Lavon Hayes is a very sad man. There is a reason he and Zoe have become the very best of friends, and it’s because they chase after ideals. Real life doesn’t mean that much to them. They have seen the movies and the television shows and think they know how love and romance are supposed to work. Instead of going with what is making them happy, they talk themselves out of it and drift off into dreamland looking for the false advertising the world pounds into our brains every day. This is what perfection is, now go get it!

Lavon was trying to make Ruby into his ideal. He was willing to go so far as to propose marriage so that in a year, instead of her following her dreams and him moving to Dallas to live with the woman he supposedly loved, he could somehow talk her into returning to small town life. That’s just pathetic. I couldn’t be happier that Lemon’s friends sabotaged his plans. I feel sorry for Lemon for taking the brunt of his anger and disappointment, but in the long rum he’ll realize Lemon may not be ideal, but she’s perfect for him. In a very odd way, the complement each other.

Then we have Zoe and Wade. Wade had been doing everything right. Hell, he’s half of America’s dream boyfriend right now, and that’s no small feat on the part of the writing team on Hart of Dixie. It was also well done that Zoe’s expectations of her mother were so completely off the mark. Zoe’s hardest critic is Zoe herself. Again, she wants to live this ideal, but nobody around her has the same wish. While her mom found it hard, due to their actions, that Zoe and Wade were a couple, she was the first to admit she always kind of liked him. I don’t think Zoe even heard her.

Wade has always been very well written when in scenes with his father. Learning the last time Earl played Santa was the year his wife and Wade’s mother died of cancer spoke volumes. He felt he had let himself, his son and the entire town of Bluebell down. He apparently never quite picked himself up from that one disaster. With Wade’s help, he was able to successfully complete a run as Bluebell’s official Santa and and I hope that sets him on a road of redemption, at the very least with Wade. I’d like to see their relationship explored in more detail because of how much we learn while they are together.

As Zoe said, “I didn’t know that about your family, because we weren’t like that.” Wade just replied that she never asked. They were so busy trying to be what the other thought they were supposed to be, they never truly saw what was happening to them. Something beautiful.

How wonderful was it that what could have been a massive and never ending tale of errors about an engagement ring between George and Tansy was so easily handled? They communicate so well that I think they may really find something in each other. There is an ease with which they treat each other. Sure, they want to make a good impression, but that is just sweet, and not overanxious. I like them together. I like that George laughs when he’s with Tansy. Much like Zoe laughs when she’s with Wade.

Which leaves me with my final thought. Zoe made her move. She could have let things go, but she – no really – listened to her mom and let him know how she felt. She admitted she was afraid of the feelings she was having and we can only imagine how much rockin was going around his Christmas tree that night.

The post Hart of Dixie Review: “Blue Christmas” appeared first on TVHackr.

On my phone, I have to have the Skype application open in order to receive incoming calls. Because it eats memory, I only open it when I am going to use the application. Brody must use Skype a LOT. Or, not so much SINCE HE’S A TRIPLE AGENT SPY. Abu Nazir calling him in the middle of their hotel room was ridiculous. Just popping up on his screen and talking as if Brody was taking any normal phone call. That was the most unrealistic thing I’ve seen on Homeland. I just didn’t buy it.

The conversation between Carrie and Nazir when he said the emotional transference he felt when breaking Brody was a kind of love was unique. It was also frightening as hell. Listening to a madman saying they will use whatever means possible, even taunting children with carts filled with candy and toys to kill and terrorize for their mission is so cold, and yet so real. Carrie was betting on Brody turning his back on her, even though she wanted to be saved, to prove a point; that he wasn’t as easily moved by the calculated mind frakking of Abu Nazir. She did it through tears, while Nazir calmly laid out the plans of future generations to wipe western civilization to extinction. Heady stuff.

I was unfamiliar with the machine Nazir wanted Brody to find, but in a way I was proud of Nazir. When his plans to utilize the van bomb went awry, he chose a kinder, gentler method to get back at Vice President Walden for the death of Issa – he’d go straight to the heart of the matter. Through the defibrillator implanted in his chest. It accomplished two things. One, it allowed Brody to carry out his mission for Nazir in avenging Issa’s death without collateral damage. Only the man in charge took the hit. Two, it gave Brody an opportunity to stick around and get his own form of vengeance, not only for Issa but for what Walden’s family put Dana through by paying off the daughter of the woman killed in car accident.

Nazir won the argument with Carrie, Brody saved her life and took that of Vice President Walden. But there was a gentle struggle going in within Brody. Even after promising on the everlasting soul of Issa, there was hesitation to give Nazir the number he needed to deal with Walden. I’m not sure if the exact catalyst that thrust him in the direction he chose, but it did show there is hope for Brody’s humanity.

We were forced to suffer through another scene with Dana and Finn, but my guess is he’s a plant of convenience to bring more emotion to Brody’s life at home when the news of Walden’s death hits. Finn may still be there when Brody gets home, so it’s a possibility the scene of him losing his father could play out before Brody’s eyes. That would be a nice approach to take, just to reinforce that for every life you take, there is someone innocent left behind. No matter how awful the person may seem to you, somebody else loves them.

Quinn, some other dude I don’t remember and Saul were heading off to Highway 50 to get Carrie – who of course disobeyed orders and went back to the warehouse to keep an eye on Nazir – but he seemed to be gone. Saul was pulled away and asked to go upstairs, and then downstairs, leading viewers to think something underhanded was afloat. Once I saw Quinn pull the gun on Brody, I don’t feel confident that Estes won’t try to pull the trigger on anyone. Talking it over with a friend, however, brought up the possibility that word has reached them Walden was dead and Brody as with him when he died. That would definitely shake things up a bit around there.

If you stuck around after the episode, there was a “showrunners discussion.” They brought up some interesting points to ponder. Brody’s agreement with the government has been fulfilled, so the only thing he has to do now is go home and disengage from his family. Does that mean we could be in for a full on relationship between Carrie and Brody? A happy Jessica and Mike? There was also mention of Carrie going back to the warehouse not to confront Nazir, but to keep eyes on him, although she was too late. The preview clips show her discussing a leak. If someone on the task force is leaking information, I think we can count out Quinn and Estes, as they have their hands full with other pursuits.

Two episodes left and I can’t stand the wait. What are your thoughts on what’s next?

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