Cosmo and his friends ready for Christmas in Belbury, but Kerry acts as an obstacle when he refuses to decorate the town, which gets to Cosmo since they compete with Vermont to see who has the best decorated town. Meanwhile, the kids get trapped in a snow globe with a misguided Christmas enthusiasts, where they serve as the prize for the decoration contest.
Plot[]
Cold Open[]
A narrator appears, relaying the plot to the special, only to be stopped when kids begin throwing snowballs at him.
Episode[]
The parents drive their kids to Belbury Park so they could take part in the Christmas choir, to the kids' indifference but reluctant acceptance. They nearly get killed due to the bad weather preventing them from seeing the oncoming traffic (ironically themselves) but wind up where they need to be regardless. Following the performance, the kids want to go to town on their own. The adults are reluctant but ultimately concede due to the town being small and them being able to find their way back. The adults use their free time to prepare for Christmas, both to get a head start before their vacation days kick in and to prep for a decoration contest against Vermont.
To the kids, they debate whether or not they want toys for Christmas, with Alison showing no interest and the feeling extending to the others. It gets close to night and the kids get trapped in a snowstorm, later winding up in a vast snowy plain with no sign of life. They later happen upon a man named Toby, who makes vitriolic implications regarding his opinions on whom he deems to be naughty.
Back to the adults, having done everything they wanted to, they decide to venture into town to check on the decoration progress, only to find that it hasn't started. Realizing that Kerry headlines the decorating, they go to him and he claims that he doesn't have the funds to go through with it. Lars reveals that all financial transactions with town officials go through him and that he would know if the funds would be depleted. Kerry rebuffs them, but Cosmo is determined to get back at him.
The adults force Kerry to witness the effect of his unwillingness to decorate, but it only infuriates him and makes him cancel other upcoming events out of spite. Victoria winds up kicking a snow globe on the ground out of anger. The kids find themselves in the air and it's revealed that they are in the snow globe, but they aren't aware of the latter fact. Desperate, Cosmo decides that everyone should put their decorations around town.
Back to the kids, Toby becomes furious with Clifford (already hating him due to him throwing a snowball at Elizabeth) and his true colors are revealed. The kids fight back but Toby proves to be too agile for them, making them evenly matched. Alison indirectly gets his motive when he reveals that minor things have gotten in the way of a hopefully perfect Christmas for Toby for every year.
The adults finish decorating the town, but are saddened that it isn't enough to cover every part of it. To make matters worse, Kerry extended his spiteful contempt towards them by freezing the lock to the gate to the town's giant pine tree, preventing another ceremony where people hang ornaments they've made. Boris discovers the snow globe and the kids discover where they really are. The adults have no idea how to get them out, especially since Victoria reveals that not even her kick made a dent in the globe. The adults feel guilty, feeling that their obsession with Christmas got in the way of their kids' well-being. Kerry overhears this and begins to feel guilty. He returns with a hairdryer and thaws the lock to the gate, placing an ornament on the tree upon getting to it.
Kerry reveals that he refused to go through with decorating the town because he was this year's Santa impersonator, and all experiences he had as Santa led to humiliation. Cosmo also apologizes and tells him that they won't bug him about decorating the town. The snow globe breaks, its purpose being fulfilled after the adults were willing to put aside their differences for the sake of the holiday and the kids are reunited with their parents.
Later, upon returning home the adults are surprised to learn that their decorations are back. Kerry reveals that he and the town have donated their decorations to the town and Kerry used more on loan as an apology. Everyone ventures through town, admiring the decorations, and Cosmo learns that an anonymous judge for the decoration contest was present during the decorating. Belbury wins the contest and Kerry uses the prize, a star trophy, as a decorative centerpiece. The adults later return home for Christmas dinner and they all harmonize, content over a good start to the Christmas season.
Meanwhile, Denise had been feeling depressed since the start of the episode. A confrontation between her and Artemis reveals that Denise has feelings for her, and Artemis assures that while they may not become a thing, they will still be friends, and Denise is content with this.
Cast[]
- Mae Whitman: Alison
- Melissa Fahn: Colleen
- Jenn Forgie: Julie
- Brit Irvin: Emily
- Ian James Corlett: Jerry
- Carrie Finlay: Jenny, Diana
- Julie Lemieux: Sam, Dakota, Vivian
- Lisa Ng: Becky
- Antionette Spolar: Francis
- Tabitha St. Germain: Ruth, Georgina, Mandy
- Amber Hood: Ashley
- Sandy Fox: Fiona
- Vanessa Morley: Angela
- Richard Ian Cox: Randall
- Tony Sampson: Dante
- Daniel DeSanto: Tiberius
- Steven Crowder: Tommy
- Sarah Gadon: Marie
- Dexter Bell: Wayland
- Janyse Jaud: Selma
- Chantal Strand: Elizabeth
- Ashley Taylor: Dolly
- Andrea Libman: Jupiter
- Peter Kelamis: Sparky
- David Paul Grove: Brighton
- Erin Fitzgerald: Phoebe, Sadie
- Peter Oldring: Victor
- Tracey Moore: Bernadette
- Brian Drummond: Clifford
- Stephanie Morgenstern: Denise
- Catherine Disher: Suzy
- Andrew Kavadas: Kerry, Robert
- Roger Dunn: Cosmo
- Hiro Kanagawa: Ned
- Howard Jerome: Bob
- Long John Baldry: Boris
- Tony Rosato: Lars
- Danny Wells: Tito
- David Huband: Edgar
- Harvey Atkin: Luther
- Linda Kash: Enid
- Saffron Henderson: Amber, Victoria
- Terri Hawkes: Hanneke
- Ellen Ray Hennessy: Delta
- Kathleen Laskey: Laney
- Michael Eklund: Nixon
- Alyson Court: Yorba
- Megan Fahlenbock: Artemis
- Chiara Zanni: Mercury
- Carly McKillip: Anita
- Rachel Wilson: Britney
- Richard Newman: Jerv
- Len Carlson: Preston, Frank
- Dale Wilson: Santa
Trivia[]
- One of two holiday-themed episodes. The pilot took place on Halloween while this occurs on Christmas.
- One of two episodes to be focused more on the adults rather the kids, the other episode being Just Deserts.
- Final episode of season one.
- Reportedly the most expensive episode produced, thanks to its large roster of actors, and a factor for Sony dropping the series.
- Strange got around this due to a stark bulk of the cast being represented by the same union. The remaining actors were paid or participated due to contractual obligation.
- Most of the lines were prerecorded when Elliot Strange had them on for previous episodes, applying to actors not affiliated with the Union of BC Performers.
- Kerry is revealed to be Jewish.
- The scene involving Artemis and Denise was cut on later airings.
- The adults sing The Longest Time by Billy Joel near the end of the episode.
- Fourth wall breaks
- When Francis cuts off Colleen when commenting on how well Toby would get along with their parents, it's a reference to how their current scene hasn't been on for long enough.