Haha I like how you tag “I watch so much trash” in your response. I mean hey one person’s trash is another’s treasure right? No judgement, and I also enjoyed Happiest Season. To be fair, I didn’t go in with high expectations and went in for a light fun time. Sometimes we don’t need to watch cinematic masterpieces or thought-provoking media, and we’re mentally drained from stress/pandemic. So we crave something light and comforting like “trash” media, sitcoms, or light holiday movies, animated films, etc. My therapist does recommend distractions to occasionally help with anxiety or stress sooo ?‍♀️…

Well, I didn’t think HS was trash, heh, or at least not as trashy as other media. But yes, exactly, if something entertains us, what’s the problem? I tend to seek out lighter media myself even in times of not-pandemic, but for sure, nowadays…let’s just get through the day. 

Don’t you think that the plot of happiest season is very similar to merry happy whatever from last year, only gay? I mean, I’m sure it’s very similar to many Christmas movies but I spent a while thinking why it felt so familiar and I remembered this show. Every sibling with their secret and the guy wanting to propose on Christmas morning and all that. And his gf also messed up to the point he left.

Oh, that’s true, it is! And you know, that’s a great point?? I didn’t even think of that, but yes, this is a whole GENRE of holiday media where people act horribly under stress and then make up at the end, and it’s always unrealistic and unearned but you’re okay with it because you know away from this stretch of holidays, they’re fine, and will be fine after. But yeah, heh, it’s funny how similar it is, just…without any gay drama for the mains.

“I’m honestly a little sad and hurt at the attitude about closeted people I’ve seen from shockingly so many people, people who I know try to approach other things with kindness.” i feel the same way! i don’t expect everyone to like the movie because everyone has different tastes. but that’s not really what we’re seeing here: the level of hate harper is getting is completely over the top, something usually reserved for villains (and not the likable kind). very disappointed in fandom’s attitude

For real! Like, sure, she was a dick at times, you may not love her or even like her, but the complete dismissal of context altogether, no, that’s not fair at all.

I caught up with Station 19 and I feel like Carina should work on the PRT. Having her go back and forth on Greys Anatomy is fine too but if she’s only on Station 19 when it’s time to be Maya’s girlfriend idk. I know the season just came back and they might have a plan for Carina but I have never watched Greys other than the episodes were they mesh and I don’t want to, lol. I just want them to give Carina things to do on Station 19 that aren’t Maya related!

For sure, for sure, it would suck on both a character and ship level if she was always and only defined by Maya. 

I think we floated the idea that she worked on the PRT when we got the news she was a regular but it always seemed odd for an obgyn. The other thing we joked about was that they just have baby related emergencies on S19 every week and while there is one coming up I don’t think they really can do that… 

I’m not sure what we’ll get aside from that, Maya and Carina at home every ep can’t be enough to justify regular status, right? I remember we also suggested that they may have just wanted to get her on contract to be available to both shows, that Grey’s might have had other actors it wanted to sign on for the season so S19 took Stefania, but she might still end up more on Grey’s? In the first Grey’s eps there was a lot of her but that was actually mostly last season’s footage in flashback form so……I guess we’ll see.

Ugh I too am disappointed by so many peoples reactions to Happiest Season. I feel like so many people missed the point. We were supposed to dislike Harper’s actions because HARPER disliked who she was with her family but she couldn’t stop herself. It had been ingrained in her for so long – be the perfect daughter! And if she wasn’t perfect she’d lose their affections (like how Jane was nothing more to her family than the wifi fixer and Sloan was nothing more than the mother of biracial twins. They fell from their parent’s ideal of perfection so their parents withheld full love and acceptance of them). Sorry for the rant. I’m just so sad at some of the reactions. It’s like people forgot that closet people are closeted for a reason. This film resonated with so many people – being in love with someone but afraid to take them home for the holidays. Also it was a cute, meaningful film and I just don’t know why LGBT people feel like it’s cool to knock all of our media. I’m over it.

Regarding your last line, as I’ve said before, I’m always okay with LGBT people criticizing our media, it’s for us, we’re no more critical than anyone else, we can do that. 

But in this case, I do definitely have an issue with what that criticism is. Truly, the way people are acting about closeted people in general is eye-opening and hugely hurtful. I had no idea until now how many people don’t think of closeted people as…equally queer? Queer at all? Again and again, I’m seeing narratives where Harper is just…apparently choosing to be closeted for no reason at all, basically another straight person and deliberately treating Abby like this because she wants to or something. 

The problem isn’t that the movie isn’t clear enough about the point or that people missed it, it’s that they think she brought this on herself.

I’m sure you’re getting bombarded with Happiest Season anons lol but I just wanted to say that the relationship between Abby and Reilly was wonderful. It felt like a safe space for Abby, especially that night at the gay bar. The contrast between that bar and the other one with Harper was night and day. I loved that transition.

Heh, I hadn’t gotten many HS-related asks at all when you sent this. 

But yes, I thought it was great, and something where you really have to be aware of the queerness of the characters, that this role for Abby was filled by another wlw. And for sure, those two scenes provided a very effective deliberate contrast between where those two were and where Harper was.

Watching shows like Happiest Season proves yet again how I am in desperate need for more shows like this :( I need more wlw, real life is way too straight for my liking. I wish we could all be our real authentic selves without the hurt and the fear :( do you know of any more movies/shows coming out or have already come out, that are similar?

I get you, buddy. I’m not sure there are many movies like this, though. There’s A New York Christmas Wedding, and I guess Lez Bomb? Did you mean holiday themed movies or just where wlw characters are…happy? Not many more of the former, but for the latter there’s the first list here: https://booasaur.tumblr.com/post/633730364584656896/hey-any-lesbian-moviefilm-recs-for-me-or-a-list (except Battle of the Sexes, I think?)

Have you watched A New York Christmas Wedding? It’s a f/f movie with an Afro Latinx lead and a happy ending I loved it personally

Have you heard of a New York Christmas Wedding?

I have, I have, but I read a bunch of reviews before watching because the premise made it seem like it could go either way and then it was kind uh…darker than I expected, in that original timeline. I have heard nice things about how it actually turned out, so I’ll watch it at some point, but I’m gone pretty off f/f movies at the moment. 😡

I only know about S19 from your edits, so I’m sure I’m missing parts, but how do you feel about the whole maya sleeping with another person thing? Doesn’t seem like it was resolved and now they’re moving in. But I guess nothings normal in covid times

Well, I hated it, and tbh, that kind of changed how I engaged with the ship. It was a huge reminder to put this into the “enjoy the good things while you can” pile instead of something to get invested in on a emotional level. There will be episodes where it’s going to be cute and consistent and then others where it’ll flip entirely for what the plot needs *cough*FILTHY RICH Ep 9*cough*

Even without covid, they might have moved in together quickly, just because the writers have to think of something to give them to do and this show will always lean toward what creates drama. But given that it is covid times, as you said, I don’t really think it’s that out there for these two, who can be already be impetuous but now would surely be happy for some solace as emergency workers during the start of a pandemic as well as some general companionship, aside from trying to get back to the makeup stage of their…physically affectionate relationship, heh.

Is it going to be problem-free, given how recent the cheating was and the added pressures of moving in and the pandemic? No, but they’ll get some good drama and processing of everything out of it, hopefully.