Synopsis
On her first holiday without her father, Zoey attempts to create a magical Christmas for her family just like the ones Mitch used to do.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist might just be the perfect candidate for a holiday wrap-up movie. After being prematurely canceled by NBC earlier this summer, the fan-favorite series returns with an all-new holiday film on the Roku Channel – Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas. Written by series creator Austin Winsberg and directed by Richard Shepard, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas is a delightful holiday treat and a mostly satisfying conclusion to the series. It’s a little long in the middle, like most Christmas movies are. And probably a little too cheesy – even within the context of an already-cheesy show. But it’s such a good time that I dare you to walk away unhappy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll be full of Christmas cheer.
The Plot
Season two of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist ended on quite the cliffhanger, with Max (Skylar Astin) discovering he’s gained the same heart-song powers Zoey (Jane Levy) has. Picking up a few weeks later, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas finds the couple navigating their new life together. Max feels on top of the world. He’s got the girl of his dreams and he’s having a great time helping people with his newfound powers. Zoey, on the other hand, is having a bit of a tough time. It’s the first Christmas since her dad, Mitch (Peter Gallagher), died. And she’s determined to keep her family together for the holidays by throwing the most “Mitch Christmas” ever. A task that she quickly learns isn’t as easy as she thought it might be.
Both a Holiday Treat and an Exploration of Grief
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas perfectly blends more traditional, holiday fare alongside everything fans expect from an episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. You get all of the holiday cheer you’re looking for – the big, Christmas musical numbers, the cheesy, over-the-top moments, and the feel-good scenes that make you laugh and cry. I mean, what could be better than Bernadette Peters chewing the scenery while singing “Mele Kalikimaka”? But Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas feels like more than just a stereotypical Christmas special. Here, all of these more overt Christmas elements are filtered through Zoey and her family’s specific character arcs. Because at its heart, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas is a story about grief. About how a family gets through that first Christmas without their loved one. It’s a sensitive subject, to be sure, but one that feels wholly appropriate for a Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist story.
Mitch’s shadow looms large over the film. And all of the characters feel it. But the harder they strive to keep things the same as their idealized memories, the closer they get to disaster. But that’s really the point, isn’t it? Part of the grieving process is accepting that things will never be the same. And that’s exactly what this movie captures so beautifully. Those first holidays are hard, but there’s beauty and joy to be found within them. And so, much like the show’s second season, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas continues to push these characters through their grief. Zoey learns to create new traditions, Maggie (Mary Steenburgen) discovers whether she’s ready or not to date again, etc. And honestly, it’s just really beautiful. It’s authentic, it’s moving, and it feels like the culmination of two seasons’ worth of stories for these characters.
A Good Mixture of Emotion, Humor, and Spectacle
But worry not – Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas is far from depressing. Much like the show, the film embraces the sheer joy that comes with being a musical and balances it with the more emotional moments. For every sadder moment (like the “Wish You Were Here” scene), there’s an equally funny moment (like the “Just the Two of Us”/”We Need a Little Christmas” mashup) that makes you cry from laughter. And the same is true for the plot. Sure, a lot of the movie focuses on grief. But it also spends just as much time on more light-hearted fare – like Mo (Alex Newell) completely overshining her boyfriend, Perry’s (David St. Louis), kids at a Christmas pageant. That mixture of comedy and drama has always been at the heart of the show, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas continues to strike that balance perfectly.
On the music side of things, there’s a great mixture of Christmas songs and “regular songs”. The musical numbers themselves continue to be absolutely breathtaking. So many of the numbers are filmed in these long, sweeping shots that really show off the splendor of Mandy Moore and Jillian Meyers’ incredible choreography. Plus, the actors’ performances are incredible. It’s always fun seeing Bernadette Peters sing something you wouldn’t expect her to sing. And Skylar Astin and Alex Newell continue to be total powerhouses. But honestly, I think the greatest joy was seeing Jane Levy sing more. She rarely got to sing in the first two seasons, and she just brings a lot of comedy to her musical numbers. There’s a duet between Zoey and Max that made me cry from laughing so hard, so that’s always a plus.
Lots of Treats for Long-Time Fans
While the promotional material suggests Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas stands on its own, I’m not entirely sure that’s true. Honestly, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas feels like a movie that was made specifically for existing fans. And there’s a whole lot here for those fans to enjoy. It’s nice to finally see Max and Zoey in such a positive context, with the film deftly exploring this new dynamic of Zoey and Max having the heart-song powers. It adds a really interesting dynamic to their relationship. They may be on a more even playing field now, but that doesn’t mean their relationship is all sunshine and roses. Instead, they feel like a real couple that’s committed to each other, and to working their way through their problems. And honestly, I just loved seeing the two of them so supportive of each other, and so happy together.
And the same rings true for all of the other characters, too. Mo and Perry continue to be cute together, and I love seeing Mo pushed out of his comfort zone. David (Andrew Leeds) and Emily (Alice Lee) have a ridiculously silly subplot involving a fake Christmas newsletter. After how emotional a lot of their season two storylines were, it’s refreshing to see them totally happy and goofing off together. And then there’s the truly iconic duo that is Maggie and Deb (Bernadette Peters). Their friendship was one of my favorite parts of the show’s second season, and it continues to be an absolute hoot here. Honestly, if you’re a fan of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, you’re gonna be head over heels for this movie. It respects everything that’s come before it while pushing the characters down new and authentic paths.
An Ending and a New Beginning
And on that note, it’s impressive how well Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas manages to wrap up most of the show’s lingering plotlines. It sometimes feels like an entire season’s worth of story has been condensed into 100-minutes. But mostly it doesn’t. Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas wrapped up most of the storylines in a naturalistic, satisfying way. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the movie ends any of these storylines, though. Instead, it brings them to a point where if this is the ending, you won’t be frustrated by unresolved storylines. But if the show were to continue, there are plenty of directions these stories could continue to go. And that’s honestly the best way to treat something like this. It’s both an ending and a possible new beginning.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas gave me everything I was hoping for. It’s both a traditional, classic Christmas story and a satisfying epilogue to one of my favorite TV shows. It brings all of the show’s lingering storylines to some kind of a satisfying conclusion – while also leaving the door open for future stories. The movie itself perfectly balances the joy and the melancholy of Christmas without a loved one. And it’s just so nice to spend time with these characters again. To laugh alongside them and to cry with them.
That being said, it’s certainly not without faults. Like most Christmas movies, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas feels a bit long – especially in the middle. I’m not entirely sure there was enough plot here to justify the nearly 100-minute runtime. But I’m also not gonna complain about getting as much Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist as I can. (Though I do wish we’d been able to spend just a bit more time with the other SPRQPoint employees – and with Simon (John Clarence Stewart).) However, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas is just an absolute delight from start to finish. As a possible ending for the show, it ticks all the boxes. But with any luck, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas might prove to be less of an ending and more of a new beginning.
Rating: 4.5/5
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas is available to stream now on The Roku Channel.
Director: Richard Shepard
Writers: Austin Winsberg, Sam Laybourne (story by), Samantha McIntyre (story by)
Producer: Michele Greco
Executive Producers: Austin Winsberg, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Paul Feig, David Blackman, Daniel Inkeles, Richard Shepard, Jason Wang (co-executive producer), Dan Magnante (co-executive producer), Mandy Moore (co-executive producer)
Starring: Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, Mary Steenburgen, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, Bernadette Peters, Peter Gallagher, David St. Louis, John Clarence Stewart, Kapil Talwalkar, Michael Thomas Grant,
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 1h 39m
Part-time writer, part-time theatre nerd, full-time dork.
