1) Just in Time - A Rick & Lily episode we all yearned for. As we moved our way through this very busy day and a half, we were provided with many moving moments -- they worked their way through a decision making process regarding having another child together. They began with pillow talk about the possibilities, as well as the alternative option for Rick to get the “snip-snip.” In their b&w soliloquy scenes, we see Rick’s reticence and Lily’s “maybe” considerations. Rick seems willing, but not exactly happy about the prospect. He touched on this, in a hurried moment in the kitchen, and Lily didn’t miss his negative vibe. After Rick saw Lily holding the newborn baby in her arms, he was able to picture the same for them.

A baby, maybe, it is.

2) Picture Perfect - Everyone wanted things perfect, both at Karen’s home and Lily’s. However, in the Manning home, the good ornaments were missing. Zoe asked Jessie: “Do you guys come with ornaments?” to which Jessie replied smiling, “Like Divorced Family Action Figures?” Tiffany taught the girls how to make melted cup ornaments, and they did their best with garlands of popcorn and lights. I have to mention that the thought of Tiffany melting anything in Lily’s kitchen is totally unacceptable, since it was she who almost burned down the kitchen at Thanksgiving. But I digress… Tiffany’s water breaks, and it is now time to give birth. However, she is not where she intended to be, and Jake is away. As things become tense, we transition to see Karen’s house, spotless, decorated, perfect lighting and ambiance, candles flickering, holiday music playing… and Eli, Jessie and Judy arrive to Karen’s open arms. It is interesting to watch these two different settings alternate throughout the episode.

3) Jake to the rescue - Trapped in gridlock, on the only “open” road, although I guess since they weren’t moving, it wasn’t open, Jake sees an opportunity to get things rolling, so to speak. He jumps out of his car, and implores the driver of a snowplow to take him and the midwife to Lily’s house, as his child is soon to be born. The driver agrees, and after what must have felt like eons to Tiffany, the sound of airbrakes announces their arrival at Manning Manor. Zoe runs to the door, and as Jake and Tammy The Midwife run upstairs to attend to Tiffany, we note with whimsy Zoe’s comment: “Is that a snowplow?” to the now empty foyer.

4) Jake the Excuse[r] - Jake’s on a date. “It’s not a date,” he protests to Tiffany early on. “It’s two non-religious divorced people whose kids are with their ex’s, having dinner on Christmas eve.” When Grace calls him on his cell phone, to ask him to get Tammy because Tiffany is in labor, Jake has to cut this non-date short. The whole scene is uncomfortably funny, as he has her with him in the car when he gets the midwife. After dropping off his date, the midwife has to ask: “So, Tiffany is your ex girlfriend, she’s having your baby, and you were out on a date with that woman. Just trying to get it all straight.” Jake does attempt to defend himself, saying he’s not a bad man, not the villain everyone makes him out to be. But a little while later, while still trapped in the car, he says the opposite: “During my ex-wife’s 20^th hour of labor, I went down to the cafeteria. I started flirting with the doctor, who was on her break. I complimented her on her blouse she had on, under her lab coat. Everyone knows what that means….. So I’m a bad man, okay, but I’m a good father.” Tammy, however, sees right through his testosterony speech and says “You like being ambivalent, so that you can go on dates, and then sweep in and be a dad when you want to be, and when a woman needs something then you have a perfect excuse built right in, which is that you’re bad.” Oh, she called him 14 years old, too. Time to grow up, Jake.

5) Lily’s new calling - Lily did a fantastic job coaching Tiffany through her painful delivery, in my opinion. Since we had a homebirth ourselves, I do have that experience to compare it to. What I appreciated about her methods was that she was unflappable, no matter what Tiffany spat out at her. Here’s a sample:

Lily was very supportive throughout the whole process, even when things got very real, very frightening:

The midwife showed up, and Lily was there to observe and be a friend. (I continue to be amazed at how giving Lily is toward Tiffany. But that is another topic entirely.) Personally, I think she would do very well in this field, if she chose to do so. And then she’d have her fill of babies on a regular basis. J

6) Eli’s new calling - He’s been looking for something to do, something that feels right, that makes a difference. When Eli went over to Jamie, to try to cheer him up, he offered to teach him how to play a “G” chord on his guitar. Jamie’s eyes lit up, and he got to strum the strings a few times, which led into a song that they all sang together. Maybe Eli could get into Music Therapy, and help kids that are in need of some hope. Lily could tell Eli about Sela’s Hope Village in Meridian, perhaps. Just kidding. Sort of. I really liked this scene, and felt his act of kindness was noteworthy.

7) Jessie’s joy - Jessie’s joy is just a pleasure to observe. When she told Tiffany how much she looked forward to spending the evening with her mom, baking cookies and singing together, she just emoted the comfort she felt for this family tradition. She enjoyed sitting at the table, was excited to finish decorating the cookie house she would be donating, and joined in the sing-a-long of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” with vigor. Only one moment crushed that happiness, when Jamie unfortunately destroyed the finished cookie house, unintentionally. It was beyond repair, truly an edifice wrecked.

8) Tiffany’s Production - Ever Carradine did an excellent job portraying Tiffany’s homebirth, from her water breaking to the final delivery. I liked that “transition” was brought up and explained briefly. I also appreciated the heavy mood swings that were displayed, from taking suggestions to lashing out in anger, even momentarily. Zoey caught the blunt edge of that one, but Rick probably eased her pain when he sent her off on an important errand downstairs.

The cinematography was used adeptly, as we observed Tiffany’s progress from many differing angles. Lighting was utilized effectively, and added to the drama as well as the mood. Make-up was also tested, as she moved from one stage to the next, intensity building as the birth neared. The whole experience was very realistic, and my only wish was that we could have found out just how long her labor turned out to be.

9) Great Moments - There were so many in this episode…

When Sam finds out that Rick is considering a vasectomy:

Lily kissing Rick’s tummy as an early present.

Tiffany’s “I’m unbummable.”

Grace teasing Judy: “Judy’s got a date with Saaam.”

We saw Wreath #2, and the camera angle was well thought out as well.

Judy’s ‘65 Corvair ‘sucks.’

Are there three types of Eggnog out there? J

Zoey’s boundless excitement about Tiffany’s imminent child

Jessie’s figuring out just how Eli guessed his mother’s clue in Charades: “Wait wait wait waitwaitwaitwaitwait!! Were you being that Carol woman from the bank? You are such a dork. Oh my god.” (Was Karen cheating then? J)

Les prefers his ice in a glass, with Vodka on top.

Jamie’s private conversation with Judy.

Les’ phone call to his daughter, after five years of silence.

Giving birth is sorta like “an Indian burn, inside of you.” And Zoey's "Ouch."

Lily’s “Okey-Dokey” after checking Tiffany’s cervix.

Tiffany’s fear that “epic grossness” will ruin Lily’s sheets.

Grace’s line “I’m not sure I could have stayed married to my dad either.” Wow.

Tiffany’s “I agree with [Lily] about Jake, especially the part about him being a sucky driver.”

Grace’s “This is like Little House on the Prairie or something…” re: homebirth

Karen giggles over the fact that “Eli is still in jail?” Monopoly-wise, that is.

Tiffany’s gut reaction to having a baby: “This sucks!”

Grace’s “I am never having a baby.”

10) Closing Greeting - I love audience contact, and I really enjoyed seeing some of the cast actually greet us viewers, and wish us well this time of year. It was cheerful, and even funny at the end, when Jake and Jessie both simultaneously shushed Zoey for her quizzical interest in what Jake stated.

Marc