Christmas at the Palace
Stars: Merritt Patterson, Andrew Cooper, and Brittany Bristow
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
Choreographer Katie and skater Jessica are performing in San Senova, when Katie bumps into Alexander unaware he’s Royalty. As sparks between them ignite, Katie and Alexander become close, and Katie helps Christina get over her fears. But Katie has her own fears to face, like skating for an injured Jessica and falling for a King.
Thoughts
We start off with an AMAZING REAL figure skater and then a backstage look of the figure skaters. I’m obsessed in the first 2 mins.
It appears that two friends (one is a figure skater, Jessica, the other Katie, is a choreographer.) are on tour and a stop is San Senova… an ambiguously european country. There is a young hot prince in this country who isn’t fond of Christmas, but his father who was king did. (He died and Price Alexander is no King Alexander, he also has a young daughter named, Christina, like Mommie Dearest???)
Katie is shopping in the town square and runs into King Alexander. He is working on a speech and she helps him make it more Christmasy. THe speech does not go well because the kind is a klutz and knocks down the stage!
Princess Christina shows up at the ice skating rink and his huge fan of Jessica and Katie. She invites them to the palace to teach her how to skate better. In the palace, Katie is looking for “the ladies room” and runs into King Alexander who tells her her works for at the palace, but not that he is the kind. The palace ice skating rink is all decked out with Christmas decor and a chandelier. Katie, Jessica, and Christina plan to put on a Christmas Eve show for Founders Day. Tina begs her dad to let them do it and he agrees but only if he meets with them first.
The king meets with Jessica and Katie. Katie and Alexander realize who each other are and have tension. Jessica starts falling in love with Alexander’s man servant. King Alexander invites them to stay and help his daughter with pageant. Princess Christina just wants a REAL Christmas.
Katie is working to make the pageant extra Christmasy, she realizes that Princess Christina is actually a pretty good skater! Katie adds her to the show. It means a lot to King Alex that his daughter will have some good in her life. With her mother and grandfather dying so close together.
Romance is blossoming with Jessica and the manservant and Katie and King Alex, who go the better deal here? Christmas is a time we open our hearts, so why not fall in love. Christmas tree shopping and decorating happen with the couple falling in love more and more.
Jessica get injured off screen and it looks like Katie will have to step into the figure skating role. (She did ALMOST make it to the olympics, afterall. NBD!) They practice skating, bake Christmas cookies, and go to fancy parties.
I’m not really sure what all the stalling is for, can we just get to the Christmas Pageant? Katie struggles to work on Choreography, Jessica goes back to New Jersey to buy the ice skating rink, and Princess Christina sings in a Christmas Concert. We literally watch someone wrap a Christmas present…
Katie suddenly has to leave to help with the sale of the ice skating rink and bails on the Christmas Pageant and King Alex. Christina is upset but quickly comes around with Alex steps into Katie’s role. (Because he can suddenly skate now?) King Alex wants to just spend time with his daughter.
Katie and Jessica have the ice skating rink in New Jersey. Since it is located in New Jersey, Katie decides to go back to San Senova. Jessica and the Manservant will run the rink in NJ and Katie and Alex will be KING AND QUEEN, after they ice skate with Princess Christina. (We know who go the better deal here. Seriously! No contest.)
Side Note
Written by a female writer! Joie Botkin
Minority Report: Zero POC representation in this film. I guess San Senova has a strict immigration policy?
I’m not one to nitpick wardrobe, but where did these touring figure skaters get all that formal wear? I’m sure Michelle Kwon or even Johnny Weir did not travel with formal gowns when on tour.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2018 Crown Media United States, LLC
I love your synopsis’ (why is this text white on white?!) but I must make a point. There was a tonne of Indian residents! Remember the bow tie dude at the shop the king (for very odd reasons) was shopping at? And lots of background people too.
Now I have to download the podcast, you are amazing!
Thanks for your comment, Sam! Glad to hear it, always on the look out for more representation in Hallmark movies.