Christmas Special: Gift Exchanges, Fav Songs and Shows, and Ted Lasso Christmas Episode

It’s the Torg Stories Christmas Special! We talk gift exchanges, favorite songs and shows, the Ted Lasso Christmas Special, and Anne calls Taylor Swift fans “Little Detectives.”

Podcast discussion topics for “Carol of the Bells.” Ted Lasso Christmas special season 2, episode 4:

• Anne, some background on season 2. It was inspired by the Empire Strikes back when Darth Vader attempts to turn Luke to the Dark Side. In this case, Rupert (Rebecca’s ex husband, tries to turn Nate to the dark side.)
• After the season was fully conceived, Apple wanted an extra two episodes. Here’s some info on that from Jeremy Egner’s book Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso, the Show that Kicked its Way into Our Hearts: “Of course, not all of the Empire Strikes Back season was so weighty. The fourth episode, ‘Carol of the Bells,’ was sweeter than a sugarplum dipped in chocolate inside a rock-candy shell. Essentially a Christmas special—even though it first aired in August 2021—it had almost nothing to do with the show’s larger narrative because it was one of two episodes added, at Apple’s behest, after the season was mostly conceived. As a result, it and the other bonus, the wildly eccentric ‘Beard After Hours,’ the ninth episode of the season, are essentially stand-alone stories.”

• The show opens with two gift exchanges. The team is having one in the locker room and the coaches are having one in the coach’s office. Anne, the main gift was booze. There was a scarf in there. Are you involved in gift exchanges?
• Jamie doesn’t bring a gift and he messes up the Dickens Christmas Carol blessing: Not God Bless us, every one BUT God Bless Me.
• Christmas plans are discussed. Lots of family time for everyone. Higgins having people over who don’t have anywhere to go. Ted plans to do face time with his son in United States.
• Anne, you’ve done some Christmases alone, right?
• Roy and Keeley are doing sexy Christmas. I hadn’t really thought about adult no kids Christmas. Phoebe’s mom has to work and she comes over with a really bad breath problem.
• Ted loses his son to go play his toys. Rebecca shows up at Ted’s and spells his name outside the window. She tells him he’s going with her to donate toys to kids’ houses.
• A big crowd shows up at Higgins house. There is a dramatic Nerf gun war.
• Fun fact: all of the foods that are brought to Higgins house are favorite foods selected by the actors from their home countries / cultures.
• We have three stories going: bad breath trying to get solved, Ted and Rebecca donating toys, and the Higgins Christmas Party.
• Anne, I learned a selfie is called an “usie” in England. Someone wants one with Keeley, right? Character based on girlfriend of Sudeikis. She also plays the character Bex.

• Roy uses poster boards so Phoebe can make signs to call out the boy who was making fun of the bad breath. This reminds me of the INXS video for “Mediate” but it reminds Izzy of a Taylor Swift song. Allusion to film Love Actually.
• Higgins gives a really good speech to those at his house and then this toast: “To the family we were born with, and to the family we made a long the way.”
• Ted and Rebecca show up at Higgins party to sing outside. They sing snows coming down and snow is coming down. We get a shot of Santa’s sleigh zooming by and reminds me of Elf.
• Stand alone episode, right Anne?

SNL is my favorite holiday programming to watch:

1. NPR’s Delicious Dish. Baldwin’s character Schweddy Christmas ball treats
2. “I wish it was Christmas Today” song. Fallon, Tracy Morgan, Horation Sanz, and Chris Kattan
3. Eddie Murphy’s North Pole News Report. Santa knew the fences were down and a polar bear eats some elves.
4. Bring it on Down to Wrappinville. Fallon and Timberlake have a sing off.
5. Glengarry Glen Christmas: Elf Motivation. Baldwin says, “Always, Be, Cobblin'”
6. Adam Sandler “The Chanukah Song”

Christmas Songs I like:

1. “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses
2. “Father Christmas” by The Kinks
3. “Merry Christmas (I don’t want to fight)” by the Ramones
4. “Last Christmas” by Wham