Holidazed Season 1, Episode 3 Review: ‘The Lin Family’

Holidazed continues to surprise us in the best possible way. I wasn’t sure as what to expect with the show when it was announced, thinking that it was just going to be about Christmas. But the show continues to go to places that I didn’t know that it would and really examine families.

I am here for that and welcome that.

If we’re being honest, we didn’t expect Hallmark to go so hard. They proved over and over again with this episode that they’ve changed – that they’ve grown – and that is a beautiful thing.

With the Lin family, we get to see love and acceptance. We get to see the Lin family jumping through hoops to try and hide Ted and Marcus’ relationship from their Grandma. But for me – what I took away from this episode – well, I focused more on Marcus’ struggles and his want to have acceptance from his Grandmother. But I also took away Marcus’ deep love for Ted.

Do I agree with all of the things that happened in this episode? No. I don’t. But I am also not gay and have not had to experience the fear of coming out. I have never had to worry about what family will think of me based off who I love.

What I do love is that Hallmark is including this story and that they are embracing diversity, love, and joy. I think that as this story progresses, and as we get more from the Lin family, that we’ll be able to embrace more of this love story.

Because I need it.

GRANDMA WANTS TO DO EVERYTHING

Grandmothers. I have to admit that sometimes they are a pain, but I have to also admit that they are of the utmost importance. I loved mine and I am sure that you, whomever is reading this, loved theirs.

The Lins Grandmother is a piece of work. She’s very high strung, scary, and always thinks that she’s right. She doesn’t want to hear what other people have to say, I think. Then again it could just be that everyone is afraid to talk to her because of her heart attack the year before.

While the family knows that they have to hide things from her, what they are hiding from her isn’t okay. Ted deserves to live a life full of love and support. Ted deserves to live a life with someone that he loves. But, the family has agreed to keep a secret from her and that is going to come at a cost.

That cost? That would be Ted and Marcus. It’s not fair to put them in the closet and expect them to keep who they are a secret.

THE CLOSET – LITERALLY

You can’t keep things from Grandma. She had found the wedding binder, so even all of their lies seem plausible, she’s able to call them out. She’s calling them out because she’s got plans.

When Grandma tells them that she’s planned a photo shoot for Marcus and Ella and their engagement, I about fell off my chair. That’s a lot for them to have to deal with, especially because they are really not engaged. Having to put on a brave face, the family definitely does that. They want to make sure that everyone knows their roles.

I had to laugh at the irony of the family holding the secret meetings away from Grandma in a literal closet. I also had to wonder where I have to live to be in a closet that big.

The Lin family is close and I do love that about them. I may not understand why they do the things they do, but it’s not about me.

PHOTOSHOOTS AND FORTUNE TELLERS

Marcus and Ella are willing to do what they need to do, even if they don’t like it. As the two are going through the photo shoot, it’s legit cringeworthy. The two could not seem to act like they love each other. Instead the look like they are repulsed by each other.

The photographer can’t get them to loosen up, so Ted steps in. He tries to get them to loosen up, but he has to understand why it’s weird. Because it is.

I believe that all of this is hurting Ted also, but he doesn’t know how to vocalize it. He’s more worried about how his Grandmother will perceive him and if she’ll still love him if he tells her who he really is.

And that broke my heart for him.

Marcus and Ella agree to play ball, but this means that they are going to make this engagement their own, which I can appreciate.

I appreciate just how much this family is willing to do for each other because not all families would be like this. Not all families would support each other the way that the Lins do. They embrace each other and they are willing to put others before themselves. I think that as I watched them, I found myself saying, I want that like five or six times.

When the family attends a fortune teller, one that Grandma says is never wrong, Ella and Marcus are told that they are perfect for each other. I at first thought that the fortune teller was a fake, but then come to find out, Ella gave Teds birthday.

I’M GONNA TELL HER

Ted and Marcus talking about all that is going on – I cried. I cried because these two are just wanting to live their life and they have to hide who they are. I cried because Ted tells Marcus that he is afraid that his Grandma won’t love him the same.

And like how hard could that be for him. It’s so horrible to see that he’s scared because someone that he loves could stop loving him. Seeing his pain felt like he should be held and coddled because he’s terrified. But instead, Ted wants tto tell her.

He wants to make things better.

But when he goes to talk to her, she tells him that she knows what he wants to talk about. Which, having watched enough television in my life, I know that they never do. She is way off from knowing what he wants to talk about.

You see, she thinks it’s about work. She tells him that she wants to step down after the holidays and make him CEO. this is what Teds always wanted, and I thought he was going to tell her the truth about himself. But before he can, Marcus steps in and stops him.

That’s love.

CHRISTMAS DINNER

Mama Lin has switched up Christmas dinner from the normal pork and dumplings to a bunch of foods that Marcus likes. Grandma takes it a lot better than anyone thinks that she will. There are a bunch of foods that I have never heard of, but we learn that growing up, Marcus’ mom would mix spices with the food that was available to them in the Midwest.

It’s a big thing for the Lins to switch up their dinner, and is a show of acceptance for Marcus. Seeing him light up and know how much he is loved by this family – I loved this for him. I think that everyone needs to know how much they are loved. People need to know that they are appreciated.

Grandma Lin is leaving the next day to go to Palm Springs and they only have to get through the night. I know that (and they know that) they are going to have to tell her eventually, but that didn’t have to be that night. She got her wish of helping to plan the wedding.

That was going to be enough.

When the lights go out, I knew that there was going to be drama. There is always drama with lies and lights going out.

Ted and Marcus get caught kissing out in the rain – though they don’t know that they have been caught. Grandma Lin may have looked confused and upset – but that’s all we get.

It ends on a cliffhanger, as we expected it to. But we do want to know what happens. Grandma Lin better be accepting or we riot.

Don’t let us down Hallmark+.