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Join Bran, Dan, and friends as they attempt to watch and review made-for-tv movies. Just a bunch of friends…watching made-for-tv movies. What could go wrong?
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Season 8 of Deck the Hallmark is HERE!
Today, we’re kicking things off by chatting about the three movies we’re most excited for — and the three we’re not as excited for.
Join us TONIGHT at 6 PM for our Season 8 Marathon!
👉 deckthehallmark.com/marathon
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It’s time to pick back up our 2025 Rankings with the rest of the non-Christmas Hallmark movies from this year. Today, we’re ranking the films starting with Providence Falls and going through Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Buried at C.
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We continue to dive into the spooky vibes this week with Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Buried at C, and Brian is here to join Bran and Dan for the breakdown.
Our favorite music teacher Gethsemane is back again along with her trusted ghost friend Eamon to solve the unexplained death of a sea captain.
October 12, 2025 | Hallmark Channel
We’re on a boat! This old dude is like, “Uh oh, the boat’s having issues. I’ll call it in.” The younger dude’s like, “No, just fix it,” while flashing his gun. The young guy takes a call and says he’s got it handled — all while eyeing a fancy violin. The old guy overhears and tries to call for help, but ends up getting smacked in the head.
Three months later, missing person posters are going up for the old captain — put up by his daughter.
Cut to Gethsemane, who’s conducting a choir (and crushing it) while trying to ignore her ghost friend, Eamon. She reveals a new statue to honor a dead guy, but everyone thinks it sucks. After the show, hottie Griff goes up to tell her how great it was — and of course Inspector O’Reilly isn’t far behind. Classic love triangle stuff.
She’s thrilled when her brother, Jackson, gets into town to visit. They sing a song and grieve the loss of their dad, who died a year ago.
They head to a pub, where Jackson ends up chatting with the violin guy from the beginning. Jackson, who works at a music store, asks to take a look. The guy says he should be able to sell it and retire. Jackson asks if there are any good bands playing, and the guy says the hotel he’s staying at has a piano player — that’s about it. He ends up leaving his bag behind, so Jackson goes to return it. When he gets there, the lights go out, someone yells, and Jackson rushes upstairs to find the violin guy on the ground — and a hooded figure running off with the violin. Jackson tells the hotel employee to call the police, which naturally means Inspector O’Reilly.
Gethsemane goes to check on her brother, and Eamon shows up saying he might be able to help. He takes her to talk to the ghost of the dead guy. He says the violin guy’s name was Ray — paid cash up front but seemed off the whole time. He asks Gethsemane to get a message to his daughter, and she agrees.
Inspector O’Reilly checks the security footage, and the hooded figure appears to be a woman.
That same hooded figure later runs out of the dead guy’s boat when Gethsemane goes to check it out.
Naturally, Gethsemane is now on the case — with Eamon’s help, of course. There are sketchy art dealers, teachers, and bears, oh my! (Okay, no bears. I lied.)
Gethsemane and Griff grow closer and even almost kiss! Her brother figures out she has powers — and he’s totally cool with it.
Turns out Ray was originally going to sell the violin to a music store owner but backed out for a higher bidder. So she and the harbor master hatched a plan… and now Ray’s dead. But don’t worry — Gethsemane catches them!
She wraps up the case, enjoys the rest of her time with her brother, and yay for love!
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It’s time to Haul out the Halloween!
Scott from Christmas Morning joins Bran, Dan, and Brian to break down the latest movie in Hallmark’s wildly popular Haul Out the Holly franchise.
New, Halloween-obsessed neighbors inspire residents of Evergreen Lane to haul out their spookiest costumes and décor to become EverSCREAM Lane.
October 11, 2024 | Hallmark Channel
Evergreen Lane is the most festive street in America, and nothing is more festive than a wedding! Emily and Jared are the ones tying the knot — and even better, the Johnsons are gone! The wedding is beautiful, and everything seems perfect.
While Emily and Jared are on their honeymoon, a new couple moves in and decorates big for Halloween — like, really big. The rest of the crew wonders if they should contact Jared, the head of the HOA, but decide to wait until he’s back. When Jared finally sees the decorations, he’s so shocked he literally drops Emily.
He heads over to tell the new neighbors that all their lawn decorations have to go. “This is Evergreen Lane, not Everscream Lane!” But Jared is stunned to learn from Emily’s parents that the “no other holiday decorations” rule was never actually added to the bylaws.
We learn that Evergreen Lane used to go all out for Halloween, but after Emily’s Gram Gram passed away, her parents thought she wouldn’t want it anymore. Quite the opposite — Emily insists it’s time to bring the spooky fun back, because that’s exactly what Gram Gram would’ve wanted.
The committee gathers to gossip about the “weird new neighbors,” right as they walk in — Luna and Marvin. Turns out Luna really is a witch… in a play!
Emily and Jared soon announce that Everscream Lane is officially a go! Events are planned, and every house has one week to come up with a Halloween display. Everyone’s in — but Luna and Marvin propose one more idea: a spooky alley to raise money for the children’s hospital. It’s approved, as long as it’s not too spooky.
Jared surprises Emily by saying he doesn’t want to do a couple’s costume this year — and that’s a little scary for her. What’s scary for Jared? Emily’s mom might be dating Ned! Things come to a head when Jared lashes out at Ned during the pumpkin decorating competition — even throwing Ned’s pumpkin to the ground… while local TV cameras are rolling.
Jared’s put on leave from the HOA until he makes things right with Ned — which he does. All is well again, just in time for the Halloween cookie competition (complete with ugly Halloween sweaters). To Pamela’s shock, Emily’s cookies win!
Emily decides to publish a children’s book inspired by Evergreen Lane. Then, big news — the local news channel is coming back to cover the Lane on Halloween night! Everything is perfect.
After briefly appearing as “Chaddy Kruger” — a Chad Kroeger/Freddy Krueger mashup costume — Jared realizes he’s a married man now and rejoins Emily for a team costume.
Everscream Lane is a huge success, and the whole gang celebrates as Jared gets the news: he’s been accepted into the Norwegian Santa School!
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It’s the final Mighty Monday of 2025, and Ryan is closing things out with one of the most iconic sports movies of all time — A League of Their Own.
During World War II, when most of the men are off fighting overseas, two sisters join the first professional women’s baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amid their growing rivalry.
July 1, 1992 | Theatrical Release
The movie kicks off in 1988 with Dottie Hinson attending the opening of a new exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame that celebrates the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Suddenly, we're transported back to 1944 to learn how the league began. We meet a younger Dottie and her sister Kit, working hard on the dairy farm. A scout named Ernie arrives and tries to convince Dottie to join the league, but she agrees only if Kit can come too.
Off to Chicago they go to try out for the league — and they make the Rockford Peaches.
But who’s going to manage this squad? Former star player Jimmy Dugan. Jimmy Dugan sucks. He’s an alcoholic who only takes the gig to make some money so he can buy more booze. He doesn’t want to be there, which forces Dottie to step up as the team’s leader.
As the league grows more and more popular, the stadiums start selling out. The teammates bond, and everything is going great — until the guy running the league makes Dottie the face of it, which upsets her sister and ultimately leads to Kit getting traded.
The Peaches finish the season with the league’s best record, qualifying for the World Series. That evening, Dottie gets a surprise when her husband, Bob, shows up — wounded and discharged from the Army.
Jimmy discovers that Dottie plans to go home with Bob. He tries to talk her out of it, telling her she’ll regret not staying.
Before the final game of the World Series, Dottie rejoins the team, while Kit is the starting pitcher for the opposing team. Dottie and the Peaches end up winning, and the sisters reconcile afterward.
Back in the present at Cooperstown, Dottie is reunited with the other players — including Kit. They all sing the team song and pose for a photo.
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Occasionally, we like to spotlight other Bramble Jam Podcasts here on the Deck the Hallmark feed that we think you’ll enjoy. Today, we’re celebrating fall by spotlighting Girls Gone Hallmark!
"We’re diving into Harvest Moon, the fall favorite starring Jessy Schram and Jesse Hutch. Instead of sticking with big-city boardrooms or holiday magic, this movie takes us straight to a pumpkin farm that’s seen better days. As Jenny trades stilettos for soil and Brett tries to keep everything running, we get a story that’s equal parts charming, funny, and surprisingly grounded. Join us as we break down what works, what wobbles, and all the moments that made us smile in this Hallmark autumn classic."
Be sure to subscribe to Girls Gone Hallmark to keep up all season long!
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The gang is BACK to help us finish breaking down the rest of the 2025 Hallmark Christmas movies! Did you miss part 1? Check it out HERE.
This week, we cover...
Thursday, November 27: We Met in December
Stars: Autumn Reeser (Junebug), Niall Matter (This Time Each Year)
On an unexpected layover in mid-December, Annie Lane (Reeser) and Dave Weeks (Matter) meet as
strangers in a beautiful hotel all decorated for the holidays. It’s love at first sight, and they end up
having a magical night of sharing hopes, dreams...and a perfect kiss. But when they fail to exchange
numbers and miss each other the next morning, Annie and Dave fly back to Chicago with no easy
way to track the other one down. The only clues they have are those shared about plans for the
upcoming holiday season, and the two embark on separate quests to find one another. Along the
way, insightful wisdom shared during their time together leads Annie and Dave to make important
changes in their lives, leading them both to find ways of making this Christmas special for
themselves, their families, and their loved ones.
Friday, November 28: The Snow Must Go On – premieres at 6 pm ET/PT
Stars: Heather Hemmens (Christmas Under the Lights), Corey Cott (Season’s Greetings from
Cherry Lane)
Isaiah Heyward (Cott) last appeared on Broadway almost 10 years ago. Since then, getting back on
Broadway has been a challenge. To escape the grind of the city and re-evaluate his life, Isaiah visits
his sister, Jess, and teenage niece, Aurora, in upstate New York for the holidays. But his yuletide
respite is interrupted when he learns Aurora’s high school may have to cancel their annual Christmas
musical because they can’t find a director. With a nudge from Aurora and the school’s guidance
counselor, Lilly-Anne Brigente (Hemmens), Isaiah decides to save the Christmas show and jumps in
as director. Isaiah’s situation gets a little more complicated when he learns that an influential
Broadway producer’s daughter is in the school production, so Isaiah decides to cast himself as the
lead in order to land a part in an upcoming Broadway show. But while the curtain rises on rehearsals
and the Christmas Eve opening night fast approaches, Isaiah finds some Christmas surprises of his
own, as he stumbles upon an unexpected romance with Lilly-Anne, creates an unanticipated bond
with his students, reassesses his priorities and ultimately discovers that the greatest holiday gift is
found when love, family, and friendship take centerstage.
Friday, November 28: The More the Merrier – premieres at 8 pm ET/PT
Stars: Rachel Boston (Adventures in Love & Birding), Brendan Penny (Chesapeake Shores)
Alice (Boston), an emergency room doctor at a small, rural hospital, always volunteers to work the
Christmas Eve overnight shift and goes the extra mile to make the holiday merry and bright for
patients and staff. When the hospital gets snowed in, Alice and Brian (Penny), the newly hired top-
rated cardiologist, find themselves in the middle of a bona fide baby boom when three women –
including the only OBGYN for miles around – go into labor on the rarest birthday of the year. As they
team up to bring these bundles of joy into the world as the night wears on, Alice, Brian and the rest
of the staff also work hard to make the holiday feel festive for all the patients. Though they may have
different approaches to medicine – and to life – there’s a spark between them and by the end of their
shift it’s clear that this may be the Christmas Eve that changes them both forever.
Saturday, November 29: An Alpine Holiday – premieres at 6 pm ET/PT
Stars: Ashley Williams (To Barcelona, Forever), Laci Mailey (The Perfect Setting), Julien Samani
(Holidate)
A grandmother’s last wish brings two estranged sisters Faith (Williams) and Kelly (Mailey), back
together to travel to the French Alps for Christmas to recreate her first trip there with their grandfather.
Facing all the challenges and wonder this unique holiday adventure brings, they learn to cherish their
sisterhood above all, while also making room for romance to blossom between Kelly and their French
mountaineer guide, Frederic (Samani).
Saturday, November 29: A Grand Ole Opry Christmas – premieres at 8 pm ET/PT
Stars: Nikki Deloach (Curious Caterer Mysteries), Kristoffer Polaha (A Biltmore Christmas), Rob
Maye (Lioness), Eliza Maher (Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up), Luke Benward (Miss Valentine), Sharon
Lawrence (Joe Pickett), James Denton (Desperate Housewives)
Gentry Wade (Nikki DeLoach), daughter of late country music icon Jett Wade – half of the famed duo
Winters & Wade – abandoned her dream of a songwriting career and distanced herself from her
father’s legacy following his tragic accident 30 years prior. When the Grand Ole Opry invites her to
represent Jett at their centennial celebration at Christmas, she’s hesitant to return to the place
steeped in bittersweet memories. Encouraged by her good friends, Gentry visits the Opry and, while
seated in one of the vaunted venue’s oak church pews, is suddenly transported to 1995. Gentry’s
lifelong friend Mac (Kristoffer Polaha) a country music talent manager, finds himself in 1995 as well.
Thanks to some Christmas magic, Gentry gets precious time with her father, creative inspiration to
finish the song she began decades earlier as a teen and learns surprising answers to questions about
her father that have followed her for the last three decades.
Cameos by: Bill Anderson, Brad Paisley, Dailey & Vincent, Drew Baldridge, Jamey Johnson, Maggie
Baugh, Megan Moroney, Mickey Guyton, Pam Tillis, Rhett Akins, Riders in the Sky, Suzy Bogguss,
Tigirlily Gold, T Graham Brown
Sunday, November 30: The Christmas Cup – premieres at 6 pm ET/PT
Stars: Rhiannon Fish (A Prince in Paradise), Ben Rosenbaum (When Calls the Heart)
After a knee injury threatens to cut her career short, Staff Sergeant Kelly Brandt (Fish) returns home
in low spirits for the holidays. Her family tries to help by encouraging her to lead her hometown team in the annual Christmas Cup against the rival town. It takes a lot of work, but Kelly organizes her
team and gets them as competition-ready as she can with the help of Fire Captain Quinn Stokley
(Rosenbaum). Sparks begin to fly with Quinn, and through the whole process, Kelly is reminded of
how much she loves to lead, but her heart still hopes she will be cleared to return to serve. Kelly
ultimately receives the call she has been waiting for; however, it’s not what she expects. With the
Marines needing her to report to the Hawaiian base on the day of the competition, Kelly soon realizes
there is more than one way to serve a community.
Sunday, November 30: Christmas at the Catnip Café – premieres at 8 pm ET/PT
Stars: Erin Cahill (Holidazed), Paul Campbell (Three Wise Men and a Baby)
Olivia Pierce (Cahill) is a marketing executive from Oakland, California who is this close to realizing
her dream of purchasing a condo, but she’s a bit short on the down payment. When she learns that
her late great aunt left her half of a cat café in upstate New York she thinks it’s the Christmas miracle
she needed – as long as she can sell and close the deal before the holidays. Olivia’s plan hits a bump
in the road when she meets Dr. Ben Kane (Campbell), the veterinarian who owns the other half. The
café serves an important role in the town – helping homeless cats find forever homes – and he has
no intention of closing up shop. Christmas is the most important time of the year as they plan many
activities to help raise funds and get them into the black. Olivia and Ben strike a deal – she agrees to
help him plan the fundraising events at the café over the next three weeks in exchange for Ben
promising not to drag his heels on selling at the end of that time. Unless, Ben notes, she ends up
changing her mind – a lot can happen in three weeks, after all. As they work together and a spark
between them grows, Olivia becomes part of the neighborhood, gains an appreciation for the café’s
adorable feline inhabitants and what it means to Ben, as well as to the entire community. And when
she learns the surprising reason her great aunt opened the café in the first place, that just might be
the cat-alyst for change that will give them all a Merry Christmas.
Saturday, December 6: She's Making A List
Stars: Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls), Andrew Walker (Curious Caterer Mysteries)
Falling on Santa’s Naughty or Nice list used to be a call made by Santa and his elves. But with the
number of kids worldwide skyrocketing, Santa has outsourced the job to the Naughty or Nice Group,
a consulting firm that has cornered the market on determining a child’s niceness thanks to an airtight
formula. As a top inspector with the group, it’s Isabel’s (Chabert) job to make the tough calls, by
assessing the children on her list and assigning a verdict. When she is tasked with evaluating a
mischievous 11-year-old Charlie Duncan, she expects a routine case. But things get complicated
when Isabel unexpectedly falls for Charlie’s widowed father, Jason (Walker), and begins to question
the rigid rules of her job. As Christmas approaches, Isabel must choose between following the
holiday algorithm or following her heart.
Sunday, December 7: Single on the 25th
Stars: Lyndsy Fonseca (Nikita), Daniel Lissing (When Calls the Heart)
For Nell Duke (Fonseca), nothing is worse than being single at Christmastime because everywhere
she looks, couples are kissing under the mistletoe. After her family cancels holiday plans at the last
minute, Nell decides to spend the week of Christmas having fun on her own! When she crosses
paths with her neighbor Cooper (Lissing), a financial analyst who prides himself on being happily
unattached, he notices Nell struggling with being alone and decides to share tips on how to keep the
holidays festive. Cooper inspires Nell to challenge her insecurities and find happiness in being on
her own. In turn, Nell helps Cooper realize he’s missing out on real connection. In the fun
partnership that forms, the friendly singles' Christmas together starts to feel like something more.
Their special connection falls apart when Nell finds out Coooper only offered to help because he felt
sorry Nell had to spend the holidays alone. To make Christmas truly magical this year, Cooper must
show real growth of character while Nell finds her own strength in being single during the holidays.
Saturday, December 13: A Suite Holiday Romance
Stars: Jessy Schram (Chicago Med), Dominic Sherwood (Shadowhunters)
It’s Christmas week when Sabrina Post (Schram), arrives at the iconic Grand Fairbanks Hotel in New
York City, ready to accept the ghostwriting position for the memoir of Grayson Westcott – a famous
art dealer. As a struggling writer, Sabrina can't believe her luck: a paycheck and a stay in her own
suite at the hotel. She feels like Cordelia, the heroine from her favorite series of children’s books
written by Hazel Holley. What promises to be a perfect week is complicated when Sabrina meets
Ian Turner (Sherwood), a handsome British visitor, at the hotel bar. When Ian assumes Sabrina is
another wealthy guest at the hotel, she doesn’t correct him – a decision she doesn’t regret after
learning that Ian is a member of the British aristocracy. Or so she thinks. The truth is that Ian is not
a wealthy lord but is the personal secretary of Lord Spencer Braxton. Ian is in town for the holidays
to oversee the installation of an exhibit featuring the Braxton Royal Jewels at the Avalon Museum. As
the week unfolds, Sabrina shows Ian Christmas in New York and the two start to fall for each other.
Sunday, December 14: Oy to the World!
Stars: Brooke D’Orsay (Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane), Jake Epstein (The Hardy Boys)
When water lines break at Temple Beth Am, it leaves its members in need of a place to celebrate
Hannukah. Across the street, St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church is quick to open its doors and offer
shared space for the holidays. With the last night of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve falling on the same
day this year – something that rarely happens – the reverend and rabbi choose to offer a joint service
for their congregations. But that means Nikki Roberts (D’Orsay), St. Joseph’s youth choir director,
must team up with Jake Cohen (Epstein), the substitute youth choir director from Temple Beth Am,
and put on a single music program. These two are old high school rivals and together, they’re ready
to compete for the top prize. That’s not helping matters at a time when partnership matters most.
To lead a successful fundraising effort for the temple, Nikki and Jake have to put aside their
differences and learn how to work together. In doing so, they discover teamwork can move
mountains and open hearts, including their own. On their big night, Nikki and Jake find a way to unite people through the power of song and prove that coming together is the best way for everyone to
celebrate the holiday season.
Saturday, December 20: A Make Or Break Holiday
Stars: Hunter King (Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story), Evan Roderick (Arrow)
Liv (King) and Daniel (Roderick) are hosting their families for the first time this Christmas and stress
is at an all-time high. When unspoken irritations within their relationship finally reach a boiling point,
Liv and Daniel find themselves at odds and decide they need to take a break from each other.
However, relaying this news to their families will most certainly ruin Christmas, so they decide to
move forward with their original plans and will pretend to be a happy couple while everyone is under
one roof. As they navigate the complexities of their respective families and work together to create
a holiday celebration they’ll all remember, Liv and Daniel begin to rediscover what they love about
each other and may not have to pretend much longer.
Sunday, December 21: The Christmas Baby
Stars: Ali Liebert (Bomb Girls), Katherine Barrell (Good Witch), Barbara Niven (Hannah Swensen
Mysteries)
When a baby boy shows up on their doorstep days before Christmas with a note written specially for
them, Erin (Liebert) and Kelly (Barrell) must learn how to navigate their new relationship and career
dynamics while unexpectedly caring for a newborn. As the couple spends more time with the baby
as a temporary solution until he can be placed permanently or they can find his mother, they begin
to realize that they want to adopt him themselves and go about navigating the complicated world of
fostering to adopt all while their business is booming at the busiest time of the year, Christmas.
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What a big day. Today, we talk with acting legend Stephen Tobolowsky to chat about his career & the upcoming Haul Out the Halloween release.
Stephen Tobolowsky is an acclaimed American actor, author, and storyteller whose career spans more than four decades across film, television, and theater. Known for his remarkable versatility and unmistakable presence, Tobolowsky has appeared in more than 200 productions, creating some of pop culture’s most memorable characters.
He’s perhaps best recognized for his iconic turn as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as standout roles in Memento, Californication, Glee, The Goldbergs, and One Day at a Time. Beyond acting, Tobolowsky is also a celebrated writer and podcaster, known for his insightful storytelling in The Tobolowsky Files and his acclaimed memoir The Dangerous Animals Club.
In recent years, Tobolowsky has brought his trademark warmth and wit to the Hallmark Channel, delighting audiences as the lovable homeowner Ned in the hit Haul Out the Holly series. He reprises the role once again in this weekend’s highly anticipated new installment, Haul Out the Halloween.
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It's finally here! We actually recorded this episode live at Bramble Fest 2025, and we’re joined by Brian and Patrick to dissect the 2025 Lifetime thriller The Little Girl Who Lived.
When rising crime novelist Alice reveals her childhood abduction in a new book, the killer returns-kidnapping her sister and demanding she rewrite his legacy before cancer takes him for good.
October 5, 2025 | Lifetime Channel
The movie kicks off with a girl running out of a cabin and hiding. From what? From whom? While running through the woods, her necklace falls off. A bald dude who’s following her picks it up. The little girl makes it to a path and runs into a woman who’s jogging. She says, “Don’t let him find me.”
Cut to author Alice Kerrigan at a reading for her new book. A megafan is asking questions, and Alice drops a bombshell — her next book is going to be a firsthand account of her time with a serial abductor, The Strigoi, who kidnapped her as a kid.
This guy has never been caught, but Alice believes that by now he’s too old to pose a threat and finally feels ready to tell her story. But between the creepy megafan and her big announcement, Alice gets a bit jumpy.
Her cop sister comes to pick her up (very late, FYI), and they finally get to spend some time together. Her sister isn’t thrilled that Alice doesn’t paint the cops in a positive light in her books — and she’s really not thrilled to find out Alice plans to publicly share her story. They get into an argument. It’s not great.
That night, Alice wakes up to banging and booming outside her room. She grabs a lamp that’s lying nearby and goes to investigate. She gets downstairs and — surprise — the house has clearly been burglarized. Stuff is everywhere. But then she discovers the necklace she dropped in the woods as a kid, next to a note attached to a brick:
“You don’t know my story well enough to tell it. Maybe she will.”
Clearly, it’s The Strigoi. Speaking of Strigoi, I know we all know what that means, but let’s say it together:
“Strigoi, in Romanian mythology, are troubled spirits said to have risen from the grave. They can transform into beasts, become invisible, and gain vitality from the blood of their victims.”
Yes, thank you.
Back to the movie: the police show up. Detective Marcus Rosner doesn’t believe her story, nor does he believe it’s The Strigoi. He points out that she announced her new book today, and that probably made her cop sister mad, drink too much, and leave.
So it’s up to Alice to figure this out herself. She examines the brick and sees a number: 55868.
As Alice is walking around trying to find out more about the brick, she bumps into the megafan, Claire. She immediately decides to open up to her (for reasons I don’t understand) and tells her what she’s working on — and the megafan is PUMPED.
Claire pulls up a blog that lists three suspects for The Strigoi:
Dr. Adrian Blake – doctor for three of the missing girls
Charles Mercer – bad guy, convicted of other crimes
The Trenchcoat – a mysterious figure often seen by the railroad tracks
Alice is sure it isn’t Dr. Blake because he’s dead. She’s not super sure about the other two but agrees to investigate.
They find Charles Mercer playing chess. He was convicted of some icky stuff back in the day, but he claims he didn’t do any of it. He suspects someone from the Italian restaurant where he used to work was up to something shady and says she should look there.
So they go to investigate. Megafan Claire talks to the owner while Alice pokes around in the back. She finds a box that looks important, but the owner hears her snooping and chases her off. Don’t worry — she gets away with the box, no problem.
They look at who was working with Charles at the time and zero in on a name: Stephen Gray. That leads them to his family home, which has some weird stuff out back — a bunch of dirt, her sister’s shirt, and skeletal remains of animals buried there. It’s almost like he wanted her to find it.
They go to talk to the woman who used to live there — Stephen’s mom — now in a nursing home. She says some things about Stephen that make Alice think they might be onto something. Alice also starts to suspect Claire may be up to something after she randomly bails mid-conversation.
When Alice gets home, Detective Marcus Rosner is there. They talk; she tells him about Stephen. They hug (all above board), and then a brick gets thrown from inside the house through the window — something I don’t think has ever happened in the history of film. They go in, and no one’s there.
Alice starts digging into Claire online, through the same forums Claire had shown her. She has a revelation when she sees a photo of a missing girl named Charlie.
The next day, Alice is supposed to meet Claire but doesn’t show. Claire storms off, furious. Alice follows her by car. It takes her to a cabin in the woods. Alice goes to open the door and has a vivid memory of running out that very door as a child. It’s the cabin.
She sneaks inside, and more memories come flooding back. As she’s creeping around, Claire catches her. Alice calls her Charlie — which makes Claire freak out.
She screams, “You don’t know how badly you leaving affected him!”
Turns out, after Alice escaped, he kidnapped Claire/Charlie and kept her there. She’s been there ever since. She yells, “I’m his wife now! We had a ceremony and everything!”
The plan was for Claire to get close to Alice, then lure her back to the killer. We also learn he’s very sick and clearly dying.
Claire attacks Alice and almost strangles her but lets go before Alice passes out — then breaks down crying.
Stephen Gray comes downstairs. Alice runs away, jumps in the car, and drives off before he can catch her — and before her sister can make it to her car.
She gets pulled over and tells Detective Rosner everything about Stephen Gray. He promises to look into it.
Alice hatches a plan. She goes to the pharmacy, knowing that Claire would likely show up to get new meds (because Alice took a vial with her). When Claire gets back to her car, Alice attacks — strangles her from behind, puts her in the back seat, and drives to Stephen Gray’s.
Stephen calls Claire’s phone to find out where she is. Alice tells him, “I’ll give you your medicine if you give me my sister.” He agrees to meet her at the rooftop garden — the same place he first kidnapped her.
She calls Marcus (okay, Detective Hottie) and tells him what she’s doing — that he can’t stop her, but he can join her if he wants.
They meet. Stephen explains that he wanted her to find all the information about him for her book — but also wants her to jump off the building with him so their stories will end together. Dark stuff.
Detective Hottie shows up, Stephen coughs, and that gives Alice enough time to break free and push him off the building.
They rescue her sister. Alice goes home and writes a letter to Charlie.
One year later, her book is out — and Charlie shows up. They hug. Turns out, they co-wrote the book together.
Yay for authors.
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It’s a new episode! Brian joins us to dive into the newest Fall Hallmark movie, Home Turf.
Cassidy is the president of a small college whose life is thrown for a loop when freshmen on the football team move into her home. Can Logan, the handsome coach, help smooth things over?
October 4, 2025 | Hallmark Channel
Cassidy is the new president of a small college. You know the old saying — she’s not in Boston anymore. She’s doing wild things like setting up Food Truck Friday. People love her! But then comes the bad news… the budget is in worse shape than she thought, and the board is suggesting cutting the arts. Over Cassidy’s dead body.
The hits keep coming — a pipe bursts in one of the dorms. Everything is going wrong, and it only gets worse when she bumps into a guy and her PSL goes all over her delightful jacket. She’s even more frazzled when she realizes that he’s hot.
She gets to the meeting and guess who’s there? Coffee guy. It’s Coach Logan, and he’s not pleased to hear how she “solved” the housing situation. His football squad lives in that dorm, and her plan is to have them stay at another college a couple towns over and shuttle them in. He says, “I have a better idea — the president’s house.” It’s massive, and it’s just Cassidy living there. She reluctantly agrees and immediately regrets it when their golf cart breaks a flower pot.
The first morning is rough — they wake her up at 6 a.m. with practice out back, leave her no hot water, and use all the oat milk. It’s a mess. They agree to lay down some new guidelines for the players. But after another screw-up that messes up a meeting with a potential big donor, Logan talks to the players, and they surprise Cassidy with dinner and an apology.
Cassidy begins to learn that being part of a team isn’t all bad — especially after promising her big donor that she’ll bring back the alumni formal. Then, after realizing the donor is a huge football fan, she comes up with a plan that’ll win him over and help the arts — build a new football stadium.
Cassidy starts to enjoy having the boys around and, let’s be honest, is really starting to enjoy Logan. They end up slow dancing and kissinggggg.
But things take a turn when Logan agrees to help her with the presentation to the big donor — and then shows up late. The donor backs out because the proposal lacked key details, and Logan was the one who had them. When he finally arrives, he explains he was at a ceremony for his dad, and on the way out, the head coach at Buckeye State offered him an assistant gig.
The boys move back to their dorm now that the pipe’s fixed, and Cassidy’s house suddenly feels very empty. Before the next game, the players demand that Cassidy give their pump-up speech. Afterwards, Logan tells her he’s not going anywhere.
After the game, the big donor shows up again. He says the coach called him, persuaded him to come, and he’s looked over the full proposal. He tells Cassidy and Logan they make a great team — and he’s in.
The movie ends with Cassidy telling Logan that the team’s going to do family dinner at her place every Sunday — and she wants him there, but is also totally down to hang out one-on-one anytime. They kiss, and everyone cheers.
Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtube
Interested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com
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