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I'm not sure if you grew up Catholic or not, but this was not a thing I knew about until my lapsed Catholic friends talked about how they celebrated this, so I assume this idea was really heavily adopted in only certain subsets of Christianity. Cause my Methodist ass certainly was never raised to give a fuck past the 26th lmao. Also, slight correction on the amount of Hallmark movies each year lmao. I work in graphics for a TV listings company so I have direct contact with Hallmark's graphics in order to make sure everything shows up properly when these movies air. They premiered 40 new Christmas movies this year, and they started airing them on October 26th, because fuck Halloween right? One more point, because this is extremely important in my household, Hallmark has three channels (the main one, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, & Hallmark Drama) and ALL of them have been taken over by their Christmas agenda. Why does this matter? Because on HMM every night at 11 PM CST they air two back to back episodes of the one and only Murder She Wrote. This means since literally the end of October my house has been without Jessica Fletcher in a free manner and this is a TRAVESTY!

I also wrote that Daniel's hair was like a Brooklyn baristo. It was old timey in the way steampunk is old timey which is to say, fiction. My understanding was that Daniel appears in the middle of December and the innkeeper just was like, "okay I will leave" and left him alone to read (or jerk off) or whatever. Like Jason, I was also perplexed by him ironing. Because if I became corporeal for 12 days I wouldn't do any chores. That innkeeper would have to clean up after me. Daniel also had an old iron, the kind you heat up with a fire. Where'd he get it? Is that inn still using old irons? Someone should introduce them to electricity. I am also irritated by this "12 Days of Christmas" starting 12 days BEFORE Christmas. That is how Hallmark is, trying to have 12 movies each year. But the 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas and continue until Epiphany (also called Three Kings' Day) when the Wise Men are supposed to have arrived to see the Baby Jesus. I don't know when Twelfth Night stopped being celebrated in America, but he is from the past so he should know this. I am going to hold it against him.

For those who didn't freeze frame, here is what the newspaper article says that Kate's boss shows her in the first eighth of the movie: "Ashford County has a secret. Hollygrove Inn closes two weeks out of the year every year since Henrietta Forsythe took ownership in 1951. An establishment once famed for it's annual Christmas events now accepts no patrons from December 14th till December 26th. While we can't say for sure why, we can speculate that it may have to do with visitors that have reported seeing the ghosts. What ghosts inhabit the inn? Many visitors come each year seeking information about the paranormal occurrences at the property sometimes booking a stay exclusively for this reason. Henrietta Forsythe has experienced quite a bit of tragedy growing up at the inn at the end of the 19th century. Her uncle Daniel Forsythe was involved in illegally bootlegging alcohol while the controversial temperance act was in effect. He frequently traveled from Ashford to Canada as a rum rummer to help keep the [unclear] inn afloat. [The rest of the paragraph is cut off] The tragedy did not end there. In 1934 a guest hung himself in his room. The man used a false name and he's never been identified. There was a kitchen fire that kept the inn closed for 2 years in the 40s until it was decided to re-open. The Crystal Dining Room of the Inn is particularly active, and many spirits have been spotted there at the tables or in the mirrors. The Hollygrove Inn and has a rich and fascinating history (that is what the sentence actually says). As this account goes: "The incident sounds very melodramatic. I was awakened in the middle of the night by a presence in the room - a feeling that some unknown being was in the midst. As I opened my eyes, I saw a grayish figure at the side of my bed, to the left, about four feet away. It was not a distinct person, but a shadowy mass in the shape of a standing figure. It remained still for a moment, then slowly floated to the foot of the bed, in front of the fireplace. After pausing a few seconds, the apparition slowly melted away. It was a terrifying experience. I was so frightened I could not scream. I was frozen to the spot... For the remainder of the night, I could not fall asleep. It was spent trying to conjure a logical explanation for the apparition. It was not a reflection of the moon as all the curtains were completely closed. Upon relating the incident to my husband, he said the ghost was included in the price of the room" Virtually everything discussed in this article is infinitely more interesting than anything seen in this movie.

SHAUN DISTON returns to help The Boys make a Christmas album.

It is!

Also, for next year, there’s only one choice really... It’s got your 12 Days connection, your Saved by the Bell connection, and it was, like Holiday in Handcuffs, an ABC Family movie. (Special shout-out to @SaraK for introducing us to this wonderful film)

The gang were confused by the significance of the 12 Days and what exactly the miracle was. When Daniel’s brother and Lily are outside, he points out that the Twelve Days of Christmas is being played inside. He tells her that’s how long Daniel’s been out breaking the law, but that it is also long enough for someone to learn their lesson and repent their sins. Her miracle is to give him twelve days each year, not as a ghost but as a man, to make amends for his mistakes. That’s the significance. If she had not done so, based on how he had lived his life, he would have probably just gone straight to Hell. Her gift was to give him 12 days each year as a living man, for as long as it took, for him to absolve himself of his sins. He is finally able to accomplish this by confronting and forgiving his murderer. At the end of the movie, because he is still entangled in Lily’s phantasmal loophole, being currently more alive than dead, he is given a choice of either moving on or staying alive. And I know Jason felt Daniel did Lily a bit dirty by choosing Kate at the end, but from his perspective, he’s a century removed from that relationship. How long is he supposed to pine for the person he believes quickly jilted him for his brother. He may discover the real reasons behind it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those feeling will come rushing back.

I get that couples don’t have to enjoy all the same things, but damn Daniel was pretty harsh in describing his fiancée’s taste in books as “nonsense.” I mean, you don’t have to like everything I’m into, but could you at least not act like an elitist prick?

Is this the first podcast episode where someone has joined via text? HDTGM still innovating after all of these years. The absurdity of the situation made me crack up with every June interjection. My favorite part of this movie was how the ghost world was still very bound to earthly law with Daniel being restricted by the property line rather than just haunting the house like a usual ghost story. If over the years the inn had sold off some of their property to a neighbor would Daniel still be able to go into that area or would he be bound by the newly drawn property lines?

Baccarat does not involve dice or a board. You can play it at home, all it takes is a deck of cards ( or more ) and 2 people ( or more ), but unless there's money/beans/booze/whatever involved, you'd be bored out of your mind. I'd totally be down for a " Jessica St Clair Explains It All " type podcast, especially if Jason featured heavily just to ground it to reality ( in a Jessica St Clair + Jason Mantzoukas pairing, Jason is the straight man ).

If your property is haunted and located in Massachusetts, where Spirit Of Christmas is set, there are laws regulating if and when you must disclose this to the potential buyer. According to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93, section 114 "...(c) that the real property has been the site of an alleged para psychological or supernatural phenomenon. No cause of action shall arise or be maintained against a seller or lessor of real property or a real estate broker or salesman, by statute or at common law, for failure to disclose to a buyer or tenant that the real property is or was psychologically impacted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this section shall not authorize a seller, lessor or real estate broker or salesman to make a misrepresentation of fact or false statement." The short version is, if I'm reading the law correctly, a homeowner does not have to voluntarily disclose their house being haunted. If the buyer asks, you can't lie about it supposing you believe the house is haunted.

I'm a bit surprised that Empire was so quickly pushed aside on the podcast and hasn't been discussed here. Particularly since the argument seemed much more based on influence and impact than quality, I think it's important to point out that The Empire Strikes Back contains perhaps as many things that live on in public consciousness as Star Wars does. (When people think of iconic Star Wars moments or information, my guess is what they think of is 40% from Episode IV, 40% from Episode V, 10% from Episode VI, and 10% from all other movies together.) Paul mentioned that Star Wars information is so ubiquitous that most people know that Darth Vader is Luke's father without seeing any of the movies. But again, that information isn't presented in Star Wars, but rather it's given in The Empire Strikes Back. And while Star Wars had John Williams give us the main title theme, the force theme, and Leia's theme, it wasn't until Empire that we got the Imperial Death March, which may actually be more well-known than the others. Episode IV lacks Yoda and Lando, and the only lightsaber battle in Episode IV kind of blows compared to what the series would later give us. And to be honest, the principle of this original vs sequel argument isn't one I've been very consistent on, as I lobbied hard for Toy Story despite accepting that Toy Story 3 is a better film and I decry The Godfather Part II for retreading over much of the same territory as The Godfather, yet I also voted against The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring because I think it's the weakest of the three films. So if this were asking whether I'd pick Episode IV or Episode V for inclusion (as Amy once did on an early episode of The Canon), I'd be more torn. But if we're using Star Wars as a stand-in for the whole series, then clearly it belongs on the list. However, I'm just judging it on its merits as a film, so though it still makes my list, it won't be as high as The Empire Strikes Back would be. (I'll probably have Star Wars in the 50-60 range when it's all said and done.)

is this the closest we've gotten to a popcorn gallery?

TATIANA MASLANY joins The Boys to perform some dramatic scenes.

Sean's criticism about people testifying about the real world on Twitter broke my heart.

FELICIA DAY joins The Boys to make nerds show.

Great ep! Hayes has fake hair and hands? What’s real anymore?

The Boys have a little fun welcoming the hosts of Spanish Aqui Presents (Raiza Licea, Carlos Santos, Oscar Montoya and Tony Rodríguez) to Earwolf.

is this good? Ifdeez. Denwhat? Dentist.

The Boys welcome IFY NWADIWE and MATT APODACA to teach them how to be the most famous gamers.

rip in peace engineer ryan xoxo

TIM BALTZ returns to talk about the Chicago jazz scene and more.

I like jazz now

I feel like it's my fault somehow, but then again I feel that about most things.

This place went to shit quick. Might be a reflection of how much effort is he boys are putting in.