Paris is Always a Good Idea - Episodes 1 & 2 (Hallmark Channel - 2026)

[00:00:03] This is a Bramble Jam Podcast I am Bram! Oh no. And I love homework Paris shows! You were in the Bram, do it!

[00:00:27] Uh, Papa, I'm Jacqueline, and I'm going to sleep with you. I guess. Bonjour, oui, oui, I'm called Dan. Uh huh. And I despise their Hallmark TV shows about Paris. And this is... Deck The Hallmark Podcast! Deck The Hallmark, it's this podcast. Deck The Hallmark, it's this podcast.

[00:00:53] And host this podcast. You know, Bram, you know, we're pretty above board here, and I feel like we like to include everyone and give everyone a fair shake, and like, want to create a space for everyone.

[00:01:16] But also, in like 30 years, when doing a French and Italian accent is offensive, there's going to be so much audio of us. That we're, like, people are going to be angry at us later. Not now. Now it was funny. It was funny. Hey, 30 years from now the woke mob can come at you. That's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're old codgers, and they're like, can you believe these guys used to get on a microphone and do French accents? Are you kidding me right now? And then we have to put out an apology. Yeah, we're going to do a whole thing, and I'm going to be, I'm learning.

[00:01:45] We, we sorry. We're listening. We're learning. When you can do better, you do better. That's right. You fail forward. And I think we try to do that around here because I still think it was above board right now in 2026. But who knows? Who knows what that will look like at a different time? There are so many interesting things that we can unpack in a whole other podcast about that. Yeah. But just with language and different, we will, just not today. That's right. We will, but not today. Not today. We will.

[00:02:15] There will be a better time. We will. There will be a better time to do it in a different podcast. That's right. That's what you're saying. That we will have on this network for sure. We, we. We, we. I have heard a rumor, folks. What's the rumor? The rumor is this. You all can confirm or deny it, but Paris is always a good idea. What a fan, just a fascinating title for a show that is this show where Paris clearly wasn't a great idea for several people in the show. Yeah. That's a weird title.

[00:02:45] Panic attacks ensued. Yeah. Do you guys think Paris is always a good idea? No. I think Paris, like I've always wanted to go. Sure. And London was amazing. I'm sure Paris is unbelievable. The bread and cheese alone probably. You've been to Paris. I have been to gay Paris. I will say that. What does that mean? You've been to gay Paris. It's just the thing. Oh, we think gay. Shall we? Yeah. Gay Paris. Oh, no, I don't know. I don't know about this. I'm sorry. People are going to get mad at you in 2026.

[00:03:15] I thought there was like a. I don't know. I didn't know what you meant. I think they just say gay Paris. Like it's, it's fun. It's fun. Gay Paris. Um, no. So it has nothing to do with sexual orientation. Okay. Yeah. No. Okay. All right. Very good. I mean, everything does when you're talking to me, but I. Right. Sure. I also want to be clear before you go any further about your story in gay Paris that we, Audrey Hepburn did say Paris is always a good idea.

[00:03:44] It's a very famous quote. Oh, okay. There's people probably screaming at their radios right now. It is a very famous thing and we do acknowledge it did exist. And that's why the show is called that back to you. Yes. Yes. Oh, Audrey Hepburn. Um, queen icon legend. You have been to Paris. I have been. I will say the last time I was there that wasn't just at the airport. I cried because we didn't have time to go to Paris Disneyland. I had a little bit of a menti bee. Were you so nine years old? This was last year.

[00:04:15] Is that where you get the, uh, the beret? That is where I have my beret. I do also want to note, I know it's been weeks now, so I, everyone will have forgotten, but I am wearing my survivor buff. Oh, very nice. Yes. I am the champion. You are the champion. And you win and the, uh, and you can't let people play a great game. Yes. For those that were not at Bramble Fest, we did play. You're welcome. The game of survivor and Jack's one. That's right. And it was a lot of fun. We were all better for it. That's exactly right. She outwitted, outplayed. She did all of it.

[00:04:43] So as somebody who has been to Paris, uh, gay and otherwise, is it always a good idea? I mean, honestly, I would say no. I've had some travel disasters there too, as well. However, however, look, it's, I think I need to go to Paris and explore it as a tourist on my own to do all the things that I want to try. I think that that's what, what would make me make it magical for me. Sure. Okay. Very good. Yeah.

[00:05:14] I've never been. So, I mean, I'm not, I'm not opposed to going. I'm not opposed to go. I mean, it looks amazing. Sure. I, you know, I can't say enough good about London, so I'm down. I'm down. All right. We're all going. We're going. Depending on how the show goes, we will record the season finale in Paris. I got it. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't, don't tell me at the good time. I, uh, we'll do it. You'll still have to zoom in. We'll do it on. No. We'll do it live from Disneyland in Paris. Right. You'll be on the outside of the Disneyland.

[00:05:43] I would be devastated. I just want to record the temper tantrum. Just the full, like, Jack's nine year old. We're not going to Disneyland in Paris. I don't hold back. It's so great. When I'm in my luteal phase, I don't hold back. Yeah. Very good. We were saying that earlier about you. It's crazy. We'll see. We'll see what, uh, what today is. We're talking, uh, Paris is always a good idea. Really a great way out of that. I do want, I do want everyone to know what we've done here. Uh, Hallmark Plus released two episodes on release date.

[00:06:12] We watched them back to back. Yeah. We are going to review them as one package deal. And then of course, moving forward, we'll do one episode at a time. Um, and so shall we dive into it? Let's do it. Uh, Paris is always a good idea. Episodes one and two. Uh, episode one is called Paris revisited. Episode two is called Colin revisited. So I guess they're doing a thing. They're doing a thing. Uh, both of those episodes dropped on July 31st on the Hallmark Plus. And it went a little something like this.

[00:06:39] Uh, Chelsea is talking into her phone, telling somebody about her story. Uh, the story that we're getting ready to find out. Um, the story starts 10, 10, 11 years ago. That's right. Um, in Europe where she was taking a gap year. She was doing this program. What Chelsea wasn't expecting during this gap year program was her to fall in love, not with one, not with two, but with three different men.

[00:07:07] And this gap year ended though, suddenly when she finds out that her mom is dying and she has to go back home. 10 years later, Chelsea walks into her office at the American cancer coalition to find her work rival, Jason Knightley using her treadmill desk. Ugh. Chelsea isn't having, is not having Jason's nonsense.

[00:07:31] She is, uh, working hard on trying to secure a big $50 million donation for the coalition. The CEO of this skincare company is intrigued by this, but wants to talk more about it in person in, you guessed it, Paris. She's very, uh, Chelsea is very hesitant to go back to Paris. So she goes over to her dad's house to have family dinner with her, uh, sister and her dad. Her sister, Annabelle is there. Dad, Glenn is there.

[00:08:01] Oh, and dad's new booth thing. Sherry is there. Uh, Chelsea tells them about having to go to Paris and they all look like she just said that she's dying. Uh, apparently they all went to Paris together after their mom passed away to go and do this thing. That's their mom wanted them to do this, like a bucket list thing, but Chelsea couldn't do it. They get to Paris.

[00:08:27] She breaks down crying before they could do any of the things on their mom's list. Annabelle and dad decide that they're going to go with her to Paris to be her support system because Paris is always a good eye. That's exactly right. We did it. But when we get to Paris, Chelsea sees Annabelle brought their mom's itinerary better late than never. Um, and she gets really mad.

[00:08:53] She's not, she's still not ready to say goodbye to mom and doing this would be like saying goodbye. The, to make matters worse. She looks out the window and she sees Jason Knightley is in Paris. She goes down there and is like, uh, why are you here? And he's like, oh, our boss didn't tell you we're partners on this. I'm the closer. I'm the closer. Uh, she opens up about why her family is there and he encourages her to, hey, maybe do it.

[00:09:21] Maybe do your, the, the mom's, uh, itinerary thing. So she calls her family to come together and we're going to go and do the journey and it starts off. Okay. But the fun quickly ends when at the second stop, the place that they were supposed to go to is closed down. And then through these audio messages, it becomes clear that a lot has changed for everyone in the family in the past 10 years. It's a mess. It's as if mom didn't even know them.

[00:09:49] Uh, she and her sister make up after a little fight and go out to dinner. Annabelle is surprised to hear their mom described Chelsea as a romantic. Annabelle says that she's never even seen Chelsea go out on a date. Chelsea tells her about these three guys that she fell in love with one summer. And Annabelle tells her that she needs to try to find these guys. She's like, man, let me think about it. What better way to think about it than by going dancing? And wouldn't you know it? Jason Knightley is there. Knightley is there.

[00:10:18] And when he, uh, he should be working on the pitch. And so she's like, tells him, I hate you. And then he, she touches his chest and then sparks start flying folks. It's nuts out there. Um, but I'm sure it's nothing. I'm sure those two. No, no, that he's not one of the possible enemies to say enemies enemies, enemies, enemies, enemies, you know, that's exactly right. The next morning, Chelsea gets word that her meeting has been rescheduled, pushed a few days. Classic power move. Chelsea decides not to get mad.

[00:10:47] Instead, she's going to try to find these. She's going to go try to find these three lovers. So off to Ireland, they go to chase the first one. We get a bit of their story. She met this dude and fell for him when he sang a song for her. He's, uh, he handmade her a compass. They kissed looking out over the water and she promised to come back. Obviously she never did. So she heads back to Ireland to try to chase this guy down.

[00:11:14] His name is Colin in a crazy move. Uh, I was a crazy move. Apparently Chelsea didn't tell Jason Knightley that she was going on a short vacay. She finally catches him up to speed, but won't tell him why she's in Ireland. So he takes to some Instagram stalking to figure things out himself. She makes it to the farm, but runs off when she sees Colin walking up. She's freaking out. He's not just a guy. What if he's the guy?

[00:11:44] She goes back, uh, to town to change shoes and to get some new clothes and to head back to the farm. More farm friendly apparel, if you will. Uh, FFA. He's, uh, pumped to see her, but he's too busy shearing sheep to talk right now. They agree to meet up for dinner, but shocker of the century. He shows up with his wife and kids.

[00:12:11] I guess that's, uh, that's how the cookie crumbles there. When you don't come back, apparently you get married. So I guess this isn't where she's supposed to be. I guess this isn't who she's supposed to be with. So she ends the day by calling Jason Knightley to talk about work and maybe some other stuff. And the episode ends with her next booth thing, who also happens to be in Paris. Emails her asking to meet up while she's in Paris.

[00:12:39] And that my friends was Paris is always a good idea. Episodes one and two. We did it. We did it. Nice work. Thank you. Yes. Let's take a break. We're going to come back. We're going to break these two episodes down here on deck. The Hallmark. Hi, everybody. Welcome back. We're talking about Paris is always a good idea.

[00:13:06] Hallmark plus his latest venture into mini series. Yeah. So we'll see. We'll see how this one goes. Remember the last one we did during the holiday season? May Whitman. May Whitman. Remember that? Remember that, Jax? He watched that with us. That was amazing. And I will say, I was nervous about this one. Well, I'll get into it in my hot take. I think that's right now. I like when Hallmark, that's now? Well, it's time for the hot take. I will kick it over to you, Jax. Why were you nervous?

[00:13:34] Because I was like, surely I'm not going to enjoy this as much as I liked the May Whitman 12 dates. And while that may be the case, I will say, I really, really enjoy this. I've been not watching as much Hallmark content as I may have in the past because, you know, you guys almost fired me. You're no longer bubbly. I'm no longer bubbly. No shows. I wasn't covering anything with you other than the news. So I don't have to engage with the content, even though I love it. I love my friends who do it.

[00:14:03] Which by the way, folks, this is not the end of... I still have yet to join one. I want to be a part of this. I want to rank Aaron Cahill's outfits. I'm missing out on all the fun. Absolutely. We missed you. We're going to do one here in the next week or so for sure. Okay, good. Because I have information. Oh, awesome. So I was a little bit like, I don't know how I'm going to feel about this. And I thought this was really delightful and funny.

[00:14:27] It also gives that Hallmark Plus feel like they say someone is hot, but Instagram actually looks like Instagram and they're not making up a funny name for it. There are some moments of extreme sexual tension that I will get into later on. My heart is a flutter. But overall, I think for me, Lacey and her sister have such incredible chemistry.

[00:14:53] They are so gosh darn good together and not in a saccharine, overly sweet way. I just think it's a really beautiful relationship. Yeah, they talk like siblings talk. But that is what has me locked in. Yeah. They talk like siblings talk. And I think this actress is like that plays the animal is incredibly enchanting and interesting and just so good. So I am really down for this one and excited to see where it goes. I also love that we get to see Lacey Chabert with bangs.

[00:15:23] She can rock that. Yeah, she bangs, she bangs. That's how you know she's younger. She's got bangs. That's right. Bang, bang. Yeah. That's the way to do it. Yeah. You know, I didn't really know anything about this going into it aside from it's Lacey Chabert and apparently, evidently, rumor has it Paris is always a good idea. Yeah, that's what I've been told. Those are the things that I do. Yeah. I really like the premise of this, the idea of over the course of a summer, you have this

[00:15:52] gap, you're in different places and you kind of fall in love in each of these places and then has to come back and try to figure out maybe there's something between these guys 10 years later. That's really fun. And it should have been obvious to me that one of them would be married with children, but somehow it's and I think you even said it before it happened. He's got a family. He's got a family. No, he doesn't have a family. I was shocked.

[00:16:22] I gasped. I yelled. I couldn't believe it. So good on this show. It's getting a reaction out of me. I had a really good time and I also think that Lacey is having a really good time and Lacey has done more Hallmark related content than any other leading lady. I think on the network at this point, she's she's she's done it all. And some of the movies begin to blend together when I think about Lacey Chabert and then the

[00:16:51] Hall at the Holly movies came along and it's like, oh my gosh, she's really fun and she's funny and she's great. And this is just a continuation of that. She is great in this. She's also funny in this. The cast, I think, is really solid. And I'm a I know that she is most likely going to end up with Jason Knightley and dadgummit am I excited about it. So really like these first two episodes. Really excited to see where we go. I believe it's only six episodes. Yeah, easy breezy. We'll be done here soon.

[00:17:20] But I really like what we got started. Dano. So I have some complicated feelings here because we watched two episodes. Had we watched one episode, this would have been a full rave for me. Episode one full rave. Episode one would have been an absolute full rave. I will say this at the outset before we get into some of the details. This show is very high quality. Yeah. The scene stealer is Rebecca Hanson, who plays Lacey Chabert's sister. She's unbelievably good and funny and talented. Lacey is also in her element.

[00:17:49] You know, when we started this podcast, Lacey would show up for a movie and she did the exact same thing in every movie. And it's very clear looking back now that the powers that be at Hallmark or someone was just like, hey, we're paying you to do one thing. Do it. This is an empowered Lacey Chabert who has ownership over her own content and what she's doing because in the Holly movie, she's funny in that Carolina movie where Tyler Hines plays a basketball coach. She gives a great dramatic performance. Sweet Caroline.

[00:18:19] Is that the name of the movie? I think that is it. And in this, she is out of this world good in this movie. Scott Michael in this television show, Scott Michael Foster, a guy who's been in one Hallmark movie, I think, or maybe two. He is very quality is a very like, like a dollar general Glenn Powell kind of quality, like Texas boy, like really good. Like a lot of charisma about him and is really good.

[00:18:45] Um, the, in the 12 dates till Christmas with Mae Whitman, you knew she was going to end up with the friend, but they slow played it very, very well. And even though I didn't want her to end up with a friend, I really liked how they slow played it. It made you think that was not the case, at least for three, four or five episodes. At the end of this first episode, the idea of Lacey kind of going back and revisiting the gap year where everything went wrong before her mother's death is such a really like cathartic experience and idea.

[00:19:13] The problem is, is the second episode, it just became very much like Hallmark started to Hallmark it up for me. Like you could clearly see in my opinion that we're going to globetrot and she's going to end up with Scott Michael Foster, which I'm not, I don't, I like that. I, I, I'm, I'm with you on that. Good. But, but, cause I remember in the 12 dates, the obvious conclusion you were not excited about. That's right. But, but the show worked so well in spite of that, where this is kind of the reverse,

[00:19:43] which is the first episode felt like this massive swing, right? It felt like this very out of the box thing that Hallmark was going to do where like Lacey's going to go and like rekindle a flame with multiple people. Like over the course of six episodes, she may kiss three or four dudes and then like, and, but then all of a sudden in episode two, it felt very much more like a Hallmark situation where you knew that this sheep farmer, what like had a, like I knew now we'll talk

[00:20:12] about how he acts a little bit in the way, what segment and how crazy that is. But like, it's so like, it's so very clearly kind of started to meet the Hallmark standard and that is not a rave. That is a, that's an unfortunate detriment of the show. Now, the actors are still great. The quality is still there. I'm still having fun, but the episode two definitely, even though it was a fun trip, but it, you clearly see now what's going to happen, right?

[00:20:41] It's going to be one there, one there, one there, and then four and five are going to be her dealing with her mom and then her falling in love and getting married to Scott Michael Foster. And like after episode one, I didn't have that roadmap after one. I kind of was like, this is a journey where anything can come almost like mama Mia, where you don't know which one the dad is. You know what I mean? Like there is something about that that I thought was intriguing and that's now gone, but there is still plenty of quality here. And I still think it's a really good job by all involved.

[00:21:11] All right, let's get to the feels. So we're talking about what in these episodes gave us feels. I'll start with you, Jax. This episode has probably the most Twitter patient that I have ever had watching Hallmark. Tell me about R.I.M. When Lacey, as you mentioned in your summary, so thank you for noting when she puts her

[00:21:37] hand on Scott Michael Foster's chest and he says, she yells at him, oh, love it. And then when he says, yes, ma'am, I was like, okay. Yeah. Yeah. The, that's, that was the moment that I was like, there's some Glenn, like when he looks down and says, yes, ma'am. And it had a Southern draw to it, like, like 100%, like the thing is though, that moment's amazing, Jax. But it, to me, it undercuts some of the journey we're supposed to go on. Right?

[00:22:08] Like I, I'll give it up. Yeah. I'll give up the journey for that. Just make them, make that movie, make the Lacey Scott Michael Foster movie. I think we're all fine with it. You know what I mean? Like, I think we're here for it. I don't need this dude in Ireland. He didn't do anything for me. I am here for it. I couldn't, I was red. I had got red. I was like, it was, wow. It was kicking things up for me. Along with when our cute little bartender says to Lacey's sister Annabelle, you flirting

[00:22:38] with me, Annabelle? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Hallmark. I see what you're doing. And of course I have like loving feels. Like I think this is a really nice family dynamic. I also think Barbara Niven, there's going to be some interesting stuff there. She's got to have more to do, right? Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And I think that I also got, not that I have experienced this, but I mean, I've experienced my parents dating plenty of people, but they're both still alive and now they're both single.

[00:23:07] So I haven't experienced it in this way, but when Barbara Niven, shout out to Millie and Jack, you never know. You never know. You never know. But when Barbara Niven knew that she should leave, because Lacey was very emotional, I thought it was very emotionally intelligent. She doesn't seem threatened. So there were so many good things in this episode and overall, and this is what you're both saying too, the acting in this is just so good. It's really good. Which makes me really happy. It's really, really good. Like very impressive. Yeah.

[00:23:35] Obviously the nightclub scene is as good as it gets. It's great. And another thing that it showed me is like Lacey lets down her hair, right? In this club. Literally. Literally lets down her hair. And I felt as a viewer of this network that I've never seen Lacey Chabert before. It was like a new person. And it made me like, does Lacey Chabert? She tends to play a bit of an uptight. Does Lacey Chabert always have her hair up?

[00:24:03] Like I've literally never thought about it before, but when she put her hair down, I was like, I've never seen Lacey Chabert before. It's like a whole new person. And this has been the long con from the whole lot of our family. Listen, I know it's not our job. We're not here to comment on people's looks. It's as attractive as Lacey Chabert's ever been. I don't know what you want from me. 100%. Just is. Unbelievable. It made me think of, I was also watching Danica McKellar and Wes Wayne, and I was watching Mean Girls with Lacey.

[00:24:31] And I was thinking about how, it's not about them being younger, because I think women are only more attractive as they get older. But it's about letting them do, let them cook. That's right. Let them cook. Let them do what they can do. They can do this, but they can also do so much more. Correct. Let them do that. Please. Yeah. It's amazing what happens when you don't make Lacey play the same mousy, uptight woman that has to plan a party every year. Like that's what was going on before the network changed hands. Sure. So, you know. But great scene.

[00:25:01] Great scene. Amazing scene. That scene with Scott, that, yes man, I'll tell you what. What a scene. I said, oh my God. Yeah. Oh my God. Oh my God. Since we've already talked about that a bunch, I'm going to just shout out Henry Zerny, who is not usually on. Zerny! Zerny, we shouted him out. That's what we do. Sorry. That's a thing that we do. Henry Zerny, easily most known as Kittredge from the Mission Impossible series. He shows up in every Mission Impossible movie to tell Ethan Hunt he's wrong or can't complete his mission. And he's great in that role.

[00:25:30] But I've literally never seen him in anything else. And he's Lacey's dad here and he's doing a great job. And he's like, when we first saw him, I was like, is that Kittredge from Mission Impossible? And Brandon's like, no. And I was like, I think it is. And it was. So shout out Henry Zerny. There you go. The Zerny. All right. Let's take a break. We'll come back. We'll get to the Wait What's and the What the Hallmarks here on Deck the Hallmark.

[00:26:01] Hi, everyone. Paris, it's always a good idea. That's our understanding. And we've watched the first two episodes. We're talking about it right now. It's time for the Wait What. It's where we talk about what in these two episodes made us go Wait What. I'll start with you, Jax. Anything stick out? I feel like the two of you are going to cover some more in-depth and structural things that are Wait What's. So I'm just going to do two that are really bubbling on the surface that made me go Wait What. Right up at the top, the Dunkin' product placement. I hate it. I hate it.

[00:26:31] I hate it. What are we doing in a show this good? Well, how do you think it gets this good? Dunkin' that strong in front of the screen. That Dunkin' money. I love a product placement. I know you do. You know, honestly, Brianne, I am actually not opposed to a product placement, depending on, like you're saying, Dan, it's like the type of movie. Also, where did it? It was up front. So, like, the huge Dunkin' cup. And then she brings it in the frame again. Look, she did the best she could with what she had.

[00:27:00] But you know what? She spilled it, too. So it's like, you get the full Dunkin' experience. We only did the full Dunkin'. It's impossible not to spill that cup. The full Dunkin' experience. And then the other one for me was, okay, look, as someone who doesn't have any children, three children is a lot of children. I get it. Yes. But they're acting like they have a litter of children. They have three children, which I grew up, you know, in a house with three children.

[00:27:29] You guys have two each. Like, look, kids are a lot of work. But they really acted like they had, like, 10 kids. That's a good one. That's a good one. And also, I don't know if he's Catholic or not, but he is Irish. And I do think that there is, like, the idea that in the middle of farmland in Ireland, they're not in big city Dublin. They're in the middle of farmland. I would say three kids is average. Oh, yeah. Average for a family?

[00:27:56] I just – they were like, did you know how long you wanted to have so many kids? I'm like, that's not so many kids. Once people start having – it's like what Jim Gaffigan says, you want to know where a fourth kid's like? It's like imagine you're drowning and someone hands you a baby. That is like – so, like, once you get four and up, you start going, hey, what's going on here, guys? But, like, three is not – no, I'm with you 100%. No. And they've also been together, you know, almost 10 years because she met directly after Lacey left.

[00:28:26] Same day. Same day. Literally same day, which is, you know, I think you'll get into it. Oh, we're going to get there. Yeah. But I think what's interesting is that means that they were together for that long. And the oldest kid looks about six or seven. So, they waited to have children. So, I just think the whole thing, I was like, look, girly pop, three is not anything ridiculous. No. I'm with you. Yeah. Very good.

[00:28:51] Dan, I do want – just to let you know, our favorite scene in the show was what's happening in the background is by what the hallmark. And so, I didn't want – Thank you because we were crying, laughing, and rewound it. So, please, thank you for letting me know that. That's why I wouldn't take it. Yeah. Um, I got a kick out of their – they're deciding they're going to go on mom's excursion thing here. And they play the first tape thing. And mom says, like, go to the so-and-so market. You know the place.

[00:29:19] And they're like, dad, where's the place? And he's like, well, it's at the, you know, gloopy gloop stop or whatever. And right as he says the gloopy gloop stop, they happen to pull up right at that stop. Yeah, they do. And they're like, all right. It's time to go. They're in the train. He's like, well, it's at this stop. And then the stop appears in the – Couldn't have timed it better. Yeah. If this was planned like that. Crazy. That's called synchronicity. That's right.

[00:30:04] Yeah. And the other thing is, she's talking. She's leaving a message for – is it Annabelle, right? The sister who was playing soccer and whatnot. And she says, I'll be cheering for you from wherever they send me next. Yeah, that was a weird one. Wherever they send me next. Well, I guess what she's saying is she's still alive. Right. And whoever – when she dies, whatever they – they being the pronoun she's using for higher power – Got it.

[00:30:34] Sends me next. I was thinking of it as she's already in heaven. You didn't hear a male pronoun for God and you got offended. No, no, no, no. No, not at all. I just was like, what is this like a – every couple years – We see you, Brian. It's fun. The powers that be call you in and go, you've been – we're sitting here somewhere else. You've been promoted upstate. You've been promoted up? You're going down? Well, you – Brian, you weren't raised Catholic though. We have purgatory. Right. So you've been there for a while. Yeah, there's a lot of options out there. A lot of options.

[00:31:03] Train stations. It is an interesting way to say it though from wherever they send me next. It's an interesting way to say it. The commitment to making God non-right. Without a gender. Wherever I end up going is where I'll be cheering. You won't be cheering for anybody in hell. Amen? Thank you very much. I got a kick out of this guy sees this girl from 10 years ago. This is inexcusable. Walk up. I'm not even going to do the date thing. I'll let you talk about it. 10 years, four months, 23 days. We'll get to it. I'm sure you will.

[00:31:33] Oh, I will. But she comes walking up. Oh my gosh. Here you are. She's like, yep, here I am. He's like, I got to keep shearing the sheep. Do you want to meet up later tonight? What the heck? Can you imagine? Like, you come all this way. 10 years. Oh my gosh. There he is. And he's like, ah, I got to. The sheep's not going to shear itself. Time is money here. It's only been 10 years since we last saw each other.

[00:32:01] That should have been the first sign that maybe he's just not that into you. That he didn't drop his sheep and say, hey, I'm willing to drop everything right now and talk to you. I did find it crazy that this dude, maybe it's different in Ireland, but there's just three kids running around this bar playing the piano as loud as they can. Oh my God. My nightmare. Wild. Yes. It's my nightmare as a parent. There's different types of parents.

[00:32:26] There's parents who like, you know, my kids are going to be crazy and that's fine and everybody else will deal with it. And then there's parents that are like, feel the weight of causing people to have a tough time while they're eating. That are people that are paying for things. Yes. My kids aren't ruining that for people. Right. That's me. I love that as the only non-parent in this group, I think I have the opposite. Sure. That you guys have, which good for y'all. No, I'm not. If you. I'm like, let the children run.

[00:32:56] If we're at a park. Okay. Yeah. Get what you get. Don't pitch a fit. If we're at a movie, if we're at a restaurant, other people are paying for something. My kid is not going to make their, my kid's not going to ruin that for them. Also, it's a bar. I think they need to regulate their nervous system so that they're not letting a kid ruin it and be like, that's beautiful. Let the children explore. So I'm so happy for you. In a bar? In a bar? In a bar? No. In a bar? People are drunk and running around. Sure. People are acting.

[00:33:25] Cut your kids loose. Let the kids loose. And then my last one is at one point Lacey says, I think everybody thinks they're going to write a book one day. And I don't think that's true. I don't think that's true at all. I don't think everybody thinks they're going to write a book one day. There's plenty of people out there that have no desire to ever write a book. Ever. It was a very interesting line to say. Yeah. That's tough, man. I think everybody's going to write a book. Yeah. You got to know your audience. Everybody thinks they're going to write a book. Nonsense like that. Dana? It's like, do you guys get fed that?

[00:33:55] I get fed a bunch of girls stuff lately because of Lena Dunham's new memoir. So I keep getting her saying, I think I might be the voice of a generation. And that's what we think of. Okay, Lena Dunham. Oh, no, no, no, no, wait. Sorry. That was her character saying it. I was about to say. So it's funny. Lena Dunham says that in her book? I was like, what the what? No, no, no, no, no. Sorry. It's her character, Hannah, saying that in girls, which makes it funny. Oh, I got you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The thing is called Girls? No, the show was Girls. Her show was Girls. That's right.

[00:34:25] Yeah. I heard you say I'm getting fed a bunch of girls stuff. And I was like, okay. Oh, you know what? That also seems more likely. I'm getting fed a bunch of content from the TV show that ran on HBO called Girls. Got it. Thank you, Brad. Got it. No, I also am not familiar with the show, so I'm not helpful in any regard today. No, you're clearing that up. No, that's okay. I was like, oh, you're getting girls stuff. Cool. Awesome. Good on you. This guy shears sheep and murders people.

[00:34:55] There is, for you two. With those same shears. Yeah. Dude, he is Dexter. Like, I don't know what to tell you about this gentleman aside from he is married with three children and meets someone he had a relationship with over a decade ago, looks her in the eye and tells her to the minute almost, to the day, the last time he saw her with no other information.

[00:35:22] He doesn't then go, the reason I remember that is because I met my wife the same day. He doesn't do that. That was a dirty trick. That's why I was so shocked. It's not a dirty trick. It's emotional manipulation of the highest degree, and this guy should be shot on sight. What is he doing? That's why I was shocked when he walked in with his family, because I'm like, dude, you knew to the day how long it had been. Now, they explain that he met his wife on that same day. That's worse.

[00:35:51] But this show is so high quality. Jax, this is some psychopath level behavior, right? Can I? Can I? Yes. Yes. Dan, honestly, I agree with you 100%. Let me just offer what I rationalized it, even though this is just my brain trying to make a story out of it. This man is neurodivergent. So he's thinking about those dates, and he just says it without even thinking of the implications. It's been a decade. So for him, he's like a sweet friend from the past.

[00:36:20] But they literally ended with a kiss at a lock over the mountain. Like, this is for him to look the eye contact, Jax. For him to look at her and say, literally be like 10 days, 10 years, 23 days, 40. Like, for him to do that and then be like, hey, dinner tonight at seven. He does the, this is the thing you're talking about. This guy, like, takes command of the room, takes command of the conversation, looks her

[00:36:49] in the eye, and he goes, I'll see you at seven. He doesn't, he, this, this side short of him, like, hey, wear a black dress. Like, this side of him, of him telling her what to wear. My wife will be wearing one, too. Like, when you, in that situation, the way you do it is you go, oh my gosh, you have to meet my family. Right. That's the first thing you say. Like, what's crazy, too, is his wife, when she is introduced to Lacey Chabert and is clear

[00:37:18] on her face that she did not see this coming, she goes, oh, you didn't tell her, huh? As if it's happened before. This is like a classic. Well, I was wondering, I was wondering if it's maybe his king. It's another long loss. And then he trots out his family. Dude, he didn't tell you, huh? This guy gets his juices going by leading on old flames and then surprising them with his four-person family. Oh, my gosh. This guy. Disgusting. This guy's Norman Bates. Keep that around. I am not going to, I am not going to kink shame. I'm not going to kink shame.

[00:37:47] No, I am going to shame this guy who is, he basically. No, you, this type of kink, though. No, this is emotional cheating. This is emotional cheating. You can't do this. This is hurting another person, though, Jax. Which person is it hurting? Lacey? Lacey. Lacey. Chelsea is under the standing, if you will, that she is meeting back up with this guy. He misled her. He misled her. Wait a minute. I'm sorry. You mean Chelsea, who went on to have two intense love affairs five minutes after she met him? No, it was over a year. No, that, listen.

[00:38:16] It was a gap year. Gap year. What he did here was wrong. He did her wrong. Okay. He did her wrong. He did her wrong. You're right. Before that. Now, if he says to Chelsea, I'm going to bring my family, can you act surprised? And she consents to it. Now it's a kink that we shall not shame. Now we're doing a thing. Yeah. You're right. Thank you. You're right. Before that happens, Chelsea and her sister go to the bar. The bartender is going to flirt with her sister later.

[00:38:45] And then Lacey's character says, two Guinness, two pints of Guinness. And he goes, respect. What? That is the weirdest. I know they're American, but like, that's the weirdest response you could possibly have to someone ordering two pints of Guinness in Ireland. Respect. Respect. Oh, look at you guys trying to be like us. No, it's Guinness. It's Ireland. It's like Budweiser here. It's everywhere. It's a normal thing that people would order. You can't do that.

[00:39:15] When she's at the family table back before they go to Paris and she says she has to go to Paris for work, her sister and dad freeze like she murdered someone. Look, if this was in real life, we've all been around the family table when things get awkward once you're an adult. In real life, if this happened, those two would have been doing everything they could to act normal. They would have been acting normal because they know that this is hard for her. They also would have been acting normal because they know they never finished the thing they told her they finished. They lied to her. They would have been like, oh, okay.

[00:39:45] What are you doing? What are you? Why are you going? Instead, they're like, they both are like, nobody moved. There's a sniper and there's a laser pointed right. It was a crazy reaction. Can you imagine having the financial wherewithal as a grad student? Okay. I know Lacey is getting her travel paid for. The dad is retired and has money.

[00:40:08] Can you imagine being a grad student and having the wherewithal and financial stick-to-itiveness to jump on a flight to Paris the next morning? Can you imagine being in grad school and being like, oh, what is it? A flight to Paris tomorrow plus all my meals and everything for who knows how long? Yeah, absolutely. Like, yeah, this is why I have the envelope system. I have a $20,000. What if we go to Paris tomorrow envelope in my grad school financial planning? That's crazy.

[00:40:35] Also, to your point, it looks like she also paid for her dad's ticket. Maybe he'll reimburse her, but she booked them immediately. She was like, I'm on it. What is it? $1,800? Okay, no big deal. That's not a whatever. That's not a... I don't even miss it. Maybe while she's in school, she has dad's card. They're crazy. He lets her spend X amount of money. It's got to cost a fortune. It's got to be. The last one here... We have a Paris is always a good idea agreement. And anytime you want to go, you can book it with dad's credit card. That's right. Paris is always good. It's a Paris agreement. It's the Paris Accords.

[00:41:05] I have one more, and this is the big one of this show, and it's going to drive me nuts the whole show. This show takes place in 2026. That means her gap year was 2016. Yes? That's when it was, 10 years ago. Now, that means that we're supposed to believe Lacey Chabert is in her early 30s. That's totally fine. She can pull it off, no problem. What I have a problem with is she meets these three dudes in 2016, and there is no Facebook. There is no Instagram. There is no Snapchat.

[00:41:33] There is no texting. Guys, this is the year Trump got elected. This is not like something in the... 2016. 2016. All of those things were in full force. And here's the thing is, is if you never acknowledge them, then I probably buy in. But what happens in the second episode? There's a full Instagram. You mentioned, Jax, how great Instagram looks. What is going on in 2016 where she is not kept up, not DMed, not texted?

[00:42:02] She would know that Colin is married and a psychopath. She would know that information, just basic information that she would know because she was 23 years old in 2016. Guys, that is inexcusable here. Can I throw a theory? I would love it. This is the best I'm going to give you, and we can poke holes in it.

[00:42:25] But in 2016, when you go to a different country, it wasn't automatic, like Rome time, you know? Like where nowadays, like a lot of phones automatically switch over and you get as a part of your plan. That's pretty terrible. So let's just say she spends this year. She's there for a year. She's got phones and social media. Let's just say hypothetically, she spends the year. She goes, you know what? I'm just going to go phone free. I'm going to really dive all in on this.

[00:42:55] She does. 23-year-old that goes phone free for a year in Europe in 2016. She does get the guy's information, but she has to rush back to America because her mom is dying. And then there's a long period of mourning after that. How did she find out her mom was dying? Pay phone? Pay phone. Yeah, she called once a week. It was a telegram. She had a weekly call. This is one of the worst defenses I've ever heard. I hear where you're at, though, Brian. You're just trying to make it work. I'm just trying to make it work. It's time for What the Hallmark. It's where we wonder what could have been.

[00:43:25] Maybe it's a clarity question we just left. But we might get answers to. Might not. We still got four more episodes left. Jax, anything stick out to you? I have something, but I think it might be what your thing is. Should I just start and then we can see? Let's see. Yeah. Okay, so I want to be on whatever this tour is with these horny men and women who are... No, that wasn't it? No, that's not it. Okay, great. Keep going.

[00:43:54] Okay, so when Colin comes out... Oh, these women. You would think that you are like, you know, at someone's like post-divorce party that you're at Fire Island in the summer. Like they, the way that these women are salivating over Colin and two of the men, which I appreciated. Look, I loved all of it, but I wanted to know how this tour was marketed and how these women

[00:44:20] were just so activated, obviously activated by his mere presence. I wanted to hang out with them. I want to vacation with them. Colin is not my type whatsoever, but what I do love is the kind of bonding and fun that comes with, you know, I always say the word wrong, ogling, ogling, ogling, ogling, unattractive human being, which even though I don't find him attractive, I can get down with how to go with these ladies.

[00:44:49] I think that's the issue is, is that he wasn't, I'm not, look, he's a great looking guy, but like Scott Michael Foster has already established his presence in this television program. And we see the two other guys. One of them is Italian, right? Like we see like, and so this guy... But it must be like, because they show the Instagram where he doesn't have an Instagram, but the farm does and all the comments are just talking about how hot he is. I'm with you though. How crazy is this? I guess it's because he works with his hands.

[00:45:18] I don't know, man. He's like a, he's a fine looking fella, but he's not like the next two guys level hot. No. But they are so activated and I love how they don't even hide it. It's not little whispers. They're like, woo-hoo. They're just, yeah, it's like a magic mic screening. Like they're just, they're just there. They may as well be watching it on a screen. They don't know he's there. They're just here. And I love that. They're going to scream and ogle. You know what I mean? Literally everyone on that tour did get pumped when he wanted. Yeah.

[00:45:48] Everybody. They don't know. It doesn't matter if he's there. They got no shame. Should we intersperse for real a picture of my mom oiling the guy that she met at our local magic mic? I don't know. I think I'm good. Okay. I have it though. Good. If we need it. Send it in the group, I guess. All right. Mine is this. This is so funny, Jack. So they're at the Eiffel Tower. Yeah. And they're having a very serious conversation. Everything is falling apart. Everything's falling apart.

[00:46:18] They realize that their mom's scavenger hunt 10 years later doesn't work and they're devastated they never did it and they don't have a chance with their mom and they don't have a chance to do the scavenger hunt. And there's tears. It's a very serious moment. Back to you, Brian. And in the background of Lacey's shots, there are a couple of guys popping and locking, dancing, grooving. And it's so funny. It's hysterical. And it's in every scene. And the thing that I can't stop thinking about. Tears are forming and behind them they're like.

[00:46:47] It's like, how was it an accident? The thing that's interesting about it is that it is in every single one of her shots, which It is so funny. Which is impressive from a continuity standpoint. It makes me think that it was a choice. We're going to put the poppers and the lockers in the background. So funny. Rolling. Start popping. Start locking. And Lacey, you're serious. Your mom's died. You never did the scavenger hunt. Everything's ruined. Action.

[00:47:17] Because it's such good continuity from a background perspective that it makes me think that it was a choice. And I need to know. Makers of this show. How did it happen? I think what happened was they're like, this is what's really going on in the background. Yeah. So let's be honest about what it is. And they didn't realize how silly it's going to look on Hallmark. I just need you to go back and watch it, Jackson. And they're doing full step up to the streets back there. It's hilarious. It's so funny. You need to watch it.

[00:47:47] Oh, we were crying. I am so excited that you've now given me this gift to go back and watch that. I cannot believe it. So funny. Wow. I want to know how it happens. That's all. Dano? Yeah. So it is common knowledge in the nonprofit space that fundraising is the highest pressure job for a nonprofit is considered by turnover to be the highest pressure job in the workforce. About a year and a half. It is a, yes, it is a 16 to 18 month turnover where if you are trying to raise funds for a

[00:48:16] nonprofit, you get, they burn you out because everyone's hopefully doing things for the right reason, but they burn you out. It's never enough. And then you quit or you find a new one or you do something that's not in that world and it sucks. But that is the case. We find out that Lacey Chabert's character has been doing this job for seven years without a single vacation day. Number one, not possible calling BS. Number two, they would require it. At some point they would require a sabbatical. Number two, really unhealthy.

[00:48:45] Like the mom stuff, tough, obviously some trauma we've not unpacked, but this is like Defcon three. This is like very seven days of vacation, seven years of vacation is crazy. And this is a mental health crisis that we're never, this show is going to fail being realistic in what it's like to raise money for a nonprofit. I guarantee you she's going to secure $50 million. That's what's going to happen after seven years without a day off.

[00:49:15] And you're smiling because you know, you after, after seven years without a day off, they're going to tell you hard work is rewarded. Nonprofits got what they deserved and kudos to Lacey for continuing to be a wonderful servant in the community. When the reality is, is that someone has, like she has burned out and is in desperate need of a respite because those people are working around the clock and they don't last very long. What if, what if they don't get it? And him comforting her is what brings those two loved ones.

[00:49:44] Well, when I say I, they're going to get an amount. So what's going to happen is, is she's going to say no, but they've done all this stuff. They've already set the stage for, they've already reached out to all these other people. They're not going to get her. They're going to get all these others to combine for more than 50 million. That's what's going to like, I'll, I'd be willing to make a wager on it. $50 million? Over 50. No, I don't. Are you going to make that bet? Let me check in my envelope for wagering on nonprofit success and Hallmark TV series. I'm out. I don't have anything. You know Annabelle's got some extra for you. Annabelle's got money. She's got money.

[00:50:14] Whether it's hers or dad's credit card, she's got it. She's got it covered. It doesn't matter how it happens. It happens. Yeah. While getting hurt. Grad school is when you're really at your richest. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. We did it, everybody. Congratulations to us. So much fun. We'll be back next week with episode three. Can't wait for it. Until then, maybe the first to wish you a Merry Christmas. It's Deck the Hallmark, the Bramble Jam podcast produced by Brandon Gray, and you have that Greenville, South Carolina for more information on the show.

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[00:51:10] Thanks for listening or don't listen. It's really up to you at this point. It's at the end of the show. I mean, you're listening to me. Hi. But here they come. I promise they're coming. Yep. Here they are.