The Hallmark Channel has done it again with another entertaining holiday series.
I loved The Mistletoe Murders and love Christmas, so I was excited to see more Hallmark holiday magic.
Twelve Dates Til Christmas follows Kate Tucker, played by Good Girls’ Mae Whitman, who gets coerced into joining a holiday dating service by her two best friends.
Twelve Dates Til Christmas Episodes 1 and 2 demonstrated why Kate needed to get back into the dating world, though her friends were well-meaning, bossy, and funny.
Using a dating service always leads to hilarity and mishaps, though I never expected one of Kate’s dates to harbor feelings for one of her friends still. Awkward!
It took several tries, but Kate may have found someone to take a leap of faith with.
Kate Needed a Life to Allow Her Father to Live Too
It’s always challenging when an adult child almost feels like the parent after their parent becomes injured. Kate had taken on responsibility for her father, Mac, after he broke his hip, and neither liked their roles.
She felt overwhelmed with that and her job, and could never get him to cooperate, likely because he resented taking orders from his daughter.
Even her best friends, Laura (Lucy Eaton) and Callum (Julian Morris), thought all Kate did was take care of others, and she needed some joy and entertainment in her life.
Kate shot down the idea of the service until her friends got her father to convince her, too.
Mac (Nathaniel Parker) longed for some breathing space, and he blossomed without Kate harassing him.
He just needed some tough love from a friend his age, and I loved how Evelyn (Jane Seymour) got him up and moving again.
They had that delightful rom-com moment when she tried to help him off the ground and ended up falling on top of him.
The chemistry oozed, and I appreciated that we could have a story about an older couple rediscovering love, too, even if Kate’s story is the main arc.
The Twelve Dates Til Christmas Exuded Holiday Charm and Made Kate Evaluate Her Life
I’ve watched several dating series, from The Bachelor to Love Island USA, and holiday-themed dates added charm to Twelve Dates Til Christmas.
It looked more like a fairytale than a free-for-all. I’ve always wanted to dine in one of those igloos, but they’re expensive around here.
I only wished Kate had a partner to share her champagne and breadsticks with, but she seemed to be entertaining herself.
I also enjoy baking shows, so the group date of baking holiday desserts for The Great British Baking Show fit the theme.
It was hilarious that Kate wanted her and her date, Anthony, to lose so they wouldn’t be stuck in the kitchen anymore.
Anthony seemed like a catch, but he had his life mapped out, and he participated in this dating competition to find a life partner for himself and his two daughters.
But Kate had no idea why she agreed to do it, other than to get her friends to stop harassing her.
According to her Christmas cupid, Drew, Kate hadn’t found her reason yet, but she would see the unique reason that would make her believe in love and Christmas again.
I’ve never seen combining Christmas and Valentine’s Day, but Drew made that competition so entertaining. She knew what Kate needed.
Kate Excelled at Helping Others Find Love, but Never Herself
Kate seemed better at comforting others and helping them find love than finding love for herself.
She and her second date, Oliver, acted like good friends, almost instantly. There weren’t any sparks, yet they kissed when the mistletoe appeared.
We never expected Oliver to start crying so hard that he wept in her mouth. How awkward!
He missed his ex and never realized how much she meant to him until she was gone, and now she had moved on.
This dating experience gave Kate a new perspective, and she thought Oliver should tell his ex the truth because he had nothing to lose.
I wonder if Drew paired Kate and Ashley at the Christmas Carol ball so they could share different perspectives on relationships.
Ashley believed in love and romance, but pined for her first date, who was dancing with another woman, while Kate still debated giving Richard a chance.
Kate excelled at eliminating Ashley’s competition, so the two ladies could dance and start again, and, seeing how happy they were, decided to meet Richard finally.
I Suspected Sarah Was Oliver’s Ex, but Watching It Play Out Was Awkward Holiday Hilarity
The writing seemed on the wall that Oliver was Sarah’s ex as she took control of Callum’s bakery, saying how she appreciated a man with goals after her ex was indecisive.
As soon as Sarah and Laura decided to attend Dates with Mates with Kate, I knew the night was doomed, and sure enough, soon after, Oliver ran into Kate, whining that his ex wouldn’t talk to him.
They saw each other, and Oliver made the situation worse, thinking Richard was Sarah’s date.
It was a comedy of errors that worsened when Callum arrived, since no one knew what to tell him.
Poor Kate felt in the middle because Sarah wanted her to get rid of Oliver, while Oliver wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Kate could tell there was still some romantic tension between Sarah and Oliver, and she couldn’t even tell Callum, her oldest friend.
This will get messy as it affects so many of Kate’s friendships. Whose relationship will blow up first?
Kate Thought Richard Sounded Too Good to Be True and Needed to Believe
We don’t know who hurt Kate or why she’s afraid of relationships because of her parents’ divorce.
But Richard, the date who initially stood her up, turned out to be the nicest guy possible. He sent her flowers, apologizing, and he left a single rose with his phone number at Callum’s cafe.
It was almost like he started their own special treasure hunt, and she reluctantly texted him, and he liked her snarky banter.
Kate saw it as a red flag that Richard’s parents had been married for 40 years, and he strived for something like that.
He still believed in love and looked for inspiration in Paris, the city of love.
She tried not to be smitten with him, but finally agreed to meet him and was sorely disappointed that they had to deal with Sarah and Oliver’s drama instead of focusing on each other.
Kate seemed disappointed that Richard almost left again because he wanted their moment to be memorable.
I loved that she finally took a chance and kissed him. She finally saw that he showed up for her, and she took that leap of faith.
Now, It’s Your Turn!
The Hallmark Channel always does Christmas wonderfully, and the glistening snow made a beautiful romantic backdrop.
Over to you, Hallmarkies. What did you think of Twelve Dates Til Christmas so far? Are you rooting for Kate and Richard? What will happen with Callum, Sarah, and Oliver?
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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