Hallmark Mysteries & More

A Complete Review of Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Murder in G Major.

• Eric Rutin & Sydney Rowland • Season 1 • Episode 42

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Are you ready for an episode that'll make your spine tingle? Halloween is upon us and we've got quite the chilling tales for you. Sydney and I, Eric, embark on a journey through Halloween folklore and decorations while reminiscing about a haunting childhood book, 'In a Dark Dark Room.' And we can't forget 'The Girl with the Green Ribbon,' a story that got Sydney really hooked. We even whip up a 'Screaming Banshee' cocktail to keep things extra festive!

But there's more! We're not just about spooks and specters. We dish on our movie preferences; the settings, characters, humor, and clever mysteries that keep us glued to our screens. We delve into castings, wonderful humor, and those sentimental endings that never fail to warm our hearts.

Finally, we dissect a Hallmark mystery movie that had us on the edge of our seats. We navigate the thrilling plot twists, the tangled love triangle, small-town crimes, and fan club dilemmas. As we wrap things up, we give the movie our rating and compare it with other mystery and holiday films.

We even talk about our favorite drinks - because who doesn't enjoy a good black and tan while watching Hallmark? So, join us in this episode filled with humor, personal experiences, and thought-provoking discussions. It's guaranteed to be a fun and thrilling ride!

Signature Movie Cocktail – Screaming Banshee! (5 mins)

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup vanilla ice cream
  • 2 cups Guinness
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
  • Whipped Cream
  • Green Sprinkles
  • Ghost Peep Marshmallows


Directions:

In a generous glass, scoop out one cup of vanilla ice cream, add 2 cups of Guinness, add chocolate syrup, top with whipped cream, and garnish with green sprinkles and ghost marshmallows. 

*Root Beer or Coca-Cola make a great substitute for those looking for an alcohol-free version.


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This podcast was created by fans for fans and is NOT affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark Channel.

Eric:

This podcast was created by fans or fans and is not affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark channel. This is Eric.

Sydney:

And this is Sydney.

Eric:

And this is Hallmark Mysteries.

Sydney:

And more.

Eric:

Hello Sydney, how are you doing?

Sydney:

Hello Eric, I'm good, you know why.

Eric:

Because you're able to make it. You're not like in the bathroom throwing up and stuff.

Sydney:

There's that, and also it's the beginnings of spooky season.

Eric:

I know, and this is actually a perfect movie or kind of. I think it should have been the last movie because it's the most Halloween-y-ish I would see it is very. I said it was very, it's okay. But no, I'm not counting down because I can't start putting my Halloween decorations up until October 1st, self-imposed. Some of our neighbors have started doing it, but Do you have any of those 12-foot skeletons? Oh yes.

Sydney:

Oh my gosh.

Eric:

And I tried going for two to balance out the yard and my wife said, no, she's like we're not going to be one of those homes that have, like, all the inflatables. So I bought a skeleton instead. So on the front patio, on our little whatever, we have a bench I guess not a chair, a bench, I'm going to have a skeleton sitting.

Sydney:

That's very festive of you. So as we're entering spooky season, I'm just wondering do you have a favorite like folklore tale that you or book you used to read growing up? No, not really. I guess I Halloween.

Eric:

Well, I can't say for the last few years has been All that that popular with me, but it was always like my favorite holiday of the year, like when everyone's like, oh, I love, you know Thanksgiving, or I love Christmas, or I love whatever. Mine has always been Halloween. I think Halloween is the best.

Sydney:

I do enjoy it. I like when I was a kid there was this book that what we decorated and we had like a Halloween village and the on the fireplace and everything but.

Eric:

Halloween village sounds like like a awesome Sweeney movie.

Sydney:

Yeah, it was so cute. But there was this book that I loved that they'd bring out every year when they get down the tubs and it was called in a dark dark room and it was like a collection of these silly spooky stories and one of them I was like obsessed with. It was called something like the girl with the green ribbon and I won't give it away. But I highly recommend looking up the story about the girl with the green ribbon from in a dark dark room.

Eric:

Now were these like actually scary, or were they kind of like fun with a hint like homework? Yeah, scary or lifetime.

Sydney:

Not lifetime, more like like a little ridiculous and head scratching.

Eric:

You weren't having nightmares or anything after.

Sydney:

No, but I think that I did have an unhealthy obsession with the girl with the green ribbon.

Eric:

Well, I can understand why green ribbons are nice Well, Well no, my, my big thing is just the season of Boo Berries.

Eric:

I buy boxes and boxes, and boxes of them and it's funny is so I always like now they are just pretty regularly available. But for a while there, like through the 90s, he kind of had a search amount and when I left LA and I came back to Phoenix I wasn't finding any of my friend who still lived out in LA. His grocery store had him, so he actually packed up and sent me a box of like 12 things of Boo Berry to get me through the season.

Sydney:

Boo Berry season.

Eric:

Yeah, it's Boo Berry season. Like everyone has their pumpkin spice latte, for me it's Boo Berries.

Sydney:

Okay, so do you know what a ghost's favorite dessert is?

Eric:

Boo Berries.

Sydney:

It's ice cream and. Boo Berry pie oh.

Eric:

I can go with that.

Sydney:

I feel like you know you set up for that.

Eric:

I did. I had the Boo Bear, obviously, but ice cream, okay, I may or may not be using that coming up soon.

Sydney:

Please do, please do. Oh, my gosh. So you and I watched a new mystery.

Eric:

We did, and it was in the lovely scale of G major. I don't know if that's scales. I would. I'm not a music guy, so I think, yeah, I think that's scale.

Sydney:

So yeah, it was haunted harmony mysteries. Murder in G major.

Eric:

Ooh, I know, the first of four, as we, as we previewed last week, but very exciting, very exciting. But you know what? Feeling a little thirsty.

Sydney:

Okay, well, I might have a little movie cocktail for you, and it is called the screaming Banshee. Okay, so with this one you're going to do it's basically a Guinness float. So you're going to do a cup of vanilla ice cream, two cups of Guinness, a couple tablespoons of chocolate syrup, a little whipped cream and if you're extra spooky, like I'm sure all of my spooky queens and kings are, you're going to put a little green sprinkles and a ghost peep marshmallow on the side.

Eric:

Do they have peeps out right now? Oh my gosh, yes.

Sydney:

You have, you have ghost a marshmallow peeps and like and like a jack-o'-lantern marshmallow peeps. I'm not. Those are really healthy.

Eric:

Those are like almost count, I think, as your fruits and vegetables. I'm not to find some. I don't know about that.

Sydney:

But I think that oh, and if you're a pregnant like me, just don't use Guinness. Use root beer or Coke. However, when I went to the Guinness factory in Dublin, they told me that Guinness was okay for pregnant ladies. Now I don't know about that. Probably wouldn't try it, but from what I recall back in the day, you could have like a drink.

Eric:

It was just having the drinks, yeah, yeah.

Sydney:

Considering, Mrs Guinness had 22 kids, I think it was or yeah, 22 pregnancies.

Eric:

That's because she was just drunk all the time. She didn't know what the hell was going on. She had a lot of screaming banshees 22, like back in the day, how would you even be like, live long enough to have 22? Like you would literally be non-stop pregnant.

Sydney:

I don't know, I just remember when I was there and they said that I thought Lord help that woman.

Eric:

Actually, I guess we haven't really talked about it. As we all know, you're having your first child. Is your goal to have 22?

Sydney:

No, let's remove one of the two's there. Probably two.

Eric:

Okay, good to know, good to know.

Sydney:

I know you're getting your new home.

Eric:

So maybe you were getting the 22 room home, therefore, for the gaggle of babies. So okay, are we ready to talk? Haunted harmony, mysteries, murder and G major.

Sydney:

Yes, tell me about it. How is your?

Eric:

pitch. Can you sing a G?

Sydney:

Absolutely not.

Eric:

Can't sing an E or F either Okay.

Eric:

So in haunted harmony, mysteries, murder and G major, we have former orchestra conductor get Tides of awful sugar and in this making which I'm probably pronouncing it wrong, but of course that's the whole theme of the movie pronouncing it wrong the whole time I was hard to get. Yes Moves to Ireland. Teach at a boarding school. After deciphering a musical message, she meets a renowned composer's ghost who is rumored to be behind the death of his lover. Now this stars Tamara Marie Housley and it also has, of course, very good Irish names Ristard is that how you pronounce it? Ristard Cooper.

Sydney:

Sure.

Eric:

He's the ghost. And then we have the detective, whose inspector, o'reilly, is Adam Bergus, and Marco Grazzini is another teacher. Who's Griff? Who's at the school? He's the calculator, he's the hot math teacher.

Sydney:

Yeah.

Eric:

Did you have a hot math teacher?

Sydney:

No, I had a bunch of older women who were rude.

Eric:

Yeah, I have to ask my friend's a math teacher at a boarding school. I'll have to ask him if he's the hot math teacher. Of course he'll say yes, but his wife will say yes too. So this was written by Arthur Van De Le, which I think is this is only at least it's only a Hallmark movie. I think it's only like a movie that he's written.

Sydney:

so what a name Van De Le.

Eric:

Like when you go to the IMDB don't see anything else, so we have all that. But so all right, shall we get into it.

Sydney:

I think so.

Eric:

What did you like? Did you like?

Sydney:

Well, I'll be honest. I liked a lot about this movie, sprite off the bat. The setting was amazing. It's like whether they were on a bridge or walk in by the sea, or in a little village or a cottage or a tavern. I was enjoying it.

Eric:

It definitely was not like the coast of British Columbia either. They were definitely in Ireland.

Sydney:

I gotta think, because the way the villages were set up and everything and the fact that you could legitimately tell those people who were acting and the other characters were Irish. So and I enjoyed the opening, like how they set up both main characters, like establishing okay, she's the new person in town and he's a ghost. It was kind of clever, like you know, car driving through it and that sort of thing, and I enjoyed the weathering heights reference. They did that in a couple spots, even though it's the wrong country. You know that was in England and Irish people are not crazy about British people but that's all, mark for you.

Eric:

We're over here on this side of the ocean. That UK is UK. Yeah we can throw. Australia is the same thing for you know, for all we care.

Sydney:

Oh my God, if you ever tell a New Zealand person that you've mistaken for an Australian person or vice versa, they are not forgiving.

Eric:

I'm writing it down in my notes Don't call any Kiwis Aussies.

Sydney:

Yeah.

Eric:

I changed my Siri, by the way, to an Australian Siri, so she's got like a little Australian voice.

Sydney:

It's nice voice.

Eric:

I tried doing Irish. No, I take it back. I take it back. I did that and my wife exnated it because I'm going to be in Boston and we're getting a direction to not straight. She's like hell. No. So now, actually, I do have Irish, come to think of it. So yes, I have a little Irish shot thing. Wow, I should have watched the whole movie with Siri you should have. She would have felt at home.

Sydney:

Yeah, and of course I enjoyed the two adorable suitors, detective O'Reilly and Griff. And then also I enjoyed when Aiman and gets played the piano together, you know, making their song. Like was that when that was at the school when all the kids came in, so that was nice but I actually got kind of lost when they were like in the cottage. Okay, oh my gosh. What about you, eric? Where are you at?

Eric:

I liked a lot of it, so we talked before and we, by the preview, we're expecting some humor, but it wasn't, as like I thought it was going to be a little more slap sticky maybe, yeah, and it really wasn't. It was clever humor. I was like, oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, and it really wasn't. It was clever humor. It wasn't, you know, quite to the extent of cases of mystery lane, but it was. It was a fun movie. It wasn't a silly movie and I really liked that, that it didn't go over into being like slapstick or stick or anything like that, cause you know, when you have a ghost, he gets very easily you could turn it into something that would be like Eye rolls.

Eric:

I thought the casting was really really good. I will. I will say I think this is the best role that she's had. I've always found her to be, you know, sort of one of the ones neither here nor there for me, but I really liked her and I thought she absolutely shined in this movie and, of course, restart even he was just absolutely fantastic as the ghost, Just a great, fun, fun character. I also liked how it wasn't our traditional find the dead body type mystery, so it was something that was fresh. You know, I think Jane, mystery could cause it was, you know, they had that 20 year old one, but I think they could, you know, maybe take some notes on how to do maybe craft a better mystery cold case type thing, because you know that one was just seemed kind of like weird how it was sold and everything, whereas this one I thought they just did a really really good job and had had a lot of fun with it. So, and then, of course, I think we are kind of both agree, like Ireland.

Sydney:

Ireland.

Eric:

Yeah, you can't really say anything without really saying Ireland in this, in this movie Though I did have one question, like I said the whole time, and you're talking about Mrs Guinness and her 22,. You know kids, the whole movie they just kept showing everyone you know going to the pubs drinking their beer. It's kind of like Ted Lasso you just want to grab a damn pint and yeah.

Eric:

I just wanted Guinness, the whole, the whole movie. But the one thing I did have was there was the line in there about like gander Not many people are using that word. What Like? I use gander all the time, yeah.

Sydney:

I do occasionally too.

Eric:

I guess maybe that should be what I don't like, but whatever, I just yeah, it's like when she did that line I was like where is that coming from? Because I thought they had like really good banter between the two of them. It's like very cute relationship they had. Oh yeah, and the last thing, and actually even in different ink for me different color is I loved the ending when you know she, she solved the case, he got to crossover and he came back and talked to her and said so I talked to your dad, like you know, he's a great guy, he's like proud of you, he's doing wonderful and all of that stuff. Like that was a great ending. They opened it up, obviously, so you could have more, but I love that part of it where, you know, is this that little, little touch of sentimentality that got me?

Sydney:

Yeah, I, I, I have it later on, but I was going to say like I actually cried at the end. I think it's the hormones, but, but I cried.

Eric:

No, no, it was. It was a very touching ending. So hormones are no hormones. It was, it was, it was good. You know what's crazy is? It took me four attempts to get through this whole movie, really, and it wasn't because it was bad, I just kept trying to watch it. My bedtime is relatively early, which is ironic considering we're recording this past my bedtime normally, but I would start watching it at like 830 and I would just be out. Okay, I can't do it. And then, when I want to do my rewatch, last night I did the same thing and I, like I don't know why, I started watching it at a little after eight and of course, I fell asleep, and so I had to finish what watching it this morning before work. I think I'd wake up at four in the morning.

Sydney:

Yeah.

Eric:

Alright, lots we like.

Sydney:

Yes.

Eric:

Anything, maybe wasn't so hot for you.

Sydney:

Okay, so I had one like like pet peeve and I have to tell you I liked pretty much everything about this movie, but this one thing drove me insane, like Ah, she would talk to Aiman like he was a person and they even touched on it a bit Like I look crazy because I'm talking to a ghost and you know. Yet she kept on doing it like she kept on looking crazy.

Sydney:

I got talking to him. Yes, yeah, I. After a while I literally yelled at the TV. I was like stop it, she's going into the bar to meet, like the guys, and see the old Irish band and she's looking at him and talking to him and it's like, like people wouldn't see that you look crazy.

Eric:

Yeah, I had the same thought, but I was also. Then I thought so how would they like? Maybe they can. He's a ghost, so maybe they can tell pathically talk. I don't know.

Sydney:

Well, they can't, because there was the scene when the guy looks at her weird when he's walking by outside of the doctor's office Because he sees her not talking to anyone and he's like what's going on? So like it's obvious, but then she keeps on doing it and I just want to stop it.

Eric:

Stop, yeah, I get you.

Sydney:

What about you I?

Eric:

Don't think you're gonna like me riff. I found him actually kind of the creepy calculus teacher. He just like the love triangle I. I didn't love it. I like the detective, I thought he was a. You know I'm a sweet guy. I found I found griff just a little bit Creepy, like I don't know. I found him more leery the way he looked at her and why they're over here in Ireland. Why the hell do they have like all these North American teachers I know Irish, like do they not know calculus in Ireland or something?

Eric:

Yeah, so I couldn't figure out why they cast him and like when he ran out, and Like when the one guy who had broken to to her house you know he ran out there when, when he was like getting in and get some of his face, I found it like just a silly scene and I don't know. And so I didn't. I didn't like the love triangle and I didn't like especially griff in that. And then I know it's Hallmark and I know we aren't supposed to overthink things. But can you explain one thing to me how did the detective Know to be rushing into her cottage? Did I like, was that part of the moments when I was sleeping? Like did she Signal him at the very end?

Eric:

She called the police, oh she did yeah on her cell phone, remember, she tells the doctor.

Sydney:

She's like, I called the police but that was there in the grave. But they were in the grave over like they weren't at her house.

Eric:

So how would you know to run over to her? Wait, what are you talking about, are?

Sydney:

you talking about the end? Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're at the very end. She's in the cottage and she says, like she has her phone and then she puts her phone away and she says, like I called the cops.

Eric:

Okay, so I must been one of my little dozy moments, because I was like, and so I'm like how did he know to be bursting in the home so that bother I feel better. Okay, I crossed that off my list and all I have on my didn't like was the love triangle, because Griff is creepy Okay, which is funny, because he's like really good in other movies, so he's not like a creepy. It's not like he's one of these guys who's just like creepy looking. I just didn't like Griff.

Sydney:

Well, that's okay. You probably just like detective O'Reilly a lot more. Griff was a myth.

Eric:

He's a grifter, yeah, okay. That's what you think of this as a mystery.

Sydney:

I thought it was great. There were lots of twists and turns the cop cover-ups, the fan club troubles, the small town robberies. It took you in a lot of directions. So I enjoyed how Getts and Aiman would problem solve together, utilizing the sheet music stand as their clue board. I was really like that. I really like that too.

Eric:

Yeah, and I really liked the whole Orla and Aiman love story angle that was really interesting and I'd also say like to what you said earlier.

Sydney:

The acting was really good. All of the people played their parts really well, which most of the time there's someone that I just can't stand. I I mean, he played his part Well, whether it was creepy or not, but, yeah, I really liked the mystery. For me it was. It was pretty intriguing. Did you figure out who it was ahead of time? I did not, because the belt thing and then the cop and like right away I thought it was a cop, yeah, but it wasn't.

Sydney:

And then like when there was that little flicker of possibility that it was griff, remember, she like looked in his bag and he was like you know, it's, those are just shoes. Like I thought, ooh, they're doing something. Like I said I would like in a mystery where it's the guy that you're interested in is really the you know the no good guy. But what about you?

Eric:

I did Figured out wasn't, but it was one of the ones where it didn't bother me that I did. But I don't, I don't want to give away who it was, but there was like the interaction where the killer, sort of that maybe there is a reason why. And I picked that up and, sure enough, it ended up being the case. I thought it was like I said before. I thought it was just fresh and fun. So I really liked the mystery. In that aspect I did like you said.

Eric:

I thought it was really fun and cute how they I wish they would have done like a murder board on their muse, like built that in. But I liked how they she's using a little, you know, baton, conductor baton and, like you said, the stands and stuff like that. But I did think they and I guess it is to you know move this along. But they she did make some really big assumptions and things to help solve it. Like I'm like how the hell do you think that? Which all turned out to be right. But once again, hallmark Mystery is a fun, cute one. It wasn't, you know, a Francesca Quinn, deep, dark, brooding one. So you know, have fun with it. So it didn't really bother me. So all in all, I thought it was a really fun mystery and, like you said, great acting, which we'll get into Our body count wasn't. It wasn't one.

Sydney:

No, it was two.

Eric:

Yes. And I guess, did we ever hear of Deidre pulled through Because Well, I think so, because he went to the hospital a visitor and everything the cop. So yeah, they, going back to your point, they did have a lot of really good side story, like that little town was full of shenanigans.

Sydney:

Shenanigans yeah, malarkey.

Eric:

Totally and, by the way, as we're talking about the mystery too, like the ending of how the murders happened. That was really actually fascinating.

Sydney:

Yeah.

Eric:

So once again, don't want to ruin it, but how Ola died to then how Eman subsequently died, I thought that was really cool, cause I did not like the how. I did not suspect.

Sydney:

Yeah.

Eric:

Who.

Sydney:

I couldn't figure that out in the beginning. I kept thinking why would it have been like that?

Eric:

Right, and I thought that right, I thought it was a thing. Okay, now is where we get to the part where you really like talking about some style.

Sydney:

Oh yeah, and you know what? This movie had? A lot of it. Okay, that cottage, first off, was adorable, adorable.

Eric:

Is that where you're going to be emulating with your house there in Southern inland Southern California?

Sydney:

I wish I could, but you know how new builds are. They just kind of make it like a certain look, just show them that.

Eric:

say can you do this in the stucco?

Sydney:

Oh yeah, just do that, eric, but the cottage was adorable. I loved the yellow bike. I felt like she was really getting around in her boots, her boots and her basket, and the ghost was riding on the back.

Eric:

Going back to your point too. I was thinking about that, Like you're talking about the talking. I'm like could she have sat down because he's a ghost, or did she have to be riding standing up the whole time? And if she sat down. It would just be kind of a weird ghost thing there, like, I don't know, an intimate bike ride, well to say.

Sydney:

It was very much like the movie ghost. It was like except no pottery and no relationships. Yeah, and I loved Get Senemines outfits. Okay, they were peak ball fashion in Spoe she had an adorable 70s looking coat that was green with white stitching and her pink coat was phenomenal. But I really enjoyed the mixing of the patterns that the wardrobe stylist did. It was perfection.

Eric:

I will say this is the year of the trench coat, because all the Sleuthers, women all have had phenomenal trench coats this year.

Sydney:

They heard my call. Get those coats on.

Eric:

Yes. So I will say I agree with you that it was there and then just and I guess this is more the guys, even though I guess some of the local Irish women had but you had all that Irish tweed, you had the sweaters, you had the scarfs. I don't even know if they had to dress up or if those actors just wore their own clothes to there, because that's pretty much, I would guess, what they would normally be wearing in some little quaint Irish town like that.

Sydney:

But I nailed it.

Eric:

It was really well done because you know, being a hallmark, they don't have all the money in the world and going abroad to film the whole thing, you know. You could have said, oh well, maybe they'll skimp on the wardrobe or skimp on something there, and they didn't. It was fantastic.

Sydney:

I gotta say I feel like they actually do better with wardrobe when they're over in those UK destinations, because the presence of love wardrobe was really phenomenal too. So I don't know. I think that they must have some really nice stylists over there.

Eric:

Gemma Keenan was the stylist.

Sydney:

Now Gemma, that sounds British.

Eric:

Well, gemma does have cocaine, bear to her credits.

Sydney:

Oh, that must be Canadian.

Eric:

And the professor and the madman Wow.

Sydney:

Yeah, good for Gemma.

Eric:

Yes, gemma is. So yeah, cocaine bear kind of kind of rolls with murder and G Okay, that's quite a difference.

Sydney:

So before we go on, I'm going to drop a little trivia and this will be in our Tuesday trivia next week.

Eric:

You know they're playing the four notes that we Do. You know what those notes were?

Sydney:

Wasn't it dead.

Eric:

Yep D-E-A-D. So that's going to be our Tuesday trivia. So, people who listen to the podcast, you'll be able to get the Tuesday trivia.

Sydney:

Oh.

Eric:

Here's a bonus for listening all the way through.

Sydney:

Wow.

Eric:

All right, so let's get into our rankings.

Sydney:

Okay.

Eric:

So we're going to have a steam meter. We may be a little bit different here.

Sydney:

Okay.

Eric:

Where do you at?

Sydney:

I'm at an eight and that is because-.

Eric:

We are a little bit different here.

Sydney:

That is because there was real promise with both leads and mostly because of Orla and Aiman.

Eric:

I just thought of that Right when you yes. I mean that ending part and then just the way he talked about her and like you're like oh yeah, you'll be my podcast muse, okay, no, yes, yes, I gave it a two, but you know what? Yeah, aiman and Orla, both of that, it's Orla. What did I say?

Sydney:

You're calling her like Orla for some reason.

Eric:

Orla, orla, I called her Orla. Oh, whatever, yeah, whatever they are. Yeah, I should make it higher, but I have a two, so I'll stick with it.

Sydney:

Okay.

Eric:

Because I'm going with the love triangle but I really miss the big one Because it's not going to continue. It wouldn't continue, so okay, all right, the story.

Sydney:

The story. I put an eight because I enjoyed the overall story 100% agree.

Eric:

I had an eight as well.

Sydney:

Awesome.

Eric:

And the mystery.

Sydney:

I also gave that an eight because I found it intriguing. It had me guessing, despite being a little silly in moments, but I was there for it.

Eric:

I gave it a six. I still liked it, but once again I thought I was able to figure it out and there's some leaps of faith. I thought the story was the thing that was really strong in this kind of liking cases of mystery lane, too, where the story. I think you've created that story higher, but I thought the story was better than the mystery, which is actually a good thing. I think you know either have a really good mystery or really a good story, and the other one can, you know, tag along.

Sydney:

Yeah.

Eric:

All right. How about your acting?

Sydney:

I gave the acting a nine.

Eric:

We are aligned. We are aligned. I don't know. I was trying to make it sound right, but I couldn't.

Sydney:

We are aligned.

Eric:

Yeah, we are nine. We are a nine, that's it All right. Oh, okay, both gave it a nine. And then how about style?

Sydney:

Style, I gave a 10.

Eric:

Same here? I don't know I love it. I literally don't know what they could do to improve it.

Sydney:

Yeah, because even the guys look good.

Eric:

I agree, they even our Griff. I can't knock him on his clothes Even the grifter. You know what? Even the dudes who were those, the two Ruffians who there, like the one guy who was the thug, he was dressed fan, he's the best dressed thug you know around.

Sydney:

He had a great farmer's market to to yeah.

Eric:

Yeah, okay, I total up to a 35.

Sydney:

I total up to a 43.

Eric:

Well, I guess this puts us in that category of definitely a movie to watch and rewatch.

Sydney:

I would definitely rewatch it.

Eric:

It's definitely something I'd have on while I'm crafting and the funny thing is, when they first had the previews out and I just read, like you know, the title and just the initial what it's about, I'm like really, and I could not have been less excited for this one. I know it has set. It has set the bar for the mystery season and it's a high bar, it's a really high bar.

Sydney:

It is, it is.

Eric:

So if you were just doing a quick rank of the year, where would you put this?

Sydney:

Oh, I'm not really sure, but I think it would. It would be up there for me. I mean, in case of mystery lane, still number one, but I think this be a close second to whatever I thought was the second before.

Eric:

I can't remember, but we have a dancing detective, we have the Hannah Swenson, we have Curious Cater.

Sydney:

I think I had said the Curious Cater was number two, but I honestly would say that this might take the place of it.

Eric:

What was the one? Why am I going branded what was right before?

Sydney:

Well, there's Jane Mysteries.

Eric:

Jane Mysteries, what was the one? Was that the one right before? Oh, no, Aurora Tea Garden. No, Aurora Tea Garden was really good too.

Sydney:

Or maybe okay, so maybe that was number two for me.

Eric:

That one was fantastic.

Sydney:

Okay, well, anyways, it's up there with the top three.

Eric:

I agree it's definitely going to the next three weeks going to be going to be tough to get into the top list, the top three for the year. So now, when we do our our like recap, are we going to include Victor's? I guess we have to watch it to see really if it is a an actual mystery or if it's just sort of like. So last, was it last year, or was it the year before, two years ago, I think? Santa's Steakout.

Sydney:

I think that was last year.

Eric:

No, it was two years ago.

Sydney:

Was it.

Eric:

Yeah, cause, yeah, cause. Paul Campbell was in the three, three Weissman and a baby and tomorrow was in the Prince. Whatever, the Christmas Prince last year Christmas Prince. So yeah, two years ago Now, did you think the Santa's Steakout was a mystery. Do you put? Would you consider that a mystery?

Sydney:

I thought it was kind of, but I think it gets totally overshadowed by the holiday aspect of it. So I don't really I have a hard time, especially when they start pushing these holiday movies right now. I'm like please can we just let some seasons happen here. I'm not ready for countdown to Christmas, I'm just not ready yet.

Eric:

I don't know. It's kicking off with Kim Matula, which she was the highlight of 2022. Christmas Goes to Christmas always.

Sydney:

She was, but I just need some time here. I might just be DVRing that and then watching it later.

Eric:

You just want a nice, good home. You know what you need. You need a good witch, Good witches like the. That's the only one I could think of. Really, that's Halloween Halloween.

Sydney:

Well, there was the one that, oh gosh, ashley Williams did October Kiss where she's the nanny, and then he falls for her.

Eric:

Was that in Halloween?

Sydney:

Well, it was a. It was one of their fall movies, but it was, yeah, like she dresses up in a Halloween costume. Okay, the kids do. It's like she decorates the house with skeletons and ghosts.

Eric:

Was that the one where she came like just to sort of visit and then was like, oh, I need something to do. So she went and became the nanny?

Sydney:

Yeah, I think so. It's like she's visiting her sister or something. Yeah.

Eric:

That wasn't a bad movie.

Sydney:

Yeah.

Eric:

Okay.

Sydney:

But it's one of the only Halloween, halloween ones, yeah.

Eric:

And I will say definitely, we definitely got our fall on with this, this movie.

Sydney:

Yes.

Eric:

So Mark, just as a whole, has, I think, done a pretty good job with the fall feels this year, so this mystery was certainly there. I don't think Mystery Island's going to have much fall feels to it.

Sydney:

It doesn't look like it.

Eric:

No, but tell you what, man? After talking to our friend John, I'm excited he's got me more intrigued and then posting those little TikToks that they've been sharing there. They look like a fun crew.

Sydney:

Yeah.

Eric:

And Fredericks right now is already my favorite dude. They do the eye patch. That's just fantastic.

Sydney:

You already, you already.

Eric:

I think I'll wear. I'll wear an eye patch for our preview or a review. I guess not our preview, our review of it. Okay so kind of like when we wore our berets I do my eye patch.

Sydney:

That seems fair.

Eric:

And speaking English accent, which I can't do accents at all.

Sydney:

So let me be the eye patches enough.

Eric:

Yeah, okay, okay, well, everyone that you can, we would love for you to. If you're not already subscribing, we'd love for you to subscribe to the podcast so you get your notifications when it's coming along. So you hear us every Thursday, or sometimes Friday, depending on both Sydney and I have been crazy busy, so, like this one would be a Friday one, but usually we're on Thursdays and then we have a bonus, when possible, coming out on Tuesdays.

Sydney:

Exciting, and if you are looking for more of our mysterious content, give us a follow over on Instagram at hallmark mysteries and more. And, eric, what do the people have to look forward to on the next podcast?

Eric:

We are finally going to be watching and talking about mystery island, six months in the making.

Sydney:

Yes.

Eric:

And now, thanks to our last one, knowing, as he told us, that Hallmark has actually bought his and Christopher Pallah's mystery. What is it we need to know? We need to know. So, now that the strike's over for him, at least he can do a little more talking. I feel bad that we I talked to him two days before the strike ended, so some of the things like we want to talk about he couldn't and I was like, ah, only the strike could have ended a little quicker. Oh well, and that was need the actor strike to end so we can get back and swing at things and not miss any January. Yeah, fun, fun stuff, love you airy movies.

Sydney:

We don't want any of those to go by the wayside.

Eric:

Or family history, mystery, mystery, mystery to.

Sydney:

Yes.

Eric:

So, no, no, no, all right, all right. As always, very fun time. Go relax. You remember you're watching Hallmark for two now, so when you watch that, mr Allen, tomorrow night, I want you to enjoy it with your, your float with root beer.

Sydney:

I am going to, and you enjoy one with Guinness for me.

Eric:

I have Guinness in the in the fridge.

Sydney:

There you go.

Eric:

Finally mastered how to make the black and tan. Okay, we'll have one of those, the good split, so now I'll make yours, I'll make yours, I'll give it a go. Okay, good night Sydney.

Sydney:

Good night, sir. Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.