Hallmark's Mistletoe Murders S1 E1 - Poison in a Pear Tree Pt. 1 (Re-Release)

In this episode of Pour the Wine, It's Rom-Com Time, Garry and Amy step into Fletcher's Grove, where Christmas cheer and deadly secrets collide. The first episode, Poison in a Pear Tree, Part One, introduces us to Emily Lane, a Christmas shop owner with skills far beyond arranging holiday decorations. When her friend's fiancé turns up dead, Emily's mysterious past and surprising investigative abilities raise questions about who she really is and why she's hiding in this quaint New England town. Is this Christmas mystery the gift that keeps on giving or a holiday dud? Tune in to unwrap the truth!

Send us an email to pourthewineitsromcomtime@gmail.com! We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/mood-of-summer

Transcript

Welcome, Wine, And Tinsel Tuesdays

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Welcome to Pour the Wine. It's rom com time where we'll sip some wine and review all things rom com on the Hallmark channel. I'm Amy.

SPEAKER_02 0:14

And I'm Gary.

SPEAKER_00 0:15

And I really think you should pour the wine.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Yes. I think it's time. To pour the wine.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

What do you what are we pour? Uh cab. We have a cab sack, right? Tonight. Yes, we always have to. Are us, our huge. We did have some Chardonnay over the weekend. Yes, we did. Yes, we did. On the porch.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

Because we had beautiful weather all weekend.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Well, we are super excited to start our new series, Tinsel Tuesdays, where we'll be reviewing all things Christmas.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Ho, ho, ho.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

First up, we are going to be reviewing the ever-popular mistletoe murder series. We didn't catch it when it first aired on Hallmark Plus in the fall. Right. But we are ready to dive in now.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

Yes, we are.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Is it ever too early to dive into anything Christmas?

SPEAKER_02 0:58

No, no.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

No, it's not.

unknown 1:01

No.

Series Overview And Holiday Hype

SPEAKER_00 1:01

We love Christmas around here.

SPEAKER_05 1:03

Yes, we do.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Um, we're actually really excited to do this one. We watched the first episode and I wanted to watch the second one right away. But we try not to do that. We try not to jump ahead in the series because I don't want the future episodes to taint the review. Taint there's that word again, taint to yeah, to affect our review if we know things that happen that could possibly affect. So we don't like to do that, but it was so tempting to watch the second episode.

Cast Deep Dive And Hallmark Connections

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Yes, it does. Anyways. Yes, it does. We would love it if you would click that follow button on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple or Spotify, you can also leave us a review. And hopefully it's a positive one.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

We hope so.

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

We really hope so.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

And you can also find us on social media Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, X, and of course, Threads.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

Threads, yeah. Head on over to our socials and let us know if you watched Mistletoe Murders already what you thought. Don't give any spoilers away for future episodes for us. But but definitely let us know what you thought about the series. We'd love to hear from you.

unknown 2:10

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:11

Which, by the way, today we're reviewing the first episode of Mistletoe Murders, Poison in a Pear Tree, part one, which aired October 31st, 2024 on Hallmark Plus.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

It kind of sounded like you said poisoning.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Yeah, poison.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Poison.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

I said poisoning in poison in.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Oh, I see. I see. I get it. I get it.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

Yeah. I know. It kind of messes with it, right? So who's in the first episode?

SPEAKER_00 2:36

All right. So we are going to talk about the actors that we see in episode one, and it's quite a lengthy list.

SPEAKER_05 2:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Um and in future episodes, we won't go over everybody if it's the same actors. But if there are new faces that pop up, we will add them at the top of the podcast review.

SPEAKER_03 2:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:59

Sound good? Sounds good to me. That way we're not repeating because it's gonna be the same actor. Main actors. Yeah. But if new people pop up, we'll be sure to mention them.

SPEAKER_05 3:09

We will.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

As well.

unknown 3:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

All right, let's dive in. Here's the cast of Mistletoe Murders. Episode one.

SPEAKER_03 3:17

All right.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

And probably most of the series. Sarah Drew plays Emily Lane. Sarah is no stranger to Hallmark, of course. She starred in Branching Out in 2024, guiding Emily in 2023, and Christmas in Vienna in 2020. Some of her other work includes How She Caught a Killer in 2023, which she also produced, by the way. She was in a series called Amber Brown, 11 episodes of that in 2022. We loved her in Cruel Summer. She was in six episodes in 2021. That's a really good series. Check that out. Mad Men, she was in four episodes between 2008 and 2009. And of course, she is largely known as Dr. April Kempner on Grey's Anatomy. There's Gray's Anatomy from 2009 to 2022. Wow. And the first series I ever saw her in was Everwood, where she played Hannah Rogers in 38 episodes from 2004 to 2006.

SPEAKER_05 4:14

Sweet.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Yeah, it's a really good. We should watch that. That's worth a rewatch for me, but a first watch for you.

SPEAKER_05 4:19

I know.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

It's with Treat Williams. Oh Treat. Emily Van Camp. She's from Revenge.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

And uh Gregory Smith played one of the leads. And Chris Pratt.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

Wow. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

Wasn't it also? Yeah, it's just such a really good show. Um, Sarah also wrote and produced three Christmas movies for Lifetime.

SPEAKER_05 4:39

Man.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

So she's writing and producing, and I believe directing. I think that's so cool.

SPEAKER_05 4:44

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

Like every angle. Yep, yep. She wrote A Carpenter Christmas romance in 2024, A Cowboy Christmas Romance in 2023, and Reindeer Games Homecoming in 2022. Those are the three that she wrote and produced. Wow. Pretty cool. She is also executive producer on Mistletoe Murders. Wow. Uh-huh. She's she's doing pretty, pretty good. Pretty good. Peter Mooney plays Sam Wilner for Hallmark. He was in Retreat to You in 2023 and Fly Away with Me in 2023. He's worked very steadily since about 2000.

SPEAKER_02 5:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

He was in a movie called Levels in 2024. He was in a series called Burden of Truth, 34 episodes in 28 through or I'm sorry, from 2018 to 2021.

SPEAKER_05 5:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Saving Hope. He was in 13 episodes of that from 2015 to 2017. And he was also in the ABC family series Falcon Beach in 22 episodes of that between 2006 and 2007.

SPEAKER_05 5:47

There you go. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

Sierra Marilyn Riley plays Violet Wilner, which was Sam's daughter. Uh Mistletoe Murders is one of her two acting credits. So this is her Hallmark debut, and she is in all six episodes. She is also in four episodes of a series called Motorheads, which premiered on Amazon Prime just last week.

SPEAKER_05 6:11

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

So 2025.

SPEAKER_05 6:13

Good for her. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

That's pretty cool. Steve Lund plays Marcus Donovan. Steve is very familiar to Hallmark fans.

SPEAKER_04 6:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

Some of his work includes three of the four Hearts Around the Table films, which we just watched and reviewed. That premiered in March and April of 2025. He was in Christmas Bedtime Stories in 2022, A Mrs. Miracle Christmas, and Baby It's Cold Outside in 2021, Unlocking Christmas in 2020. Wow. The Good Witch. He was in one episode in 2017. So yeah, he's done, he's done quite a bit of homework. Yeah. Homework work. He got him. Some of his other work includes Sullivan's Crossing. He was in two episodes in 2025. He was in the, I believe this was on Netflix, uh, the movie single all the way. We saw that. That was in 2021. He was in six episodes of Shits Creek from 2016 to 2020.

SPEAKER_02 7:05

That was a good series.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

He was in a series called Bitten, 33 episodes between 2014 and 2016. And he was in one episode of Suits in 2012 as my favorite, known as Attractive Guy. He didn't even have a name. Attractive guy. I just love that credit. Okay. That's me. Laura Amhercy plays June Hubble.

SPEAKER_03 7:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

For Hallmark. She was in Operation Nutcracker in 2024 and Christmas in Toyland in 2022. She's done several rom coms for other networks, including Christmas with the Nightlies in 2023, well suited for Christmas in 2022, Christmas on Wheels in 2020. She was also in the series not on Hallmark, uh Warehouse 13. Oh, one episode in 2009. And another series called Monster Warriors. She was in 53 episodes of that from 2006 to 2007.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

Yeah. Kylie Evans plays Brooke Carmichael. She has a little more than a few dozen acting credits. She's best known to Hallmark fans as Stephanie Borden on the Good Witch series, which we loved. Such a good series. If you've never watched it, go watch it. She was in 75 episodes from 2015 to 2021. I hope that comes back a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 8:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Maybe just like another Good Witch movie. Yeah. It was so good. Um, she voy, she actually voices Brooke in eight episodes of the podcast series Mistletoe Murders, which we haven't talked about yet. Yeah. This series is based off a podcast? A podcast called Mistletoe Murders, and you'll find that a lot of people that are in it, which I probably should have talked about already, are voiced some of the characters in the podcast series. That's pretty cool. So yeah, so she's one of them. Um her other work includes voice work and animated series, along with a lot of episodic work in series like The Stanley Dynamic, which was a Canadian series. She's in 25 episodes in 2017, and the series The Strain. She was in two episodes. Okay. Also in 2017.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

The Strange Strain. Oh, strain. Not strain. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

David Hewlett plays Ray. He's been acting for a hot m a hot minute. He has over a hundred acting credits. I believe this is his Hallmark debut when I was reviewing everything. I feel fairly certain. But if somebody knows differently, please let me know. Yes. I tried to look at everything, but sometimes I might miss it.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

Yeah, sometimes the internet is not true. Huh? Sometimes the internet is not true.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Oh, well, I was on IMTB, so we'll see. He was in the series C, which uh in ten episodes from twenty twenty-one to twenty twenty-two. That was on Apple TV Plus.

SPEAKER_03 9:50

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

I think is Jason Mamoa in that one. Is that the one? Remember, I think that was one of their original series when it first came out. Anyway, he was in the series Clarice, five episodes in 2021. He was in one episode of Suits in 2016. He also was in the Stanley Dynamic, one episode in 2017. And Stargate Atlantis, he was in 99 episodes of that between 2004 and 2009. Wow. Jean Yoon plays Sue Shin. She has a ton of acting credits that date back to 1986 for Hallmark. Um, I I had to go back a little bit. She was in Christmas with Holly in 2012 and Cancel Christmas in 2010.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

She's in one episode of the new series Your Friends and Neighbors. That's also an Apple TV Plus series with John Hamm that just premiered this year. 2025.

SPEAKER_05 10:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

She was in one episode of Suits LA in 2025. She also voiced a character on the Mistletoe Murders podcast. She voiced Sue, which is who she plays in the series. She uh was in nine episodes between 2022 and 2024. She was in a series called Kim's Convenience, 65 episodes between 2016 and 2021. And she was also in Warehouse 13, one episode in 2010.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

Warehouse 13.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

Comes around, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_02 11:15

Yeah, it does.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Neil Crome plays Gordon. He has almost 200 acting credits and has done just a ton of episodic and voice work. His homework work includes When Hope Calls. He was in 18 episodes between 2019 and 2025. A 90s Christmas, which was in 2024, Our Christmas Mural in 2023, A Tale of Love in 2022. He was in one episode of Good Witch in 2017.

SPEAKER_05 11:43

Man.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Some of his other work includes Ghosts. He played Benjamin, he played Ben Franklin on three episodes between 2022 and 2025. I was like, oh yeah, we love that series too. It's so good. He was in seven episodes of Murdoch Mysteries between 2013 and 2024.

SPEAKER_05 12:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

He was the voice of Gordon in 52 episodes of Thomas and Friends All Engines Go. Woo. And I do not have the years there.

SPEAKER_05 12:10

So that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

He was also in the Stanley Dynamic, one episode in 2017.

SPEAKER_05 12:18

He is busy, isn't he?

SPEAKER_00 12:20

Raphael Gross Harvey plays Rowan. This is his hallmark debut.

SPEAKER_05 12:25

Rowan is a very good thing.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

He was in one episode of Murdoch Mysteries in 2023. He's been in a few rom coms for other networks, including Mr. Positiv Positively Perfect in 2023, and Pa is PAW.

SPEAKER_02 12:39

Say that three times.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

I can't. And A Christmas in Switzerland in 2022. He was in the series The Moody's, two episodes in 2019, The Art of Moore. He was in 12 episodes of that between 2015 and 2016. And he's done several voices in video games. So his credits for those are pretty cool. Zaren Darnell Martin plays Lizzie. For Hallmark, she was in Christmas Comes Twice in 2020, Christmas at Grand Valley in 2018, and A Song for Christmas in 2017. Ooh, and also one episode of The Good Witch.

SPEAKER_03 13:14

Oh in 2017.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

That's coming, keeps coming back too. Some of her other work includes she was also in the Mistletoe Murders podcast series as Lizzie in two episodes in 2022.

SPEAKER_05 13:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:28

The Good Doctor, one episode in 2024, Fellow Travelers, which we watched in one episode in 2023.

SPEAKER_05 13:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

Five episodes in 2023. She was in the movie Room. Oh. That was really good. In 2015. That was really, really good. And one episode of Falling Skies in 2011, and that's her very first acting credit.

SPEAKER_05 13:52

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Falling Skies. She was like an alien or something, I think it said. Diane Aguilar plays Anna. Her this is her Hallmark debut. She was in the series Doc, the brand new series for 2025 Doc. One episode. She was in one episode of The Hardy Boys in 2023. And she also has been in several rom-coms for other networks, production companies. How to Win a Prince in 2023, Home for a Royal Heart in 2022, and The Wedding Ring in 2021. And she was also in one episode of the Umbrella Academy in 2023. No, we haven't watched.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

So well, is that it for that list?

SPEAKER_00 14:34

That is it for now. For episode one.

SPEAKER_02 14:40

Man. So trivia time.

Trivia Detour And Audience CTAs

SPEAKER_00 14:43

Trivia time. Let's go. Let's do it. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

So this happens to pertain to mistletoe murders.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 14:51

So let's do it. Where does the majority of the mistletoe murder take place?

SPEAKER_00 14:59

In the town at the tree farm?

SPEAKER_02 15:03

What what it's a s it's a small town. Actually, it's a small New England town.

SPEAKER_00 15:09

Right?

SPEAKER_02 15:10

And it was shot during Christmas season. Can you believe it?

unknown 15:14

What?

SPEAKER_02 15:15

Yeah, that it was a weird trivia question. They didn't give you the name of the town. They just said a small New England town. I thought it wasn't filmed in Canada.

SPEAKER_04 15:23

I thought it was filmed.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

They said the majority of it was New England. Oh, no, no, again.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Okay, well, I didn't.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

That's not true. I got it from the internet.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Okay, I thought there was gonna be more to that. I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

That's so funny.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

You were gonna tell me the name of the town. What kind of trivia is that? It was filmed in a small town. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

Yeah. Sorry about that. That was a bunch of a trivia question. My goodness.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

You do have the name of the fictional town. That's what I thought you were going for. I'm like, what's the name of the fictional town? We'll get to that. We'll get to that.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

Anyways, is it time to drop the synopsis? I don't know. Maybe.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

Oh my gosh. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

I'm gonna take a sip of wine.

SPEAKER_00 16:06

Ooh, I think you better you better come with some some better trivia.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

I will. I will. I promise. Yeah, that one was kind of lame. Sorry about that.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Sorry, that was such a trivia fail. We'll get it better. We'll get it right next time.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Yes, listen. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Oh my gosh, you can tell that we have no idea what the other one's gonna say.

SPEAKER_02 16:30

No, we don't tell other each other.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

He doesn't prep me with the trivia because I might have corrected it below.

SPEAKER_02 16:38

Oh my goodness. She got the last.

Series And Episode Synopses

SPEAKER_00 16:41

Sorry, I'm sorry. Okay, all right. Get serious. So the synopsis that I'm gonna tell you first is for mistletoe murders, the series. Okay. And then I'll do episode one. Okay. Synopsis. Okay. So mistletoe murders, Christmas store owner Emily Lane's sleuthing skills are put to the test as she investigates local murders. Despite Detective Sam Wilner's growing affection for her, Emily's enigmatic past raises suspicions about her true motives. Now, for episode one poison in a pear tree. Part one. Christmas shop owner Emily Lane investigates a murder at a tree farm. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 17:19

Okay. What a synopsis.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

What a synopsis for episode one. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

Oh my gosh. Woo! Let it go.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

The suspense is killing me here, people.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

Okay, so before we get started, if you haven't seen Mistletoe Murder, season one, episode one, part one, uh click pause, go watch it, and then come back and listen to the podcast because we'll probably talk about some spoilers.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

So we'll probably give some things away and we don't want to ruin it for anybody.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

No, we do not.

First Impressions And Tone

SPEAKER_00 17:58

Now's your chance to pause, go watch, and come back and listen.

SPEAKER_02 18:01

Yes, please do so.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

So what did you think?

SPEAKER_02 18:05

You know what? I really, really like this series.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Like, really? Yes, I really like this. Me too. Me too. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 18:12

I mean, you have this lady, Emily, who owns a Christmas store under the mistletoe. She has a mysterious path trying to solve a murder.

SPEAKER_04 18:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

It's like some festive cheers and a dark who done it? I'm talking ho ho homicide here.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

Ho ho homicide.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

You've been holding on to that, haven't you?

SPEAKER_02 18:37

Yeah, I kind of have. I can't wait for episode two. I'm dying to find out what's going on.

SPEAKER_00 18:42

What did you think? I agree with you. I think we're off to a banner start. Yes. Usually series for me sometimes, well, a lot of series take one or two episodes at least just to get in the groove and get in the flow and to gel. And I just felt like this one took off, and I really wanted to watch a second episode after we finished this first one because I want to know. And we try not to go ahead in series just because we don't want to have it spoil or taint like our review, you know, because if you know more, then it kind of affects your opinion about what goes on in an episode. So I mean, sometimes you know you have to do it just for for timing and things, but um to work into your schedule. But we generally don't do that. Yeah. And I I'm dying to know. I know. So that to me tells me it was a really good first episode. Like I'm left wanting more, and I want to watch that second episode.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

And I I love the fact of just trying to figure out what's going on. So if you're watching the other episode, you already know when you're when you're reviewing the first episode and you've watched the second episode, you know the outcome.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Or you know, you know something.

SPEAKER_02 19:53

I like to guess who's doing what. I know, I know. Just to see if we're right or something.

Emily Lane’s Past And Narration

SPEAKER_00 19:57

I know, and that's why I try not to look up too much about the series. Like I wanted to look up, you know, why they started it and you know, if it was based on a book or we found out it was a podcast series, and but I'm also trying not to see spoilers. Excuse me, because all the episodes are already out there for people to watch, and I I I'm trying not to read anything that will spoil it. So, yes, I thought it was it was a great episode. So you have Emily, who is an owner of a store under the mistletoe, and she narrates it. Yes, right. So she kind of guides you through the episode and weaves in and out in such a great way. And you know, a long time ago, it you know, entertainment industry kind of used to poo-poo narration because they viewed narration. If you have to do that, then you haven't told your story correctly. If you have to have a narrator come in. And now I think that's changed, obviously. Right. But it used to be sort of like a like taboo to do that. But um, but I really enjoy it. I think it's great. And you know, I love Sarah Drew, so her playing Emily is is just golden for me. So she's the shop owner, right? And right away she wakes up to from a nightmare, right? Right. So you know there's something going on. I mean, like out of the gate. Yes. You know, she has a past, you just don't know what it is. It's a mystery, it's a mystery, which we love. So we have Christmas, mystery, murder, and a sugar cookie. Yes, and a sugar cookie. That's so funny. We gotta throw the cookie in there, death by cookie. Death by Christmas cookie. Death by Christmas cookie. I know how that makes it even worse, even worse. So she's this, she's this shop owner, you know, she has a past. Um, some of the things she says in her narration, like she keeps her doors double locked, she's living a private life in a small town, which is sort of doesn't make sense because small town, everybody knows everything about one another. So I'm not really sure how that's gonna play into it. But you have her in the small town running the shop, and she has, you know, one of her someone she considers a friend who she's gotten close to.

SPEAKER_03 22:04

June.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

June. And June's fiance ends up getting murdered.

SPEAKER_03 22:10

Murdered.

The Murder: Marcus, June, And The Cookie

SPEAKER_00 22:10

Murdered, right? So then Emily kind of starts asking questions. She asks questions of the detective, Sam, and that's sort of the premise of this movie or series. Not movie, yeah. This this episode, right? So she's starting the investigation sort of on her own, even though the police are doing it. Right. She's asking questions that lead you to believe part of her past life was maybe detective or undercover stuff, or maybe she's a thief in another. I mean, I don't know. We don't know what her story is yet.

SPEAKER_02 22:43

We're gonna find out, right?

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Right, right. So, I mean, it was really so Emily driven, though, this episode. I felt like the other characters were sort of on the edges peripherally around her. So, do you wanna start by? I know there's lots of different relationships and angles we can go. Do you want to talk about Emily first?

SPEAKER_02 23:03

Do you want to talk about Well, let's talk about the murder victim first.

SPEAKER_00 23:08

Okay, let's go into the murder victim. So Marcus is the one who gets murdered. He gets murdered, he gets murdered, and he is the fiance of June, like we just mentioned. Well, I don't know if we mentioned his name, but Marcus is the fiance of June who is the friend of Emily.

SPEAKER_03 23:25

Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

So we find out that he's dead. He's dead. June and Marcus go on a wagon ride at the Christmas tree farm. Right. And Marcus says he has some kind of business dealings, and he has to take care of it that night, and June isn't super excited, but he does, and we're we don't know what happened. Right. We we know that he has business dealings with Gordon, who's the owner of the farm. Yeah, but we don't know if they actually saw each other.

SPEAKER_04 23:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

Um, you know, the next morning Gordon ends we see him with a black eye, but we don't know if that's from Marcus or from his gambling debts. People came to beat him up, he's an alcoholic. We're not really sure.

SPEAKER_04 24:07

Right.

SPEAKER_00 24:08

But we do know that Marcus is dead by a sugar cookie. A poison in a sugar cookie.

SPEAKER_05 24:16

Right.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

So then we find out, I mean, there are things that we find out throughout the episode, right? Like um the poison is what a what a vet uses.

SPEAKER_02 24:28

Right. To put dogs or animals down. Animals down, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:31

It's like the the drug. Do you want to say it? I don't know how to pronounce it. I don't know how to pronounce it. We're not gonna embarrass ourselves that it's a drug that's used. So of course they suspect June right away. Yes. Because what does Emily say? The the first suspect is always the significant other. Yes. Right? That's who they point to. So Emily's on a mission to clear June's name, basically. Right. So she starts asking questions of the detective. Yeah, she goes to the tree farm and asks questions. So there's just like a whole lot of information gathering.

SPEAKER_02 25:05

I know.

SPEAKER_00 25:05

It's a lot in this first in this first episode. Yeah.

Suspects, Aliases, And The Wagon Ride

SPEAKER_02 25:09

Well, let's go back to the list of names that Emily put together.

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Yeah, we didn't talk specifics.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

Right. And she had eliminated all of them except for one, and I believe the name was Joey Vaughn or Joe Vaughn.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 25:23

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_00 25:23

She couldn't find like any information, right? Or wherever she was.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

She didn't find any information, and she had gone to a couple of people and asked about the name, and it wasn't until she went to Trent, who was Marcus's friend and co-worker.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

Yep. At the bank. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

Then he was big into baseball, and the autograph on the baseball was Joey Vaughn.

SPEAKER_00 25:45

No, it was Archie Vaughn.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Or Archie Archie Vaughn.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

Yeah. It was like Archie Vaughn.

SPEAKER_02 25:50

But then she says.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

But then Trent says he went by Joey. Joe. Joey Vaughn. Right. And she was like, oh.

SPEAKER_03 25:57

She put two and two together. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

So then she realizes, because that's the only name she couldn't identify as someone who had ridden on the ride. On the on the ride or on the wagon. Correct. The wagon the night before with Marcus and Lizzie. Lizzie and Marcus's ex or Marcus's ex Lizzie was on there. Marcus was with June.

SPEAKER_02 26:22

Right.

SPEAKER_00 26:23

On the ride.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

Right.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

His ex was on there.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

Right. But he wasn't. Trent wasn't on the ride. Right. Even though he signed the book.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

His name, he he used a f a pseudonym or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

So there's the mystery, right?

SPEAKER_00 26:37

Right. Well, part of it. Part of it. Right. Right. So she doesn't know. So Emily like sort of hones in on that and was like, why would he use that name in that book? Why would that name be used? Yeah. So she's trying to figure that out. Right. That's another what, like you said, mystery that comes to light. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

Then she goes to interview, so to speak, um Gordon.

SPEAKER_00 27:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

Right. The next day.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

For the second time or the f are you talking about the first time or because she goes twice, right?

SPEAKER_02 27:14

Yes, the second time. Right. And uh she pulls up to the to the tree farm and she notices some guys coming out with with duffel bags.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

Oh, right. Right.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

So she runs into the barn thinking that hey, maybe they roughed Gordon up or something. And she asks him, Well, who are those guys? And he was like, What guys? I didn't talk to anyone.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

Right. He acted like he didn't know anybody was there, right?

Gordon’s Troubles And The Poisoned Flask

SPEAKER_02 27:39

And then sister. So they're talking and she notices a flask, right? Because one of the scenes after the ride the night before, he had taken a drink out of that, the wagon. He had taken a sip. So he tells her, Well, he just as he was cleaning out the horse stall or whatever, he came across the flask. So she's like, Oh, okay. And then she leaves and she's talking to I think Anna, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:05

His yeah, his daughter.

SPEAKER_02 28:06

His daughter, when a horse comes running out of the barn. So they both go running into the barn and Gordon's laid out on the ground. Right. And he's not responsive.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Right.

SPEAKER_02 28:17

They didn't say he was dead.

SPEAKER_00 28:19

Right.

SPEAKER_02 28:20

So Emily calls 911.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

But she she sees the flask and she realizes that there wasn't alcohol in it.

SPEAKER_05 28:28

Right.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

Because when Gordon kind of tells her, Oh, I, you know, I lost this for a day or two, I didn't, I haven't found it, and she's kind of like, okay. Right, right. She doesn't believe him because he's, you know, an alcoholic, and so she doesn't believe him. And then when he says, you know, she leaves the barn, then then when they come back, she realizes that there was poison in the flask. So maybe he was telling the truth.

SPEAKER_03 28:49

Yeah. I mean, you know.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

I don't think he killed Marcus. No, I'm just gonna go on a record of saying that. I don't think it was him. Right. I don't even know. I mean, we haven't even, you know, we haven't really talked about Ray, the guy that she goes to see at the furniture store. And it kind of sounds like maybe he, you know, he's a little shady. Yes. Right. And he's able to find out some information. And um, so she's using him, but I loved his character because you know who it reminded me of? It reminded me of the character Sam on Burn Notice.

SPEAKER_03 29:20

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

That's who the character Ray reminded me of. Just someone she can go to, kind of like her, not really her sidekick, but sort of someone her partner in crime, literal partner in crime, maybe. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 29:31

Well, they made it seem like they they knew each other and they'd been working because he's like, Yeah, she's like, put it on my tab.

SPEAKER_00 29:37

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

So it's kind of funny. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:40

I thought yeah, his character, I kind of like him already. So I hope I hope he comes back a lot because he's sort of funny and jovial and he owns that furniture store. And like you said, doesn't he say something like put it on my tab?

SPEAKER_02 29:52

Like he's gonna work together. Yeah. Just put it on my tab.

SPEAKER_00 29:57

So it's pretty good. It's pretty pretty good. We haven't Who else haven't we mentioned yet? Um, Violet works for Emily.

SPEAKER_03 30:04

Right.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

And she is Sam's daughter. Right. We're trying to keep straight. And you know, I love at first I was like, oh, are they gonna say that her mom died? Right. You know, that's why she's not around and Sam is single and blah, blah, blah. But I like that they made it, not I mean, I don't like divorce, but I like that they made it that she's still alive. You know, that they didn't um have her die of something like the, you know, the cancer card or something. I I don't know. Right. So I I kind of not liked it, but I just, you know, they're just separated or divorced or whatever. So she's not around for that reason.

SPEAKER_03 30:40

Right.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

And maybe she'll come around. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

We don't know.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

We don't know. It's a mystery.

SPEAKER_02 30:46

Yeah, but she works for Emily, so and they seem to get along.

SPEAKER_00 30:50

Yeah, yeah. I mean, um, let's see. Do you have any other oh by the ways? Oh, we haven't talked about Brooke.

SPEAKER_02 30:55

Brooke or or Rowan.

SPEAKER_00 30:57

Or Rowan.

Ray’s Shady Help And Clue Hunting

SPEAKER_02 30:57

So Rowan is He's like the help on the farm.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 31:02

And he's been there the uh the longest and he gets up he gets upset because uh Anna tells him that they have to cut back on hours because of the farm.

SPEAKER_00 31:13

But I was wondering, or or is he upset for that reason? Right. Did she just use that as an excuse? That could be. That's what I was saying. There's a lot of stuff going on in this first episode. So Rowan's kind of like the guy who's on the on the outskirts, right? Like he's quieter and he kind of just shows up, so we'll see what happens with him. And then there's Brooke.

SPEAKER_03 31:32

Brooke.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

Brooke, who is like this prim and proper and probably the biggest gossiper in the town, right? Which the town. Do you know what the town is called?

SPEAKER_02 31:41

What is it called? Talked about this a little earlier and you I know I can't remember anything on the town.

SPEAKER_00 31:45

It's called Fletcher's Grove.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

Fletcher's Grove.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

Does Fletcher ring a bell?

SPEAKER_02 31:51

Tell me.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

Jessica Fletcher, Murder She Wrote. That was the name. And I wonder, because this is a mystery, and I'm like, is that sort of a shout out to Murder She Wrote? I don't know. I'm just I saw it on a sign. They didn't talk about it per se, but I saw it on one of the signs that Fletcher's Grove. So yep, yep, yep. So I don't know. We'll we'll look into that. Maybe there'll be more. I just thought that was kind of cool. And if it's not connected, then oh well, I'm connecting it. She to murder she wrote.

SPEAKER_03 32:19

That's right. Well, good.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Kind of cool, kind of cool. So in this episode, we find out what Emily has a past.

SPEAKER_02 32:25

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

Right? Was she in law enforcement or you know, is she in hiding?

SPEAKER_02 32:30

Is she running from somebody? Right.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

That's a good point, too.

SPEAKER_02 32:33

But obviously, she has skills. She's got mad skills. She could pick locks.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

She can jump, she can climb.

SPEAKER_00 32:40

She's got her secured computer.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

Yeah. Oh, and remember, she finds the uh USB drive that's a boy's head was a USB drive.

Subplots: Violet, Sam, Brooke, And Rowan

SPEAKER_00 32:48

Well, we didn't even talk about that. She broke into Marcus's home to try to find clues about what was going on, and she found a toy, and she's like, he's probably not a toy collector because they have more than one.

SPEAKER_05 33:00

Right.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

And he has got like an action figure or something. And there's a USB drive in it.

SPEAKER_02 33:05

But he also he also in a book in a book, she finds a pitch, an ultrasound. So you have that aspect of that. We don't know because you know Lizzie who the baby is, who the baby mama.

SPEAKER_00 33:15

Well, we don't know. It could be hers, it could be we don't know.

SPEAKER_02 33:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:18

We just we just don't know. And we find out Lizzie is seeing Trent, Marcus's friend. Yeah. So there's that angle.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

Yeah, some shady stuff.

SPEAKER_00 33:26

There's a lot of I forgot about that. And then she also finds out from that USB drive that Marcus was going to buy the farm.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

Right.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

But then she finds out from Gordon that Marcus killed that deal.

SPEAKER_02 33:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

So there's a lot of different angles.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

Yeah, because Trent Trent was telling Em Emily it was weird that he was withdrawing all his cash because he was losing interest on the city.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Right, right. So that that made her go, oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 33:54

Or did he take it out because he needed to use it as hush money?

SPEAKER_00 33:58

See, there's so many angles this thing can go. Or maybe he was trying to help Gordon pay off the gambling debts.

SPEAKER_02 34:05

Could be.

SPEAKER_00 34:05

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 34:06

We're gonna find out.

SPEAKER_00 34:07

Like I said, Marcus was gonna purchase the farm from Gordon. We find out that Archie Vaughn, aka Joey Vaughn was probably a name that Trent left.

SPEAKER_03 34:16

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

As a fake name at the farm.

SPEAKER_03 34:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

We see Rowan upset after talking to Anna, which he talked about.

SPEAKER_03 34:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:24

Gordon got poisoned.

SPEAKER_03 34:26

Oof.

SPEAKER_00 34:26

Marcus died. And then at the very end, we see eight months earlier.

SPEAKER_03 34:34

Right.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

Emily's running out of a building. She looks at her phone. There's a countdown, and then there's a big explosion behind her. But we have no idea, and we don't know what the symbol means on that countdown.

SPEAKER_03 34:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:46

I think that was on her. Was that on her laptop?

SPEAKER_03 34:48

No, it was on her phone.

SPEAKER_00 34:49

No, I know it was on her phone, but I mean that symbol that was on there. I wonder if it was somewhere else. I might have missed that.

SPEAKER_02 34:55

I I think I I don't remember it.

SPEAKER_00 34:57

Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 34:58

But yeah, so, and that's how it ends with the big explosion.

SPEAKER_00 35:02

And it's like, oh man. So now we're left wanting more, wanting more. You can't wait to watch episode number two.

SPEAKER_02 35:08

I know. I can't wait.

SPEAKER_00 35:10

So what was your tinsel topped moment? Get it? Tinsel topped. Tinsel topped moment. Tinsel top moment. Your biggest, well, we do cheers in when we do our movie reviews. So I figure we do a tinsel topped moment. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 35:27

I I I like when she when you find out that she's sh when she pulls out her uh briefcase from cubby hole. I just thought that was so cool.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

It's like passports in there and Mexico. Yes, and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 35:40

So there's something going on with that, like a Mexico. It said Mexico on passports. Oh, on the passports. Okay, okay. But uh what was yours?

SPEAKER_00 35:48

Mine would be the very end when they start playing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and they're showing all the different scenes. Oh, yeah. And then they go to I just thought that was a cool way to end that episode. So that would be my tinsel top moment.

SPEAKER_02 36:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:02

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 36:03

Well, out of five ornaments, how many would you give this episode?

SPEAKER_00 36:06

How many would I hang on the tree? How many or something? How many ornaments out of five? I would hang all five on the tree.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

Yeah, me too. What about you? I thought it was good.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

Yes, it was a really good start.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

Yeah. Really, really good start. And guess what? There were no green screens.

SPEAKER_00 36:20

There were. No, I don't think there were. Nope. I think you're correct. So I think you're correct.

USB Revelations And Money Trails

SPEAKER_02 36:26

Kudos to this episode. So is that a wrap?

SPEAKER_00 36:30

That is a wrap.

SPEAKER_02 36:31

All right, y'all. Thanks for listening. Be sure to follow the podcast wherever you listen so you don't miss one.

SPEAKER_00 36:36

The pad cast. The paid case. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 36:38

Sums up with my speech today.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

Drink some more wine. Drink some more wine.

SPEAKER_02 36:43

Also, follow us on social media if you really, really like the show and are listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. We would really appreciate your positive review.

SPEAKER_00 36:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 36:52

And if you didn't really, really like the show, we still appreciate your positive review.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

And follow us on all the social medias.

SPEAKER_02 36:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

And let us know what you think about mistletoe murders if you've already watched it or if you're just starting to watch it, like we are. It is on Hallmark Plus. Join us. Be sure to join us next Tuesday when we review episode number two, Poison in a Pear Tree Part Two. You can catch the entire season on Hallmark Plus right now.

SPEAKER_03 37:18

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

So go check it out and then tune back in for our weekly reviews on Tinsel Tuesdays.

SPEAKER_03 37:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:25

Be sure to also tune in on Wednesdays for our Hallmark movie reviews. Until then, fill up your glasses and push play. Thanks for listening. Cheers.