Any takeaways from this episode?

Welcome to the Rom-Com Rescue Holiday Extravaganza! Six holiday rom-coms over the next six weeks!

Conscious uncoupling, gingerbread throwdowns, one last “totally normal” family Christmas, inconvenient new crushes… and Pierson Fode in candy-cane underwear. That’s right. We went there.

This week on RomCom Rescue, Kira and Dr. Izzy break down Netflix’s brand-new 2025 holiday rom-com Merry Little Ex-Mas starring Alicia Silverstone, Oliver Hudson, Jamila Jamil, and Pierson Fode— and let’s just say:
It is was rough for us.

Not magical. Not cozy. Not even Hot Frosty-level cute.

But it is full of relationship red flags, questionable choices, unmatched chaos, and enough emotional immaturity to keep two therapists busy until 2028.

We cover:

🎄 Conscious Uncoupling… or Conscious Unraveling?
Why this movie is basically a PSA for “please don’t date people who aren’t actually divorced yet.”

🍪 The Gingerbread House Incident Heard ‘Round the World
Unregulated emotions, public meltdowns, and one truly tragic cookie crime scene.

❤️ New Crushes, Old Wounds & Pierson Fode
Why he was here. Why he should’ve been an elf. And why none of it made sense.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Kids Who Deserved Better
Divorce logistics, blurred boundaries, holiday blending gone wrong, and the parenting decisions that had us yelling at our TVs.

🌱 Kate’s Villain Era (and Environmental Rage)
Control issues, projection, victim mindset, and why being “right” doesn’t make you good at relationships.

🏡 Why the Ending Doesn’t Actually Fix Anything
Indoor grills are not couples therapy.
Perfume ≠ emotional maturity.
And “let’s just go back to how things were” is not a plot arc.

💡 Love Lessons (If We Squint)
– Don’t date someone mid-divorce.
– Don’t bring new partners home for the holidays when your marriage isn’t actually over.
– Take responsibility for your choices.
– Stop projecting your fears onto your kids.
– And for the love of Santa: get a therapist before you get a rebound.

📉 The Final Verdict:
Tacos: 1/5
Love Lessons: 1/5
Butterflies: 0
Plot Holes: Infinity

Find RomCom Rescue wherever you get your podcasts — Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google, PocketCasts — all the places.

Next week: We’re tackling Champagne Problems (Netflix, Nov 19) with Minka Kelly & Tom Woznicka.
Fingers crossed it’s better. (It has to be. Right?)

And remember:
We believe we create our own happily ever afters… and please, for the love of god, don’t date people before they’re divorced.

Come talk with us about your favorite rom-coms on instagram, tiktok, & youtube and Bluesky!

Get show notes, transcripts, and more information on at Rom-ComRescue.com