Question of the week #21

[treonb]

It's December 23, 1981. What are our favourite characters doing for Christmas?

You can expect spoilers for the entire first season in the comments.

(There's no expiration date on these questions, so if you're reading this post months later and feel like jumping in, please do.)

Comments

[sistermagpie]

One thing I feel sure of is that Philip loved Christmas. He probably dressed up as Santa Claus at some point which made Elizabeth seriously question, not for the first time, the KGB's choice to admit him into the program. And he can even really like the religious part, specifically because he gets that you can like the story without believing in God and not be any different than thousands of other Americans. Basically, this holiday--probably many holidays--are times when his compartmentalization works really well for him.

Elizabeth still can't get over the fact that Christmas lumps together two of the worst things about the US: sentimental religion and consumerism. So she's conflicted, but over the years she's disturbed to find she has a lot of happy memories of Christmas with the kids, even one time when she and Philip stayed up late putting together some damn toy that was way too complicated and at one point had the two of them joking that they wished the instructions came in Russian as well as English, Spanish and whatever else they came in. Now she regularly shops for her mother each Christmas in her mind.

This Christmas they're really together for the first time, maybe, and they're just happy to have not lost their family as they could have not so long ago.

The Jennings go over to the Beemans' house on Xmas eve. They had already seen each other at a school concert where Paige and Matthew performed (Paige in the chorus, Matthew with the band). Elizabeth fielded questions about her great aunt. Philip was a little late getting there because he had to spend the day with Martha.

Arkady surprised Nina with a little gift at Christmas and she keeps it out in her room because it reminds her how she made the right decision. She does not do the same with whatever Stan gave her for Christmas, which makes her feel a little guilty.

Philip also surprised Grannie with a little gift, because he knew it would kind of irritate her while still symbolizing the truce between them. Maybe it's another dog pin. He says Elizabeth picked it out because it reminded her of Claudia.

[treonb]

I'd love to read this as a fic :-) Phillip giving Grannie a gift is excellent. I'm sure she'll wear that pin everywhere..

[jae]

It's hard to say where they would be for sure this year without knowing where season two picks up! But here are some guesses that could be true:

- I think Stan and Sandra may well be spending Christmas apart, with one of them having moved out (probably Stan).

- I think there's a good chance that Elizabeth is also not home for the holidays because she's still convalescing somewhere. But if she's well enough to pretend that nothing is wrong, she's home with her kids and so is Philip, having as normal a Christmas as possible.

I wouldn't hazard a guess on the others.

-J

[treonb]

This specific Christmas is a toughie, since as Jae wrote, it's not clear whether Elizabeth will even be home.

But, assuming she will be - I think Philip will be the one going overboard for Christmas. But I also think this is one holiday Elizabeth will actually appreciate. From what I've been reading, the Russians didn't give up on the Christmas traditions, and they were all moved to the New Year's celebration (Novi God). It's close enough that I can see Elizabeth especially getting wistful about not being able to celebrate it with her family. She's the one who's been shown to miss her family, and I can see her flashbacking over it. And Philip and Elizabeth can leave the Christmas decorations up, and nobody will think it's weird, and they will have their own private toast or something at New Year's, just like they did back in Russia.

I'd like to think Stan is still home, and they'll try to pretend everything's just peachy by them so as not to ruin the holiday.

Maybe the Jennings and Beemans will get together for a holiday meal and try to figure each other out.