There was a definite chill in the air as Mistletoe Murders returned.
Last season, the cozy holiday mystery series aired on Hallmark +, but this year, Mistletoe Murders aired the previous episodes on the Hallmark Channel, leading up to tonight’s Season 2 premiere.
While the first season was a fun and easy binge, the characters already seem more developed in Mistletoe Murders Episodes 1 and 2.
There was more at stake between Emily Lane (Sarah Drew) and Sam Wilner (Peter Mooney) as Emily’s past and secrets threatened their relationship.
However, part of the charm of a small town was that you can’t avoid people for that long, especially when Sam’s daughter, Violet, was so close to Emily.
It almost felt like a modern continuation of The Parent Trap until they were thrown together on a case when a high school teacher and chess coach was murdered.
Tis the season for murder and misunderstandings.
Tis the Season for Misunderstandings and Murder
“Cold War Part 1” began right where Mistletoe Murders Season 1 left off. Emily won’t tell Sam about her past, which he took as a deliberate choice, leaving him hurt.
Even after the time jump of almost a year, the two barely talk. They’re polite when they ran into each other, but every conversation remained on the surface.
Sam made Violet quit her job, so she now worked at Sue’s Diner, but she wanted to return to Emily’s shop, at least during the holidays.
Emily’s radar went up when Violet asked her to teach her to play chess and mentioned the chess teacher, Mr. Henley, was missing.
Our resident Nancy Drew was back in action. She couldn’t help herself, and she somehow wormed her way into a case, or as Sam called it,” Emilyed” her way into an investigation.
While Sam was irritated, he did not have the authority to prevent her from stopping by the school. Initially, she was trying to help his daughter and Brooke with the dance decorations.
There was no reason for her to feel guilty. She had a right to live her life.
Sam also had a point, though when Emily acted like Nancy Drew and butted into cases that didn’t concern her, she put herself and others in danger. He actually sounded like he cared.
Fiery Fights Led to Angsty Emily and Sam Scenes
Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney peeled back the layers in some emotional Emily and Sam scenes. Sam seemed hurt that Emily wouldn’t trust him with her secret, while Emily was hurt that he wouldn’t accept the person she was today.
That was the main issue, and they couldn’t get past it.
Against Sam’s better judgment, when he realized there was a murder, he agreed to let Emily go undercover as a chess coach, since the teens trusted her.
It irritated him that she could get info easily, while for him, it was like pulling teeth, and he admitted he needed her help.
Their relationship stayed mainly professional as they compared notes, but Emily felt Sam kept her at arm’s length and didn’t trust her.
Poor Emily would die before she’d let anyone hurt Violet, but thought Sam still treated her as the villain.
That hit home as Sam later apologized and expressed his appreciation for everything she had done for his daughter. They almost kissed, but he was still afraid and bolted before getting too close.
Sam has such trust issues that I hope they explore why his ex left and if that played a part in it.
It’s obvious that Sam and Emily still have feelings for each other.
They need to get over this hurdle, and hopefully, they will by Christmas time. I felt hopeful as I looked at them in the snow.
A Gorgeous Golden Retriever Gave Emily a Major Clue
I was so excited to see a gorgeous golden retriever involved in the case that resembled Garth from Guiding Emily. Sarah Drew looked at home with the dog.
When the dog kept returning to the school, it didn’t surprise me that it was Mr. Henley’s dog. Dogs have a keen sense of smell and long to be near their owners.
It horrified me that someone buried Mr. Henley in the school basement, but thankfully, Sam finally believed Emily about the seriousness of the case.
It is harder to place older dogs, so I’m relieved June adopted Clyde. What an incredible Christmas miracle for both of them.
Mistletoe Murders Episodes 1 and 2 Highlighted a Father’s Love That Knew No Bounds
Many fathers will strive to protect their children no matter what.
Who else guessed that Holace (Benjamin Ayres) was Kyle’s father almost immediately? He seemed always to be lurking by the chess matches and was interested in the arguments between Kyle and Shane.
I didn’t know many custodians involved in that in high school. They were friendly but not overly involved. However, Holace learned how to play chess so he’d know something about Kyle’s interests.
He seemed invested in his future, so it was not that big of a stretch that he’d threaten the people who would wreck Kyle’s chance of getting a scholarship.
Those notes were creepy, threatening Mr. Henley, Emily, and, later, Violet, all people in Kyle’s life.
That was a considerable risk, and Kyle wasn’t ready to deal with more change in his life.
While Vice Principal Richard Leland appeared to be an overinvolved dad, there was more to it. His pressure affected Shane, and he couldn’t wait to escape.
However, while Emily and Sam thought Richard and Mr. Henley fought over Shane selling essay papers, they fought because the teacher resigned and no one else was as good a coach.
Shane walked in as things got heated and pushed Mr. Henley out of the way to defend his dad, accidentally killing him.
If they’d called the cops then, Shane probably would have received a lighter sentence, but Richard hid the evidence and drove Henley’s car to the airport, making it appear as though he had still left.
He wanted to protect his son, but the guilt was consuming him.
Sam understood this theory because he had been keeping Violet away from Emily to protect her since he thought she was dangerous.
Emily proved she would do anything for Violet when she pleaded with Richard not to harm her after Violet heard Shane’s confession. She would have sold her soul for her, and it wasn’t about Sam.
Young Love Was Precious
I suspect Emily was so invested in Violet’s love life, partly because she cared about the teenager, and partly because she never had that kind of carefree upbringing.
Violet also missed having a female role model because she shared so easily with Emily and her friends, and they relished being matchmakers.
It was the ideal romantic set-up, going from tutoring her crush, Kyle, to going to the Snowball Winter formal, but it’s never that easy.
Having her dad accuse her crush of murdering her favorite teacher threw a wrench in things and made Violet grow even closer to Emily, who rooted for the couple to reconcile.
I appreciated that Kyle apologized for ghosting her and that Violet admitted she still believed in him.
They went through so much angst, but it was the perfect ending with them dancing in the parking lot with twinkling lights and falling snow.
The Hallmark Channel excelled at showcasing teen romance.
I appreciate it when younger versions resemble a character well, and Quincy Kirkwood portrayed Emily perfectly.
Younger Emily, who called herself Grace, had only one friend, Aaron.
He got her into that coding club and likely inspired her coding alias, Chimera, since he was obsessed with Greek mythology.
We’ve only scratched the surface of Emily’s past, and I’m looking forward to learning how long she knew Aaron and what happened for her to change her name.
What will Sam learn, and will he let it go since he’s realized how important Emily is to his daughter?
Over to you, Hallmarkies. Were you excited to see Sarah Drew back again as Emily Lane, solving mysteries on Mistletoe Murders? Are you rooting for Emily and Sam?
Let us know in the comments.
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If you like Christmas movies, don’t miss any of our Hallmark holiday movie coverage. If you’re a Hallmark fan, I also cover When Calls the Heart. Interested in more analytical and passionate pieces? Check out our editorials and op-eds.
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