Christmas-time has always been a magical season for me. Not the baby Jesus miracle kind of magic, but the walking in a winter wonderland kind of magic.
Christmas specials on TV are usually something I look forward to. Like Christmas carols, they’re another annual experience that enhances that feeling that this darkest part of the year is special, and different, and fun.
Teen dramas have historically taken a somewhat unexpected approach to the Christmas special. While most sitcoms play up gift politics and family visits, shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and My So-Called Life delve into the supernatural. For otherwise entirely realist/naturalist shows, both mid-90s series come up with real Christmas miracles to celebrate the season. (An angel saves the gang from being killed by a truck on 90210, and an angel guides Angela and her mom so they can help Rickie, who’s been kicked out of his house).
It just seems funny to me that the magic of Christmas should be taken so literally. Is it that hard to convey the feeling that fresh white snow and twinkle lights inspire in many of us? I guess it kind of feels like a cop out, when there’s so much natural/tangible beauty to explore in December, why add magic to our realism?
Enjoy the season, however you celebrate! I’ll be lighting Hanukkah candles and trading gifts with my family.
[…] I’ve written about magical realism turning up around the holidays before, and in general I have no problem with the idea of taking a temporary leave of absence from the rules of reality. But one thing has always struck me as strange, and it struck me particularly hard while watching this phenomenon displayed on Switched at Birth, where two characters awake to find themselves living an alternate timeline of their lives. What if Bay and Daphne had never been switched at the hospital? […]