B
The stunt casting and overall complete cheesiness of the ending detracted from what was otherwise a decent episode. I think if the two murderesses had been played by actual actresses and not reality show/VJ stars, that final reveal would have been really chilling. The dialogue was great--the coldness of their words was truly horrifying. It's just too bad it wasn't delivered better. (Though I will say the Minnillo and Kardashian were better in the final interrogations than any other point in the episode.)
The fake tear running down Minnillo's cheek when she saw the body and Kardashian's posturing to Flack were probably the worst parts of their performances.
The guy from Train was pretty good, as was the other VJ. And because I like Train, I didn't mind the two songs.
The end was cheesy beyond belief. That whole ending--I get that they want to send a nice message for the holidays, but gah, it's so unsubtle and just cheesy. Why weren't Mac and Stella in those awful elf costumes? Could it be because they're ridiculous? And if so, why make everyone else get into them. We could have seen them volunteering without dressing up as elves.
And I don't believe Flack didn't complain. Or Danny, who complains about everything!
Speaking of Danny...
Overall it was a good feel-good episode. Favorite line was Danny in interrogation: "you jacking Santa...?" The look on his face was so telling of the childlike nature of his character and made me smile.
That was a sweet moment, and underscores how even after doing this job for years and even after all the bad things that have happened to him (getting taken hostage, getting shot, Ruben's death, etc.), Danny still hasn't lost... I don't know if innocence is the right word, but something along those lines. He still doesn't quite comprehend the terrible things that people do to each other. Danny is pretty childlike in that regard, and it's easy to see why the other characters are so protective of him.
I felt like Danny was more himself in this episode than at any time previously this season. The "boom" thing was cute and I didn't hate Lindsay for it.
I didn't "hate" Lindsay for it, but I do think it underscores how wrong they are as a couple. "Boom" sums up who Danny is--his enthusiasm, his passion, his childlike glee. Does it get annoying? Sure, but her trying to get him to stop saying it totally encapsulates her fundamental lack of understanding of him. If she's trying to take away something so small--and yet so representative of who he is--what does she love about him? I think Lindsay loves the idea of Danny more than she's ever actually loved
Danny himself. Who cares if "boom" is Lucy's first word? It would be cute, because it's something her father says. It's not like it's a swear word. It's a small thing, but I think it's a microcosm for their relationship as a whole--and why it isn't healthy in the least.
As for Mac and Stella, I don't want to see them together romantically either, but I thought the tree scene was cute. At least until it turned into another PSA for Helping Out During the Holidays.
