Synopsis of Home for the Holidays
Written by TK
Syd comes downstairs Christmas morning and is eagerly greeted by her family. Joanie tells Syd she can open presents first, and Robbie runs to get a present for Syd from behind the tree. He trips and falls, and Lynda comes out with a megaphone yelling, "Cut!" Robbie apologizes to Lynda and says he'll do better. Joanie complains that she's not feeling it. Jim has some ideas for the dinner scene. Meanwhile, Lynda is telling Syd that this now her show, and if she doesn't take it over she can kiss the Hansen family Christmas goodbye. Syd reluctantly takes over directing the show, but quickly starts to enjoy her new role.
It's the morning of December 23rd. The whole family except Syd is in the kitchen. Robbie is in a good mood because he has a shipment of 1000 Floovies coming in that's he going to be able to re-sell for a fortune. Even Joanie wanted to get a Floovie for Hannah. Syd comes in. She has been rooting around in the attic for a Christmas surprise, and while she was up there she found mom's old Christmas angel for the top of the tree. She suggests that they stay home as a family tonight, watch "It's a Wonderful Life," and draw straws to see who gets to put the angel on top of the tree. No one in her family can make it. Jim promised he'd spend time with Cynthia Blake, Robbie has to go pick up his Floovies, and Joanie is trying to figure out how Hannah's father Richie fits into the holiday plans. Syd is left disappointed.
At the clinic, Syd discharges a girl dressed like a Reindeer to her father. The girl hurt her leg and her father, Mr. Henderson, promises to take good care of her. Syd heads over to the check-in counter where Izzy is being frustrated by paperwork. Izzy warns her that a managed care guy is coming in to see her this afternoon, and Albert Clemmons is back. Syd goes to check on Albert Clemmons, and middle-aged man who runs a pawn shop and has a history of Emphysema. His lungs sound congested, so Syd puts him on antibiotics in case he's getting Pneumonia again. He says the holiday season is his busiest time of year, and it's a bad time for him to be sick.
In the Barkery, a blonde holding a toy poodle is chattering to Joanie about what a cute business she has, and how her daddy has been offering to buy her a business for just ever, but she just can't decide what it is she wants to do. Joanie assures the bimbo that it's not as great as it looks, but the blonde can only think how great it would be to be able to bring her dog to work with her. Finally, the blonde goes away and Syd comes in and asks Joanie if she'd like to go to lunch. Joanie says that she's love to, but she has to make setter sleigh bells for an animal shelter benefit. Syd suggests she do part today and part tomorrow. Joanie says tomorrow she's open for normal business in the morning tomorrow, and then Richie is coming by to taker her and Hannah to Portsmouth for Christmas eve. Richie even got a Santa suit. Syd is upset that Joanie is taking off, but Joanie says she's doing it so Hannah can spend time with her father that she barely knows... and Richie is separated from his wife. Syd is disgusted, and wonders if she's the only one that cares about the Hansen family anymore. Joanie says not everyone agrees with Syd's holiday vision.
Back at the clinic, Syd walks into her office to find Pete Danforth from Woodhill Managed Care waiting for her. She asks if he could leave his card and come back at a more convenient time. He says that Helen Reynolds did the same thing to him four times. Syd is curious that he spoke to Helen. Pete says he and Helen discussed how a partnership with Woodhill would help St. Clare's clinic. Syd reminds him that St. Clare's is free for people who can't afford healthcare, and they don't make money off their patients. Pete says that with the upcoming budget cuts, Syd and St. Clare's could find themselves out in the cold. He says that Woodhill can offer care on a sloping fee based on people's incomes. He leaves Syd with an info packet and standard contract to look over.
Syd comes home to find a palm tree from Jerry waiting for her in the front hall. Jim is on his way out to drive Cynthia Blake home because she came by to drop off muffins and now her car won't start. After Jim and Cynthia leave, Syd looks at the card that came with the palm tree: it's a picture of Jerry surrounded by three scantily clad bunny-eared women and it says, "Wish you were here." Syd laughs and head for the kitchen where Robbie asks her what she's doing tonight. She says she'd still love to put up mom's angel with Robbie if he's up for it. He says actually he just wanted to borrow her car to go pick up the Floovies. She gives him the keys. On his way out, Robbie says she should just put up the angel by herself 'cause probably no one will care. Syd sighs and does just that, but as she's reaching for the top of three with the angel, she falls off the step-ladder, hits her head, and breaks the angel.
Robbie goes into the warehouse where his boxes of Floovies are. He's talking loudly about checking on his order of Floovies, and they guy with him hushes him, tells him he'd definitely getting a good deal, and asks him to sign the form. Robbie signs the form and then opens up one of the boxes to check it out.
Syd is sitting by herself in the living room watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on TV and holding an ice-pack to her head. Lynda says she hates this movie. Syd says she likes it and relates to it, especially the part where Jimmy Stewart jumps into the freezing river. Lynda asks Syd if she's thinking of leaping into a river because she could use some company for the holidays. Syd says she has no intention of committing suicide, but she is tired of being the only person who gives a damn about the family. She thinks it would be better for everyone if she had just stayed in California, because she's not making a difference here anyway. Lynda says her wish has been granted.
Syd wakes up in a gorgouse sea-side house in California with a diamon the size of Rhode Island on her finger. Jerry shakes her awake, saying that she overslept and their A-list Christmas party starts in an hour. Syd, bewildered, goes to take a shower and finds her mother in the bathroom. Her mother looks at the diamond on her finger and congratulates her on her marriage to Jerry. Lynda explains that this is what her life would have been like if she'd stayed in California. Syd is comforted by her mother's presence, because it reminds her that this is all a dream. She tries to slap herself in the face to wake herself up, but it doesn't work. Her mother tells her she better get ready for her party.
Syd comes down to her party in a bikini top and skirt, dressed similarly to many of her guests. A bouncy (very bouncy) blonde comes over to thank her for the boob job. She hunts down Jerry and tries to talk to him, but he gets beeped and goes running because "Jack" is here and that means their party is going to make Variety. Syd finds her mother at the bar and expresses her unhappiness. Her mother tells her she should check out what's going on at home in Providence, and takes Syd to see.
Syd is in the snow out front of her house. She goes inside, but instead of Hansens she finds the Reindeer girl and her father, Mr. Henderson. Mr. Henderson explains that he bought the house from Jim Hansen last spring. Syd asks where he moved to and Mr. Henderson goes to find the address. Lynda takes Syd through a door into the Barkery. Syd finds the blonde bimbo behind the counter and asks to see the owner. The girl says that she is the owner, her dad put up the money for Jamie's Barkery and Joanie cooks here at night. Lynda turns Syd around and she's in St. Clare's, except now it's Woodhill Managed Care. Izzy, behind the counter, is cold to Syd and gives her a form to fill out. Syd sees a doctor discharging Albert Clemmons, telling him to go get some cough syrup. Syd interrupts, telling the doctor that Mr. Clemmons has pneumonia and needs antibiotics. Mr. Danforth asks Izzy to escort Syd out. Izzy whispers to Syd to meet her in the exam room and takes Mr. Clemmons back there. Before Syd can follow, Lynda takes her behind curtain number 2 where Syd sees Joanie, holding Hannah, pregnant with another baby, picking up around a dingy dark apartment.
Syd is in Joanie's apartment. Joanie comes out of the kitchen waddling, still carrying Hannah, now with a plate of cookies for Syd. They sit on the couch. Syd tells Joanie she stopped by the Barkery, and Joanie comments that the place was her idea. Joanie comments on Syd's huge diamond and Syd gets embarassed. Joanie has one too, but it's not nearly has big. Joanie's unborn child kicks, and she groans that the second on is definitely not easier. Richie comes home and Joanie complains that he didn't bring her string cheese. It comes out that they're not actually married. Richie is still married to Chris, but when he and Chris were having problems last year and Joanie spent Christmas eve with him, he and Joanie got back together, and now they're engaged while he works on his divorce from Chris. Joanie comments that at least she's better off than Robbie. Robbie? Robbie's in jail.
Lynda leads Syd to jail to visit with Robbie. He now has tattoos all over his arms and a stupid looking goatee on his chin. It turns out he was sentenced to two years for selling fake Floovies last Christmas. He comments that when he gets out of jail he's going to start over like dad did. Dad?
Lynda takes Syd to a party. It's Jim and Cynthia Hansen's Christmas party. Cynthia is excited to see Syd and introduces her as her daughter. Jim is obviously unhappy with his overbearing wife. He tells Syd that he had to sell the house to pay for Robbie's legal bills. Syd and her father talk about a past Christmas in which Syd got a stethescope, Robbie was a cowboy, and Joanie got a My Little Pony, until Cynthia drags Jim off to have a picture of them taken kissing under the mistletoe. Syd looks out the window and finds herself looking into the Hendersons' happy Christmas living room. Mrs. Henderson comes to the window and closes the blinds. Syd pulls away from the window and she's outside her old house. Her mother tells her that this all happened because she never came back from California. Every family needs a leader, and like it or not, Syd is the leader of the Hansens.
Syd wakes up in her living room, happy to be there. She hears barking outside and see Mrs. Blake approaching the house with her dog, Kobe. Syd runs outside and intercepts Mrs. Blake, asking her if she's seen Jim. Syd lies to Mrs. Blake that a dog escaped from the vet clinic, and Jim went running out after it, not even having time to put on clothes. Mrs. Blake is excited about finding Jim running around half naked and goes running off with Kobe looking for him. Syd finds Jim in the back yard. Jim asks Syd if she's okay since she was sleeping in the living room. Syd says she bumped her head last night and tries to use her injury to guilt Jim into not going to Mrs. Blake's Christmas party. Jim tells Syd she's a lousy liar. Syd insists that Jim can't go to Mrs. Blake's party, and Jim says that since Joanie and Robbie are busy, he figures it might be fun. Syd tells Jim that Mrs. Blake has a thing for him and she's scared he'll get remarried, but Jim just laughs it off and says he would expect crazy talk like this from Syd's sister. Syd suddenly remembers she needs to talk to Joanie too and runs off to the Barkery.
At the Barkery, Syd tells Joanie she should stick around and not go off with Richie, and that Jim decided not to go to Mrs. Blake's party. Joanie calls Syd's lie, and Syd admits that's not entirely true, but still Joanie shouldn't go off with Richie and get back together with him and get pregnant again. Joanie thinks Syd is insane. Joanie tells Syd to stop trying to recreate their childhood Christmas, that Christmas when they were kids really wasn't even all that great 'cause mom directed everything so much. Richie comes in dressed in his Santa suit and Joanie prepares to leave with Hannah. She promises she won't be getting back together with Richie, she'd be more likely to buy a $200 Floovie from Robbie, and everyone knows that will never happen. Robbie! Syd runs off.
Syd finds Robbie selling Floovies at the Christmas tree yard. She tries to convince Robbie not to sell them, that they're fakes, but Robbie insists they're just toys and he's going to make a fortune off them. Syd says she'll buy them all herself if that's what it'll take, but Robbie persists in selling them. Syd's cell phone rings. It's Izzy and she really needs Syd at the clinic.
At the clinic, Pete Danforth is there with a number of colleagues. Syd tells him to get out of her clinic, there is no deal. Izzy happily holds the door open as Danforth and his pals leave. Syd then sees Albert Clemmons who has a present for her. It's a new angel for the top of the tree, a beautiful glass one, completely unlike the ceramic one Syd broke the night before. Syd is touched by Albert's thoughtfulness.
Syd is putting the angel on top of the tree at home when Jim walks in saying he wasn't having a good time at Mrs. Blake's party and he decided he'd rather be home. Joanie comes in and says that thanks to her, Richie and Chris are back together and they'll be coming over to spend time with Hannah tomorrow. Robbie comes in and gives Syd the bill for 999 Floovies. He gives the other fake Floovie to Hannah. Syd asks why he decided not to sell them, but her question is answered when Hannah's Floovie speaks in Japanese. They all laugh. Syd sets up her Christmas surprise, the old family projector that she had restored. They watch an old Hansen family Christmas, where Syd gets a stethescope, Robbie is a cowboy (and lassos the Christmas tree, almost pulling it down on his father), and Joanie gets a My Little Pony. Their mother, of course, is directing things, but they're still having fun. Their mother speaks into the camera, telling her family how much she loves them.
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