Original subtitles

My grandmother always said that if I was a cookie,

I'd be a sugar cookie in the shape of a star,

because I'm so sweet and like to shine.

Nema was a spicy dumpling.

Soft, juicy, and full of flavour.

This is my favourite part about Christmas.

Just going to be your best gingerbread house yet,

Suzy sugar.

I messed up the icing on the roof line.

And I'm not sure if the house is structurally sound enough

to handle the gumdrop chimney.

Oh, you're right. It's horrible.

We should feed to dogs.

Nema no!

Your house is beautiful.

I wish I could live in it.

Someday, I'm going to build real houses that people can live in.

When I first come here from China with your parents,

I never even heard of gingerbread house.

How'd you get to be so good?

Mrs. Gonville next door invite me to join her

gingerbread baking class at community center.

I was so bad.

I burn everything.

My cookies taste like dirty socks.

Ew!

But I had fun, and I make new friends.

I work hard and didn't give up,

and now I am Happy Valley Gingerlicious Baking Champion.

Do you have to wear it every time you bake?

I also wear it to my book club.

Mrs. Brown is so jealous.

Maybe someday you can be

Gingerlicious Baking Champion, too.

Do you think I could be?

You work hard enough, you can be anything.

Remember what I always say, you teach someone to fish...

And they will stink.

...You teach someone to bake,

And they will have a sweet life.

Let's have a ginger wish.

One, two, three... wish!

Ugh.

I win.

You want to know what I wished for?

I wished for you to be happy.

That's all I want.

She always said life is too short to eat stale cookies.

She was right.

♪ I want it to be Christmas ♪

♪ I swear it should be Christmas ♪

♪ I wish you could be Christmas ♪

♪ Everyday ♪

♪ I want it to be Christmas ♪

♪ I swear... ♪

Hi.

♪ ...it should be Christmas ♪

♪ I wish it could be Christmas ♪

♪ Everyday ♪

♪

♪ Everyday ♪

Perfect.

I can't believe this counts as our Christmas party.

There isn't even a karaoke machine.

Alisa, my assistant.

She's a homemade rum raisin cookie.

Chewy, comforting, and a bit burnt around the edges.

I actually can't imagine anything worse than karaoke.

Singing in public is my worst nightmare.

Wait, are you admitting

that there's something you're not perfect at?

There are plenty of things I'm not good at.

I just don't do them.

Hey, have you seen the new guy?

A scone.

Looks scrumptious, but flavourless inside.

Crumbles easily under pressure.

His socks never match, he drinks diet soda every day,

and he's got two days of stubble.

I'll pass.

Is there a man alive that can live up to your standards?

There's nothing wrong with waiting for the perfect man.

My grandmother always said

I should never settle for stale cookies.

Hmm.

Or dry scones.

Marshall.

A sugar-free lemon square for sure.

Sour, sticky, and made with artificial sweeteners.

Marshall.

Such a suck-up.

He's actually a good architect though.

I'm starting to get worried about my promotion.

Hey, I've been your assistant for two years now,

and I know that nobody works as hard as you do.

Katie would be crazy not to promote you.

From your lips to Santa's ears.

Come on.

Katie Dodge.

My boss.

Peanut brittle.

Hard and sharp, sweet and salty.

Can melt in your mouth but can also break your teeth.

Merry Christmas.

Did you bake them yourself?

No, they're from Liana Bakery.

They make the best cookies in LA.

Do you bake?

I used to.

My grandmother was an amazing baker.

Used to make gingerbread houses every Christmas.

It's actually what made me want to be an architect.

She must be so proud.

She died a few years ago.

I haven't been able to bake anything since.

Well, sugar, butter, and flour are pretty much the cause

of all death in this world, so it's probably a good thing.

Marshall, could you come to my office please?

Marshall?

Oh, Suzy.

You're here.

Just a little something I picked up for you

since I know you are cleansing right now.

We have some kale chips, fermented beets,

vegan nut cheese.

I love nut cheese.

How did you know that I'm on a cleanse?

I just pay attention to details.

So, listen.

I've secretly been telling you both

that you're going to get this promotion.

But really, only one of you's going to get it.

What?

Oh, that's... that's interesting news.

Here's the deal.

You've both been working on plans

for the Primrose Hill Project.

The client will pick the one she likes best,

and that person will get the promotion.

The plans are due on New Year's.

I'm leaving tomorrow to go to my parents' in Maine for Christmas.

But I'm sure I'll be able to get it done

and make it exactly what the client needs.

Oh, I will happily dedicate every waking hour

to this project, since I have no life outside of this job.

That's very sad, Marshall.

I know.

You can go now.

Oh, yes.

My mom's not going to be happy to hear I have to work

during my Christmas vacation.

Your family celebrates Christmas?

Why wouldn't we?

Oh, I didn't know if Christmas was a big deal

where you're from.

I'm from Maine.

Oh, yeah.

I thought you were...

Jewish?

Anyways, I'm sure you're going to have a great trip.

And, you know, good luck getting any work done

with all that family stuff.

And good luck to you finding inspiration

from your super exciting and fulfilling life.

Merry Christmas.

Don't you have an early morning flight to pack for?

I packed last week.

And I need to figure out a way to incorporate

some sort of classroom space in this community centre.

It looks great.

Yeah, the community centre back in Hampton Meadows

was the heart of the whole town.

My grandmother used to teach Mahjong there.

And my brother Wayne teaches yoga there still.

If they moved from China to Maine,

how is it that your dad has a southern accent?

He learned English listening to Johnny Cash albums.

He thinks he's a cowboy.

I love that your family business is a lobster bar.

Hey, beer and lobster go really well together.

Hmm, kind of like me and men who smell like bacon.

Some things are just meant to be.

Look, I want you to try and have some Christmas fun

while you're home.

Find someone to melt your marshmallow and ring your bell.

Alisa!

What?

Promise me you'll have some Christmas fun.

Work is fun!

Okay, don't make me shove this scone down your throat.

I'll do it.

Okay, okay.

I promise I will have all the Christmas fun.

I'll jingle the bells and play all the reindeer games,

just put the scone down.

Oh, it's so dry.

May we both have a very merry Christmas.

Cheers.

♪

Good old Eagles. It's nice to be home.

Can I get your attention.

So excited to be here.

Welcome everyone

to the Happy Valley Gingerlicious Bake Off kick off!

Billy Martin, a jelly donut.

Messy, sweet, and full of surprises.

Okay, as you know, this year Hampton Meadows

is hosting the Bake Off.

What you don't know is that Maguire Spice Company

has decided to sponsor the competition,

and the winning town will get a prize of $15,000.

Mm-hmm!

Is this another one of your pranks?

I like to think of them as playful jokes.

Like the time you told us Tom Cruise was moving to town.

And you convinced us to pose in our sunglasses and skivvies.

That was funny.

Or that time you filled the town pool with Jello?

That was delicious.

Mm-hmm. No, this is real.

And if we win, we'll have enough money to fix the roof

of the community centre, which as you know,

is in danger of being condemned.

Oh no.

That centre was like a second home to me growing up.

And when I moved back here last year and saw the work

that it needed, I swore I'd do whatever I could to help.

My dad, Pete.

Kettle corn.

Always popping.

A total crowd pleaser.

My mom, Mimi.

A dark chocolate brownie.

Warm, soft, and slightly bitter.

Mama, I miss you.

Now I know we haven't won in a few years.

Ever since Nema Yung died.

But we can do it.

We've got a great team, and the only thing

that would make this team better would be...

Suzy Yung...

Um, Suzy Yung!

You are the only thing that would make this team better.

Get up here.

What?

This is perfect, ain't it?

Y'all going to be the Gingerlicious Champion.

It's what you always wanted, come on.

No, no, no...

Oh, uh, for those of you that don't know, Suzy

is Nema's granddaughter and knows all of her secrets

when it comes to gingerbread baking.

And she was also my lab partner in high school

and the only reason I graduated.

With Suzy on the team, we will be unstoppable.

What is happening?

Suzy isn't just an excellent baker.

She's also a very successful architect.

Very successful.

Even though she's not married.

Mom!

She flosses every day, and has wide hips.

Okay, thank you Mom, for that...

very awkward endorsement.

Um...

Unfortunately, being a very successful architect

with um, wide hips...

...takes a lot of work.

So I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to join the team.

But you're the best baker in town.

We can't win this without you.

Listen, I haven't seen you in 10 years.

You just spring something up on me like this

and expect me to drop everything?

I have a job.

Some of us take our responsibilities seriously.

Are you still mad about that whole science fair thing?

You know, I can't help it

if that volcano erupted a little early.

We still got a B+.

The lowest grade I ever got in my life.

That was 15 years ago.

And you're still not listening to me!

Um... Well then.

I guess we'll just have to do the best with what we have.

Just like Nema used to.

You did not.

Do it for Nema! Do it for Nema!

Do it for Nema! Do it for Nema!

I'll think about it, okay?

What was that?

I said I'll think about it.

Okay!

Welcome home, Suzy Sugar.

No one calls me that anymore.

Well, they should.

Suzy.

My brother Wayne.

A bowl of rice pudding.

Warm, comforting, always goes with the flow.

Hey.

Why didn't you warn me about the ambush?

Deep breaths, feel the feelings, then feel the love.

Hey.

You know how I feel about your hippie voodoo.

Breathing isn't voodoo, it's life.

Don't fortune cookie me.

You know I haven't been able to bake since Nema...

I'm up for a big promotion, and I have a ton of work to do.

Well, you've always dreamed at winning the Bake Off.

Is this about Billy?

What are you talking about?

Are you still mad at him for standing you up

at the Christmas dance in high school?

He didn't stand me up.

We were only going as friends

because Sandra broke up with him.

When they got back together,

it just made sense that he'd go with her.

Okay, yeah. If you say so.

He was a bad influence.

Remember when he almost got me suspended from school?

'Kay, no one forced you

to break into the science lab to release the rats.

He told me they were going to use them as baits

for lobster traps.

That was a long time ago, Suze.

He's changed.

Whatever happened to that start-up

I heard he was working on?

It didn't work out.

Then his dad got sick, so he moved back here to help out

with the family toy store.

He's really been doing a lot for the town.

Trying to redeem himself for his troublemaker past?

Let it go, Suze.

Everyone else has.

Even Mom?

Mom, she wants to save the community center.

So she's tolerant, but you know her.

She holds grudges like a fat monkey in a tuxedo.

That makes no sense.

Well it would if you just opened up your chakras, okay?

Here. Let me help you.

Is this guy bothering you?

Annie. My sister-in law.

A vegan Blondie made with chickpeas and coconut.

Good for you and for our planet.

Annie.

I was just giving her all the gossip on Billy Martin.

Oh, are you interested?

No.

Not in him.

Not in anyone.

Ok.

- Whatever you say. - Mmmhmm.

It's not safe for single girls to walk alone at night.

Oh, but if I was married that'd be okay?

I would feel better if you had a husband for the police to call

when you slipped on the ice,

blacked out and froze to death on the sidewalk.

I'll walk her home.

On second thought, you're a grown woman who lives in LA.

You'll be fine.

Okay, I don't need an escort.

Billy!

Don't get arrested.

I said I don't want an escort.

What are you doing?

Look, you might be fine on your own, but I'm not.

Do you have any idea what it's like being an eligible bachelor

in a small town?

I could get kidnapped at any moment

and forced to drink dry Chardonnay

and watch Love Actually on repeat.

That's a really good movie.

I know.

I just prefer my chardonnay oaky.

Come on.

Your dad told me you're up for a big promotion.

They're so proud of you.

Well, I've been working towards it

pretty much my whole life, so yeah.

Everything is going according to plan.

Plans can change, though.

Mine did.

It must have been hard, you know,

giving up your career to move back here.

I didn't give it up, I just put it on the back burner.

All I'm saying is that if you want

to make things happen in life, you got to go for it.

I spent eight years in Silicon Valley.

I did go for it.

You can't just give up.

You know, there's more to life than getting a gold star.

My gold stars are what got you through high school.

True.

I admit, I never would've passed chemistry if it wasn't for you.

Thank you.

And I admit that you're way more fun

as a lab partner than Daniel Zimbalist.

We made it home without being arrested.

Come on, have a little faith in me.

Thanks for walking me.

Your parents' patriotism is intense.

Living the American dream.

Hmm.

Ooh. Speaking of living the dream,

we really need you on the Gingerlicious team.

Competition starts in two days,

our next team meeting's tomorrow at noon.

Hmm?

We could have a lot of fun together,

just like we used to.

Mom?

How did you get here so fast?

I drove and came in the back door.

I wanted to make sure you got home safe.

Mom!

Um, I'll see you tomorrow?

Bye.

Goodnight Suzy Sugar.

Away from him.

Except for the Bake Off.

We need you on the team to win.

Other than that, you stay away.

Is he really that bad?

Ever since he moved back, he's been Mr. Play Guy.

Heartbreaking all over town.

He's all noodle, no broth.

Well, speaking of noodles, got any in the fridge?

Of course.

Oh, and I have some pork buns too.

It's no good cold.

Have you given any more thought

into putting some of your dishes on the menu?

No.

Burgers and fries and chicken wings and lobster rolls.

That's what people here want.

Sometimes people stick to the menu

'cause they don't realize there's another choice.

I just don't think they're ready for it.

People in this town can't handle my spice.

Dad turned your bedroom into his man hole,

so you have to stay in Nema's room.

He's part Chinese, you know.

I know.

She always dreamed of winning one of these with you.

I thought we'd have more time.

She knew how busy you were with school and then work.

She was so proud of you, always bragging

"My Suzy is the best at everything she does."

No stale cookies for me.

I'm so happy you're home.

Christmas hasn't been the same without you

these past few years.

Well, I'm home now.

We've got a week till Christmas.

We'll have plenty of time to do all the Christmas things.

Mm.

- I promise. - Great.

♪

I remember one night you made this for me in shop class.

I almost cut off my fingers making it,

but it was worth it.

Good things are always worth the effort.

I miss you, Nema.

I still here, Suzy Sugar.

Try this.

I still got it?

Mmm.

You definitely still got it.

Even when I follow your recipes,

it never turns out this good.

That's because I got secret ingredient.

Want to know what it is?

Is it an ancient Chinese secret?

The secret ingredient is...

♪

Let's bake.

Ho, ho, ho.

Oh, you came.

It's what my grandmother would've wanted.

Is it what you want?

She'd be so disappointed if she knew I gave up a chance

to win the Bake Off.

Especially if it means saving the center.

Mm.

She loved it here.

You know, I took one of her Mahjong classes here

in high school.

I remember that.

She said you were good.

Hmm.

That you had real potential to be an old Chinese lady someday.

She was an amazing woman.

She sure was.

What's that?

It's a toy drive I'm organizing for some of the families in town

that have been going through some hard times.

We're matching every toy donated with a toy from the store.

Trying to make up for all those years on the naughty list.

If I recall, you had a few naughty moments back in the day.

Only when I was with you.

Come on, let's go meet the rest of the team.

Welcome to the kitchen.

Wow.

This looks amazing.

♪

Hey, um, is that Caitlin Keyes?

Yeah. Yeah.

Caitlin Keyes.

Homecoming Queen.

Vanilla cupcake with sprinkles on top.

So pretty, you're afraid to eat it.

She owns the town bakery.

She's great.

Her decorating skills are insane.

She tormented me every day in high school.

That was a long time ago.

She's different now.

She got everyone in school to call me Snoozie.

She said I was so boring, I put everyone to sleep.

Suzy?

Hi, Caitlin.

I know I was mean to you in high school.

Well, because I was mean to everyone in high school.

But it's because I found out that I had a dairy intolerance.

Excuse me?

That's right.

That's probably why I was so grouchy all the time.

But now that I've cut out the dairy,

I am the friendliest person in town.

It's true.

We are going to be best friends!

Best friends.

Okay.

This is Stavros.

He bought the diner a few years ago.

He likes long walks on the beach in his speedo

and can be found most days shouting at people to slow down

while driving down Main Street.

Hi.

Swim trunks chafe my thighs.

Stavros.

A bear claw.

Puffy and nuts on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside.

And he's also a classically trained pastry chef

whose pie crust is like butter.

It is butter.

That's the secret.

Cold, hard butter.

Well um, it's good to meet you for the first time.

And... or see you again.

Um, ever since I was a little girl,

I've dreamed of being the Gingerlicious champion,

like my grandmother.

I'll do anything to help save the centre.

I met my wife here.

Our mom group meets here once a week.

Our kids play and we get to talk about real things

and have important conversations, you know,

about essential oils and Zac Efron's beard.

Yeah, I need that hour.

I need it.

Look, I promise I will do whatever I can

to make sure we win the Bake Off and save the centre.

Things are a little different this year,

now that Maguire Spice Company is sponsoring the competition.

Okay, there's three rounds in four days.

Final round is on Christmas Eve.

Who are the judges?

The Maguires and their grandkids.

And it's only a rumour,

but there might be some sort of celebrity judge.

Is it Taylor Swift?

Oh please, let it be Tay-Tay.

And they want to make it more interesting,

so they don't tell us what the specific challenge is

or what we're baking until right before we start each round.

But how are we supposed to prepare?

How about we make a practice house?

Just so we get used to working together as a team.

That's a great idea.

Mm-hmm.

Since you're the gingerbread expert,

how about you lead the way?

If that's okay with everyone else?

- Yes. - Yeah.

Very good.

Okay then, um...

Let's start with a standard Tudor fairytale one-storey.

Rice Chex thatched roof, gumdrop chimney,

maybe some candy cane street lamps.

Okay, Billy can start mixing the dough for the gingerbread.

Caitlin, can you start making some sugar work decorations?

And Stavros.

Mm-hmm?

Can you make the icing

while I cut out the templates for the house?

Let's get baking. Hustle, hustle!

Okay.

You don't mess around, do you?

Well, you and Caitlin may have changed,

but I haven't.

If I'm going to play, I'm playing to win.

Understood?

Understood.

♪

I haven't baked in so long.

I forgot how much fun it is.

Not bad for a first time.

I think we've got a real shot at winning.

Looks good.

Oh, good catch.

We'll do better next time.

Close one.

Drinks?

See you there.

Hey. There's a Christmas concert at the town hall

that we're all going to.

Do you want to come?

Um, I can't.

I have to get some work done.

Same old Suze.

All work, no play.

Come on.

It'll be fun.

Life isn't just about having fun.

Work is important to me.

I need this promotion.

Run, run as fast as you can.

You can't catch me.

♪

Okay, um, I need a huge favour.

Bowyn, my niece.

A croissant.

Soft, fancy, falls apart easily.

And Simon, my nephew.

A sticky ball of crackle and crunch.

One of my teachers at the yoga centre just cancelled

and I have to teach a class.

Annie's working, and I told the kids that I'd take them

into town to shop.

Can you please, please take them for me?

I have to work.

No, I'm begging you.

I promised them.

Please, Aunt Suzy?

There's only a few days till Christmas.

It won't be Christmas if we don't get anyone presents.

Please, please?

Please, Aunt Suzy? Please, please...

How can I crush the Christmas dreams of such sweet faces?

Thank you, thank you.

You hear that?

Have fun, okay? Have fun!

Love you guys, take care.

Bye.

One Christmas shopping trip, coming right up.

♪

This looks amazing.

One second.

I just gotta get this, okay?

Hi Katie.

Come on.

Yes, I'm getting tons of work done.

Yes, I know.

New Year's is only 11 days away.

It will be ready.

Thank you.

Hey, have a happy...

Holiday.

Bowyn?

Simon?

Bowyn!

Where are you?

Simon?

Wayne's going to kill me.

Simon?

I'm so sorry.

I meant to hit the kids.

Did we get 'em?

It was an accident.

Billy Martin, you are going...

Human shield!

No fair!

Gotcha!

♪

We're just going to be right over here, okay?

Ok.

♪

You're really great with kids.

I mean, I shouldn't be surprised.

Since I still act like a kid?

I was going to say since you run a toy store,

but I mean, speak your truth, Billy.

Kids like to have fun and find joy in the simple things,

so I'm okay with that label.

Speaking of labels, according to my mom

you're still quite the heartbreaker around town.

Is that why she's always giving me the stink-eye?

Maybe.

Maybe it was the rat incident,

or that time you flooded the gym.

Or that time you streaked the homecoming game.

That was over a decade ago.

Chinese moms have long memories.

Look, in my defence, I'm not a heartbreaker.

I just haven't found someone who I wanted to get serious with.

Wait, you not wanting to take things seriously?

I never would've guessed.

How about you?

How have you managed to stay single all these years?

I mean, especially with those baking skills

and those wide hips.

It just hasn't been something I've really focused on.

Work has always been the things that made me happy.

And well, I just haven't met the perfect guy yet.

I can't take things seriously,

and you want things to be perfect.

I guess we haven't actually changed much since high school.

I have much less acne now.

Me too.

Oh!

Aunt Suzy, can we go to Billy's Toy Store?

Sure.

I'd love to see it.

It's just down the street.

Great, let's go.

I love those.

This place is great.

See?

Being immature totally pays off sometimes.

Hmm.

I'm just going to grab something from the office.

I'm going to be right back, okay?

What's this?

It's just something I've been working on.

People can use an app to send each other voice messages,

and the robot will say them.

I'm calling them Bot Buddies.

This is great.

I designed one of the stores for Tofino Toys.

I know the CEO.

I can get you a meeting with her.

That's a nice offer, but I'm just not there yet.

I mean, I've got lots of ideas.

Who knows if this is the right one to pursue, right?

You'll never know if you don't try.

I did try.

I spent eight years in Silicon Valley working,

and nothing ever hit.

You know, I might've come back because my father was sick,

but the truth is I wasn't happy there.

I was stressed out.

It wasn't fun anymore.

So you're just going to give up?

Settle for less?

Maybe I'm not settling for less.

Maybe I'm searching for more.

I'll see you out front.

Hi, Eileen.

I've got a friend with a brilliant toy idea.

Let me know when you're free to chat.

Cheers, Suzy Yung.

You're going to thank me for this one day.

Billy Martin.

Fresh baked apple pie.

Warm, sweet, reminds me of home.

♪

Nothing is so bad it can't be fixed by cookies.

I'm confused.

About Billy?

About everything.

I've been so focused on achieving my plan,

but what if it's not the right plan?

What if I've been following a recipe for something

that I don't want to eat?

Our tastes can change.

Sometimes the best meals are ones with no recipe at all.

Only you know what can make you full.

Are you ready?

The competition starts at 2:00.

Okay.

♪

Suzy!

I'm coming.

♪

Hi.

Hi, uh...

What, do I have something stuck in my teeth?

Huh?

Maybe it's them.

Mary Dupont.

A bran muffin.

Dense, dry, and hard to swallow.

And her twin, Nick Dupont.

A sticky toffee pudding.

Overly sweet, gets stuck in your teeth.

They own the Christmas tree farm in Rumstick Point.

They won the past two years.

You must be Suzy Yung.

I'm sure your grandmother told you all about us.

No, she never mentioned you.

Well, that's too bad.

If she had, you'd know that you might as well

just throw in your rolling pin right now,

'cause we own this valley.

We actually only own about 200 acres of it.

Good luck.

You'll need it.

Nick!

Team uniforms?

I should've thought of that.

We don't need costumes.

We got you.

I missed you! How are you?

Your skin looks amazing.

I'm sorry about the dead frog in your locker freshman year,

but I love your hair!

What?

Everybody ready to party?

Sarah Selkie.

Former town DJ turned mayor.

Espresso cheesecake.

Highly caffeinated, rich and prone to cheesy jokes.

Woo!

My name is Sarah Selkie, and as the mayor of Hampton Meadows

I'd like to welcome you all

to the annual Happy Valley Gingerlicious Bake Off!

We have teams from all six towns competing

for the very generous cash prize of $15,000 by our new sponsor,

the Maguire Spice Company.

Mary and Brian Maguire and their grandchildren

will be our judges.

Only four teams will make it to the next round.

And three days from that,

the top three will compete at the Christmas finale

where we will crown the Gingerlicious champion.

And the first challenge is...

Cookie kick-off!

You must bake and decorate three dozen Christmas cookies.

Each dozen must have a different type of cookie.

At least one of the cookies must use ginger as its main spice.

You have three hours.

Are you ready?

Yes!

Let's get cookied.

We'll get cookied.

- Ok. - Christmas cookies.

Maguires seem pretty old school to me.

I think we should go traditional.

Traditional.

Okay.

I've printed out all of Nema's recipes

so we can be prepared for any situation.

Why am I not surprised?

We've got to work together and stay focused.

And have fun.

...And have fun.

Whatever reason you have for being a part of this team,

I need you to dig deep

and give me everything you've got, okay?

We are going to win this because we are the best.

Are you ready to win?

Yes!

- Ready, yes. - Ready to win.

On three.

One, two, three.

Go team!

Yeah.

Hi.

So, we have classic gingerbread men

decorated with almond royal icing,

vanilla peppermint candy cane sugar cookies,

and coffee caramel shortbread candies.

Mm.

Mmm.

Very good.

Thank you.

Really? Gingerbread men?

How original.

In honour of the Maguire family,

we just didn't want to make basic cookies.

We have our coconut macaroon snowmen

sprinkled with edible sugar,

3D ornament sugar cookies with vanilla bean frosting,

and finally we have our famous Prince Harry lemon ginger snaps.

These are amazing!

And tasty, too!

Thank you.

Eat my crumbs, Yung.

We did great. Our cookies are good.

Good isn't good enough. Not for me.

We need to do better.

Congratulations.

Woohoo!

Third place isn't something to celebrate.

Yes it is, sweetie.

You made it to the next round.

All that matters is that we're still in the game.

Exactly.

Even Nema didn't always win the first round.

You know what Nema always say?

When life give you crumbs...

Then make pie crust.

Okay.

Look, when I was designing apps, we ran hundreds of versions

until we got rid of all the bugs.

We just need to find our bug.

I underestimated Mary and Nick.

I played it too safe.

I've always been afraid of making mistakes.

Hey, when was the last time you did something

you weren't good at?

I can't remember.

I got an idea.

No.

Mm-hmm.

Just no.

Yeah!

Oh! Yeah!

Come on, your voice can't be that bad.

I get all tense and my throat closes up,

and I get all squeaky.

It's embarrassing.

So what?

Look, it's okay to sound silly sometimes.

What does baking have to do with singing?

You said it yourself.

The reason we came in third place was

because you wouldn't leave your comfort zone.

And Mary and Nick, you know, they might be snobby jerks

but they know how to bake and they are very creative.

You need to loosen up a bit.

Find your inner Elsa and let it go.

Come on.

Show us you've got what it takes to win.

Is that a challenge?

It sure is.

Challenge accepted.

Is she going to sing?

Uh-huh.

This could be very embarrassing for her.

For us it will be very entertaining.

I've never actually heard her sing.

How bad could she be?

♪

Woo-hoo!

Sing it, Suzy!

♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

Yeah, that's pretty squeaky.

♪ Tis the season to be jolly ♪

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

Oh, okay. I know I'm supposed to breathe through my discomforts,

but this is... this is intense.

It's a good thing she's so pretty.

And smart.

Just give her a chance. Uh...

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

♪ Don we now our gay apparel ♪

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

♪ Troll the ancient yule-tide carol ♪

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

♪ Tis the season to be jolly ♪

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

♪ Don we now our gay apparel ♪

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

♪ Troll the ancient yule-tide carol ♪

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

Woo-hoo!

I always knew you had a beautiful voice.

Momma.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm really glad you came home for Christmas.

Me too.

You know, it's like all the things that I loved about you

in high school have just gotten better.

And you, like fine oaky chardonnay,

have just gotten sweeter with age.

Sorry.

I've got to get this.

I'm going to get some ribs.

- Okay. - Okay.

Hello Katie, merry Christmas.

Listen, I just off the phone with the client.

They're spending Christmas in Fiji

and so she wants the plans by Christmas Eve.

That's in three days.

Well, you should be mostly done with it already.

I know Marshall is.

Of course I can have it done in three days.

I'll have the new designs to you by 9:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve.

Let's hope it's good enough.

Bye.

I hope you're hungry.

I'm so sorry, but I've got to go.

That was my boss.

They moved the deadline up. It's due in three days.

Oh wow, that's really fast.

Are you going to be able to finish it in time?

It's going to be tight with the Bake Off and Christmas,

but I'll make it.

I always do.

Okay.

Oh wait, I got you something.

Some chocolate peppermints.

That's so sweet.

Used to be your favourite.

Save it for when you're feeling stressed and need a pick me up.

You're the best.

Billy Martin.

All these years and still surprising me.

♪

Competition starts at 2:00, you ready?

One second.

I won't let you down, Nema.

I promise.

♪

- She's not going to freak out. - You tell her.

- No. - You tell her.

Oh hi, Suzy.

I have some bad news.

Stavros has a family emergency and can't make it today.

Oh no. Poor Stavros.

Is everything okay?

It's fine.

Do you need a hug?

Uh no, I'm good.

Um, it's okay.

We just gotta work a little harder.

Which we can do no problem.

We got this.

Yeah.

Welcome to round two of the Gingerlicious Bake Off.

We are down to four teams.

The top three teams will compete in two days on Christmas Eve

at the Gingerlicious Finale.

Today's challenge is...

To bake gingerbread, as in bread.

Using at least three different types of dough,

and ginger as your main spice, you must bake a bread sculpture

featuring one of your favourite Christmas characters.

I know it's a tough challenge,

but you all will "rise" to the occasion.

You get it?

Okay. On the count of three, two, one, dough!

Okay, last round I think I may have played it a little safe,

but thanks to a change in tune,

I think we need to think outside of the bread box.

How do you guys feel about getting a little creative?

- Sounds great. - Yeah.

Okay.

All right, so...

You got bread recipes in there too?

Of course.

All right, I've got the base recipes here.

Billy and I will work on the dough,

and Caitlin, you start on the filling.

Got it.

We're going to rock this.

Ready?

Go team!

Got that, okay...

Hey, I know we're in it to win it.

But promise me you'll have some fun today?

I'll try.

Hmm. There is no try.

There is only... dough.

And somehow I was the one people thought

was a geek in high school.

I never thought that.

I always thought it was sexy how smart you are.

Can we focus, please?

Excuse me.

Um, okay, I know bread is your specialty,

and I've got some ideas.

But I'm going to need your help to execute them.

Yeah, whatever you "knead."

Okay then. Let's "roll".

Get it?

We're as bad as the mayor.

Yeah.

♪

Can you come here for a sec and taste this?

Yep.

Okay.

Uh, you know what?

I'll finish the filling,

why don't you finish the ginger icing?

Are you sure?

I got this. Don't worry.

Okay.

Okay.

Billy, how are the breads doing?

Well, those two are baking nicely

and I'm working on the third.

Okay, we gotta get moving.

We gotta stick to the schedule.

Okay, this just needs a little bit more sugar.

Suzy, you don't look like you're having any fun.

I'll have fun when we win.

Can you pass me the rolling pin?

I am so sorry.

Nema's rolling pin.

Maybe I can fix it.

No...

It's broken.

One hour left.

You okay?

It's okay.

I'll be fine.

Do I have flour on my face?

You do now.

We're calling this one Rock n' Roll Santa.

That was my idea.

Delicious.

Well done.

Needs more butter.

Hello.

We wanted to shake things up a bit,

throw in some surprises.

For the body we have a pickled ginger and olive rye.

Amazing.

It's so original.

I've never tasted anything like it.

For the head we have a stone ground honey whole wheat.

And for the little snowmen, we have vanilla ginger dumplings

stuffed with roasted cinnamon carrots and drizzled with

a ginger cream cheese icing.

That sounds scrumptious.

Yuck!

Oh, well...

You know how kids are with their veggies.

Thank you, Suzy.

It's very, um, original.

Thank you very much.

I don't understand.

Ugh, salt.

So much salt.

How did this happen?

I must've used salt instead of sugar.

We were running around like crazy,

and they liked everything else.

We're a team, okay?

Any one of us could've made the same mistake.

Yeah.

And it was just the filling.

Maybe we'll still make it through to the next round.

Okay everyone, it's time.

Drum roll please.

No? No?

And the first place goes to...

Rumstick Point.

And second place goes to...

Maple Lane.

And the last team advancing to the finals is...

South Sowams!

Way to go, everybody.

I can't believe I let this happen.

You didn't let anything happen.

It's not your fault.

And we did the best we could.

Yeah.

If only that was enough.

Suzy...

♪

I let you down, Nema.

I let everyone down.

Suzy, you've got to come down to the community centre.

Quick.

What's wrong?

I can't say over the phone, but it's important.

Please, just come. I'm in the gym.

Okay, uh... I'll be there as fast as I can.

Billy, what's going on?

I don't understand.

I know how disappointed you were about the Bake Off.

I wanted to do something to cheer you up.

This is the Christmas dance we never got to go to.

When I asked you out at the Christmas dance senior year,

I was hoping that it would lead to something more.

But you kept making such a big deal about

how we're just friends, I didn't think I had a chance with you.

Me?

You were Mr. Popular.

I didn't think I had a chance with you.

You mean you liked me?

Of course I did.

Do you really think I'd risk my perfect GPA

for someone I wasn't totally crushing on?

If I had known that,

I never would've gotten back with Sandra.

And I never would've let you go to the dance with her.

I wasn't brave enough to ask you out back then,

but I am now.

♪

Suzy Yung.

Will you go the Christmas dance with me?

I'd love to.

♪

♪ I'd do everything you ever wanted love to do ♪

♪ I'm helpless when you wear that grin

♪ and sparkle in your eye ♪

♪ how can I survive without you near ♪

♪ I'll be yours each and every day ♪

♪ I'll make sure your life is sweeter ♪

♪ than a fresh bouquet

♪ And every beat inside your heart ♪

♪ would know one thing for sure ♪

Billy, I-

♪ Every day... ♪

Did you break in?

Maybe a little.

Billy Martin.

Sorry about this, Officer Jerondo.

Next time you want to impress a girl,

how about you just take her down to Miller's and buy her a steak?

You called my mom?

Suzy.

I heard it on the scanner.

You're grounded.

It's okay, Mimi. I'll take care of it.

Is Pete still good for poker next week?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sorry about this, Mrs. Yung.

I didn't mean to...

I told you, he's a bad noodle.

Call me!

♪

Tomorrow's Christmas Eve.

That's your deadline, right?

By 9:00 a.m.

I just made a ton of changes,

but it made the whole thing really work.

I'll get it.

Billy.

Hey.

I know you're like, grounded and everything.

But I wanted to bring over some Christmas presents for you

and your family.

That's so nice.

Thank you.

Come on in.

Hey Billy Boy.

I heard you two were out causing trouble last night.

Oh, I have a key to the centre.

So it wasn't technically breaking, just... entering.

Hmm.

He brought Christmas presents for everyone.

Isn't that nice?

Huh.

Okay...

We're about to have lunch.

You want to join us?

I'd love to.

Okay.

♪

Mmm.

This food is amazing, Mrs. Yung.

Why don't you serve this at Eagles?

Americans want burgers and fries and lobster rolls.

Mom, Americans like Chinese food.

They like that Kung Pao food court junk.

That's not real Chinese food.

This...

is real Chinese food.

Oh... oh...

What is it?

Stinky tofu.

It's gross.

I'm Chinese and I can't even take it.

Can I try?

After my mom left, we didn't eat much Chinese food.

Seriously, you don't have to do this.

It tastes like smelly feet.

Don't smell it, just eat it.

Mmm.

I love it.

No way.

Way.

You're not just saying that because you're trying

to kiss up to my mom because she thinks you're a bad noodle?

No.

Wait, I'm a bad noodle?

Suzy, I never said that.

Yes, you did.

I bet you'd like bitter melon too.

I'll get you some to take home.

Sure.

I never thought I'd see the day.

I told you, the ladies love me.

Hmm.

They certainly do.

♪

Okay, now you're just showing off.

Your mom said she'd give me the leftovers

if I baked her a loaf of bread.

Ah!

You're such a natural.

Want to help?

Sure.

Come here, I'll show you my secret.

Most people think you have to work the dough really hard,

but the trick is to be firm but gentle.

Hmm.

So...

Wait.

There you go.

Perfection.

Perfection.

I'm telling Santa.

Is this your project?

The one you've been stressing about?

This is it.

I'm basically done.

Just a few more touches and I can send it in.

She wants it by 9:00 a.m.

I don't know much about architecture,

but this is amazing.

Thanks.

I wish you could design us a new community centre.

If only we won the contest.

What's going to happen to the centre?

I don't know.

We'll try to raise the money some other way, I guess.

I should let you get back to work.

I'm doing deliveries tomorrow for the toy drive.

Dropping off gifts for all the needy kids in the area.

I usually do it alone,

but I'd love it if you'd join me.

I'd love to.

I'll meet you at the store at 10:00.

I'll be there.

I promise.

There's dumplings and pork fried rice

in case you get hungry later.

And some stinky tofu.

Wow...

Thank you.

I'll see you tomorrow.

I'll see you then.

I always knew he was a nice boy.

You know what?

Things might not have gone the way I planned,

but I'm having a very merry Christmas.

Hmm.

Okay.

You guys up for a game of Mahjong?

Just give me one second.

Come on, Aunt Suzy.

I'm going to kick your butt.

Oh, are you?

Yes, I am.

Simon, did you unplug my computer?

I needed to charge my tablet.

I'm sorry.

It's okay, sweetie.

There's just another plug over there.

Thank you.

Once I get this promotion,

I'm getting a new laptop that actually works.

No.

No, no, no, no, no!

What happened?

It didn't save.

All the changes I made.

It's gone.

They're all gone.

No, it's not gone.

It's in here.

You can start again.

You've worked too hard to give up.

Ever since you were a little girl,

I've always known there was no stopping you

once you set your mind to something.

It drove me crazy sometimes.

But it's also one of the things I love most about you.

Thanks, Mom.

You know, you're right.

I can start over.

I did it once,

I can do it again.

Okay, don't tell Wayne.

But that hippie yogi breathing stuff really works.

♪

Oh no! Billy!

Did you get my messages?

My phone was on silent.

I'm so sorry.

My computer crashed, and I had to redo all my work,

and then I fell asleep and forgot...

I was afraid maybe you were sick of me already.

I am.

I'm only here for the children, and the hot chocolate.

I was told there'd be hot chocolate.

And extra marshmallows, if you're a good elf.

Thank you.

Come on.

I had so much fun delivering those gifts.

We made a lot of kids' Christmas wishes come true today.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

I'd say we earned our extra marshmallows.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

I have big news.

You get the promotion?

No, I haven't heard back from my boss yet.

But I did hear back from my friends at Tofino Toys.

Are you switching careers?

No, but you are.

I sent her pictures of Bot Buddies and told her your idea,

and she loved it.

She just sent me a message

saying she wants to meet with you in LA...

Wait, what?

You sent her pictures and told her about my idea

without asking me.

Well, yeah.

I knew you were going to follow through with it.

I told you, the idea isn't ready.

And it never will be if you keep putting it on the back burner.

I'm just trying to help you.

I don't need your help.

This isn't high school.

I'm not failing out

just because I don't have some big time career.

So you're just going to stay here

and manage your dad's store?

Is that all you want out of life?

That's for me to decide, not you.

Okay, Billy, it's not...

Good luck with everything.

I hope you get the promotion.

You deserve it.

I'll see you around.

Billy?

Billy!

♪

♪

What's wrong, Sugar Bear?

I didn't get the promotion.

Oh...

I lost the Bake Off.

Billy barely even wants to talk to me.

I ruined everything, and I let everyone down.

At least Nema isn't here to see what a failure I am.

You're not a failure.

Nema wasn't proud of you because of your success.

She's proud of you that you followed your dream.

It doesn't feel like a dream anymore.

Dreams change.

People change.

All she ever wanted was...

all your momma and I ever wanted

was for you to be happy, hmm?

I love you.

I love you too.

Give me a minute.

I'll be right back.

Love is the secret ingredient.

♪

That's perfect.

Nema's apron.

Found it in the closet a few weeks ago.

I know she would want you to have it.

I was going to give it to you at Christmas,

but looks like you're going to need it today.

I just got a call from the Maguires.

South Sowams cheated.

They bribed Maguires' grandkids with toys and candy

so they would vote for them.

They are disqualified!

And the kids are grounded for life,

and you are back in the Bake Off.

Seriously?

Yeah!

Billy!

We've got to get Billy.

I have to be at the restaurant, or else I'd be there.

But no matter what happens today, any day,

I will always be proud of you.

Now go bake like there's no tomorrow.

Go on now!

As.

Did you hear?

South Sowams was disqualified!

We're back in the game!

What?

Come on, let's go!

It starts in 15 minutes.

Stav and Caitlin are going to meet us there.

I'm sorry about what I did.

It was out of line.

I'm not one of your projects, Suzy.

You can't redesign me.

I might not have the life you think I should have,

but I have the life I want to have.

You're right.

You know, I always think I know what's best for everyone else,

but the truth is...

Right now, I don't even know what's best for me.

I didn't get the promotion.

And I hurt you.

It seems like all my plans are just... fallen apart.

I'm sorry you didn't get the job.

So I guess now we really have to win this Bake Off.

You mean it?

You're not the only one who likes to win.

Well, what are you waiting for?

We got a gingerbread house to bake!

Hustle hustle.

Watch the store.

♪

- You're back! - Oh!

Is everything okay with your family?

Thankfully, yes.

Everything is fine.

Well, we're glad to have you back.

Me too.

I am so excited.

I have this weird feeling inside me,

like I want to hug everyone.

I feel so seen.

Hey, I wonder what the theme's going to be.

Merry Christmas Eve.

Welcome to the final round

of the Happy Valley Gingerlicious Bake Off.

We have three teams left competing

for the grand prize of $15,000.

We're very excited to see what type of magnificent creations

you come up with.

And this time, there'll be no abnormalities in the judging.

Today's challenge is...

to bake and decorate a gingerbread house

that represents the meaning of Christmas.

You've got four hours.

Let's get Gingerlicious.

All the teams here know how to bake and decorate.

If we're going to win, it's because our idea is the best.

It has to be special.

Something that really captures what Christmas is all about.

So I want to know, what does Christmas mean to you?

Christmas means coming together

with the people who care about you.

My favourite part of Christmas is the gifts.

Not getting them, but giving them.

You know? Showing people you care.

Well, what I love about Christmas is that everyone

is just so much kinder.

I mean, they help each other out, like...

Like a community.

I've had this idea in the back of my head for a while,

but listening to you guys?

I totally know what we have to build.

I can't promise we'll win,

but this house is going to be something

we can all be proud of.

Are you ready?

Mm-hmm.

On three.

One, two, three...

Go team!

Ok.

Billy you can add jelly beans up to here.

I love it.

I've had a lot of inspiration.

♪

Don't want to get all Scary Spice on you,

but you have one minute left.

One minute!

♪

♪

Whew.

Done.

It's awesome.

We are awesome.

I'll take this.

Hi, Katie.

I wanted to call and congratulate you.

I haven't won yet.

Yes, you did.

No, we haven't even presented our gingerbread house

to the judges.

What are you talking about?

Your promotion.

You had the best plan, you got the job!

What?

I thought Marshall got it.

Alisa said she saw you guys popping champagne.

That was because he got engaged.

Marshall has a girlfriend?

Shocking, isn't it?

Wait, so...

You mean I got the job?

There is one catch.

I think I can handle it.

The client has decided to move the location of the project...

to Australia.

That's... I mean, that's a great opportunity,

but that's really far away from...

Everything.

Can I think about it?

Don't think too hard, it'll give you wrinkles.

Good work, Suzy.

I'm proud of you.

Thank you.

Come on.

Welcome to the Gingerlicious Finale!

Thank you all for coming out and supporting this great contest.

It has been so amazing seeing all these different communities

from Happy Valley coming together

for a fun Christmas competition.

First up, we have Maple Lane.

Please, tell us about your creation.

We wanted to capture the magic of Christmas

by creating a winter wonderland.

Next we have Rumstick Point.

For my gingerbread house-

Our gingerbread house.

It was my idea.

And my recipe.

Christmas...

is all about love.

So we created a magical Christmas village

filled with all the things that we love.

And last but not least, Hampton Meadows.

Christmas is about community.

It's about the people we love

and the places that make us feel whole.

This town is home.

This centre is home.

And all the people in this room are home.

So, for our design,

we decided to build a home for the community.

And this is our new community center.

Thanks to all the teams for their amazing efforts.

We'll be back in a few minutes to announce the winner.

- Good job! - Good job!

Thank you, sweetie.

I'm so proud.

Nema would've loved your house.

I mean, your home.

It looks amazing.

- Thanks guys. - Good luck.

Win or lose, I'm glad we did this together.

Me too.

And the time has arrived.

We've done some careful deliberation.

All of the entries were wonderful,

but only one represented what this competition

and Christmas is all about.

The winner of the Happy Valley Gingerlicious Bake Off is...

Hampton Meadows!

Thank you for making this

the most Gingerlicious Bake Off ever!

Congratulations to Hampton Meadows!

Congratulations!

See you all again next year.

Okay, everybody. Christmas on three.

One, two, three...

Christmas.

Alright. Yeah, got it.

Oh, my goodness.

I say it's time for a drink. It's time for eggnog.

Hey.

Hey.

Um...

There's something I have to tell you.

Okay.

Um, ever since I've been back,

it's been so much fun that a part of me

started wondering what it would be like to move home.

Really?

Then I thought about

how important my career was to me, and you know,

how hard I've worked for it, and how much I love it.

And I realized I'm not willing to give it up.

Especially when it turns out

that I actually got the promotion.

Congratulations.

That's great.

It's everything you've ever wanted.

The thing is, it's in Australia.

Oh...

Oh, that's like the other end of the world.

I know it's going to be hard with the time difference,

but I thought, you know, FaceTime and stuff,

we can make it work.

I'm sorry, long distance isn't going to work for me.

So I guess I'll just have to come with you.

Seriously?

My Dad's doing much better,

and we can hire someone to help him out

now that the store's up and running again.

And I would have time to work on my toy designs.

Move them to the front burner.

Or you could just stay home

and bake me bread and cookies all day.

I've always wanted a sugar momma.

Sounds like a pretty sweet life.

♪

Suzy, Billy!

Hi.

It's so good to be home.

Let me take this.

You know, Australia has been great.

Mmmhmm.

But no one there cooks like you do.

Have you been over to the new community centre?

Oh, the renovations look great.

I mean, it helps that we have the best architect.

It's been a challenge designing it from so far away,

but it's going well.

My yoga room looks amazing.

And the Nema Yung kitchen classroom

is going to be awesome.

This makes such a big difference for the whole town.

I'm proud of you.

Me too.

Thank you.

I'll be right back.

Okay.

Fresh baked, just like you like them.

Mimi, save me some of those dumplings.

Me and Billy, sugar and spice and everything nice.

That's what our love is made of.

Come dance with me!

Lead the way.

♪

♪ He'll be coming down the chimney ♪

♪ just about quarter to three ♪

♪ So let's rock, rock, let's be jolly ♪

♪ All aboard Santa's trolly ♪

♪ It's Christmastime ♪

♪ I'd love to hear those jingle bells jingle ♪

♪ It's Christmastime ♪

♪ I'd love to hear those sleigh bells ring ♪