Original subtitles

Candles and

carols and

Christmas with you I'll

bring the chocolate Won't

you bring some too

We'll have sleigh rides and yuletides

And Christmas is

likeWith

candles and

carols tonight

when it's snowing and

blowing and

freezing outside.

Bundle up, my darling,

let's go for a ride. There'll

be something that's stopping

tonight, time and then.

It's candles and

carols again

Oh, the fire

burns brighter each year

Let the love

light shine

Hang some mistletoe

and move closer deep.

Christmas kiss is so

delicious. Think I

have another with my

reindeer and good

cheer, and Christmas is white.

Candles and carols

tonight.

How many do know this?Two, including Mr.

Finch. Al Finch?HuhHe was at the poker

game the other night. Oh, yeah?How much

did he take you for?What?What makes you

think I lost?Uh, because you played,

Randy. Come on, how much?80 bucks?Oh,

show's all you know. 85. Yeah, so

next time, don't be so smart.

Forest of Toys, where you can pre-order

the all-new Princess Alicia doll in Snow

Castle, this is Connie speaking. How may

I help you?No, ma'am, we

won't have the Alicia dolls until the

12th. Yes, I'm pretty sure Genova's will

tell you the same thing.

No, I don't have their number. Yes, I

believe it's spelled

D-I-N-O-V-A.

V, as in victory?Okay. Bye-bye,

good luck.

Paula, let me get you that chest set.

Denova Toys, where you can pre-order the

all-new Princess Alicia doll in Snow

Castle. This is Will speaking. How may I

help you?Uh, no, ma'am,

not until the 12th. Uh-huh

Thank you.

Just make sure you get a top-of-the-line

helmet to go with it, then your boy

should be fine. Why would I need a

top-of-the-line helmet?Uh, men, where do

we keep that number for Foresters?Why

would I need a top-of-the-line helmet?

Well, I'm sure you heard about the

recall. I got it, men. We're good. What

recall?HmmWhat recall?

Oh, sometimes the wheels fly off at high

speed. No big deal. Hello, Foresters?Uh,

hold it. Tell me more about the

Thrasher.

Pie Face, is this a game I could play

with my family?I've never met your

family, ma'am. Randy, I'll take this.

Actually, Pie Face is a great family

game, and the more people that play it,

the better. But are the rules complicated?

No, ma'am, not at all. Very simple. Just

don't forget to pick up whipped cream on

your way home.

She was asking good questions, huhUh,

Greg. If you're thinking about getting

that for your grandson, you already got

him the same truck for his birthday. I

did?Yep. Same color and everything. Any

other ideas?Three words. LED hand

spinner, aisle five. You

will not be bored. Thanks.

Hey, sweetie, how was school?Okay. Well,

not very convincing, kiddo. Can you hand

me that penguin, please?What's up?

Marshall Duder. He says he's sure his

bobsled's gonna win this year. And what

do you say?That he's right. It wins

every year. Do I have to remind

you that the Cubs won the World Series

last year, so anything can happen?Shark.

Greetings and salutations. Hi, Nana.

Hi, honey. Hey, Mom. How was the crowd

over at Denova's?No

comment. Mom?

Connie, I refuse to feed this ridiculous

obsession of yours.

You're not feeding it, I'm just snacking

between meals. Come on, talk to me.

Maybe half this size. Yes! Can I

get an amen?That is not

very neighborly. Don't encourage her.

Hey, listen, I've been swamped with the

store. I don't think I'll be able to cook

dinner tonight. I can't either. Take out

from Joe's?Perfect. Roast beef and mash?

With extra gravy. And pecan pie. Oh,

forget the pie, kiddo. We've got ice

cream. And remember, we are on a budget.

Okay, I'm on it. Can I throw

your stuff in the back and help me?

Four letters. A watery conveyance

ends with a K. Bark.

That's what my dog said. It's also a

boat. Hath not

their bark been very slow in sail.

Game of Thrones.

Comedy of errors, Mr. Shakespeare. Hey.

Fitz. You go to Harvard or something?

Morristown High. You don't need Harvard,

Ed. You just need a library card.

I am late. I will see you later,

Joe.

Okay, pal.

Oh, hey, Cam. Hi, Ed. Have a good night.

Have a nice evening. Good evening, pal.

Hello, Joe. All right, what do we have

here?Three turkey

specials, one roast beef and gravy.

That's good to meet you. Francine, we're

gonna need four slices of pecan pie.

Coming right up. Oh, Joe, we didn't order

the pie. Compliments to the chef. Me.

Oh, you don't have to do that. I changed

the recipe. I wanna hear what you think

of it. Unless, of course, you hate it,

then don't tell me. That's not likely.

Thank you very much.

Let me ask you a question. Are you you

still giving those piano lessons out of

your house?Every day. Why?

You got room for another student?

Grandchild?

Not quite. This one is 68 years

old, but he's very eager to learn.

What do you think?Am I too late?Well,

it's never too late, but why the sudden

interest?

Uh, it's my niece. Your niece.

Yeah, my niece Tillie, yes. She's getting

married in six weeks down in Baltimore.

I'd like to be able to play the wedding

march at her ceremony.

Six weeks. Doesn't leave us much

time, does it?Is it

impossible?

Not if you work hard. So that means it's

impossible. I was afraid of that.

Kitty, why don't we start?

Call me. Thanks, Francine. Say hi to

Randy for me. All right, Dolly. Uh, good

night, you two. Bye-bye. I will

call you. Okay.

Hello, the house. Mmm, smells good.

Well, let's hope it tastes good, too,

because this will be our last takeout for

a while. Listen, sis, if money's a

problem, I just got invited to a poker

game at Lou Golano's place. No, Randy, no

more poker. Please, I beg you. How come?

because... let me figure out the most

delicate way to say this. You stink at

it! Connie, if I am so bad at poker,

how come everybody in town wants to fight

with me?Here we go.

He can't fight Mom. He didn't charge us

for it. Small mercies.

Still worried about your loan payment?Oh,

no more than Dorothy was worried about

the Wicked Witch. I'm not a Connie lover

with me. Well, if business stays

brisk and the bank extends my loan

deadline, then we'll be okay. But, of

course, it wouldn't hurt if Dinova's

would pull up steaks in up to Alaska this

month. I'm not counting on that.

Teej, dinner! Turn off the TV. Go wash

your hands. Hey, kids, what store has all

your favorite toys for Christmas this

year?Ride! Can't hear you.

Ride! Still can't hear you. Ride! Why

are you whispering?You have your

earmuffs on. I knew that.

Roy's Toys, largest selection in New

England, and pre-order the new Princess

Alicia doll from the hit movie Moonglow,

on sale December 12th. Nervous, Mom?

The nearest Roy's

is in Hartford. You know that, honey.

Glash your hands.

How many times am I gonna have to buy

this house, Ben?So, what made

you sell it in the first place?Equal

distribution of assets. I didn't have a

choice, but now I want it back.

I need it back. I miss it.

What about Laura?Do you miss her too?

What am I saying?Of course you miss her

too. She's as beautiful as she was

brilliant, and she's as funny as she

was... Yeah, I get it, Ben. But this was

my family home. I grew up here. That's

right. Well, even for a part-time mayor,

that was very impolistic of me to say.

I'm sorry, Will.

So how much to move in?Well, I would

waive my commission fee, of course, but

the bank's gonna want at least $80,000 up

front. $80,000?Yeah. All

right, well, that just means I'm gonna

have to have an awesome December, that's

all.

Oh, my daughter loves this song. It's

from a movie. Moonglow. Moonglow,

yes. Do you carry the doll?Oh, not until

next week, but if you pre-order the doll,

we will guarantee it by next Tuesday.

Great. Ho, ho, ho. What would you like

for Christmas this year?A

what?A mermaid?

All right. Well, I'll see if I can talk

to your mama about a little issue then.

Just ring your bell on Christmas Eve, and

I'll come visit ya. All right, come over

here and see Santa. Now, what is your

name?Angelica, what a

beautiful name. What would you like for

Christmas this year, huhA

kitten?I think we could probably do a

kitten if I put in a good word with your

mom. We'll see, all right?So here's a

bell, and ring it on Christmas Eve, and

I'll see what I can do. Okay, all right,

buddy, hop aboard. Now,

what would you like for Christmas this

year?A recorder?

Oh, you're a music man, huh

Well, here's a little bell,

and on Christmas Eve, I want you to ring

that, and I'm gonna try to bring a

recorder your way. Now you be real good.

All right. Oh, hey,

Francine. What are you doing here?Randy,

you asked me that last week when you

bumped into me at the movies, and the

week before that at the bowling alley.

Oh, I guess I'm just a curious

guy. Oh.

Merry Christmas. Oh. All right.

All right there. Hey, what's your name?

Okay, well, we will see you on the 12th.

Can I help you find anything else?Thanks.

I think I'm just gonna keep browsing.

Okay. Hey, House Dinova's up the street.

I cannot say enough about it.

Because it drives me crazy.

And the itsy

bitsy

spider

Climbed up the spout

again Hey. Okay, that

was better, Joe, but remember, G-flat is

here. Yeah, sorry, I got a little

distracted there. I was worried about the

spider. Yes, he certainly wasn't a bit of

a pickle, wasn't he?Yeah, but that sun

comes out, dries everything off, and

everything's normal again. Yeah, it's

pretty convenient, if you ask me. Mm-hmm

Lazy, you mean?Yeah, like, the writer

just wanted to wrap everything up and get

out of there, you knowWell, maybe you had

to go to the bathroom. Maybe. I'm sure

all that talk about the rainfall probably

didn't help. HuhDon't

make me laugh when I'm drinking, Joe.

Pianos are expensive.

I promise. By the way, what kind of piano

are you practicing on at home?I bought

this this little bride, you knowIt was

cheap on Craigslist. I don't know what it

was called. It was 60 bucks. Well, just

remember, you need to practice two hours

a day if you want to be ready for your

niece Tilly's wedding. Yeah. Okay?Sure.

All right. From the top. From the top.

From the top. The itsy

bitsy spider

Went up the

garden spout

You gotta buy this too. Why do I have to

buy that?It's open, I'm drinking it.

Speaking of theft, Randy, I noticed some

missing inventory again. I think I have a

shoplifter on my hands. Here's what you

do. Four guys, undercover. Four?Yeah,

like one for each corner of the store,

preferably ex-Navy SEALs. Navy SEALs, got

it. Shoplifter comes in for the

five-finger discount, and boom, you take

now like 18. Okay, you're proposing I

spend tens of thousands of dollars to

catch a plate of leaf. OK, um, two guys.

Nice FBI. Now, the thing here is... How

about we just get some security cameras,

OK?They're 30 bucks over there. We

can

do that. Yeah. Dude, business is booming,

Jake. I had to hire three more people

just to keep up with traffic this week. I

can't believe... Oh, hey, Forster. How's

it going?Uh, hey, Jake, listen, man, I

got to go, but let's have dinner soon, OK?

On me this time. Merry Christmas.

I'm Buddy Jake. So, sounds

like things are going good for you, huh

What?Oh, man, don't-- don't tell me you

just overheard that. Okay, now I'm

embarrassed. Well, you should be,

because there is no cell service in here.

I'm sorry?Yeah, this whole block. It's a

dead zone.

Oh, really?Well, then who was I just

talking to?the only person who

finds you faintly amusing?Yourself.

I know plenty of people who find me

amusing. Oh yeah, how is Skid Row these

days?Okay, that was kind of clever.

And of course, we are pleased that we are

punched to be bringing our high quality,

superior selection to this part of the

state. Your grand opening is on Saturday.

How did you manage to keep it quiet for

so long?It wasn't easy, believe me.

Back to you, David. How could this have

happened, Ben?A heads up would have been

nice, Ben. I was blindsided, too. How'd

he build a huge store in town without

anyone knowing about it?He didn't. He was

crafty. He went to a second party. He

bought the old tower records just off the

highway. It's been standing empty for

nine years. Serves us all right for not

buying more records. Ben, what are you

gonna do about this?Well, naturally,

Will, I'm going to wave my enchanted

mayor's wand seven times and turn Barnes'

new store into a big pile of goose

feathers. How would that be?Well, sounds

good, mayor. But I'd keep that wand under

lock and key because it-- Joking.

Unsuccessfully. But maybe there is a

magic wand we can use. Come with me. You

want to tell me where you're going?Uh,

less than anything else in the world.

She does not mince words.

County Library. Whoa. Don't get in here

much. What are we looking for?Municipal

document. I know I saw it down here once,

but they have moved everything around

since I worked here back in college. Oh,

I remember when you took that job. Oh,

yeah?YeahDad was scared stiff. He winded

up a librarian instead of going into

business because...

It says, You know I'm not better, right?

About, um.. Dad leaving the store to you

instead of the both of us?Well, I hope

not, Randy. I mean, I was there when you

told him you'd rather spend 50 years in

the Sahara than one hour in the toy

business. Toy, he sure took that

literally, didn't he?But...

Well, I guess it makes sense. I mean,

you loved the store as much as he did,

and I love crewing on fishing boats and

giving a hand in the off-season, but...

ButIt was just...

I want to think Dad would be proud of me,

that's all. Randy, he adored you.

Well, yeah, but it's not the same as

being proud. Aha.

What?

Come on down to Roy's Toys. Roy's got

everything you need for Christmas this

year. How about a driver's license?well

Almost everything.

And cut. That was great. Let's go

tighter. Five minutes, everybody. Listen,

Max, the kid in the black shirt over

there is wall-eyed. It's creeping me out.

Wall-eyed?Yeah, I'm afraid you're gonna

have to replace him. Get a normal kid in

there. Okay, Roy. Do it quietly, under

some sort of pretext. I'll think of

something. Miss Halifax, what's a good

word?Problems. That's a bad word. You

need to see this, Roy. It's from the New

Britain location. Are they ready for the

grand opening?There may not be any grand

opening, Roy. Look. What am I looking at?

County ordinance someone dug up from 1946

forbids the operation of any retail

establishment over a certain size. Well,

what about Tower Records?It was never

enforced before. Well, why pick on me?Why

does Tower get all the breaks?Roy,

they're bankrupt. They're worth $2

billion. Who got the break?They did!

Okay, Roy, you're getting hysterical.

You're right. I'm in a tizzy. These

things throw me into a tizzy. I need a

field estimate of my chances. of not

being shut down if you ignore this thing?

25 to 1. Get my lawyer on the phone.

Which one?All of them.

Hey, your little brother's gonna love

this. Merry Christmas, Brady. Paper just

came. Oh, good. You can check out the new

coupon.

Oh, no. What's wrong?They forget the

little dotted line that shows you where

to kite?Oh, no.

I know. I know

What happened to the ordinance?Connie,

it's like I told Woldenova just now.

Barnes' attorney filed a motion for a

waiver. Filed a motion with who?The Board

of Selectmen. We're voting on it this

month. But it has to be a simple

majority. That's the good news. And the

board is only me and two other people,

Shirley Laverson, who, granted, might

vote in Barnes' favor, and my

brother-in-law, Pete, who... I just gave

my kidney to last year, who I guarantee

you will not. And I'm certainly not going

to. Well, what's-- what's the bad news?

I beg your pardon?Well, you said there

was-- that was the good news. Like,

there's also some bad news?What's the bad

news?

The vote is on Christmas Eve. Until

then... .

What?What?Until then what?Barnes gets to

remain open. No. No, no, noThat

That is two weeks away. That could

seriously damage my business. I know.

Well, Denova has a lot to lose, too. Stop

trying to cheer me up.

First your toys, where you can now

pre-order the all-new Princess Elite--

Denova.

Wow. Good morning, Cash. Eat a menu?

Oh, no thanks, Joe. I'm not staying.

Well, how about a referee, then?

Toll House cookies. Help yourself.

What is a Toll House anyway, huhIs that

why you asked me to come down here to ask

me that?No. You gonna

sit?

Got a proposal for you. You're not my

type. Forrestrom, my deal will go a whole

lot better if I don't have to fight with

you. I won't. All right, look.

I know we have a little history together.

Your dad resented my uncle for buying his

own store up the street. You resented me

for taking it over. I get it. This is

gonna be a long story. No. I'll cut right

to the end. We're drowning. I'm not.

Give me a break. We're in the same leaky

boat, and you know it. Oh, a second ago,

we were drowning. So I mixed my metaphors

a little, Sumi. The point is, there's

trouble in River City, and his name is

Roy Barnes. I am well aware of Roy

Barnes. What is it you want exactly?

An alliance. You and me. I'm

sorry?Strictly of convenience and only

for two weeks. You mean, like,

working together?Why

not?It'd be like Bugs and Daffy teaming

up to fight Alma Futt. Happened all the

time. Uh, Bugs never teamed up with

Daffy. What?You're crazy. You want a list?

Uh, Rapid Fire, 1951. Rabbit Seasoning,

1952. Rabbit... You know what, Genova?I

don't care. All I'm saying

is we pool our resources. All we gotta do

is keep ourselves alive until the board

votes to reject Barnes' waiver on

Christmas Eve. Then we're home free.

And if they don't reject it?Well,

then we're sunk anyway, but Ben assured

me they will reject it. I'm

sure he told you the same thing.

So, what do you say?Temporary

partners?I'm

gonna have to think about it. What?

Have a nice day. Uh, you gonna let me

know before his big grand opening on

Saturday?Forrester!

Man, she loves these dramatic exits. I

know I do.

Hello?Oh, hi, honey. You coming

home?Yeah, in a bit. Um,

Mom, the sign on the store,

Dad copied the design from the cafe he

took you on your first date, didn't he?

Mm-hmmRude Awakenings up in

Granville. We sat sipping

coffee for-- oh, it must have been three

hours. Your dad was so nervous that half

the sugar ended up in his lap.

He was crazy about you, Mom. Yes.

He left me and you and Randy and

TJ and that storm. That was his

world. Pretty great world. You

wanna tell me what's going on?Oh,

nothing, Mom. It's just...

I have this friend, and... she

lost her dad four years ago and her

husband a year later, and now she's...

close to losing her business, so she gets

to wondering, what does luck have in

store for me next year?

Well, Connie, you tell your friend

that luck can change, especially if you

make your own. Did you get that from a

fortune cookie?Doesn't mean it's not

true.

I love you, Mom. I'll be home soon. I

love you too, sweetheart.

Hello?Genova?I'm

in. Yes! Oh, by the way,

I'm bugs in this scenario, OK?You're

Daffy. I'm just kidding. You can be bugs

if you wanted to. Hello?

You've already hung up, haven't you?All

right, then, I-- yeah, I'm gonna hang up,

too.

You might be wondering what it is I'm

doing here, and what it is you're doing

here, employees of Forester Toys and

Denova Toys. Well, as

of today, we few,

we happy few, we band of

brothers... And sisters. And sisters.

Our co-workers. Each of our stores is

remaining open, but we're gonna be

pooling our profits, our inventory,

and our marketing plan. Which means we're

going to ask all of you to put aside that

burning feeling of disgust and resentment

that's been haunting your thoughts and

fueling your nightmares for the last

several years, and see if you can work

together as a team. Do you think you

could do that?Yeah, Yeah no problem.

Easy. You can?We already get along

great. You do?Connie, I think you

might be projecting here. I mean... All

of us really like each other. We actually

hang out after work. Maureen and I have

been going out for almost a year now. And

Kenny and I are thinking of eloping next

month. Oh.

Congratulations.

Well, that was awkward. If you laugh,

I'll kill you.

Okay. That was, um..

That sounded... You have been

practicing two hours a day, right?Yes,

I've been practicing two hours a day,

sometimes three hours a day. Hmm

Let me ask you a question. Looking at

this photograph for weeks now. One of

those guys up there. He's your husband,

wasn't he?Yeah. That's Alex on the right

there. Uh, the fine-looking man.

Grand opening. Nice. Who's the other

fellow?Oh, that's Roger DeNova.

They were partners. Then didn't you know

I only hit town a couple of years ago.

Well, what happened?Well, Alex and Roger

were best friends in college, and about

five years after they graduated, they

decided to open a toy store. It was all

Dad's idea. Connie, do you mind?

I'm giving a piano lesson. Actually,

you're giving a history lesson, and I'd

like for it to be accurate.

Anyway... Since Alex was the primary

investor, he felt that it should be his

name on the front window. Dad sunk every

last nickel he had into that place.

Roger was okay with that at first, but as

time went by and he was working every bit

as hard as Alex was...

Huh ...he decided that his name should be

there, too. And Alex

refused. They fell out over

it. And then Roger took out a loan and

opened his own toy store one block down

the road, mainly out of spite. Mainly?

Connie, do you want to finish telling

this story?Oh, I wouldn't dream of it,

Mom. I love science fiction.

And they never made-up, huhWell, you

should have asked, Joe. Hi,

Pam. TJ let me in. Uh,

sorry, probably should have called first.

For what it's worth, Pam, my uncle wanted

to visit Alex every day. He was in the

hospital. But he refused. I

know. I'm sorry, Will.

Okay, let me just say this for the

record. I hate this story.

Yeah, me too. So what brings you by to

Nova?Joe, actually. Francine said

he might be here. Pancake recipe for

tomorrow. My best you ever tasted. It's

yours?Ex-wives. I'm sure

she's whipping up a batch every morning

these days for Carl. Carl?The

ex-friend. I hate all these

stories. TJ, did you remember to close

the garage?No.

Saw a bobsled in there. You sure is TJ?

Yeah. Nice. Getting ready for the big

race next weekend?Oh, you mean the one

I'm gonna lose?He's been reading The

Power of Positive Thinking. You know,

I was supposed to lose to Marco Frankie's

sled back in 1987, but I didn't.

I actually took for his prize. Maybe

later I can show you how. Cool.

Grand opening. This isn't even a good

opening. In two hours, I've sold exactly

one Mr. Potato Head and one game of an

album. Actually, the Mr. Potato Head just

got returned, Roy, but they took store

credit. Where is everybody?

You're not gonna believe it. Ah

The princess will be here Tuesday, mate.

Hey, I am so sorry we are out of the

Chase and Go ball-popper, but I bet

Denova's up the street will have one. How

are you at?Hurry. Reverend, how's

it going?Connie, if I served these at

church, we'd fill every pew. That

heavenly, huh

Ben, it's like you could use some more

coffee. Thank you, Connie. Hey, you know

why they call coffee mud?Uh, because it

was ground a few minutes ago. Old joke,

Ben.

I'm not that old.

Hey, Eleanor, you having fun?Sorry. I

know I'm always playing with this toy.

Oh, what do I look like, the FAA?Knock

yourself out. I really wish we could

afford to buy it. My

dad said there's no money for extras

right now. Yeah, a lot of that going

around.

Not bad. Not bad. Yeah, I counted

85 just now. Yeah, it was almost 70 over

in my place. Well, you're right.

Americans will do just about anything for

free pancakes. This guy's ready to

propose. Oh.

What is he doing here?

So, this is where all my customers

got to, I wonder. Connie Forrester, right?

That's me. Roy Barnes, my associate, Miss

Halifax, nice to meet you finally. And

nice little shop you've got here.

Be it ever so humble. We were just in

Denova Toys. Wall-to-wall, tell him

congratulations. Pancake breakfast.

Hats off, guys. Very inspired.

Uh, Mr. Barnes. Roy, please. Roy, I have

to say you're being surprisingly

gracious, considering, well... I'm the

competition?Well, why the heck not?I

mean, you two seem to get along okay,

right?Peas in a pod.

See what I mean?I just figured that's how

things are done around here. It's kind of

refreshing, right, Miss Halifax?Like a

mug of hot cocoa. Or a stack of

buttermilk pancakes. Speaking of which,

uh, do you mind if we... Yeah, follow me.

The Eliminator. Now, tell me, what's the

Eliminator exactly?Sled. Bobsled,

Mr. H. Best win in the county. Tell him

how fast it was, Boots. 42. 42 miles an

hour, Mr. H. Whoa, that's not going fast.

That's flying low. Right. Hey, Boots,

where should we go to celebrate after you

win next weekend?You guys are feeling

pretty common, aren't you?Who's gonna

beat 'em?Anything's possible. Cubs won

the World Series last year. Cubs weren't

facing the eliminator.

Hey, pal, listen. I really want to see

you win next weekend, huhMe too. How'd

you like a one-man crew chief?You're

hired.

Hey. You hear the latest about Roy Barnes?

No. Do we want to?Well, apparently now

he's a patron of sport. What?

Toy mogul Roy Barnes has thrown his hat

into the winter sports arena by

sponsoring Marshall Booter's bobsled, The

Eliminator, which will be competing in

the Winter Carnival Race this Saturday.

Sponsoring?Yeah, like it's NASCAR or

something. Can you believe this?No.

Why is he doing it?Well, just my way of

giving back to the community, Barnes

explained, as he stood in front of his

recently opened New Britain store. We're

pack a lies. He's doing it to get to me.

I get to us. No problem.

It'll just be that much sweeter to watch

him lose next week. Hand me that screw

right there, please. I'm

solving now, sis. You never even know

it's a camera. Heck, he'd even fool me.

Hard to believe. Right?I don't know. This

dude's shoplifting days are numbered.

Ah, that's great. Thanks, bro.

Oh. Hold on. I got to take this, OK?

All right. Talk soon. Bye, Randy.

Hello?

This is huge. Thanks, Tess. I owe you

one. Tess Howard. I

helped her ace third period algebra, and

now she gives me intel on Roy Barnes.

What's up?Well, Tess works at the

warehouse where they're shipping the

Alicia's from. And?

And she said there is limited production

on the dolls this year. Anyone who placed

their order after October 15th won't be

getting their dolls in time for

Christmas. Like Roy Barnes' new

store?Like Roy Barnes' new store. Does

that mean Roy is out of luck?Up a creek

without a princess.

Hey, Roy! Neil Armstrong,

Roy! Neil Armstrong! What?

Neil Armstrong?Buddy, you're the one in

outer space.

Randy, I noticed some more missing

inventory. I think our shoplifter is

struck again. No worries,

sis. The gnome is in the home

and on the job

24/7.

Let's take a bite out of crime.

Never mind about last night. Just go to

when you first opened up this morning.

Gas station, Randy. Gas

station. No, I had the gnome facing the

wrong way, out the window.

You know, it's my fault, Randy. When I

said to monitor the store, I really

should have specified this store. Hey,

hey, don't beat yourself up, sis. I'm

partly to blame here, too.

Hey, Tess. What's up?What

bad news?

Will, we've got a problem. How big?

Think Armageddon.

Sam will finish ringing you up, ma'am.

Sam, please. What's up?

Money changed hands. The dolls that were

supposed to be coming to us tonight,

they're being delivered to Roy's. But

isn't that, uh, oh, what's the word that

means opposite, illegal?Well, if Barnes

forged the papers, it's just his word

against ours. We could sue. Yeah, and we

would definitely win, but I just talked

to a lawyer who said it could take up to

three years. So our dolls forged or we

paid for him. I know. Question is, how

are we gonna get him back?

How are your acting skills?

Let's find out. Uh,

is this Big Al Larkin?This

is Sue Dodie calling from corporate.

Yeah, uh, listen, I just heard from New

Britain. Uh, what's going on out there?I

mean, you're lost or something?What are

you talking about lost?I'm on Route 7

now. Oh, no, you did not just say that,

Al. Please hold, Ned, Ned. He says

he's on Route 7. I mean, I think he's

going to the wrong address. Well, I want

that man fired. Oh, whoa, whoa, Ned.

Okay, look, lookCool your jugs, okay?I

know that Roy is your brother-in-law, but

but let's give the man a chance, okay?Al,

Al, listen, are you with me?Listen,

you're going to the wrong address, okay?

You want to go to 870 Juniper Road, you

got that?870 Juniper, got it.

Am I in trouble?Not if you get there in

the next 10 minutes. Good luck, Al.

Nice. Yes. Ooh, 10 minutes. Come on.

Okay. We gotta go.

Okay. Tell Sue, Dodie, that was 9 minutes

and 58 seconds. What

happened?She's running late. Headed

across the river at Manor Hill Road.

They got a bridge there now?No. We

really could use one, though. This

looks like a high school. Yeah, you know,

Roy decided Tower wasn't big enough for

him. Went out and bought himself a high

school. Pretty nifty, huhGuess so.

Doesn't look like a store, though. Thank

you, Al. That's exactly the look we were

looking for. Yep, latest thing in kids

marketing, Al, you make them think

they're in school and then, bam, toys.

Yeah, yeah, our new slogan is, uh, It's

always recess at Roy's Toys. Uh, not

bad. Hey, want me to pull it around back?

We're already on load now. Thank you,

Bella.

Yeah. You

think Barnes will report us?For taking

back our own stuff?Not likely.

I may be a terrible singer, but I still

love this song. Yeah, me too.

Ah, this is me right here, up and to the

left.

Thanks for the lift. You

know, the last thing I expected was to

have fun tonight. Me too. But you did?

Overall,I'd say it was better than a head

cold or filing a tax return. You know,

when you gush like that, it just

embarrasses me. Goodnight to Novo.

By the way, would it kill us if we

started using first names?Oh, I take

chances. Come on. Just try saying,

Goodnight, Will.

Goodnight, Will. There

you go. Was that so bad?Sort of.

Goodnight, Connie. Goodnight. Listen, now

that we have the dolls and Roy doesn't,

tomorrow's gonna be a mob scene. Get some

sleep.

Some mob scene?Where is everybody?I don't

know. Is there something great showing on

TV, like The Godfather or John Wick 2?I

doubt it, Randy. No, John Wick 2.

I heard you. Maybe they're all

Tanovas.

Hello?We're back here.

Our customers. Shoppers at the Roy's Toys

in New Britain got the Christmas surprise

of their life today when Stephanie

Desmore, the pop sensation whose theme

from Moonglow is now the number one hit

in the country, took to the stage as part

of an all-day holiday concert. Sponsored

by toy magnate, Roy Barnes. Word spread

fast thanks to social media, and now the

star-studded event has attracted an

audience of thousands. Barnes had her

flown in today?Yep. We got the

dolls, but you got the diva.

I hate this song.

Mike. Hey, listen, uh, business

took a major hit on Tuesday. It picked

back up again yesterday, but but that

balloon payment I have coming up, I'm

gonna be a little short. How short?

Uh, Chihuahua?That's pretty short. I

know, I knowI have to ask for an

extension. I can give you $30,000 now,

but the other $40,000, maybe in three

months?Fine. Listen, before you shoot

me down, I just want to sit-- Wait, what?

I'll have to run it by Mr. Harris, of

course. But I'm confident he'll be

agreeable. Really?You're

not joking. Connie, have you ever met a

banker that had you rolling in the aisles?

Good point. Thanks, Mike. Merry

Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Plus a little cooking oil for added

viscosity. And then you

just stir, and

voila. Then it just sits here overnight?

That's it, buddy. Just got to leave these

garage doors open, and by the morning,

these runners will be pure ice.

Re-slighten.

Not bad. Wow. Will

this really work?HuhIt worked against

Mark LaFrankie. Mom, I think Will

might be almost as smart as you.

Not quite, but I have my moments.

Dinner's ready, everybody. Will, why

don't you join us?

Come

on. And that's when this crazy-looking

dude comes cruising into Connie's store.

Oh, the jigsaw puzzle guy?Yeah. You want

to tell him?No, no, no, go ahead. All

right. So this guy comes in to Connie's

store to return a jigsaw puzzle, right?

Connie's like, What's wrong with it?And

the guy goes, The box says from two to

four years, and I just don't have that

kind of time. Yeah.

I don't know where he works, but I'm

guessing it's not NASA. Oh, let's hope

not.

No, you cannot see that movie. You're not

allowed. Not for another 10 years.

Mom, you think Roy Barnes will be at the

race tomorrow?Oh, I'm sure of it, kiddo.

Doesn't he live all the way down in

Stanford?Yeah, but he'll be there. Oh, I

burned him, but good the other night when

I drove past the gas station. You guys

should have been there. No, it was the

night that I installed the the gnome in

the home, remember?Oh, yeah, I remember.

Yeah. So he's over by the the station

pumps, just yakking with some dude. And I

cruise up and start yelling, Hey, Neil

Armstrong. Neil Armstrong. I

rocked him to the core.

Neil Armstrong?Like Like the first man to

walk on the moon?Yeah, Yeah like one

small step for man, one giant leap for

mankind?I was calling him

the space cadet. I was telling him to

moonwalk back where he came from. Neil

Armstrong, come on. Don't tell me you

never heard of that before. I never heard

that before. Ah, well, I guess it's just

not hip enough for you. Kids don't know

what it means, right?I never heard it

before either.

What?I mean, the young kids. Yeah, I'm

sure they do. Yeah. Yeah

Your orders were to kill James Bond. They

got away!You know the penalty for

failure. Wait! Nice

of you two to drop in.

No! You

know he's single, right?Don't nudge me,

Mom.

Thanks for dinner. Thank you. It was nice

to get my mind off Roy Barnes for a few

hours. Do you think he even enjoyed what

makes him rich, you know?Toys, children,

all of that?Not the way you do.

You really love it, don't you?Why do you

love it so much?Well, what do you

remember about growing up, I mean, before

the age of 10?Not much.

Most people don't. But I bet there's a

special toy you remember.

Hot Wheels Spiral Speedway. Got it

for my eighth birthday. See what I mean?

Uh, Spiral Speedway. Mattel

introduced that in 1983, discontinued in

'91. Awesome truck.

Whoa. Well, when I help a child find the

perfect toy, it doesn't just make them

happy. It creates a memory

sometimes. And when I do that, well...

It's not solving world peace, but

it's not nothing either, right?Far

from it.

Hey, uh, do you mind if I ask you a

somewhat personal question?I guess

I'd have to hear it first.

Have you been out with anybody since,

um.. Since I

lost my husband?

The answer is... Yes.

YesYes, I do mind the

somewhat personal question.

Sorry.

What?

All right, well, um, I guess I'll see you

tomorrow. Top of the hill.

Top of the hill.

Careful, TJ. It's slippery. There

he is. Let's go get ready. Get away from

your mom. Forrester, how's it going?

Roy. I, uh, I heard you

had a little confusion with the delivery

of your dolls the other day. I'm very

sorry. These things happen.

Here, looking after your investment?Well,

that, that's just local advertising. I

don't have a horse in this race. I just

came out to support my new neighbors. Oh,

like the one you hope eats the pants off

my little boy. Not true. I'm only sorry

that there can't be more than one winner

today, but there never is, is there?

You're not a real piece of work, you know

that?

Okay, bobsledders, take your places on

the starting line.

Mom, where's Uncle Randy?He's

down by the finish line. You want Boots

to give him a message for you?

You're gonna do great, bud.

Ohh DJ! Woo-hoo! Come on, buddy.

The first thing I want to do is go over

the rules. When I say go,

you'll slide down this hill.

Any questions?Good. Is

that what concerned me?

Listen, it's just like the practice

lines. Tilt the wheel, don't jerk it. Got

it. And remember, you own this hill.

These other kids, what are they doing?

Visiting. Exactly. Let's do it.

Hey, listen, I want you to win. I'm also

your mom, so be careful, okay?All right,

go get 'em. You're all strapped in,

'cause we have no insurance.

On your marks!

Oh ohh my god! Yeah! What's happening?

learns better binoculars than I do. Come

on,

come on Faster!

Sorry, I got caught up in the moments.

Bravo! No kidding, that was

magnificent. Miss Halifax. Being a

beauty. And a joy forever.

Congratulations. You should

really be on Broadway, you know that, Roy?

What are you talking about?I told you, I

have no horse in this race.

That you did. See you around.

You know the penalty for failure.

Wait! Nice of you to drop in.

No!

Hey! Wanna dance, sailor?

Yeah, sure.

Hello, Peach. Hey. Now, how

long will it be before I start sounding

like Uncle John?

On piano or kazoo?

What?Not bad. Want some punch?Oh yeah,

sure.

I always imagined punch tasting better

than it actually does. Why is that?

Songs unsung are

sweeter by far.

Which is a very pretty song.

It should be danced to. Well, why

not?

The answer is no.

No, I haven't been out with anyone since

Sam passed away. You know, at

first you're just afraid what your kid

might think. But then when he starts

asking why you're not seeing anyone, you

know it's a little more complicated

than that. I don't think

it's complicated. No. I've

been through the ringer the last few

years. Twice, in fact. You

wouldn't be scared of getting close tome.

TJ likes you. Of course it does. I'm a

dog. Sometimes.

Whoa, should I really just say that?Yeah,

surprise, me too.

Feel like going for a walk?

Sure. Oh,

Randy, wait, are you going home?Oh,

hey, Francine. Yeah, my blueberry copy of

The War for the Planet of the Apes came

in today, so... I love Planet of Apes.

Wait, you do?Yes, I love it so much. Oh,

it's so cool. I know, right?Yeah.

Definitely gonna have to lend it to you

sometime, then. Remind me, okay?

Well, you're quite the dancer. I

took a couple of lessons, went up a

station in the grid, but it seemed safer

than studying bullfighting. So you were

in the service. Marine Corps. 23

years. Wow. That's very impressive.

Well, the robot. A lot of

guys were in the Marine Corps. Better

than me. Let's try it again.

Listen, I know I can be a little

sarcastic sometimes. Oh, stop the

presses. Hold the headline. Speaking of

sarcasm, but no, this

is from the heart. I can't thank you

enough, Will. Wow, TJ did most of the

work. No, I don't mean just about the

race today. I mean about

everything, the whole partnership.

It was a good idea, you were right. And

if business keeps going the way it's

been... Well, wouldn't

it?And the board rejects Barnes' waiver

on the 24th... How could they not?

Well, then everything will go back to the

way it was before. Not a minute

too soon. So

resolving our new partnership, that's

good news, right?

Your best stellar.

I hate it too.

Thank you. You're welcome. See you later.

Hi. Did you find everything you need?

Yeah, I don't know about this then. I

never liked this chandelier, really. Does

Liberachi live here?I was also thinking

about putting in a porch swing right

here. Oh, nice. It's

very Pepperidge Farm. You

think Connie will like it?What do you

mean?Come on, Will. Am I blind?

You think handsome and sexy equals blind?

Everybody in town knows what's going on

between you two. She's a great girl.

You're a very lucky guy. That

I am.

There is one piece of bad luck, I'm

afraid. This couple down in Philly,

they're interested in making an offer on

the place. I can stall them for a while,

but not indefinitely. So do you think

you're close to raising the 80 grand?

Well, I got 37 so far, 40 if I cash in my

bonds. That's not enough. How much time

do I have?Two or three weeks, maybe?

Oh, that's not enough.

Well, I know you were happy

here with Laura. For

a while?And I know you think buying back

this house will somehow make you whole

again. But maybe there's an argument for

not buying it back and moving on with

your life.

Get a hold of yourself, Ben.

By the way, what was your favorite toy

growing up?Dizzy doll.

Dizzy doll?What is that, like a baby doll?

Mm-hmmYeah, his eyes would

sort of light up when he speaks.

I know a girl just like that.

Come on down to Roy's Toys where

everything at my New Britain store is 80%

off. Nope, there's nothing wrong with

your television, and you don't need a

hearing aid. But if toys are what you're

after at Roy's, they're 80% off. No No

no Go on back home, Santa! Roy's got it

covered this year with his 80% off sale.

80%! That's spelled 8-O-M-G.

It's 80% off! Only at Roy's. See you

soon. 80% off.

New Britain only. He's doing this to sink

us. Man, we're dead.

Over my dead body.

Some of these people are coming today to

interview for the account.

Oh ohh my gosh, whose puppy is this?

What's going on?What's your name, little

fella?Oh, is it a

doggy?Is he okay?

Miss Forester.

I love these figures, Rick. You guys are

gonna love your bonuses this year.

Speaking of lovely figures...

Sorry, Roy. She stormed right past me.

Oh, that's no problem. Guys, you want to

give us a minute?

So, Miss Forrester, how are you?Let me

guess. Seething. No, I passed Seething

back on Route 15, Roy. You're looking at

full-on reach. I want you out of New

Britain. I don't

blame you. This is just another drop in

the corporate bucket for you. You know,

you don't have to be here, but we do.

Look, it's nothing personal. My team did

a field study last year and realized that

a store in your part of the state would

optimize market share. So we

opened one. To

optimize market share?Exactly. For

what does it profit a man to gain the

world but forfeit his soul?

He gains the world.

You really are hopeless. You know that?

Everybody should be so hopeless. But,

hey, I need a manager for my new

Britton store. Somebody local, somebody

smart, you know, knows all the parents'

names, sold toys to all the kids. What do

you think?I'd give you a great salary.

I'd even buy your store. How about it?

I think you know what you can do with

your offer, Roy.

Neil Armstrong!

What is with the Neil Armstrong thing?

Field estimate. Forrester's chances of

staying in business if I take no further

action from here.

Three to one. Here

you go. Here you go, boys. Merry

Christmas. Sis,

telephone. Hello?

Yeah, Mike. Connie, I just had a call

from Mr. Harris. I'm afraid he's

rescinding your extension. What do

you mean he's rescinding it?You need to

have the rest of your loan repaid by the

24th. Mike, today's the 22nd. It's

out of my hands, Connie. Did Roy Barnes

put him up to this?Mike?

It's nothing official, you understand.

Then tell me unofficially.

Barnes is a VIP customer of the bank. He

threatened to take his money elsewhere if

we didn't play ball.

I'm very sorry, Connie.

Hey. Sorry I'm late.

I know Joe had a Lego license. Oh, yeah,

got it two weeks ago. Just in time.

Um, I'll have a beer, please, Francie.

You got it. Thanks. I'm

really sorry.

Got room for another clerk?Experienced,

hardworking, and she'll even go on dates

with you. Oh, I'd hire you in a flat

second, but turns out my doors are

closing, too.

HmmConnie,

I-I don't know how to tell you this, but,

uh.. I just took a

job with Roy Barnes. It's the

same one he offered you.

Even if the board votes to get him out on

the 24th, he still wants to hire me. He

promised to buy my shop.

No. I want that house, Connie.

I need that house.

No, you can't do this. I'm so

sorry. You can't be doing it. Connie,

please listen. You have to tell me I

understand. You have to, Connie.

Otherwise the guild's just gonna eat me

alive. Well, you know, they have cures

for everything now.

Eleanor, you got here just in time.

What do you mean?Well, we're having a

special today. Everything in the store is

marked down for customers named after

famous First Ladies.

Marked down?100%. Oh,

my gosh. But you

better hurry 'cause there was a Mary Todd

in here looking about yesterday. Thank

you. Merry Christmas.

And Roy Barnes would put an end to that

sense of community. I mean, not

overnight, of course, but it only starts

with toys. Before you know it, Donna,

your dress shop that you've owned for 17

years would be wiped out by a

30,000-square-foot box store. And

Jim, your hardware store would go

head-to-head with the Homeworld. I mean,

sure, it's got a bigger selection, but

lower quality. some terrible service.

And that kind of attitude seeps into the

groundwater. Abby, by the time

little Wendy graduates high school, this

will hardly be a town anymore. You know,

it'll just be another giant retail

wasteland with a few houses in between.

I mean, sure the maps and signs will

still say New Britain, but it'll be a

lie. And we'll be the ones telling

it. Thank you.

Thank you, Connie. Now the board will

take its vote. Yay to approve Mr.

Barnes's motion to remain in town,

and nay to reject it.

Thank you, Shirley.

It's only three votes, so won't take too

long to tabulate.

The first vote is...

nay. And

the second vote is...

yay. And the

third and final vote is...

yay.

Royce gets to remain in town.

Congratulations, Mr. Barnes.

You ingrate. I gave you a kidney.

I support the free market bet. I had to

vote my conscience.

What's this?The guy over there?

Pete Griffin. What about him?He's the one

that I saw with Barnes at the gas station

the other night. Neil Armstrong, remember?

Are you sure?Yeah, I'm positive.

Well... How did Barnes drive all the way

from Stanford that time of night to meet

with a councilman?

Ben, that vote was tampered with.

Tampered with?By who?By you.

You were spotted a few nights back at the

gas station with Pete Griffin.

Filling my tank. That's when the money

changed hands. That's a serious charge

you're making, Connie. Randy will testify

to it. Well, I'm sure he will.

Doesn't mean it'd happen. Besides, I just

met that man today.

Pete, he's telling you the truth, Ben.

He said, she said. What's the point in

even talking about it?

I feel sorry for you.

So do I. You

know why I feel sorry for you, Roy?'Cause

you're nothing but a no-good, two-faced

liar. What did you call me?

You heard me. Well, I guess you don't

want to be working for me then, huhYeah.

You got that right, Roy. Guess I'll stick

with humans from now on.

Excuse me.

Remember this guy?Dizzy.

Yeah, his eyes glow when he speaks.

I know a boy like that. I

wanted to come over and say thank you.

No, you didn't have to do that. It

was a lousy job anyway. Should've seen

the break room. Was it worth it?

Almost.

Okay. Now it was worth it.

Why's it so dark in here?Yeah, they shut

my power off today. I wasn't gonna pay

the bill, but... Why didn't you?

Can't afford it. But you have

$40,000. Had. Not anymore.

I spent it right before I went to City

Hall. Spent it on what?

Your house, of course. Not on the house.

On your store, actually.

It's all yours again, Connie. Free and

clear. You deserve it. A

lot more than I deserve you.

But Orange will just put me out of

business in a year. Then we'll just have

to find him somehow.

Where have you been all this time?Just

up the street.

Hi, Joe. Is this a bad time?No, no, no

Come on in, come on in. Well,

how about some coffee?Oh, no thanks. I

was just getting ready for church. I

guess I probably shouldn't wear a tie

with this shirt, should I?No, you don't

need it. Listen,

I just came by to return this check. It's

too much money. Well, a

Christmas bonus. Well, that's very

generous of you, but I I don't think I

deserve it. You're not making much

progress. You're not making any progress.

You've been practicing two hours a day

like I asked, because your niece Tillie's

wedding is right over the corner.

Joe, where's your piano?

You don't have a piano, do you?

I don't have a niece, Tillie, either.

But I've been giving you lessons every

day for three weeks.

And they were worth every penny.

Oh, hey, Francine. Um, Connie's not

here. Uh, no, I'm not

here for her. Randy,

do you have a minute?There's something I

need you to see. Yeah.

You got the shoplifter?

Um, no, Brandi, I am the

shoplifter. But I'm

returning everything unopened and

turn myself in, if you like. why

did you... I

wanted you to notice.

What for?

I'll set fire to the sign tomorrow. Oh,

careful there, kid. Arson's a serious

crime. Don't forget, the gnome sees all.

The gnome in the home. We're

spacing the wrong way.

Your faces, your cars, your license

plates, your toast. HmmJust met this

guy today, all right?I gave you my

kidney, for crying out loud. What did he

ever give you?Eight grams.

Eight grams. That's it. I want my

kidney back. I want it now. Hand it over.

Wait, you know what?I'm just gonna take

in front of you. Get over

here! Field estimate. What are my chances

of winning if that goes to trial?

I hate that number.

Thank you, Pam and Joe Haggerty, for that

lovely accompaniment. Many of you were

present at their wedding this past

spring. Although tonight, we

are all gathered here to celebrate the

union between Connie and Will.

I'm William. Karen.

Come on, join me.

I'm a snowman, Karen. The Christmas

Snowman, an all new mini movie, next on

Lifetime. On the first day of

Christmas, Lifetime gave to me 90

pageants unraveling, 900 soul mates

meeting, 4000, 14 kisses, 3000

wishes. Most of them are granted.

Lifetime Christmas is really cozy.