Jenna Hudson (Bethany Joy Lenz) and Kevin Jenner (Andrew Walker) both work for the same publication, and now they’re basically competing to see which one will keep their job come Christmas. They’ve both volunteered to fly to Aspen to cover luxury holiday chalets but wouldn’t you know it, a fierce snow storm forces them to land in Santa Claus, Indiana. Which, okay, I admit I’m skeptical that their plane would get diverted to small town Santa Claus, but sure, they’ve been diverted to a rinky dink tiny town that’s so unprepared for snow they’ll be snowed in for days.
Or should I say: snowed inn. Because of course the only place they can check in is a historic inn run by Carol and Christopher Winters.
Now, let’s remember that Jenna and Kevin have volunteered to be away on assignment over Christmas, even if this is now the wrong assignment. Neither is holiday-oriented, and they’ve done all they could to escape celebrations. Santa Claud, Indiana, is not much of an escape. It’s pretty in-your-face and down-your-throat about the whole Christmas thing, so now Jenna and Kevin have no choice but to pair up and write about this, their small town Christmas extravaganza, even though they’re holiday-averse and they’re polar opposites when it comes to work – Jenna organized and a little rigid, Kevin unprepared and winging it. Neither is impressed and yet we the savvy audience have a pretty good idea that they’ll soon be putting aside their petty differences to fall in love, with both the season, and each other.
What do you think, guys? Can the spirit of Christmas triumph over all, even their career ambitions? Even the not too tragic tragedies in their back stories? Even Jenna having failed to anticipate a Christmas ball and not packed an appropriate dress, thus borrowing one from an elderly woman who’s aesthetic can only be described as “Mrs. Claus chic?” Only a view will tell – or, you know, a pretty lazy guess.