“Where Are You Christmas?”: Christmas Makes the World Brighter

Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas is in full swing and has been since October 20th. As they do every year, they introduce many new movies to add to their collection and I like to try to review at least one before the New Year.

And here it is!

We start with the classic trope of hardworking city woman returns to her small town and learns the true meaning of Christmas while falling in love. But there is a twist in how she learns her lesson.

My world is changing/I’m rearranging/Does that mean Christmas SPOILERS

The Wedding Veil Legacy: Food, History and True Love

We’ve seen a beautiful Italian lace veil originally made for the wife of an Italian nobleman bring love to a museum curator and an art history professor. Now it is in the possession of their friend, who works at an auction house. She is firmly a skeptic in the veil’s alleged power to bring the owner true lover Will she change her mind?

Of course she will. It’s a Hallmark movie.

How does it happen? Find out in The Wedding Veil Legacy!

I’m so glad you found me in time/And I’m so glad that you’ve rectified my mind/This will be an everlasting SPOILER!

The Royal Nanny: A Fun Christmas Adventure

It’s that time of the year again! Yes, it’s Hallmark holiday movie time! And of course, I’m watching them. They’re comforting and festive. No one can resist their charms.

Especially me, as you all know.

I don’t know how many of the new movies I’ll be able to review. But I’m going to try, starting with this one set in England.

So, grab an umbrella and avoid SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Taking the Leap

Last time: Zoey recalled her first day at SPRQ Point and how she became friends with Max when Danny Michael Davis made the “prehires” go through a competition to see who would get the limited open positions at the company. Zoey and Leif ultimately won but Max was hired about a month later after he and Zoey made Danny’s assistant obsolete with their final project.

As she was competing for her dream job, Zoey found out Mitch had rushed Maggie to the hospital with a possible heart attack. Maggie had to undergo surgery and the family rallied around her. David ran into Emily at the hospital, the spark of their relationship, and Mo was the driver who took Zoey from SPRQ Point to the hospital. Maggie pulled through but it was Zoey’s first brush with a possibly life-changing loss and she realized how fragile everything really was.

After some words of wisdom from her therapist, Zoey headed home and had an awkward encounter with Max. She reminded him of their winning invention, which he still had. We learned that Max had really gotten the job but had given it up for Zoey, something she didn’t know.

Here we are. The last episode of season 2. I really hope that this isn’t the last episode ever of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and continue to pray someone else can pick it up, even if the cast has been released from their contracts. Keep supporting the show and showing it love – that does help in attracting other interest.

Sing, sing a song/Let the world sing along/Sing of love there could be/Sing for you and for SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: One Short Day

Last time: Encouraged by her therapist, Zoey decided to focus on her relationship with Simon. But her plans were turned upside down when she ended up on a double date at a marathon with Rose and Max. She also was distracted helping Perry as he introduced his ex-husband Brad to Mo. And things went from bad to worse when Max revealed that he was considering moving to New York for a few months to run a Maximo’s pop-up funded by a friend of Rose’s. Zoey reacted so badly to the news that Simon later questioned if she still had feelings for Max. She denied it, explaining how her therapist had connected Max’s news to all the loss she had already experienced that year and that it was just a continuation of her grief.

Simon wasn’t convinced.

Meanwhile, Deb was worried that Maggie was gambling to fill a hole in her life but Maggie was really trying to just lose the last of the money Roger the Creep was paying her. However, she kept winning and winning. So Zoey and Deb convinced her to use some on house repairs, to save some and then to use the rest to go on a cruise with Deb. After Mo met Brad, Perry realized he still had some insecurities to deal with and it put his relationship with Mo back on the rocks. Tobin and McKenzie were betrayed when Leif submitted the winning phone design and it led to them kissing in the meditation room. And Max decided he needed time and space from Zoey, so he was going to go to New York.

I know we’re probably all still reeling from the announcement that the show has been cancelled. But there is still hope! There are platforms that may still pick it up. Make sure you let them know. Here are links to request shows to different streaming platforms:

Netflix

Disney+ (Click on "Feedback")

Hulu

Place your head on my beating heart/I’m thinking out loud/Maybe we found SPOILERS right where we are

Christmas Comes Twice: Beware Carnivals

Well, we’ve made it! It’s the halfway point! It’s been six months since last Christmas and it’s six months to this Christmas! And right now, I’m cautiously optimistic that we may actually be able to celebrate Christmas like we did before the pandemic.

(“Cautiously optimistic” because I really want to see what happens when the fall comes and cold and flu season bear down on us again. It’s easy to say we’re almost done with the pandemic now in summer when the weather is nice, ventilation is better in most places and most people are spending more times outdoors).

But for now, we’re going to mark the halfway point with a movie from last Christmas that features a carnival, a magical carousel and a chance to change your life.

They’re singing “Deck the Halls”/But it’s not like Christmas at all/’Cause I remember when you were here/And all the fun we had last SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Double Date Bust

Last time: Zoey made it her mission to help Emily but it proved more difficult than she expected. Emily rebuffed any attempts by the family to help her and continued to put on a brave face, believing she couldn’t break down and had to be strong. Zoey invited Emily over for a girls’ night in hopes some pampering would get her sister-in-law to open up but Emily just wanted to dance. By the end, Emily did acknowledge she needed help and opened up to Zoey. She also asked David for help and support, which he gave.

Max struggled with keeping his relationship with Rose casual, Simon struggled with finding alone time with Zoey and Mo struggled with not being the center of Perry’s world. They had a boys’ night in and talked about their struggles together. Max and Rose decided not to be so casual, Simon finally got to spend some time with Zoey, and Mo got to meet Perry’s children.

Maggie reunited with Deb, who took her out to a casino where they pretended to be other people to forget about their worries. But it only worked for a little bit and a sad Maggie went back to the casino, no doubt desperate for some connection.

And in the end, Zoey finally went to see a therapist! Yay!

I’m in the final stretch of the season. Time to see how these storylines play out and what help Zoey will get from her therapist.

And as many of you no doubt know by now, NBC has decided not to renew the show for a third season or move it to Peacock, which had been the rumored track for the show given how strong it performs in digital viewings. However Austin Winsburg is not giving up and has vowed to continue to shop the show around. So hopefully someone will pick it up and we are all encouraged to use the hashtag SaveZoeysPlaylist in order to show the other networks how much support and love there is for the show.

I am going to stay hopeful that we can get a third season after all. So please use the hashtag and make your voice heard!

Yes, I’m havin’ a good time/I don’t want to SPOILERS at all!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Last Friday Night

Last time: Mo took Zoey to visit a psychic and her powers went on the fritz. She realized all the heartsongs were mixed up and she had to figure which song belonged to which person in her life. Especially a song Max sang that was calling out for help. In the process, Zoey learned that Rose is a recovering alcoholic, Perry is a devoted dad to his son, Mo is struggling with not being the focus of Perry’s attention, her team is highly competitive and her mother struggled with being around her couple friends again. And she learned that Simon loves her but is a bit insecure about their relationship, especially after she had to blow off a meeting with his woodworking club to solve the mystery of the mixed up songs. In the end, she reassured Simon but chose not to reveal the truth of her powers and discovered the call for help came from Emily.

Sorry for the delay in my posts! May ended up being a crazier month than I thought! I was asked to cover shifts at one of our branches and that affected the amount of time I had to write. And then I went on vacation which was immediately followed by a funeral for a family member. Honestly, Memorial Day weekend feels like the first real break I’ve gotten all month.  

June, though, is looking a lot less hectic. So I think I can finish up the season before July! And hopefully, we’ll know the fate of Zoey by then.

After all my strength is gone/In you I can be SPOILERS!

The Knight Before Christmas: I Need a Hero

Who’s eager for summer to begin? The days are getting longer and Memorial Day is upon us. It’s time for barbecues, fireworks, shorts and for me to switch from vodka to tequila.

(I don’t know why but I associate vodka with winter and tequila with summer. Go figure).

But we’re going to put on our favorite Christmas sweater, pour some hot chocolate and munch on a candy cane – at least in our minds – as we look at this month’s Christmas movie review, The Knight Before Christmas.

Through the years, we all will be together/if the fates SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: All Shook Up

Last time: It was Zoey’s birthday! Maggie threw a party for Zoey and everyone came –except Leif, who was at some sort of contest. Zoey and Max decided to turn their pause into a breakup so he could figure out what he felt for Rose and Zoey could figure out what she felt for Simon. Mo and the fire marshal got closer, though it was a shock when he mentioned he had kids with his ex-husband. David helped Aiden write a song and was then horrified to realize it was a song about how much Aiden wanted Zoey, who turned him down gently. During a heartsong, Zoey learned that McKenzie and Tobin had feelings for each other. Tatiana revealed that while she was into Simon, he was into someone else – with strong implications that “someone else” was Zoey. And on her birthday, Simon and Zoey shared a kiss.

A lot certainly happened. I’m still not sure the romances we saw last episode will be endgame (except for Emily and David) though I’ll be interesting to see those journeys.

Well, there’s nothing else to discuss just yet so let’s dive into the episode!

Anyone, please send me anyone/Lord, is there SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: They Say It’s Your Birthday…

Last time: Zoey wanted to recreate a memory from her childhood where she watched the Leodons Meteor Shower with her father. It was coming around again but she could only go with Tobin and Leif, whose love life problems caused her to miss the shower. She then tried to see it on the second day but had the opening of Max’s and Mo’s restaurant while trying to solve Leif’s problems. In the end, Max rounded up some friends and they went to see the stars after the opening with Zoey.

In addition: David joined Aiden’s band to get out of the house more, Leif’s date just wanted a job at SPRQ Point, Simon is now the hottest thing on the San Francisco tech scene, Max reconnected with an old friend from camp named Rose and Mo was making eyes with the Fire Marshall.

All in all, it felt like a good reset after the hiatus and set up the backend of the season.

No word yet on a possible season 3. Alice Lee (Emily) has been cast in another pilot but that doesn’t mean much. She could just end up being a recurring again rather than a regular if a third season is picked up. So we’ll see what happens.

A little less conversation and/a little more touch my body/cause I’m SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Capturing Lightning in a Bottle

Last time: SPRQ Point dealt with the fallout from Simon’s statement at the press conference. Danny Michael Davis continued to be a douche until forced not to be a douche and then pretended to be a hero. Zoey learned that she has a lot to learn about seeing the world from a different perspective as did Leif. Tobin finally took a stand and told his truth, backing up Simon’s experience of racism at the company. And Max and Mo hit up a white guilt-ridden Danny Michael Davis for the capital to finally open their restaurant.

Zoey is back! Just as I thought, the second dose of the Moderna vaccine did put me out of commission. So I finally caught up and can now recap the return episode.

(For those wondering, a few people I spoke with who also got the Moderna vaccine have reported the same side effects I had: chills, headaches, hot flashes/night sweats and then an overall feeling of blah for about 24 hours).

Now onto the episode!

Let’s get loud/let’s get loud/turn the music up to hear that SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Fallout

Last time: Zoey decided to have a “live free” day and did drugs with Aiden and Danny Michael Davis. They wandered the neighborhood and then had popsicles at the Clarke House. Zoey then decided to not care so much anymore but then she abandoned it the next day after Max called her out and Danny Michael Davis said he was going to sell the company.

Meanwhile, Max just wanted to get his dad’s approval (and money) but fell short (though he gave the money back), Jenna pulled a prank to punish the contractor who now turned cold toward Maggie after she rejected him and caused Maggie to fire her, and there was a bug with the Chirp that meant it didn’t recognize anyone who wasn’t white. So Danny Michael Davis wanted Simon to smooth things over, leading to an internal battle and a consult with Tatiana and Mo – did he do what his boss asked or did he take a stand?

At the press conference, he kinda did both – he gave the company line and then took a stand.

So this is the last episode until the end of March. Let’s see what they left us on…

Cause baby whether you’re high or low/Whether you’re high or low/You gotta tip on the SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: I Want to be Sedated

Last time: Zoey struggled to pull herself out of her funk and decided to follow Mo’s example by focusing on being happy. However, she then had to layoff 10% of her staff, including sweet George – who was already having a bad day as it was the anniversary of his abuela’s death. She then decides to just get wasted at the cleanse Mo had for his and Max’s new restaurant, something that caused some turmoil when Max felt Mo wasn’t taking the business as seriously as him. They eventually talked it out and realized they just had different ways of approaching the business, both of which were valid. Zoey accidentally rehired George while drunk and so had to fire him again. She then had a heart-to-heart with Simon, who told her that she needed to lean into her feelings and not try to fight them in order for her to grow and heal.

Also, Simon nailed his first interview as SPRQ Point’s spokesman and befriended the interviewer, Tatiana Morris. And David decided to quit his job to be a stay-at-home dad to Miles. Emily first freaked out but then supported him. And Roger hit on Maggie and she turned him down, saying she wasn’t ready to move on. She and Jenna then bonded more, which made Emily feel a bit put out.

Oh, and Zoey reconnected with her old neighbor, Aiden, who is now an adult and hot.

So we’ve entered the mid-season hiatus. But I’m sure it will be here before we know it. After all, this March isn’t going to last a full year like last March.

Right?

Today is where your book begins/The rest is still SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Put on a Happy Face

(Sorry for the delay. I had a harc deadline for something else and needed to devote more time to that).

Last time: Zoey was plagued by a recurring nightmare in which she sang a heartsong while trying to escape her family home and then her apartment. She tried to reduce her stress by delegating tasks but that blew up in her face, leading to her blowing up at her team. Max kept trying to help put she kept pushing him away until realizing that she was not in a good space to be in a relationship with him. They agreed to a pause and to resume their relationship when she felt ready.

Meanwhile, Maggie struggled with her first job since Mitch’s death but found the spark again when she teamed up with Jenna while Max and Mo rented a place for their restaurant.

Congratulations to Jane Levy on her Golden Globe nomination for this show! It’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s only nomination but at least our show is getting recognized! (I believe Alex Newell was also nominated for a Critics Choice Award as well – so yay, Alex!)

Also we know now that Zoey will be going on a six week hiatus and returning March 28th, meaning it is going back to Sunday and will be on at 9 PM. So mark your calendars!

Now I’m stronger than yesterday/Now it’s nothing but SPOILERS!

WandaVision: Growing By Leaps and Bounds

Last time: Wanda and Vision participated in a fundraiser performing magic tricks. But when Vision’s gears literally got gummed up, he acted weird and Wanda had to use her powers to keep up the illusion that it was all, well, an illusion. They won over their neighbors and returned home happy. But throughout the day, someone kept trying to reach out to Wanda and it culminates in someone in a beekeeper outfit appearing on their street. She rewound the scene back to when she and Vision discover she’s pregnant. Color started to seep into their lives and they were brought to the sitcoms of the 1970s.

Everyone is intrigued by the show so far. There are so many questions and theories going around the internet as people try to figure out what is going on. And then there are those who no doubt enjoy the callbacks to classic sitcoms.

Or like me, intrigued by both.

Come and knock on our door/We’ve been waiting for SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Welcome to My Nightmare

Last time: Zoey took a “grief vacation” with her budding relationship with Max but struggled to have some sexytimes with him. Max and Mo hit a snag in their budding business when he asked Mo to sign a contract. Zoey had her first crisis as director and Leif struggled to manage his team. In the end, Zoey and Leif decided to shake up the team to end the frat-like culture that had developed, Mo and Max had a heart to heart where he decided to trust Max, and Zoey and Max finally had some sexytimes. Also, Emily’s sister Jenna showed up to help with the baby but was more of a nuisance than a help until Maggie took Jenna under her wing.

So far I’ve really been enjoying the second season and it sounds like audiences are responding. I am nervous though as it seems Zoey will go on hiatus after episode six and NBC debuts a new Tuesday lineup. It’s unknown when it will return and where it will be on the schedule. Those aren’t moves that help shows and usually hurt them.

Hopefully, though, Zoey comes out stronger.

Nowhere to run, baby, nowhere to SPOILERS!

WandaVision: Magic to Do

Last time: Wanda and Vision settled into their new house and lives in the quiet town of Westview. They start putting down roots – Vision gets a job and Wanda befriends neighbor Agnes. Hijinks then ensue when Wanda and Vision have to throw together a last minute dinner for his boss and his boss’s wife. But they manage and pass with flying colors. As they bask in marital bliss, someone watches them and takes notes.

The questions continue as our MCU couple heads into another sitcom and further into the 1960s.

Wiggle your nose for SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: I Wanna Sex You Up!

Last time on Zoey: Zoey re-emerged from her self-imposed exile after losing her father to find that the world had gone on without her. She tried to reintegrate into that world but everything kept changing. Leif had taken over and made a lot of changes, including a new hire named George. Max, Simon and Mo were best friends who hung out without her. Joan wanted to promote Zoey to run the Fourth Floor and ultimately revealed she was leaving for Singapore. And Maggie struggled to enjoy her new grandson while mourning her husband. In the end, a video from Mitch gave them the push they need to move on. Zoey accepted the promotion and gave Leif her old job, Max and Mo decided to start a business together and Zoey chose Max.

Apparently I wasn’t alone in questioning if the show had really wrapped up its love triangle in the first episode. People are worried about Max and Zoey’s relationship and Austin Winsberg says that they have reason to worry. Once again, it seems my feeling that Zoey may (inadvertently) be taking advantage of Max may be correct.

So let’s see how that starts to unfold.

Some people wait a lifetime/for a moment like SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Ch-Ch-Changes

Last season on Zoey: Zoey Clarke’s life changed when a magical MRI machine gave her the ability to hear people’s inner thoughts expressed as songs. With the help of her neighbor Mo, she figured out that her gift was meant to help people with difficult problems in their lives. She found herself learning more about people, herself and relationships as she embraced her powers. While all of that happened, she became manager at her tech job and formed a mentorship/friendship with her boss, Joan. She found herself drawn to fellow manager Simon, even though he was engaged, and learned her best friend Max was in love with her. And all through this, she had to come to terms with the fact her father was dying of a degenerative disease that slowly stole him from them.

Simon and his fiancée broke up just as Zoey started to develop feelings for Max, who was promoted then fired by Angelica Schuyler herself. And as she found herself caught between the two, her father died in the most heart-wrenching half hour of television. 

And now the show is back for it’s second season after fans rallied and NBC saw how good its ratings were once digital views were added. So here we are, ready to see what happens to Zoey in her next chapter.

If you’re lost and alone/or you’re sinking like a stone/SPOILERS!