out the rest of the plot, Back in their 20s when they were struggling to make it in dive bars and other sparsely attended venues, she was the real draw with her great voice and he was the guitar player and primary songwriter. He is very resentful of her leaving, and at this point, I thought, "Well, maybe he has good reason. After all, she did leave on Christmas." Granny forces him to take her to dinner and they are getting along great reminiscing. But when she mentions that she will be filming a concert there, he gets all angry again and huffs and puffs saying that he thought she came back because she missed her small town, and maybe him, and wanted to reconnect, but "you are here FOR WORK!" He says some really mean things, yells that she is a fake person without an authentic bone in her body, and leaves her at the dinner table. What a Drama Queen. And rude!

At this point, I was starting not to like this guy, even though we have already learned that he adopted his sister's baby after she died in an accident ten years ago shortly after Chrissy left.

My dislike got worse and worse:

First off, he hasn't dated anyone since Chrissy because he worries about what would happen if Brandon didn't like her. Nothing would happen, Doofus. He might love her and if he doesn't, you move on. His excuses are so phony and a way to blame the kid, rather than his own choices for not engaging with the opposite sex.

Second, we find out the real story behind her "abandoning him" for fame and fortune. The reason why she left was that she wanted to have her shot in Nashville after hanging around Hicksville with him until she was 28 years old. He refused to leave his hometown in no uncertain terms, trying to manipulate her into staying put, despite her talent and promise. So when her parents gave her a one-way ticket to Nashville for Christmas, she was strong enough to leave despite his threat. (She did leave him a note.) Soon after, her parents retired to Key West, so she had no home there to come back to, anyway. Pouting and nursing his resentment for 10 years in not attractive.

Third, no Christmas decorations or a Christmas tree with a little kid in the house? Other than laziness or too much wallowing in his personal issues, why not? Letting his 10-year-old mourning for his sister outweigh her son's happiness is not what his sainted sister would have wanted, I'm sure. After Chrissy and he make up, he does change his mind and they go up in a blink of an eye. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

Fourth. At first, he wouldn't introduce the child to Chrissy let alone take him to her concert. Again, denying his child a treat to nurse his personal grievances.

Fifth. When her ex Brad shows up uninvited and unannounced in the middle of an intimate moment with Luke at his bar, Luke storms out of the place, even though she is plainly shocked and upset by his arrival. He doesn't give her a chance to explain, just abandons her there in the middle of a winter snowstorm. Stranded. With no way to get home, except with Brad. Who actually turns out to be a pretty nice guy, despite his referring to himself in the third person.

Now here's the kicker. Granny gives him a good talking to telling him to get over himself and quit with the pity party. He seems to get it, especially when she tells him he needs to do something to make it up with Chrissy, because if he does nothing, that is exactly what he is going to get. Nothing. The next time we see him he is sitting by himself in his house reading a book at the same time that Chrissy's concert is going on. Doing exactly NOTHING! Little Brandon, Granny, and Chrissy have to trick him into coming to the concert where they finally make up. Luke agrees to follow her to Nashville because home is not a town, but wherever she is.

Chrissy deserves better. She was nothing but sweet, funny, and classy throughout the whole thing. I think she is going to have her hands full with Luke. She should have stuck with Brad, or better yet, stayed single.

The singing in this was excellent, which is not usual for these things. Often, it is quite bad. I don't know if Brooke Eliot was doing her own singing or not, but I could readily believe she was a Nashville star. Also, I was really really disappointed that the winter storm that happened in this one was not Winter Storm Megan. I guess Lifetime dropped the running joke it had that when a storm was called for to advance the plot, It was always the same storm running through all their Christmas movies, tying them all into the same universe. It was fun and funny.

When I Think of Christmas (2022 TV Movie)

I got distracted from the story.

[5/10 · 23 November 2022]

This had some good things about it. I really like Niall Matter and I've seen Shenae Grimes in a few things a while back and also liked her very much. She plays a lawyer in the big city, who comes home for Christmas and to help her mother downsize and and move into a new condo. She comes across her old music partner (Niall Matter) and we learn that she used to be a talented musician and singer like her late father. He gives her the cold shoulder and there is a lot of anger behind his eyes. They have a fight and the truth comes out. She won a scholarship to Yale University and abandoned their dreams to go to Nashville together and try to make a go at music. She didn't discuss it with him and just left with no warning. Basically ghosted him after a long relationship. But after she got to Yale, she wrote him and tried to call him numerous times and he just ignored her. The best he could do on his own was being part of a band. He couldn't attain any degree of the success he dreamed of without her, although he did make a little name for himself. He has been blaming her all this time for his lack of success and for choosing Yale over him and leaving with no discussion. He is back in town directing the towns big amateur Christmas concert. They air it all out and forgive each other and start to work together.

To be frank I was so busy trying to figure out how old the Niall Matter character was supposed to be, that I kind of lost interest in all the ins and outs of the story. Shenae's character is definitely 28 years old. She got her scholarship as a senior in highschool and it's been 10 years. The 10 year gap between 18 and present day is confirmed several times. Given the situation and what we learned about their relationship, it would make sense that Niall was about the same age. They were a music duo and were singing together since she was about 15. They were young and in love and making plans to leave town together to make a go of it in Nashville. It is mentioned later in the movie that they were in 6th grade together. But later when it becomes obvious that his career is not going well Shenae asks him what happened. He says he got tired of just playing national venues as just part of a band and wanted to strike out on his own. At this point Shenae confirms that this *was* when he was 29. He says he put everything and every dollar into it, but just failed. He is still a performer, but he is not a success. He is beaten down and discouraged. (He even churlishly refused to join a singer during the tree lighting, when given a shout out, turning his back.) All this seems to imply that he has been struggling for a few years, at least. That puts him at about 31. It just didn't hang together chronologically or logically. My guess is that the part was written for them both to be 28 or so years old, but it was too much of a stretch when 42 year old Niall Matter was cast, no matter how attractive he looks. So they added some lines to age him up a bit. My head hurt trying to make it all make sense. I don't know, it just bothered me.**this last paragraph was edited after watching again because the time line really bothered me, and I did get it wrong, per Michael-by-sea. I see he rightly called me out on it. ***

They both behaved badly and they were whiny about it. For a 28 to 31 (or older) year old man, Niall was very immature and did not seem to have much gumption or a firm grasp of reality. Shenae blamed her mother for her very successful career in New York as a lawyer and made her feel guilty about guiding her to make the choice of the Yale scholarship rather than probably throwing her life away on a big gamble in music. They both just acted like babies. The mom actually apologized for guiding her teen age daughter to the wise choice. So that was just so wrong as well.

The performers at this all important concert were not good. The whole thing was like highschool amateur night. For all of the build up, Niall, Shenae and her mother were not great either. They all had very pleasant voices, but not professional quality by any means. I liked the Mom's new romance, but there was too much about her sad backstory.

The end didn't help. Shenae decides to try again with Niall, music, and maybe practice law on the side (?). Meanwhile Niall buys a plane ticket to New York to be near Shenae and her big career as a lawyer. The end is very vague as to what they end up doing and how.

The Christmas Retreat (2022 TV Movie)

Good Effort from Rhiannon Fish

[7/10 · 22 November 2022]

This one was OK. The first time I really liked Rhiannon Fish was in the recent Hallmark Mystery, Nicky and Nora, Sister Sleuths. So went in to this one giving her the benefit of the doubt and she really came through, showing some good acting and comic timing. She is very very pretty, which is not always a plus.

She starts off playing a real pill and a bit of a brat. And she does it well, starting with her first chance confrontation with the hero, whom she steals a cab from. She is on her way to get engaged to her long term boyfriend who ends up dumping her instead. And you can't blame him a bit. She is all about her work and career, not even silencing her phone during what she expects to be a marriage proposal.

Her mother sees the problem and insists she spends Christmas with her at a Christmas Retreat, which surprise surprise ends up being owned by the guy she just screwed (as in tricked out of the cab, of course). He has just resigned from his company because he was unjustly passed over for a promotion.

As she spends time at the retreat with her mother and participates in the activities designed to help the visitors regain their Christmas spirit, she finally does. At first her reluctance to give up her phone and her bad attitude towards participating leads to some comedy and funny banter with Mark, the hero. Most of the middle got a little on the boring side, and the end was marred by Mark's behavior toward Rhiannon in the inevitable "big misunderstanding". Her ex-boyfriend shows up all contrite and wants her back, and Mark gets jealous, ignoring their strong connection and her practically begging him to admit their love. For a nice guy, he acted like a stupid jerk.

Anyway, he regains his sanity and goes after her resulting in the happy ending. They both give up their careers for a more authentic and easy-going life in the woods, spreading Christmas cheer all year long.

Santa Bootcamp (2022)

I liked the cast

[7/10 · 22 November 2022]

Emily Kinney was very appealing in this. I really liked her, and she and Rita Moreno kept me watching this to the end.

Emily plays an event planner who has snagged a very high profile client which will really help her business. He is very demanding, however, and will only settle for the best Santa in the history of the world for his Christmas party or he will fire her like he fired the last event planner. He is played by Patrick Cassidy of *those* Cassidys. Due to some Christmas magic, Emily finds out about "Santa Boot Camp" which trains Santas and other Christmas Characters. She is correct that this is the best place to find the perfect Santa because it soon becomes apparent that the boot camp is run by the real Mr. And Mrs. Claus, played by John Shuck and Rita. I was very surprised to see John Shuck in the credits. I remember him from Macmillan and Wife. Anyway, Emily has to join the boot camp to earn Rita's recommendation for the best Santa. She has a romance with the camp chef, who is almost too gorgeous.

I am floored by how beautiful and full of vitality that 90 year old Rita Moreno is. Short of selling her soul to the devil, she must have the best genes and/or the best plastic surgeon in the world. She looks totally natural, unlike other actors who have had work done. I won't mention another elderly (85 years) actress who graced a Hallmark production recently. Bless her. Ms. Moreno looks like a very believable 65, and could probably pass for younger. And speaking of casting, I do want to give Lifetime props for featuring a deaf actress as Emily's lovely mother. It was no big deal, just normal life.

The end was a little ham-handed. The magical mystery part, which was done subtlety and charmingly, including Rita's beautiful wardrobe, was too explicitly revealed and broadly done. To my mind, there should have kept a bit of nuance and mystery about the pair's true identity. Just a bit.

Inventing the Christmas Prince (2022 TV Movie)

Opposites don't attract, until they do.

[8/10 · 19 November 2022]

The best thing about this movie was the acting. Tamera Mowry-Housley plays a widowed mother of an adorable little girl. She is a rocket scientist and the team's supervisor. The manager of the company is Evan, played by Ronnie Rowe, Jr. Now Evan is a very interesting character. To say he is not a people person is putting it mildly. He is brilliant but cold and uncaring of his employees. He cannot seem to understand or have empathy towards others. He almost behaves as if he is "on the spectrum." 3 valuable employees have resigned, siting his management as the cause and because of that he is in trouble with the board of directors. They tell him not to be such a demanding task master and get a life, essentially. If one more employee quits, he will be fired. Yet right after that, due a deadline, he informs his employees that they will have to work Christmas Eve *and* possibly Christmas. He is just clueless and disconnected. It is too much for Tamera, and she tells him off and quits on the spot. But that day, she had to bring her daughter Grace to work for a few hours, and the little girl, nicely played by Isabel Birch, takes one look at her mother's hateful boss, and believes he is the "Christmas Prince" from a story passed down through her family. She believe this fantasy figure, who picks out one little girl or boy every Christmas to grant 12 wishes to, is real. Tamera knows what's up with her boss's bosses and tells him she will return to work if he poses as the Prince through Christmas. If she doesn't he will lose his job. And he is horrified and even a little frightened. Yes, she probably should have told her daughter the truth and not blackmailed her boss, but then we wouldn't have a movie, would we?

As Evan spends more time with Tamera and her little girl, he starts to open up and warm up. His communication skills improve as well. During their first dinner, for example, his conversation is like, "I see you eat carrots. Do you eat carrots often?" Scintillating! But soon they are opening up to each other, confiding, and empathizing. He learns she is a widow. Three years ago, when her husband died, he approved her bereavement leave but didn't even care enough to ask who died! When she reminds him of this, he is shocked. It causes him to see himself clearly and make an effort to change his ways. Besides his personal relationship developing with Tamera and Grace, By the end of the movie he becomes a great boss, and even gets promoted, instead of fired!

That Ronnie Rowe Jr. Makes his character sympathetic is little short of a miracle. His transformation is slow and subtly done, even changing his body language and way he stands. Fantastic Job. Mowry-Housley was so funny, warm and charming in this. The secondary characters are entertaining as well. She has a support group she started to help her cope with her husband's death. It includes Caitlin Stryker, a Hallmark veteran who is always good. I've never seen Nathanael Vass who plays Lorenzo, her "work husband" but he was a treat as well. I hope I see him again. The actual plot was cheesy as heck, but the writing was bright and amusing, and considerably elevated by the actors' talents.

The Royal Nanny (2022 TV Movie)

"Scary Poppins"

[7/10 · 15 November 2022]

I do like it when Hallmark goes to England, and this was no exception. Rachel Skarsten is good, as usual, and very striking looking with her hair up. Her English accent was a little distracting, but that was a me problem as she has the accent credentials once playing Elizabeth Tudor in the popular series Reign. But I digress.

This had elements of a typical Nannyfish out of water taking care of precocious Royal Children and falling for the Prince. But this usual template is rescued from dreary business-as-usual by the fact that this was also part MI5 spy story. Agent Rachel helps uncover a plot against the Royal Family and the military intelligence department sends her to protect the family disguised as the new nanny. She is partnered by Tousaint Meghie as Wallace, the new chauffeur. She goes through a whirlwind training by the Nanny Whisperer, Greta Scacchi, who has aged gracefully and settled into character parts very comfortably, thank you very much. Her specialty is weaponizing the ever-present Nanny umbrella. Once she is installed, highjinks ensue with the kids trying to prank her. She is not MI5 for nothing however, and their amateur efforts are nipped in the bud quite resoundingly with the bucket of spaghetti landing on their co-conspirator, Uncle Colin (the love interest). She wins the kids over by not ratting them out to their mother, the Princess, and even indulging in a prank of her own. Of course, we have the obligatory invitation to the Royal Ball and the jaw-dropping entrance. She wins Colin over when he sees her with her hair freed from her tight bun and in a feminine red ball dress. But also by jumping in to help with his charity coincidentally benefitting her old orphanage. The enemies attack as they are exiting and Rachel saves the kids with some ninja umbrella action, but Colin gets kidnapped.

The romance was lame with little chemistry between the two lovebirds and really had no future despite the kiss at the end. The spy part was adequate. I suspected one character, who turned out to be guilty of something, but not of the main threat of harming the children. When Colin gets kidnapped, Rachel's boss tries to fire her but the princess stands up for her and throws the male spooks out on their ear. Yay! The main bad guy and the motive will be no surprise to anyone with even a passing interest in British mystery and international intrigue stories, but that was totally OK.