[instrumental music]
Downloaded from YTS.MX
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
[Lucy] Ready?
No going back, only moving forward.
- Right? - That's my girl.
I'm gonna walk through this door
and I'm never looking back.
Oh, um, wrong floor. This...
Uh, uh, okay, I'm walking through the downstairs door
and never looking back.
[upbeat music]
[sighs] Thank you all for being here tonight
at what we were hoping would be a victory speech.
I ran on a promise to make Boston an eco-friendly city,
and I intend to keep that promise,
even if it's not as your city council member.
To everyone who worked on my campaign
and to all of my voters,
I am honored to have earned your trust.
Uh, since this was a special election,
will you run again in the general next fall?
That's the plan. We'll kick off the campaign in the new year.
And until then?
With Christmas being three weeks away,
I'm going home to spend it with family.
- Oh, where's home? - North Falls.
And if you're looking for a place to spend the holiday
with your family, I have it on pretty good authority
that no one does Christmas better.
Thank you again for your support.
- I'll see you in the new year. -[woman] Yes. Thank you.
- Just one more. -[indistinct chatter]
[instrumental music]
I really wish I could've given you a win.
Oh, you will. Don't be too hard on yourself.
This was your first election.
Okay, take a couple of days to recoup, you know,
get a deep tissue massage, learn how to snowboard...
- In a couple of days? - And then...
We'll attend all the Boston holiday events
for some photo ops.
Lucy, you are the best campaign manager, and because of that,
I always listen to you,
but I'm overruling you this time.
More on this later.
Gwen Peters is making a beeline for you.
I have to go. Anywhere but here.
No, no, no, no, no!
Aww... Julia.
Julia, pumpkin pie, I'm so sorry.
Poor Julia. My sweet, sweet, poor Julia.
You must be devastated. Oh!
G-Gwen, I, I really don't need a pep talk. I'm perfectly fine.
Then, how about a job offer?
Looks like you could use one right about now.
Gwen, you know Big Pharma goes against everything I stand for.
No, I left Probe Pharmaceuticals, like,
I don't know, like, a month ago.
I'm with The Greener Earth Initiative now.
Non-profits are all the rage.
I love The Greener Earth Initiative.
I know you do, and that's why I'm here.
We need an associate director, and you are perfect.
Oh, um, please.
Wow, oh, that's...
- Wow. Uh, this is unexpected. - I know.
You know, it would actually be a dream job
if I wasn't already launching my campaign in the new year.
I know you think you wanna run again,
but it's not gonna be a special election next time, Julia.
No, you'll be up against a popular incumbent.
I mean, why would you wanna do that? Really.
I mean, aren't you passionate about saving the planet?
- Looks like you are. - Of course I am.
Okay, then. We're announcing the position in the new year.
Printed on recycled paper.
I... guess that's a goodbye, then?
Recycled paper.
[upbeat music]
- Hey, guys, how's it going? - How's it going?
♪ Jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way ♪
-[knocking on window] - What up, Jax?
Still down to shoot some hoops later?
7:30 sharp, and don't forget,
we're hanging Christmas lights
in the town square tomorrow.
[sighs] But, like, it's just,
I'm allergic to work of any kind.
- Oh, yeah, yeah. - I swell, I get hives.
I don't believe a word of that.
I will be there.
Nice tape deck. Are you playing anything current?
Get out of here.
[instrumental music]
-[Julia] Hi, mom and dad! - Oh!
It's so great to have you at home, sweetheart.
- How was your drive? - It was good.
I got some thinking done.
I'm so sorry about the election.
But it's nice to see you in person and not just on TV.
Yeah, we just bought a new smart TV
just to watch all your speeches.
Parker set it up. He was great.
- Parker? - A handyman is a rare breed.
All that agility, watching him reminded me
of that movie Body Heat from the '80s
with Kathleen Turner and Bill Hurt.
- Okay, this is getting weird. - You know, he's single.
Really? Sounds like you two should ask him out, then.
-[Parker] Ask out who? - Huh?
- Ah! -[Parker] Oh, my God!
- Oh. Are you... - Just remember to...
[mumbles]
What? Oh, wow. Are you okay?
Huh? Did you do this on purpose?
Oh, yeah, this is how I greet everyone at Christmas.
I'm not surprised. Your pranks in school were legendary.
I mean, legendary is a strong word.
- Are you cupping my head? - I am.
Let me get you both some jasmine tea.
-[Julia grunts] - Thanks, Sylv. I'd love a cup.
Look at you, spreading Christmas cheer.
- Pine needles and all. - Sorry about that.
I mean, you brought my parents a Christmas tree.
I'm delivering it for Mr. Blankship.
He's donating a portion of the proceeds
to the leadership program at the high school.
So the least I could do is help him deliver them.
- What a guy. - You being sarcastic?
I did just get knocked in the head by a tree.
Fair. That's fair.
I heard you're principal now.
- It's been a busy year. -[chuckles] Yeah.
Tell me about it. I haven't been home since--
Last Christmas, I know.
I mean, I-I, I don't know know for a fact.
I think I know. Your parents are here.
Makes sense you'd come home now. That's, that's...
Mm.
Anyway, I'm sure, uh, after this incident
you're wishing you'd stayed away longer.
My hair does, and that's the only thing that matters.
It's your number-one priority.
Oh, that and permaculture.
I should get going.
I'd say nice running into you, but--
Yeah. I'm, uh...
I'm gonna put the tree right over there.
Hey, raincheck on that tea.
- Welcome home. - Thanks.
[instrumental music]
What?
You guys are being weird again.
Those were your favorite when you were a kid.
You and Stella used to eat them in order.
[both] Arms, legs, head.
Well, I don't do that anymore, mom. I'm an adult.
Mm!
[Sylvie chuckles]
I really needed this.
I always feel like I can breathe better when I'm home.
- And I missed you so much. - I missed you, too.
And I don't think I'm the only one.
What is that supposed to mean?
- Oh, nothing. - Oh, please.
What is with all the ladies swooning over Parker?
In case you haven't noticed, he's not the same
skinny debate-team captain.
If you ask me, he could actually be a model.
What? No.
All I can think about when I see Parker
is that he beat me for senior class president,
and he did it by being manipulative and cunning and--
Charming?
You were crazy about him in high school.
And don't you even try to deny it.
You two were inseparable senior year.
Yeah, well, that was before he...
Never mind. Whatever.
You seem more upset about losing an election that happened
ten years ago than you are about the one you lost last week.
Of course I'm not. Parker just gets under my skin.
He's a good guy, Julia. Pretty much a town hero.
And on top of being principal, he runs a leadership program.
Yes, I know.
And he organized all the holiday events this year.
Oh, writing his biography, are you?
The first draft's done, but I'm hoping
you become a bigger character in the rewrite.
Anyways, makes sense that he planned all the events
as our mayor needs to be big on Christmas.
You know, I'm still conflicted about that.
I know Mayor Rodriguez's plan helped boost the town
when the mill closed, but that leaves other areas neglected.
You sound like Parker.
That's why the leadership program
is the center of his platform.
Platform? What are you talking about?
Well, Parker is set to be our new mayor.
Wait, what?
Uh, what are you talking about? Like, mayor of North Falls?
Yes.
- You've got to be kidding me. - No, I'm not.
Okay, I didn't seen any signs around town.
I guess when you're running unopposed, you don't need signs.
Unopposed?
Wait, what kind of race is that?
I mean, a job as important as mayor
shouldn't just be handed to someone.
People should have a choice.
No one else stepped up, and I heard Mayor Rodriguez
had to work her magic to persuade Parker to run.
Parker Conroy, mayor of North Falls?
[door shuts]
- Noah! - Aunt Julia!
- Hey, hey! - Hi.
Mm, wait, I thought I wasn't
gonna see you until tomorrow. Where's your mom?
Uh, she had an emergency Angel Flight to California,
so I'm staying with you!
You two are sneaky.
Dad said he was going to the store.
Noah made me promise not to tell.
Hey, sorry about your campaign.
Next time you should focus on swing voters.
Boston has almost 600,000 undecided.
Where were you when I was looking for my campaign manager?
Probably in gym class staring at some boy.
If you're not 6"4, I'm not interested.
Come on, come inside. We were just making cookies.
[Lucy] Are you over Christmas yet?
You are, right? You ready to come home.
Are you really trying to deny me my mom's homemade eggnog?
- That's just unjolly. - Sorry.
I thought you wanted to win your next race.
Of course I do. I just need to reset, Lucy.
Being home always grounds me.
Well, then you need to lay off the eggnog.
That is the opposite of what I need to do.
Is there something that you wanna tell me?
- I don't think so. -[Lucy] Nothing at all?
Well, if you're talking about Parker...
-Wait, who's Parker? - Who, what?
I've, I've... No one. I just, um...
Yeah, uh, I don't even know what you're talking about.
Okay, uh, what's with the stammering?
It's not... I'm not...
I'm, I'm not stammering. I'm-I'm...
Okay, relax, I'm not talking about a Parker Whosie-whatsit.
Why did I have to hear from Gwen that she offered you a job?
I mean, were you even gonna tell me?
Well...
[sighs] You weren't. Okay, that's cool.
I'll just be over here in the dark,
you know, trying to manage your career.
I'm sorry I didn't tell you.
I just needed some time to think about it.
Well, I think you should meet with her.
I mean, you've always admired
the Greener Earth Initiative, Julia.
And this'll give you great exposure
before your next election.
You need to keep your options open.
Okay, so when does she wanna meet?
Uh, the 24th, in Boston.
They wanna choose someone before the new year.
Who sets a meeting on Christmas Eve?
- Terrible people. - Who you want me to work for.
Correct! Gwen doesn't keep Santa's schedule.
This opportunity will pass if you don't take the meeting.
-Fine. One meeting. - Good.
Now, go back to your eggnog and Parker Whosie-whatsit.
Well, stop. I'm hanging up now. I'm--
Is he hot? What does he look like? Send me a...
-[call disconnects] - Oh. Damn.
Okay.
Once they're in, you just wanna make sure
they're hanging straight.
I feel like such a dad right now.
Did your dad teach you how to do this?
Nah. He wasn't around much.
I, uh, can relate.
You know, there's more than one way to have a family.
I have my grandpa, and when I was your age,
he taught me how to hang lights.
Thanks.
- Hey, there it is! - Hey!
[indistinct chatter]
[Parker] You can't be missing me already.
You just saw me yesterday.
[sighs, mumbles]
And there's the Parker I knew.
I told you he was annoying.
My old friend, Julia Chen, former debate-team champion.
- You were talking about me? - Oh, she was.
Uh, Noah, this is Jax. He just moved to town.
How tall are you?
Six-foot-one.
Oof, what a shame.
-[Noah] Nice to meet you. - Same here.
Now, back to you talking about me.
You know, I was only saying how I'm gonna be pulling
pine needles out of my hair for a month.
That's a little bit dramatic, and who doesn't love
the smell of pine, especially at Christmas?
My mom happened to mention that you're running for mayor.
Why didn't you mention that yesterday?
It just felt with our past,
it seemed a little bit sensitive.
What? No way. I'm, I'm good.
- I'm happy for you. - Thank you.
This town has given me everything,
and now I have the chance to give back,
so I'm taking it.
Look, are you gonna be at the tree-lighting ceremony tonight?
The least I can do is buy you a hot chocolate.
You know, as tempting as that is, um,
I've got a work call with my campaign manager tonight, so...
I thought you had that last night.
[Julia] We still have other things to talk about.
Anyways, uh, my parents' tree is not gonna decorate itself
so, uh, bye.
Bye. See you tonight, then!
Nope. Probably not.
- But probably... - Not.
- Bye, Noah. - Bye, Jax.
- Stop. - I didn't say anything.
[Julia] Okay, and we're ready.
- Oh, that looks so good! - Oh!
Beautiful! Thank you so much for your hard work.
- Uh, grandma, that was not work. - Mm-hmm.
- We were happy to do it, mom. - You know, it's getting dark.
- We better get to the ceremony. - Uh, yeah, you guys go ahead.
I've got a date with George Bailey and a gallon of eggnog.
Nonsense. I made you a hot chocolate.
And I know you don't want it go to waste.
Okay, fine, only 'cause I love your hot chocolate.
Let me grab my jacket. I'll be right back.
[instrumental music]
♪ That time of year has come again ♪
♪ I just wanna be with all my friends ♪
♪ Smiling faces calling down to me ♪
♪ Let's go downtown ♪
[exhales] I can never get sick of this.
They add more lights every year.
- And still no solar options? - With what money?
All the extra funds went in a new gazebo.
Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Chen! H-how's the tree?
Beautiful! Julia and Noah just finished decorating it.
Speaking of, where's Julia?
She's, uh...
- Oh, hey! -[Parker] Hey!
Looks like your phone meeting was cancelled.
- What phone meeting? - It's nothing, dad.
It's no big deal.
So how about that hot chocolate?
Oh, you know, my mom already made some,
and no one else's can compare.
I'm sure you're right about that. Some other time, then.
Parker? Parker, come here.
Okay, duty calls. You all have a lovely evening.
Thank you.
- What? -[Parker] What's going on? Hey.
They moved up my daughter's induction
to the day after Christmas, we're, we're gonna have
to move the election to the 24th.
Wa-wa-wait, the-the 24th? That's only two weeks away.
Yeah, I have to pack, finish the baby's quilt
and, plus, I'm trying to campaign for the baby to have
a non-gender conforming name.
- Oh, wow, that's great. - What do you think of River?
I like River. Isn't that your name?
Oh, yeah.
I thought I had until after the new year.
I still have to find my replacement,
and the leadership program has no volunteers this time of year.
[Rodriguez] No problems, only solutions.
Your first assignment as North Falls' newest mayor
is to put your big-boy pants on and make it work!
- Okay? - Okay. I'll try.
I'm gonna be a grandma! Oh!
Best Christmas present ever!
Congratulations.
Hello, my beloved North Falls!
Isn't it a perfect night for a Christmas tree lighting?
[applauding, cheering]
This is my 12th year doing this. Can you believe it?
Who knew back then that North Falls would become
New England's number-one holiday destination?
I have loved every minute of it.
But as you all know, my time here is coming to an end
and I'm announcing tonight that I will be leaving
sooner than expected. No, for a very happy reason.
My grandbaby is coming sooner than we thought!
So we're gonna be having the election on the 24th.
Of course, it's just a formality
because Parker is running unopposed--
No, he's not!
[indistinct chatter]
Did she just...
You can't have a proper election without being given a choice.
So... I'll give you one.
- I'll run against Parker! -[indistinct chatter]
Julia! Of course!
Oh, I love a little healthy competition.
Come up here, both of you. Come up, Parker.
- Come on up. - Wow.
Ah, I think Julia makes a worthy opponent, don't you, Parker?
You are not wrong, mayor.
All right, well, you have two weeks.
Shortest campaign ever, I'm sure.
But what a fitting way to end my term, with a Christmas...
Ooh, wait. Let's call it a Candy Cane Campaign.
- Oh, I love it! - That's good.
Will you two do the honors?
- Yes. - Sure.
[Parker chuckles]
Are we really doing this again?
Oh, it's on.
Three, two, one!
-[laughter] -[applause]
[Rodriquez] Beautiful!
- Got to be quick. - Oh, I'm quick.
[instrumental music]
Hey. Do you really wanna be mayor?
[sighs] You know, when I first got back here,
all I wanted to do was lose myself in the holidays.
That's hard for me. I keep fighting the urge to fix things.
You think North Falls needs fixing?
I feel like we're so concerned about keeping the town
authentic for Christmas that we ignore everything else.
Like, our infrastructure, it's so antiquated,
which means our emissions are sky high.
Our recycling program, it's so outdated.
And we have no social programs to bring awareness
to conservation. Sorry.
I get a little carried away sometimes.
Um, I think it's called passion, and voters are gonna love it.
- So, keep it up. - Thanks.
I guess when my hand shot up, I wasn't even thinking.
Sounds like your heart made a decision
before your mind even knew what was happening.
[chuckles] Are you sure you're 16?
[chuckles] Mom says I was born an 80-year-old.
But, you know, I feel more like 32.
- Oh, so we're the same age. - Yeah.
I guess I'm an old soul, huh?
[sighs] I miss your mom. I wish she was home.
Hey, we should call her.
Yeah, it's three hours earlier in California. It's...
[Julia] Hi! [Noah] Hi!
Oh, I'm so happy to see your faces!
- Come home! - Yeah.
You've missed a ton already.
Hey, Aunt Julia is gonna be mayor.
-Wait, what? - Running for mayor.
I still have to beat Mr. Town Hero.
Wait, you're running against Parker Conroy?
Seriously, I say "Town Hero" and you knew it was Parker?
Everyone knows that, but you have
just as much of a chance as he does.
- Thank you. - Hey, mom.
Uh, do you think you'll be home in time for Christmas?
I hope so, but my boss said
that there might be a few more transports.
Well, you better be home for Christmas Eve
'cause I'm gonna need your vote.
Oh, well, I'm gonna have to review
all the literature before I make any decisions.
Yeah, ma'am! I'll be sending you my resume and bio.
-[siren wailing] - Oh.
I gotta go. We're getting ready to take off.
- We love you! - Love you! Bye!
Bye! I love you.
- Night, Aunt Julia. - Goodnight, sweetie.
[instrumental music]
Hey, gramps, where do you want this?
Okay, uh, to the left.
-[Joe] B-back left. Yeah. - Left?
- Okay. Back. Ba... Okay, b-back. - This way?
- Yeah. Turn it on its head. - Again?
- What? - This gets him every time.
Oh, this is, this is all for your enjoyment, huh?
-[laughter] - He's hilarious.
Ah. But it's starting to come together.
Thanks for your help, Jax.
Well, we had to make things a little extra special,
considering the Christmas Eve Sock Hop
will basically be your victory party.
All right, slow down there, slick. I have to win first.
Julia isn't an easy opponent, trust me.
I'm having a deja vu over here.
I can't believe, after all these years,
you two are going at it again.
Wait, what does that mean?
We ran against each other
for senior class president.
- Ooh-wee! - Well...
If it hadn't been for that race,
you never would've gotten close.
The plot thickens, the tea is hot.
Tell me more, gramps.
Well, those two used to go at it like cats and dogs
until they competed against each other.
Then they found out they had more in common than
they realized, became best of friends.
Yeah, until she stopped talking to me.
What happened?
Honestly, I still don't know.
[Joe] But she's back.
And I always loved stories about second chances.
All right, you need to lay off the Christmas TV movies,
grandpa. He's watching them--
Who doesn't love a happy ending?
Yeah, well, what's my happy ending?
Something tells me it's not to be mayor.
You've already got a job that you love.
You've barely been there a year.
Wait, so if you win, does that
mean you won't be able to hang out anymore?
What, no. No, I'm sure--
That's exactly what it means.
Grandpa, the town needed someone
to step up, so I did.
I wanted to do it. I'm, I'm happy to do it.
I just hope it's worth it.
Mom says she might not be home in time for Christmas.
Well, don't give up hope just yet.
- Oh, I gotta go. - Why are you so rushed?
At least have some congee.
I can't, I have an appointment
at the mayor's office, filing for my candidacy.
Will Mr. Conroy be there with his sidekick?
- What's his name? Jack? - I don't think so.
Parker already filed. And, uh, his name is Jax.
But I'm sure you already knew that.
Hey, hey, hey, pot in dishwasher. You know the rules.
Your lack of planning is not...
[Julia and Noah] My emergency.
I know, mom, but I've got to go. Okay.
[Sylvie] Hold it.
We haven't had any time to talk about
what is actually happening.
I hope you've thought this thing through, Julia.
Washington was always your dream.
You came here with a whole other life plan
and now, poof, you suddenly want to become mayor?
Would that be so bad?
I mean, it takes so long to get things done at the state level.
Being mayor, I could take action right away.
I feel like this could actually be a better move for me.
Nothing would make me happier than having you back home.
Well, I still have to win first, mom, so don't get your hopes up.
You'd better get down there, then.
Parker needs a proper opponent.
Thanks, mom.
And don't forget about Christmas Pictionary tonight at Perked.
Mom, I have so much on my to-do list.
And Christmas Pictionary should be at the top.
- It's a tradition. - I'll be there.
[instrumental music]
[Nick] Okay, Mr. Candy Cane Candidate.
Why are you here? Haven't you already filed?
Oh, hi to you, too. I'm doing well. Thank you for asking.
Hey, what do you think? Night Sky mayor or GQ mayor?
- You're an idiot. - Well...
Our current mayor thought it'd be a good idea if I met you
here for a photo op, you know, just to kick off the race.
Hey, what do you think, Nick, maybe a-a picture
in front of the Christmas tree?
- What a good idea. - I don't think that's a good...
[Parker] Okay. Great.
[Julia] Okay.
-[Julia exhales] Okay. - Uh, why don't you shake hands?
Can you at least act like I don't smell? For the picture.
Oh, well, for the record, you do smell.
Like motor oil and cheese.
Yeah, well, you still smell like pine needles.
-[laughs] -[Nick] Okay.
That should be good. I got some good ones.
- Great. -[Nick] That's a nice smile.
Thank you.
- Oh, I was talking about Parker. - Oh.
Second time our hands have touched.
Are you keeping track?
I assume you'll both be attending
all the holiday festivities?
I'd like to make sure I have a photographer
to get shots of each event.
Uh, well, I planned them all, so I'll definitely be there.
I'll be there. And I'll have a few events planned of my own.
- Oh? Really? Like, what? - Mm-hmm.
- Wouldn't you like to know? - Huh.
I'd like to know. It's for the paper.
Christmas Pictionary.
Tonight at Perked, seven o'clock.
- Sounds fun. I'll be there. - Hm.
- Yay. -[scatting]
-[indistinct chatter] -[scatting]
[Parker] Hey, sorry, Jax couldn't be here.
Oh. I didn't even notice.
Welcome, everyone. We're ready to start.
So let's get into our teams.
I wanna be on Parker's team.
- Hey. - Hoo!
We are totally gonna lose. He thinks he's Michelangelo.
Hey, don't forget, grandpa, we're being timed.
Yeah, I got it, I got it, I got it.
Julia will start.
[upbeat music]
[George] Uh, it's-it's an ornament.
A-a donut! C-cookie!
Uh, the-the wedding ring I lost.
A-a Santa. It's Santa.
It's Santa.
I... see...
I see you when you're sleeping?
[Noah] Uh, Santa, Santa, Santa grinds his teeth.
Santa has a nervous breakdown and becomes
one of those people who fish in the city--
It's a comb! Comb!
S-saw? Saw!
- Ten seconds! - Uh...
[George] Santa's cutting down
a Christmas tree.
I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus!
[cheering]
-[clears throat] - Good job.
Y... Yeah, you, too.
Okay.
That was actually really fun.
- It was, huh? - Mm.
Too bad Jax couldn't make it. I think Noah was bummed.
Yeah, they, uh, they definitely seem to have hit it off.
- Yeah. -[chuckles]
Unlike us when we first met.
And the first thing you did was make fun
of my below the knee pony boots.
That never happened.
I don't even know what those are.
What do you mean?
I remember because I bought them that day.
Well, you know what people say, when you make fun of someone,
it's because you like them.
So you do remember.
Do you remember
the annual Christmas Eve Sock Hop
at my grandpa's barn?
It's a North Falls tradition.
Yeah, I haven't seen you there in years.
- Not since senior year. - Why is that?
It doesn't matter anymore.
Okay.
Well, since the election is on Christmas Eve,
I was thinking maybe we could have
joint, uh, election night parties.
I mean, the whole town will already be at the barn, so--
Wait, excuse, you just assume everyone's gonna be at the barn?
Like you said, North Falls tradition.
Candidates can't have joint election night parties.
Why not?
Because that's not how it works.
Okay. Well, what are you gonna do instead?
It's none of your business, okay?
Anyways, I'm gonna go.
Bye.
I did make fun of those boots. They were so ridiculous.
[instrumental music]
What about Candy Land? Yeah.
We could have different booths of cookies and candies and--
Ooh, ooh, okay, slow down, Willie Wonka. I like it.
Wait, but the Christmas craft fair already offers
all that stuff.
You two look like you're planning a heist.
Oh, we are. We're planning on taking the election.
Boom! And you're our accomplice, grandpa.
Well, he can be anything but the lookout.
All it takes is a peppermint snickerdoodle to distract him.
Hey, only if it's your mother's recipe.
So, how can I help?
Can you think of any Christmas events
that haven't already been done?
You know, this reminds me of how you and Stella would plan
entire events for your dolls when you were little.
Then you'd just play with them for a day and lose interest.
I used to make my dolls have secret naps together.
Wait, wait, wait. That's it. Great idea, dad.
We'll do a toy drive.
People can donate their gently-used toys
to kids who need it most.
And it will get people to recycle.
Yes, because 90 percent of all toys are plastic.
Yeah, and you could fulfill your campaign promises
right here in North Falls.
Oh, that's perfect!
Dad, thank you so much.
Okay, um, well, now we just need to figure out
where to have the toy drive.
To be continued. All right.
- Uh, well, where are you going? - Uh...
Meet-the-candidate event at the high school.
I'd ask you to come, but, um,
I think mom just made a fresh batch.
Oh, well, I think she's gonna need a taste tester.
So, okay, have fun, see ya.
Thank you do much for coming.
We never turn down free stuff.
Ooh, muffins. Mm.
I would love to talk to you about my campaign.
I was hoping that you two would consider voting for me.
We're voting for Parker, dear.
You know, Parker doesn't have the experience that I do.
Oh, it wouldn't be right for us not to vote for him.
- He's teaching me how to swim. - What?
She could totally write a novella about that red Speedo.
Oh, there he is now, the man of the hour.
Hello, Parker.
You know he's single.
[upbeat music]
[inaudible]
Hey, nice to see you. Hi.
[indistinct chatter]
Why are you here, Parker?
You are aware I'm a candidate in this race, right?
You're asking me why I'm at a meet-the-candidate event?
The candidate not candidates, right?
There's no S at the end of that sentence.
Oh, you assumed when Mayor Rodriguez
set this up, it was just for you?
There's no S!
She probably ordered that sign
before you even joined the race, which actually
means it was made for me, I mean,
I was her first pick, after all.
- Hm. - Come on.
Just a little friendly competition, that's all.
It doesn't feel very friendly.
I do enjoy riling you up.
You think you have the power to rile me up?
I am in control of my own emotions.
Okay, you are aware you get that little wrinkle
in your brow when you get mad, I see that hasn't changed
since high school. Well, nothing has, really.
Oh, my... You know, a lot has changed, okay?
- I have changed. Yeah. - Really?
We're in our high school campaigning against each other,
driving each other nuts.
- Hm. - See, there it is again.
Just stay on your side, and I'll stay on mine.
Okay. It's hard to tell which is your side. Hm.
[instrumental music]
I have so many ideas about how we can bring
clean energy to North Falls.
Uh, we can do so much to reduce our footprint.
Absolutely, that's a great question.
My focus is on youth programs.
But as the mayor, my goal is to implement
social services for the whole community.
[indistinct chatter]
This is a chicken teriyaki.
Oh, I can smell that. Thank you.
Rudolph the Red Velvet.
Is it GF and dairy-free?
Uh, maybe.
- I'll take it anyway. - What are you writing?
I'm logging all my interactions with the voters.
Aren't you doing the same thing for Mr. Conroy?
No. I'm just talking to them.
Well, yeah, but you have to keep track of their votes.
I mean, you don't wanna go into this election blind.
But if you spend all that time with your nose in a clipboard,
you might miss out on a connection.
That's what Mr. C always says anyways.
So, um, why'd you move here?
Mm, wasn't really working and all for me back home.
I kept changing schools, so...
So this is all kind of like a new beginning for you, then?
Yeah. And I'm starting off by helping Mr. C win his campaign.
Okay, well, I think Aunt Julia's the professional,
so she knows what she's doing.
Yeah, but didn't she lose, like, her last campaign?
Ouch! Hey, what happened to the easy-going aloof guy?
I think I kinda liked him better.
Hey, you ever played this or that?
- Yeah, it's a great way... - To get to know someone.
- Dogs or cats? - Oh, dogs. No question.
Cats are better.
[Julia] Hey, Lucy, what's going on?
Just finished my second therapy session of the week.
- She was full of compliments. -[Julia] Nice.
Okay, I'm gonna say this as calmy as possible.
What is going on, Julia?
Wow! Okay. Jumping right in.
Look, I know you're upset, but--
Is-is there some reason that I had to hear this through Gwen?
What? How does she even know?
[Lucy] It's in the paper, Julia. Everybody knows.
The point that you seem to be missing is that
I am the last one.
Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you.
Honestly, it happened all so fast.
So much for relaxing during the holidays, huh?
Does this have something to do with whosie-whatsit?
Parker? No.
I mean, okay, he's running against me, but has no--
Yeah, I saw that in the paper, too.
There was a photo of him. The guy looks like a model.
He's not a model. He wishes he was a model.
No model is worth changing your whole life plan, Julia.
Okay, I made that mistake 2.5 times.
- What's the 0.5? - Catalogue model.
Okay, just come back home to Boston
and I'll get you back on track.
I can help you prep with your interview with Gwen.
Okay, you have to admit,
being mayor would be a great experience.
- And if I run next time-- - Ooh. If?
I-if? When did running again become an if?
Don't freak out, you're the one who said
I should keep my options open.
I know that North Falls is a small town, but being mayor
is still a step up from city council, Lucy.
You might have a point. Okay, I think we can work this out.
I'll figure out a way to spin it.
There's nothing to spin. I wanna serve my community.
Why can't that community be North Falls?
What if this job is your chance at Washington, Julia?
Just take the meeting, you know,
even if you are running for mayor.
Fine, but I need to be back for my victory party.
Okay, I love that we're visualizing a win.
But just be realistic, okay?
I'll see you in Boston. I promise.
[instrumental music]
[sighs] Let's just go.
Did you tweak tables so you can spy on me?
Maybe I was the one in charge of the table assignments.
Who knows how these things work? It's weird.
Either way, it was to spy on you.
Hi, Jax.
Uh, here, let me help you with that.
Thanks, Jax.
Why weren't you like that in high school?
I was moody and misunderstood.
- So emo. - I was brooding.
Are we still talking about you?
Oh.
Forgot the rest of the calendars in the car.
- I'll get them. - No, no, it's fine. It's fine.
I got it. You're already settled.
Uh, so do you live with your aunt?
No, um, my mom's out of town for work,
so I'm staying at my grandma's.
Oh. Vote Julia Chen for mayor. Thanks.
- You're still a type-A. - Proudly.
[instrumental music]
Look at us.
Right?
[Parker] You look cute.
You did. You, you did look...
You, you work here... You work.
It's not like it's....
That was great English.
It's a good photo.
You have to admit, we had a blast even if I...
[laughs] drove you out of your mind.
Yeah. I mean, you weren't that horrible.
Okay.
- Mm-hmm. - Thank you, I think.
[chuckles] Okay, let me spin that into a positive.
- Ah, like a good politician. - Mm-hmm.
There were times where you were actually pretty tolerable.
- Tolerable? - Yeah.
A half compliment from Julia Chen. I'll take it.
Wait, wait, wait.
Wasn't this your locker?
You remember where my locker was?
I do, because mine was right at the end there,
and I might have seen you flirting with Travis Hart...
- Oh, what? - A time or two. Yeah.
I wasn't flirting. Oh, no, I don't even know how to flirt.
- Really? - Yes.
What was this?
[imitating Julia chuckling]
"Travis, my locker is stuck. Can you help me?"
Okay, that did happen. But my locker was really stuck.
Okay.
Wow, you got a good memory.
- Hm. - What are you looking for?
All my life goals used to be written right here.
- Guess they wiped them away. - Hm.
Have they changed?
Well, I mean, I don't intend on marrying
a member of NSYNC, so, yeah, maybe a little.
I would have taken you for a Backstreet Boys girl.
-[Julia] A Backstreet Boys girl? - Just from what I know about ya.
So much.
Thank you. Take these.
Okay. For you. Enjoy.
Thank you so much.
Are you bribing people to come to your sock hop?
My platform is based on community outreach.
Everyone needs a pair of socks, so one might say
I'm doing a service. Here you go.
[chuckles] Okay.
I see you live up to your word, a 100 percent recycled paper.
Yup. And it's a dual-purpose item.
You know, everyone needs a calendar,
so one might say I'm doing a service, too.
With a toy drive scheduled on Christmas Eve?
Yeah. Told you I would have an event. That's it, so...
Well, you know the whole town has been coming to the barn
for, like, 40 years.
Okay, I'm aware, but that's because
they've never had any other options.
There's a difference between options
and splitting the town apart.
I am not trying to split the town apart.
Okay? I'm just trying to give them choices.
People should be together on Christmas Eve.
Whatever, Parker.
[instrumental music]
Ooh, what about the town square?
Isn't it at night? We would freeze.
[Sylvie] How about the high school?
[groans] Parker's high school?
I mean, he has his hands in everything.
No wonder the mayor sided with him.
What are you talking about?
Mayor Rodriguez suggested we do joint events so that
the whole town could be there when she reads the results.
She might have a point, honey.
Some people are afraid of change, especially in a town
where tradition is their livelihood.
Mom, I'm not trying to change our tradition.
Okay, I just wanna give people a chance to make new ones.
Besides, if I go to the barn, it'll be all about Parker.
That's exactly what he wants.
That's not the Parker I've come to know, Julia.
If you stop letting the past cloud your judgment,
you'd see that.
[scoffs] Okay, I know a thing or two about politics,
and Parker is playing straight from the manual.
This is North Falls, not House Of Cards.
And Parker isn't Luke.
He's not intimidated by strong women.
- Wait, Luke? Who's Luke? - Yeah, who's Luke?
Julia's ex-fiance.
Oh, Luke. My ex-fiance.
You know, it's okay to open up and trust people.
I'm doing the toy drive, okay?
The kids of North Falls need that
more than they need a sock hop.
Now, that I agree with, just take
Parker out of the whole equation.
How am I supposed to do that?
I'm running against him. I mean, he's all I think about.
That's abundantly clear.
Ask yourself why are you doing this.
Focus on that, and you'll get all the answers you need.
I'm trying, but then he says or does something,
and I go right back to acting like I'm in high school.
So basically you're saying
nothing changes after high school?
It changes. I promise.
I'm not the same person as I was back then.
And if you've changed, is it possible Parker has, too?
[Parker] All right same deal, guys.
Bounce! Right-hand bounce.
There we go. Dig. Dig. Dig. Dig.
Right hand. Get low. That's what I'm talking about.
Jax, eyes up.
Really good work. Dig. Dig. Dig.
Keep pushing, guys.
All right. All right. All right.
[whistle blows]
Great job, guys. Uh, water break.
Figured you'd be here.
If you came here looking to continue our argument--
You really have made a positive impact
to the people in this town.
Just came here to tell you that.
So, no apology?
Joke. It was, it was a bad joke.
I did forget to tell you one thing.
Let me see this.
[all cheering]
- I'm still gonna beat you. - All right, bring it on, Chen.
Um, yeah, she's on my team!
All right, here we go, guys, four on four. Julia, you're in.
[R&B song playing]
Close.
[R&B song playing]
[cell phone ringing]
You know, it's bad enough they smoke me every time,
now you have to help them?
Hey, they didn't need my help.
They're all pretty much superheroes.
- Right? - You know...
It's clear they feel the same way about you.
All right, watch this.
- That game was just my warm-up. - Oh!
- Okay? - Okay.
[laughs]
And that's how you guys lost.
- What happened? - Uh, don't worry.
They'll come back on. They always do.
[electricity crackling]
See? Clockwork.
Okay, this place needs some TLC.
Well, the electrical system is as old as the building,
but city council would rather spend money
on creating an authentic holiday experience.
A rundown gym for local kids is somehow not as important
as a new gazebo and a tree-lighting ceremony.
Uh, what about everybody that lives here all year round?
Authentic is one thing, but, Parker, this is rundown.
So why didn't you make this a part of your campaign?
Because my campaign is focused on community outreach.
As far as I'm concerned, nothing is more important--
Okay, I get it, but the gym is a part of that.
Okay, how about
I make it a part of my campaign?
Right, we can do the toy drive here.
We can, um, we can get raffles and, um, sponsors.
We can use that money to fix this place up.
In an eco-friendly way, of course.
Look, I guess it's worth a shot.
But honestly, I don't know if it's gonna do anything.
Well, all we can do is try. Right?
We have to bring awareness to the problem
before we can fix it.
And we're gonna need people to do the work,
so it fits perfectly with my jobs program.
I don't know if it's gonna work, but I like your enthusiasm.
[Julia] He's pretty great, huh?
Even if he's not 6"4.
We're, we're just friends.
So if you're just friends, why are you avoiding him?
I'm not avoiding him.
Yeah, I'm just busy with this wreath.
Noah, I've got these wreaths.
Living is so challenging.
You look great.
Hi. You look happy.
I am. What are you doing here?
Thought you could use some help.
That's nice of you.
But we're almost finished.
Wait, shouldn't you be out canvassing?
I don't want you to miss out on any votes.
Well, I could say the same for you.
I'm sure Jax and Mr. Smooth could finish up.
No. This is where I wanna be.
And this place looks amazing.
I, I can't believe how much you guys have done
in such a short time.
You know, my last campaign
was all about shaking hands and making speeches.
And it was so exhausting that I think I forgot
why I was doing it in the first place.
Then I came back here and, um...
I remembered.
Anyways, I, uh, I need a place for my toy drive,
so it's a win-win.
Well, if this turns out as well as I think it will,
I might just have to crash this party.
- Crash my party, Parker? - I might just have--
- Stay away! Mm-hmm. - It looks like a pretty party.
Aww... It's so cute when old people flirt.
[indistinct chatter]
Yeah, and then it was...
My grandma thinks that they fell for each other
when they were our age.
- Ugh! Cheesy. - So cheesy.
- Uh, what are they doing? - I have no idea.
[Jax] Oh, is he dancing again? [Noah] Oh, yeah.
They need to stop. Uh, it's embarrassing.
- Doing it now? It's time? - I am.
Okay, all right. Gather up, everyone. Focus.
Ready? Three, two, one.
- Hey! - Hey! Wow!
Guys, I can't thank you enough for helping out today.
I mean, look at this place!
Hey, everyone, a round of applause for Julia.
Flip-flops or toe shoes?
- Oh. Flip-flops. - Yeah, okay.
I don't want this day to end.
Well, it's not over yet.
- Come on. Gents. - What are you guys up to?
What are you guys up to?
♪ Joy to the world the Lord is come ♪
♪ Let Earth receive ♪
You know, all of this is really helping Noah forget
his mom might not be home for Christmas.
I'm sure having Jax around, it doesn't hurt much either.
♪ Heaven and nature sing and heaven and nature sing ♪
♪ And heaven and heaven and nature sing ♪
- Yeah! Whoo! - Whoo!
[cheering and applause]
They make love look so easy.
Why didn't you date anyone in high school?
Um, too busy, I guess.
But you weren't, were you?
You had Laura Combs.
Laura Combs? No.
- Come on. You two dated. - No.
No, no, no. Absolutely not.
I saw you two at the Christmas Eve Sock Hop,
senior year.
Slow dancing and then a kiss.
Okay.
This is what actually happened.
She asked me to dance,
we were under the mistletoe,
she leaned in, I panicked.
We kissed.
But that was it, it didn't mean anything.
How do you even remember that?
It was memorable...
because I wanted to be in her place.
You know, that's why I haven't been in a sock hop since.
That's why you stopped talking to me?
I was pretty beat up about that if you wanna know the truth.
I was gonna tell you I liked you that night, but then...
- Laura. - Laura.
You know, I had a whole speech planned
with the pros and cons of us being together.
You modeled your love profession after a debate round?
It seemed very logical to me. Okay.
And "love" is pushing it a little.
Don't let your head get all big over this. Okay?
- That was a long time ago. -[Jax] Ahem.
- Uh... - Yes, Jax?
- We wanna take a photo. - Sure.
I mean, photos are a big part of the campaign trail.
So go ahead. You wanna just shoot us right here?
- How do I look? - You look great.
Oh-oh, we-we meant of-of us.
- Like, take a photo of us. - Yeah.
- That's what... That's what... - Yeah, of course.
- We knew that. - That's what we meant.
- We'll take a photo of you. - Yeah.
Cool.
[Julia] Well, how do I turn off the flash?
[Parker] Turn off the flash? It's right there.
Since when does it take two people to take a photo?
- Apparently, today. - Yeah.
How about you guys join us?
Come. N-n-no, no, it's all good.
Come, come, come. We'll-we'll show you.
- I mean, if you guys insist. - We'll show you all the way.
- Come on, come on, come on. - Only because you asked.
- Okay? It's fine. - All right, let's get everyone.
- So it's the button at the top-- - I'm gonna smack you.
Everyone's in? All right, lean in. Ready, one, two, three.
All right. Thank you.
- Thank you. - Well, good job, you guys.
Okay, well, we should call it. We have our debate tomorrow.
Debate? What debate?
Shoot, sorry. I think I forgot to send you that email.
I was hanging out with Jax.
What were you guys doing?
- Shopping.
- Toy drive. - Shopping.
- We were, I mean, together. - Hanging out.
Pretty clear that's what you guys were doing.
- Thanks. - Sorry.
[instrumental music]
[indistinct whispering]
This is exciting.
Is that blazer from high school?
- It is. - Still fits.
Thank you.
I see you still don't believe in note cards.
I see you still over-prepare.
Well, winging it
isn't exactly a winning strategy.
No, but speaking from your heart is.
People would rather hear that than some canned speech.
It's only canned if you don't know what you're talking about.
Welcome to North Falls Candy Cane Candidate
Mayoral Debate!
[applauding]
We thought it'd be fun to film in the very classroom
Julia and Parker faced off against each other
in speech and debate when they were students
right here at North Falls High.
- So fun. - So fun.
And to the viewers at home, tomorrow is the big day.
And I know replacing me is gonna be tough.
Impossible, even.
You might be thinking to yourself,
[sighs] "Why bother? It's only downhill from here."
But we're hoping this little debate will help
make your decision a little bit easier.
So without further ado, please welcome Julia Chen.
Try to keep up, and it's okay if you don't know
what our steering measures mean.
[applauding]
I have a vague understanding of what it means.
[instrumental music]
[applauding]
Thank you all for being here tonight.
And thank you, mayor, for having me.
Next up, standing at 6-foot-2,
and no signs of visibly thinning hair,
it's Parker Conroy!
[applauding]
[upbeat music]
[audience cheering]
Oh, hi, Mr. President.
Thanks for wishing me luck on the debate.
Good luck, candidates.
Oh, first question is for you, Parker.
Mr. Conroy, what makes you qualify to be our next mayor?
[Parker] Uh, good question.
Uh, does love for my community count?
- Absolutely. -[Parker chuckles]
Look, I don't have any experience in politics.
- That's true. -[Parker] That's true.
But I do have the experience in helping people.
I've dedicated the last ten years of my life
in service to this community,
and I will continue to do that as your mayor.
So if you want your next mayor to focus on people
and not politics...
[woman] Yes. [man] Yeah.
I'm your guy.
[applauding]
Okay, Ms. Chen, uh, this question is from Ms. Nelson.
Why would we vote for you when you've been away
from North Falls for so long?
You know, after spending the holidays with you all
these past few weeks,
the bigger question I have for myself is
"Why did I leave?"
I mean, we are a town steeped in history.
And I would never change that.
But we can keep our tradition
and still make positive changes for the future.
I wanna bring sustainable development to North Falls.
I wanna commit us to reducing global warming.
And by doing that, we can create more opportunities
with higher-paying jobs and jobs that last all year round, right,
so we wouldn't have to rely on the Christmas rush to get us by.
That's a nice sound bite, Ms. Chen.
But sustainable development would need a massive budget.
How do you plan on acquiring the funds?
Well, that's where my experience in politics
comes in, Mr. Conroy.
North Falls needs a mayor who has experience
in fund-raising and partnership.
So thank you for allowing me to highlight that.
Now, if I can finish answering my original question,
you should vote for me because I see North Falls for what it is
and for what it could be.
Nothing would make me prouder than to use my experiences
while away to serve this community.
-[woman] Whoo! - Thank you.
[applauding]
[Rodriguez] Mr. Conroy, do you have a rebuttal?
That was pretty good. Um...
How am I supposed to follow that?
That was actually fun.
Remember prepping for the speech
and debate State Championship?
You were way tougher on me than the actual competition.
Wait, but-but you won. Didn't you?
- Yes. I did. - You did. Yes.
So what you're saying is I was good for something.
- Eh, you had your moments. - Right?
You know, no one has ever challenged me the way you did.
Or do.
Is that a good thing or a bad ting?
Well, debating you back then taught me
that my point of view mattered.
I never would've gotten into politics
if I hadn't experienced that.
Yeah, you would've, I don't think
anything could've stopped you.
How come you never considered running at the state level?
I never wanted to leave North Falls.
Christmases were, were horrible for me when I was a kid.
But that first Christmas when I moved here
just, just changed my life.
I was finally part of a community.
That's when I knew I never wanted to leave.
I'm starting to wish I never left.
Me, too.
So, why haven't you gotten married?
I've dated.
But I guess you could say, as cheesy as it sounds,
I've been married to North Falls.
What about you?
I came close, once.
But, um,
it was too hard on him to have a fiancee
running for office.
The arguments became a distraction.
And it dawned on me, I don't think a partner
is supposed to make life difficult for you.
I broke up with him the day I launched my campaign.
Sounds like you made the right decision.
His loss is North Falls' gain.
Always lookin' on the bright side.
- Thanks for a great night. - You, too.
Man, I wish you still had that love confession speech.
Come on, what were some of the pros?
Okay, no way.
I've already revealed too much.
- Night. - Goodnight.
[cell phone chimes]
[instrumental music]
- Morning. - Oh, don't you look sharp?
Thanks, mom. I gotta head out to vote before my...
- I gotta head out to vote. - I don't think you should go.
Noah, I have to vote for myself. What if no one else does?
You know I'm talking about the interview.
I guess you guys all know.
Well, I was up all night reading about
the Prohibit Plastic Coalition, and they
are exactly the kind of partnership we're looking for.
We? Sounds like Lucy's talking.
I have to be reasonable. Right?
I might not win tonight, and I need to have a back-up plan.
I'll see you guys tonight at the toy drive.
And don't forget to vote.
Bye.
You've been stirring that tea aggressively.
I know.
[instrumental music]
[indistinct chatter]
- Yeah. Here we go. - Thanks.
There you are.
This is it.
[music continues]
- Hi. - Hi.
Pretty crazy. Voting for yourself, huh?
Yeah. Yeah, pretty crazy.
I never thought I'd be in this position, you know?
Definitely did not see this coming.
- Yeah. - But I'm glad it did.
No matter what happens.
So since I won't be seeing you tonight...
Feels weird all of a sudden.
I feel like we've been at this thing the whole time together.
- Yeah, it's been fun. - Yeah.
[chuckles] I should get an electric car, for sure.
You really should.
[Parker chuckles] What's with the garment bag?
You skipping town, Chen?
I am not skipping exactly.
Uh, I was kidding, but...
You really going somewhere?
Boston. Just for a few hours.
I've got this meeting, uh, interview.
Job thing.
But, uh, I'll be back for the toy drive.
An interview? Wait, what?
A job thing? What kind of job thing?
I was gonna tell you.
Look, Parker, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind,
and I've loved being home.
Let's be real. My chances of beating you are slim.
Right? And then what? What else is here for me?
If you don't know, maybe you should go back to Boston.
You know what, I was gonna give you this.
Thought it'd be a nice reminder of why we're doing all this.
Hope you get the job, if that's what you really want.
[instrumental music]
[Joe chuckling]
Okay.
Well, I think the band has plenty of room up here.
What do you think, Parker?
Parker, do we need to make more room for the band?
What?
No, it's-it's fine. It's fine.
Oh, you've been somewhere else all afternoon.
Are you nervous about tonight?
Julia has a job interview in Boston.
Now, that doesn't mean a thing.
She's probably just covering her bases, uh, in case you win.
Do you want to win?
I'm starting to realize I have more to lose if I do.
- Well... -[cell phone vibrating]
Jax, what's up?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down.
Yeah, I'm coming now.
Love you.
Nice chat.
- What happened? - We were setting up the tables.
And all of a sudden the lights just went out.
I checked the electrical panel, but nothing's been tripped.
I-it's original to the building.
It was only a matter of time before it went out.
There's no way we can have the toy drive here tonight.
Well, has anyone tried calling Julia?
I tried calling her twice, but no response.
I feel like this is my fault, I knew that panel was faulty
and I was too caught up in other things to address it.
We should have the toy drive at the barn.
Forget the sock hop, we'll make it formal
and we'll do it exactly how Julia would want it.
- Sounds like a plan. - Jax, you call everyone ya know.
And tell them to meet us here. I'm gonna keep trying Julia.
[instrumental music]
I should call Noah to see how it's going.
Okay.
Come on.
Where are you, phone?
Seriously?
[cell phone vibrating]
Wow, this is comin' along even better than I thought.
Thanks. We still have a long way to go.
Julia had exact plans for how she wanted everything,
and I wanna make sure we follow them to a tee.
Don't we need to tell people about the change?
Yeah, you're right, a note on the door at the school
isn't gonna cut it. Any ideas?
Jax and I will post it on the high school social-media page.
That should reach a lot of people.
I'll post it on my TikTok.
I'll post it on Snapchat.
I'll go live on Clubhouse.
I have no idea what Clubhouse is.
I know.
I can pass out some fliers.
-[Jax and Noah] What's a flier? - Really?
Well, other than that, I don't think
there's much more we can do.
Cross our fingers and hope that
people show up here and not there.
I'm trying her again.
Do you even know how to play that?
[instrumental music]
Well, hello, Ms. Green-thumb.
You know I turned an old football field
into an outdoor greenhouse in college.
Yes, yes, I do know that.
I saw that on your campaign website.
- You did? - No, no, I didn't.
'Cause I have a life and I have a job
and I have a daughter who is constantly trying to convince me
that I am part of the oppressive class.
- And how's that going for her? - Actually not very well.
So, the, uh, big election's tonight.
Lucy tells me it doesn't look good.
- It's a close race. - No, it's not.
You're in need of a job.
You're staying with your parents
and you're flirting with the hottie from high school,
who's gonna beat you, just on his looks alone.
- It's not a beauty pageant. - Oh, okay.
Let me cut to the chase.
We want you, you need us. True story.
So far I haven't heard much that's
making me wanna come onboard.
We both know this is the right move for you.
You get a few years at a successful non-profit
under your belt, and then you can run for the big time.
Isn't that what you've always wanted?
I see you in Washington.
And I know you see it, too.
This is your best shot at getting there.
And because of our partnership with
The Prohibit Plastic Coalition,
you'll get the chance to draft legislation
that could really make a difference for the environment.
You'd finally be a real changemaker.
You really should've led with that.
Even if you do win tonight, you should concede.
This job's a much better fit.
Well, can't deny I'm thinking about it.
Well, don't take too long.
I need an answer before the new year.
Go on, head on back so you can make your concession speech.
- And Merry Christmas. - Thanks, Gwen.
Merry Christmas.
Um, there's something I wanna talk to you about.
[Sylvie] Julia is going to love it!
It's picture-perfect.
I just hope she isn't mad about us having joint parties.
Why would she be mad at you?
The power outage was not your fault.
I should've done something about
the school's issues a long time ago.
Parker, she'll appreciate what you've done for her.
She'd better, or I didn't raise her right.
There's another reason why she's mad at me. I, um...
I kind of told her she should move back to Boston.
Out of context, that sounds pretty bad.
I was upset when I found out about her interview.
I guess I was kind of getting used to the idea
of her sticking around, you know?
You're not the only one.
I think she's getting pretty used to the idea herself.
I don't know.
She said there's nothing here for her
if she doesn't become mayor.
She doesn't mean it, Parker.
She faces so much rejection at work.
You'd be surprised on how many doors are slammed in her face
on a daily basis,
and she brushes it off and keeps going.
But when it comes to her personal life--
She would rather be the one to slam the door first.
You didn't hear it from me.
Thank you, Sylvie.
Thank you.
Oh, you're a good guy, Parker.
- Where are you going? - To get dressed.
I wanna look decent when I tell her she can slam the door
as many times as she wants, but I'm not going anywhere.
Come on, don't be mad at me. I only told her the truth.
I ran the numbers. I didn't think you could pull it off.
[Julia] Well, aren't you the election day optimist.
I tried to warn you, Julia.
My whole job is to tell it like it is.
Oh, and I called your mom about your phone, still no answer.
[Julia] Can't believe I forgot it. Today of all days.
All right, are you ready?
Yeah, come on out.
[Lucy] Ah, wow.
Parker is gonna pass out when he sees you.
Well, this isn't for Parker.
And since when did you start calling him by his actual name?
When I realized how hard my best friend was falling for him.
Okay, that's not what's...
- I'm so confused. - I'm not.
I just...
From Parker.
Open it.
Oh. Wow!
You two already look like you've been together forever.
He said he got this to remind me.
Remind you of what? How hot he is?
Oh, and how hot you were. Look at you.
Uh, Julia, what's going on up there?
Uh... Ju... Oh, I was... Okay.
Julia, am I supposed to follow you?
- Ju... -[door shuts]
Okay, um...
[mumbling]
[wind howling]
Where is everyone?
"In case you haven't heard, the toy drive will be held
at the Conroy Barn."
What?
[instrumental "O Christmas Tree"]
- Hi. - Hi.
- You look so handsome! - Thank you.
You look like you just stepped out of a Pinterest page!
- When did you get here? - Just now.
Wait, what happened at the high school?
You didn't hear? We lost power.
I-I tried calling you, like, a million times, but I--
- I left my phone at mom's. - Yeah.
Hey, you're gonna love it.
I gave Parker all your notes, and he made it look
just how you wanted.
I think he made it look even better.
- I got that. - Thank you.
Hi.
You look stunning.
Thank you. So do you.
And this...
is even more spectacular than I could ever imagine.
Well, you said you wanted rustic elegance.
It's the perfect blend of the both of us.
I really thought you were gonna be mad.
Oh, I was at first.
And then I wasn't.
Driving here, I realized that you've been
nothing but generous and kind
and fun this entire campaign.
I knew there had to be a reason why
the toy drive was moved here.
I would never do anything to hurt you, Julia.
I finally get that.
I'm sorry.
For what? You didn't do anything.
I'm sorry for not seeing you.
You know, my mom always says, "When someone shows you
who they are, believe them."
I believe you.
That crack I made about you moving to Boston, not my style.
I didn't mean it.
I know.
But are you?
Moving back?
[Rodriguez] Merry Christmas, North Falls!
[crowd cheering]
- To be seen. - Sure.
[crowd cheering]
The time has come to announce who has the very difficult job
of filling my shoes.
We were lucky to have
two extremely qualified and capable candidates.
It was a close race.
But there can only be one.
So without further ado,
the winner by 88 votes is...
Julia Chen!
[crowd cheering]
You won. You won.
Go make a speech. Give me this. Go!
Give it up for Mayor Rodriguez!
[crowd cheering]
You will be missed.
Wow, um...
I'm shocked. I mean...
Look at my opponent.
He's the town hero.
Parker Conroy, thank you for reminding me
of why I got into politics in the first place.
Thank you to my family
and to all the kids in the leadership program.
This event is made possible because of you.
And to everyone who donated,
thank you for giving back to the community.
I'm told that the gym could use it right about now.
And on that note, I have some good news.
Earlier today I had a meeting
with The Greener Earth Initiative and told them
about our plans to renovate the high school.
And they have agreed to partner with North Falls
and make us Massachusetts' first sustainable community
and have donated $50,000!
Wow. Yeah.
Thank you, North Falls,
for entrusting me with such an important job.
It will be the greatest joy of my life to serve this community.
One last thing.
As your mayor, I want us to always honor
our holiday traditions.
So, I hope you all brought your socks!
Looking good! She's looking good!
- Merry Christmas, North Falls! - Yeah!
[crowd cheering]
["Do It Right [Vox]" by Levi Brown & Junior Mintz]
Ms. Mayor.
I'm gonna have to get used to that.
Ah, you're a natural.
Look at everything you've already done.
How did you get Greener Earth onboard?
I've been trying to make Boston a green city my entire career.
And then I realized that the only way to make that happen
is to start with a smaller test community first.
Greener Earth agreed.
Wow. Amazing.
- Are you okay? - More than okay.
I've only ever wanted what's best for this town.
And it's clearly you.
That's why I voted for you.
You voted for me?
It was the right choice.
["Do It Right [Vox]" by Levi Brown & Junior Mintz]
I taught him all of those moves.
["Do It Right [Vox]" by Levi Brown & Junior Mintz]
Excuse me, don't I know you?
You're home!
Better late than never.
And your patient?
We got her home just in time for Christmas.
Then it was worth the wait.
- And who's this? - Uh, hi, Noah's mom.
- I am Jax. - Family.
- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.
- Honey! - Oh, my God!
- Oh, my goodness. - Good to see you home, Stella.
- Oh. - Oh.
["More Than Enough For Me" playing]
[scatting]
♪ I don't need no presents ♪
♪ Around my tree ♪
♪ Or no mistletoe ♪
Is that...
[Parker] Is that what I think it is?
-"Pros. He gets good grades." - Oh, my God! Yes!
"We like each other's families.
He laughs at my jokes.
We look really cute together."
-"We challenge each other." - Huh.
"He makes me happy."
Grades was first on your list?
"Cons. We're too competitive.
We're too much alike."
-"He drives me crazy." - Yup.
"Everyone thinks he should be a model,
which inflates his already big ego."
Hurts my feelings a bit, but it's true.
"He makes me happy."
How is making you happy a con?
The way I felt about you back then, it scared me.
But it doesn't anymore.
Okay, I just wanna be completely clear...
[instrumental music]
I'm not leaving.
I know. You won the election.
Parker, I'm not leaving ever.
I decided to turn down the job before I even got here tonight.
This is where I'm supposed to be.
I wanna commit to this community and to you,
if that's what you want, too.
[indistinct singing]
I've always wanted it to be you.
♪...dark and cloudy day ♪
♪ Well the night... my baby done storm away ♪
♪ Well she packed up my bags and she threw 'em on the 219 ♪
♪ That train won't come... into New Orleans ♪
♪ Express yourself back home ♪
♪ 'Cause I can't pick up alone ♪
♪ Express yourself back home ♪
♪ Before I scream and moan ♪
♪ Oh mama I'm in misery ♪
♪ Get your booty on home to me ♪
♪ Shinin' it's a dark and cloudy day ♪
♪ Well the sun ain't shinin' it's a dark and cloudy day ♪
♪ Well the night... my baby done storm away ♪
♪ Well she packed up my bags and she threw 'em on the 219 ♪
♪ That train won't come... into New Orleans ♪
♪ Express yourself back home ♪
♪ 'Cause I can't pick up alone ♪
♪ Express yourself back home before I scream and moan ♪
♪ Oh mama I'm in misery ♪
♪ Get your booty on home to me ♪
[instrumental music]