Renovation Romance (2024)

[bunniefuu]

[jingly Christmas music plays]

Diane, these last few weeks

renovating this house,

turning it into our forever home,

has been one of the most

special experiences of my life.

But there's still one thing missing.

[gasping]

Will you marry me?

Yes!

This week on Renovation Romance,

we helped yet another beautiful couple

get through the difficulties

of living through a home renovation.

Because we love a happy ending here,

especially during the holidays.

It was a tough job,

but together we helped make

their old house feel like a new home.

It has a contemporary feel

that seamlessly blends with the original

charm that first caught their eye.

And by working on the two Cs,

communication and compromise,

we helped our couple remember

why they fell in love in the first place.

Because that's what we do.

Well, that concludes this season

of Renovation Romance.

Tune in next year as we help more couples

with their tricky renovation.

More importantly, we'll help their

relationships in the process because...

[both] Home is where your heart lives.

Merry Christmas.

[woman] And cue the snow.

[both chuckling]

And turn and go back into the house.

[nostalgic music plays]

[man] May I have your attention?

Ladies and gentlemen,

that is an official wrap on season one.

Great job, everyone. You have

the number one show on the network.

[all applauding, cheering]

Huge thanks goes to our fearless hosts,

power couple extraordinaire

and America's sweethearts themselves.

Chelsea and Jake!

[all applauding, cheering]

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Enjoy the party,

and we'll see you all

next year for season two.

- We make a good team.

- Yeah, we do.

I am so glad that we're done

for the year. We really need a break.

Really? I feel we can keep going.

We're on a pretty good roll here.

Yeah, but the roll can wait.

I just am excited for

a quiet Christmas on the beach.

Right. We haven't left yet. I'm going to

schmooze with Don for a little bit, okay?

Don't schmooze too long.

We have an early morning flight.

- Fine.

- And you still haven't packed.

I opened a suitcase.

[chuckling]

- Congrats.

- Hey! You too. Congrats.

- Remind me. Where are you going again?

- Curacao.

Sun, sand, sleep.

Cell service?

- Spotty at best.

- [sighing wistfully]

Yeah. This year we decided to trade in

snowmen for sandcastles.

Mm. Well, I'm going to spend

the holidays chilling on Morabo.

Wait, Morabo? Where is that?

That's the Ikea couch in my apartment.

[both laughing]

Oh. Yeah, there's Jake.

I bet he's pitching

another one of his crazy ideas.

- [scoffing]

- Renovation Romance action figures.

Mm, the movie.

[Beth] A theme park.

[sighing]

- You two okay?

- Oh, yeah. No, we're fine.

I just... We've had

no quality time together.

So, we really need this vacation.

No renovations. Just romance.

Chelsea,

- I just wanted to say congratulations.

- Aw. Thanks, Don. I hope you're happy.

I am so happy.

Could I have a word

with the two of you for a moment?

Yeah.

I am not happy.

What?! With our show?

No. No, it's not that. I love you show.

You're America's sweethearts,

for goodness sake.

[playful music plays]

We lost our bid to cover

the Christmas parade this year,

and we need a serious ratings hit

to keep our advertisers happy.

Needless to say, I'm scrambling.

[elevator ding]

I want you and Jake

to host a Christmas special.

Christmas? As in this Christmas?

The one that's ten days way?

Yeah, it's perfect. Like the ten days

of Christmas, the song. Perfect timing.

That's 12 Days of Christmas, Jake.

Yes, but who really needs

the drummers and the pipers anyway?

I always thought they should have stopped

after five golden rings. You know, [sings]

I never understood why they kept going

and going. I'll... I'm doing that now too.

I think what Jake means

is that you've done episodes

in this kind of time crunch before.

Yes, that.

Our locations team has already found

a house and a couple.

We'll turn the house

into a Christmas cabin

and air the special on Christmas Eve.

- It'll be perfect.

- It'll be perfect.

But what about our vacation?

There'll be other time to take a vacation.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity, Chels.

Don, do you mind giving Jake

and I a moment, please?

Certainly.

- Jake!

- Chels.

- We talked about this.

- I know.

I need a break. We need a break.

We need to strike while the iron is hot.

The network, they love us right now.

Do you want to jeopardize

that relationship?

What about our relationship?

What about it? We're amazing.

You heard them up there.

We're number one, Chels.

The reason they tune in

is for you, you are the magic.

Don't you want a chance to showcase that

on your own special on Christmas?

I mean, come on, we can go

to Cur... 'Curaco' or the Caribbean

or Carnivale, wherever you want

after the holidays.

- Curacao.

- Sure, we'll go there too.

No, that's the problem.

After the holidays, we are back at work.

Chels, I promise you,

we will find the time.

No, that's my point, Jake, we never do.

Okay, okay. Um...

Do you know that saying,

"If you love what you do,

you'll never work a day in your life."

- Yeah.

- Yeah?

Yes.

So, maybe we can apply

that to this situation.

[scoffing] How?

Nothing has changed, Chelsea.

It's still Christmas,

we're still going away,

only we're going to go somewhere

that has snow instead of sand

and we'll be working,

which we love, right?

So, it's kind of a win-win.

Right? Kind of? Maybe? A little?

You really should sell timeshares.

If you think about it,

you'll see it my way...

Jake has charm and the audience loves him,

but you are the soul of the show.

I told Jake, if you do the special,

we'll pick you up for two more seasons.

That's two more seasons, Chels.

I don't know.

Alright. Look, what if we made

a large donation to your charity?

A Christmas for All Kids?

Yeah.

That would be amazing.

[sighing]

Okay. Yeah. Fine, fine. Yeah, let's do it.

[chuckling]

You've got a big heart, kid.

That's why the audiences love you.

- Where did you say this house was again?

- [smacks lips]

[plane whirring]

[Jake] Welcome to New Hampshire.

[chuckling]

Looks like I traded in sun, sand and sleep

for snow, work, and no rest.

Our production office should've ordered

us a car. I'll call them.

We'll check out the house

before we check in to the hotel.

- Great.

- Okay. Yeah, thanks.

[Jake sighing]

You know, I love this weather,

it's just so drying.

Oh. Chapsalve?

Chapsalve? You mean ChapStick?

Oh no. This is jojoba oil

and acai extract,

from the influencer brand I'm working

with. You wanna try some?

- Can we please just focus on the show?

- Right. Please.

So tell me about the couple.

Alright, so it's Cooper James

and Janice Edmonds.

Cooper was a finance guy

who recently quit his job,

because he wanted to try

something different.

And the house?

Well, that's the fun part.

The reason we chose this couple

is because that cabin used to belong

to Cooper's grandfather.

Now, this right here is Cooper.

He wants to maintain the rustic charm,

because ultimately

he wants to move in there.

Well, that's charming.

Almost, except... that's Janice.

Now, Janice is a city girl.

She wants to modernize the place

and turn around

and sell it for top dollar.

The two can't decide

what they want to do with the cabin

and, well, their relationship

hangs in the balance.

So, it's more of

a country mouse-city mouse thing?

Yeah, I guess so.

Our audience is going

to swoon over Cooper.

He is one handsome country mouse.

- [chuckling]

- Really?

- [phone pinging]

- Our ride is here.

[Jake, Chelsea] Great.

[Jake] Here we go.

[Beth] We'll be there in the next hour,

I'll keep you posted.

- [Driver] Pick-up for Bethany?

- Our ride.

- Renovation Romance?

- Yeah.

- Load these up. We're in a rush.

- Not a problem.

- Are you serious?

- Yes.

- Do we have to do this right now?

- Just one.

[laughing] Whoa.

- Look at that. You see that?

- What am I looking at?

Look at that jaw-line.

That is a quality mandible right there.

Woo. That thing looks like

the corner of a cereal box.

Hey, Beth, I'm going to send this to you.

Can you toss that up on the socials?

- Yeah, I'm on it.

- Okay.

Oh, hey, I told you Cooper

was a handsome country mouse.

- What?

- Don't act like you didn't notice.

[door closing, car engine starting]

[jingly music plays]

[car door shuts]

[Chelsea] Alright.

[Chelsea] Wow. This is gorgeous.

- [Beth] Wow.

- [Jake] Wow. Beautiful.

- [Chelsea] This is great.

- Amazing.

[Chelsea] Nice.

[Jake] Wow.

It's so rustic. I love it.

You can tell whoever built it

really put their heart into it.

- [Beth] Yeah.

- [car honk]

The crew's arriving. I'm gonna get them

set up for tomorrow, okay?

- Okay.

- Go inside. The door's unlocked.

- Okay. Hey, Jake. Should we go inside?

- You know what? I'm going to stick around.

The lighting's great and the ambience

is really awesome for selfies.

But I'll see you inside. Ooh. [laughing]

[emotional music]

Wow. That's a beautiful fireplace.

Thank you.

Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.

You left this in the car.

You're Cooper?

Yeah. But I also go by Handsome

Country Mouse, if you prefer.

Uh, that was my friend

that... um, said that.

Yeah. So you disagree?

No. No, not at all.

I mean, from a totally platonic,

observational way I could...

I could see how someone

might call you handsome.

[chuckling] No, I was referring

to the country mouse part, but thank you.

So, this is your house.

- Yes, yeah. Welcome.

- Wow. [chuckling]

Oh, wait. Okay, I'm... I'm so confused.

I thought you were our driver.

Around here we pick people up from the

airport, especially during the holidays,

Uh, and I'm sorry, I absolutely

should have said something before,

but I wanted to be professional,

and, you know,

we got famous people coming to town

and all so... Excuse me.

Anyway, I'm Cooper.

Nice to meet you, Chelsea.

- Nice to meet you.

- Yeah.

If only we could pick up this whole place

and plant it in the middle of the city.

How good is your renovation team anyway?

Well, we've been known to work magic,

but I don't know if we're that good.

Sorry, Chels, this is Janice.

Janice, this is Chelsea.

Hi. Nice to meet you.

I feel as though we've already met,

from seeing you on TV.

Oh, are you a fan of the show? [chuckling]

No, not particularly.

I skimmed through a few episodes

last night just to familiarize myself.

- Oh.

- Oh, Jake. I'm sorry. This is Cooper.

Hey, nice to meet you.

You too.

Hi. Hey, I'm Bethany,

the show's producer. Nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

Wait, aren't you...

Yeah. Same guy. I'll tell you later.

Okay, well, it's great to meet you.

We should head back to the hotel,

get some rest so we can have a great day

tomorrow. Nice to meet you.

- Great. You too.

- Bye.

- It's great meeting you.

- Yes. Tomorrow.

- See you tomorrow. Bye.

- [Janice] Take care.

- Okay. Yeah.

- Here we go.

- [jingly lively music plays]

- [indistinct chatter]

- [woman] I hear someone coming.

- Oh, good morning.

Good morning, Miss Stevens.

How can I help?

Oh, please, call me Chelsea.

Okay, Chelsea it is.

What can I do for you?

I'm on a mission to find

the best coffee in town.

Oh, well, that would be Ruby's.

They've got the best everything in town.

It's two blocks down. You can't miss it.

I go there for breakfast, lunch,

and dinner every single time I visit.

Okay, noted.

Ms. Stevens... Uh, Chelsea.

This is my son Tom.

He's back home from the West Coast

for the holidays. He's a writer.

Oh, it's so nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you. Enjoy your stay.

Uh, Ma, I'm going to go

do some Christmas shopping.

- And thanks for the recommendation.

- Of course.

- Ooh. Sorry.

- Uh, sorry.

Is it just me or is there an epidemic

of handsomeness in this town?

You have a one-track mind.

What? He was cute.

- How was your run?

- Ah, so refreshing.

How was your evening? Did you and Jake

get any quality time?

No, he was on his phone,

zooming all night.

He's working on some marketing thing,

and he wants to keep it a big surprise.

- Did you at least have dinner together?

- Negative, but it's okay.

I ordered a pizza and I put on a Christmas

movie and worked on some designs.

But at least you got some work done.

Listen. I'm gonna grab a quick shower.

We need to be at the cabin in an hour.

You think Jake will be ready in time?

He's probably halfway through

his ab regiment right now, so.

So some things never change. [laughing]

- I'll go get coffee. Do you want one?

- That'd be great. Thanks.

- Okay, bye.

- Bye.

[Beth] And action.

[Chelsea] Please. Take a seat.

Alright, let's just get

right into it, shall we?

Can you tell the audience who you are

and why you called Renovation Romance?

I'm Janice.

Ooh, as in Janice Edmonds, the designer.

[whispering] She's kind of a big deal.

And I'm Cooper, Janice's boyfriend.

We called you because

we can't agree about the renovation

and it's starting to look like we, uh,

can't really agree on anything in general.

[Chelsea] That must be difficult.

You know, sometimes

the stress of a renovation

is really just the way for the stress

of the relationship to reveal itself.

Mm-hmm.

Well, let's not be so dramatic.

I just want the place

to be modernized and fancy

so that we can sell it to high-end buyer.

I want to keep most of the rustic charm

my grandfather put into it,

and I really wanted to do this with Janice

so we could build something together.

And I'm just not into it.

I would literally pay someone

to change a light bulb for me.

[Jake laughing] I get that.

Ultimately, I would like to leave New York

and move here.

Is that a possibility?

[hesitating] I mean, anything's possible,

I suppose.

It's just, you have to understand

my perspective.

Cooper spent every summer

and Christmas here as a kid,

but this place is just not home for me.

My whole life is in the city

and so was Cooper's.

[hesitating] So, the fact that

he wants to move back here,

um, it... it caught me by surprise

if I'm being honest.

That's fair.

Yeah, that's totally fair.

[Cooper] It caught me

by surprise too, you know?

Look, I'm just, uh, I'm kind of at a place

in my life where I want something

simpler.

And you're hoping that

we can sort this out before Christmas?

Mm-hmm.

That's the idea.

- Okay.

- Okay.

First, we'll focus on the designs,

and then we'll take a look

at what's really going on

behind the walls of this relationship.

We'll be right back.

And cut. Great.

- Yeah, are we happy?

- Okay, good.

- That was really great.

- It was good. You crushed it. Oh.

[Cooper] Hey.

I didn't sign up for that. I don't need

the whole world knowing our business.

Um...

This is a whole point of the show.

You're the one that suggested we do this.

Yes, I know,

but only because my agent said it would be

great national exposure for my brand.

And because it sounded

like a fun idea, but I...

It's just... It's all happening so quickly.

I know it can be scary to be vulnerable

on camera,

but we are genuinely here to help you.

Absolutely.

I think I need some time.

- Okay.

- No problem.

We can sh**t around the house for

the next hour or so to give you a break...

No, no. I mean, I think I'm going to go

back to New York for a couple of days.

A... A couple of days?

Yeah, I have some work to do there anyway.

Oh, but we also have a lot of work

to do on the relationship.

Well, it's just, Cooper and I,

we're not really into the talk

about your feelings mumbo-jumbo.

We will sort it out. Right, babe?

Well, I have to go to New York

for a meeting.

So, maybe we can get together,

go over some design pieces,

and film it as though we're helping

to design this place here.

Perfect.

Okay, but you need to come back

for at least some of the counseling.

Right. Yeah, um...

Fine. Just schedule me a time

and I'll be back here for it.

- Great.

- Okay.

I'm going to go back.

Janice.

Yeah, uh...

It's okay.

I'll... I'll go smooth things over.

[Chelsea scoffing]

Alright, I... I guess that's lunch.

Looks like it's just you and me.

[sighing] Yeah. Just you and me.

[Chelsea sighing]

[sighing]

- Hi.

- What are we gonna do?

Christmas Eve is five days out and if

Janice doesn't come back we have no show.

We'll take Jake suggestion

and use a second unit in New York.

But what about the relationship?

How can we bring them together

if they're hundreds of miles apart?

With editing and voiceover?

We'll make it work.

Yeah, but no,

that doesn't really fix anything.

I actually want to help these people.

You can't help someone

who doesn't want the help.

You're the therapist, you know that.

I know. I just... I feel like

it's my responsibility to at least try.

You have a responsibility

to make a good show.

- We got this. I promise.

- Okay.

[Cooper] Hey.

Hi.

[sighing]

I am, uh, sorry about that.

Oh.

Janice, she can...

She can be a little tricky sometimes.

Renovations can be stressful. I get it.

How is it with you and Jake?

I bet you guys agree

on most things, right?

Are you kidding?

I don't actually remember the last time

we agreed on anything.

Really?

[chuckling] I mean, just 'cause we're

on TV doesn't mean we're not real people.

Well, that's actually one of the two

reasons I agreed to do the show.

You just seemed so down-to-earth, genuine.

What was the other reason?

I love your work. I love it.

I'm really excited to see

what you come up with.

Okay. Well, in that case,

should we get started?

Sounds good.

Okay, first thing I would suggest

is knocking down this wall right here,

just to open up the main living space.

I love that idea.

So you studied to become a therapist,

but where did your talent

for renovating come in?

Oh, my dad was a carpenter,

so I learned a few things growing up.

Cool.

Uh, first we should make sure

this isn't a load-bearing wall.

Oh, it's not. I checked.

Only this beam is structural.

[chuckling]

Thought you were a finance guy.

Uh, I worked in construction a little bit

to put myself through business school.

I was actually hoping that I might be able

to help a little bit with the renovation.

Oh, my gosh. Yes, please. That would

be amazing. We need all hands on deck.

Cool.

Considering that your grandfather built

this place, it would be really special.

- That's exactly what I was thinking.

- Any other must-haves?

Uh, maybe, like, a big table,

a place where everyone

could gather at the end of the day.

Yes, I love that.

The perfect place for a Christmas dinner.

- Yeah.

- [chuckling]

And cut. Nice work everyone.

Good chemistry.

I think what Bethany meant to say is you

are so relaxed on camera. That's great.

No, I meant what I said.

You have chemistry.

Alright, I'm going to go take the crew

to get some time-lapse shots.

Ah, good work.

- I'll see you tomorrow?

- I wouldn't miss it. See you then.

[sighing]

[door closing, bell jingling]

Hi. Could I get a large cup of

your Christmas nutmeg blend, please?

- Morning, Laura. Put that on my tab.

- Oh.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Uh, you do not have to pay for my coffee.

I do, actually. It's court-ordered.

Part of my community service.

Oh, what did they get you for?

Impersonating a chauffeur?

Yup.

Okay, well, in that case, could I also get

a skinny quadruple shot mochaccino

with some oat milk and stevia?

That one's for Jake.

You don't have to pay for us both.

I got this.

Don't do the crime

if you can't do the time.

Well, thank you.

I started working on the designs

last night if you want to take a look.

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.

Oh, this is fantastic.

- You like it?

- Yes!

Guess it's true what they say

about television people.

What do they say about television people?

Work, work, never take a break,

not even at Christmas.

I would love to take a break.

It just doesn't always work out that way.

So what convinced you to take

this job over the holidays?

Let's just say the network has a lot

riding on this Christmas special,

and I only agreed to 'cause they said

they'd make a massive donation

to this charity that I support.

A Christmas for All Kids.

That's amazing.

Thanks to you I bet a lot of kids

will be happy this Christmas.

Oh, well, don't thank me yet.

I just have to make sure we finish

this episode by Christmas.

I'll do my best to be a good guest.

[chuckling] And what about Janice?

Fingers crossed.

[laughing]

Cooper and I have gone over

the plans for the place,

and one of the first things we need to do

is knock out this wall

to really open up the space.

And, as everyone knows, my favorite part

of any renovation is the demo day.

Now, folks, before you go

knocking down any walls,

it's important to get an expert to make

sure these walls are not load-bearing.

Now, I've had a thorough look at this one

and I know that we are good to go.

- So, stand back.

- Oh, Jake, wait.

- What's up?

- It is load-bearing.

[chuckling] Uh, Cooper.

I'm the expert here, I know these things,

and this wall is not load-bearing.

Oh, the wall isn't,

but this beam here. That's...

Beam?

Load-bearing beam. Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

It's a beam. A beam, wow.

Right. Right. Right, no.

I was testing you. You got that one.

That's gold star for Cooper there, folks.

That was good. So, I'm uh, gonna

move a little further down.

Stand back. Here's Jakey.

[groaning]

Oh.

And that's a cut.

[groaning] I think there's something

wrong with the sledgehammer.

It might be defective or something.

It feels heavier too.

Why don't we get Cooper to do it?

Right? He knows a lot about construction,

and this is his house after all.

That's a great idea.

We can get him to do it,

and then I can come in and do

some amazing voiceover about,

wanting him to have

the experience of working on a house.

Like a mentoring thing. Yeah.

[phone vibrating]

Oh, hold on. I gotta take this. All yours.

Go on. [chuckling]

Go for Jake. Barry.

Where's he going?

I'll be right back.

No, Barry, that... No, that is great news.

No. Yeah, I will see you soon.

- What are you doing? We're filming.

- Hey.

Do you remember the marketing opportunity

I talked to you about?

Of course, it's all we've talked

about for the last month.

- Okay, what's the address here right now?

- Uh, 48 Maple Lane. What?

Can you just tell me what's happening?

We are going to have our own brand

of home improvement products.

Now, I'm talking a line

of paints and picture frames, tools,

anything, you name it.

Okay, I do have to head back to the city

just for a couple of days.

- Are you alright with that?

- Well, yeah.

We discussed you interviewing Janice there

after we film your segment.

Great. Yes. Exactly, except, no.

Not... Not quite.

I have to head back sooner. Now.

Like, immediately.

Wait, what? No, Jake,

you signed us up for the Christmas

special and now you abandon me?

- Whoa, whoa. No, no.

- Wh... [scoffing]

Chels, I'm doing this for us.

If we can close this deal before

Christmas, we will be set for life.

We'll have our product in every hardware

store in the country, okay?

And I know you can make this

special work until I get back.

It's not just that, though.

Jake, it's Christmas, right?

Like, shouldn't we

be spending it together?

I promise I'll make this up to you, okay?

- [phone pinging]

- I just need...

[groaning] Okay, my ride's here.

Sorry. Uh...

Look, I gotta go if I'm going

to make the 1:00 p.m. flight.

Okay?

- Okay.

- Great!

[scoffing]

Hey.

[sighing]

You okay?

No, I'm most definitely not.

Well, I think I know

what's going to make you feel better.

Come on!

["Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30"

by Richard Strauss plays]

That was awesome.

Little scary, but awesome.

How do you feel?

I feel amazing. Absolutely amazing.

That was so cathartic.

Let's finish it off.

Oh, yeah.

[laughing]

[fanfare plays]

[laughing]

Good one.

[chuckling]

Hey, this is Jake from Renovation Romance.

If you have to,

leave a message after the tone.

I prefer texts, but if you need to,

leave a message.

Hey, Jake. It's me.

This is probably my fourth voicemail.

Please give me a call back so that

we can come up with a game plan, okay?

Thanks. Bye.

- Hey, Chelsea.

- Hey, guys.

You remember Tom, right?

- Uh, yeah. Christmas nutmeg blend.

- That's right. It's good to see you again.

It's good to see you too.

So, you guys just hanging out?

- Um...

- Oh, no. We, uh...

[both chuckling sheepishly]

I bumped into Tom at the hotel earlier

and he offered to show me some locations.

I'm sure he did.

Oh, she was telling me about your special

that you're sh**ting.

Yeah, you should come by set sometime.

- Yeah.

- Really?

We'd love to have you, right, Bethany?

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

That sounds awesome. Thank you.

I'll definitely take you up on that.

Well, uh, I should probably

get back to the hotel.

I got a lot of work to take care of

before business starts on the West Coast.

- So, I'll see you later?

- Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

- Great. Good seeing you.

- Good seeing you too.

Later?

We might go grab a dinner after we wrap.

Mm-hmm. [sniffing] Oh, do you smell that?

[sniffing]

I think that's Christmas romance

in the air.

Okay, funny. Funny.

Speaking of romance,

have you heard from Jake?

No, I have tried him several times

and he still hasn't called me back.

I can't believe he would drive me out here

to renovate this house all by myself,

and then try and fix a relationship

that doesn't seem fixable.

Whose relationship?

[soft music plays]

I can do this. [sighing]

I can do this. I don't know how, but I...

I can do this.

Good morning.

Ah, good morning.

[chuckling] Should I be worried that

you're talking to yourself?

No. I do this. It's one of my things.

Okay.

Have you had a chance to chat with Janice?

Actually, uh...

I can barely get her to reply

to my texts right now.

Mm.

You heard from Jake

after he left yesterday?

Ah, no. I mean, I've left him a couple

of voicemails, but I haven't heard back.

I'm sure he's just busy

doing his Jake stuff.

- Yeah. [chuckling]

- Yeah.

Should we get our hands dirty

and get to work?

Thought you'd never ask.

[both chuckling]

[jingly lively music plays]

Christmas time

Pour me a cup of wine

Everyone's dressing up

To paint the town tonight

Oh, the winter scene

Everyone looks pristine

There's gonna be fun and laughter

In the streets tonight

Embracing the season's cheer

Knowing the big day's near

Everyone's feeling right

In this special time of year

Christmas time

Everyone's feeling fine

[music fades out]

I know it's been quite the week,

but we've come a long way so far.

Absolutely. It's been incredible.

Though I cannot believe

you were going to paint the wall red.

It was not red. It was poinsettia.

Don't even get me started

with the hideous yellow you wanted.

Sorry, it was not yellow. It was... gold.

No, it was a highlighter.

[laughing]

Do you like the green?

Don't you mean "garland?"

Ooh, when you put it that way.

I do, it's perfect.

Yeah, it is perfect.

Though, you do know

I plan on living here all year long.

It's very Christmassy. I'm going to be

reminded of Christmas 365 days a year.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[chuckling] It's just too bad that Janice

couldn't be here to film this with you.

Yeah. Uh, believe me, I know.

Well, is that a good segue to turn

our sights to the relationship?

Yeah. Absolutely. Let's get into it.

Therapy.

- Therapy.

- Therapy.

[both laughing]

Sometimes when a relationship is stalled,

all you have to do is take

a trip back to the beginning.

What was it like when

you first started dating?

Well, we're both really career-drive.

Do anything to get ahead.

What'd you like to do for fun?

Fun wasn't exactly our thing.

We're both very serious.

I guess we connected

on pushing each other, you know?

And what about now?

You really get right into it, don't you?

Look, I know it can be

difficult to talk about,

but just like a home renovation,

if there's a problem with the foundation,

you can't just slap some paint on it.

Love is hard work.

Everyone is saying that,

"love is hard work,"

but lately I've been...

Well, I've been thinking

that maybe that's not so true.

I mean, sure it is.

Sure, love takes effort,

but that's different from hard work.

Okay, let's use the cabin as a metaphor.

Wouldn't you say you poured years

of hard work into that place?

Yeah. I worked hard,

but I still wouldn't call it hard work.

Because my heart was in it,

you know what I mean?

Take your relationship

with Jake, is that hard work?

Uh...

Uh, let's just keep

focused on you and Janice.

Uh...

So, what is it that you're fighting for?

Uh...

I don't quit on people.

Was... Okay. Is that it?

You don't just stay with someone 'cause

you don't want to quit on them, right?

Why are you still with Jake?

I...

[laughing]

This isn't really about me.

- [clearing throat] Can we... Can we cut?

- Actually, you know what?

I think we've got more than enough

for this segment and we're losing light.

So, why don't we call it here?

Alright, that's a wrap everyone.

Crew call tomorrow is 9:00 a.m.

[whispering] You okay?

Yeah, I'm good.

I'm just gonna get some water.

[sighing]

Hey.

We got a lot of great stuff today.

Are you sure you're okay?

Yeah. I'm fine.

Yeah?

Okay. Well, Tom and I are going to go do

a little more location scouting.

- Do you want to come with us?

- [chuckling]

No. I wouldn't dream of being

a third wheel on your location scout.

[chuckling] I'll see you tomorrow?

- See you tomorrow.

- Good work today.

- Have fun.

- Thanks.

[sighing]

Hey.

I'm sorry.

I guess I forgot we were

on a television show

and not just two people

having a private conversation.

You were being honest.

Yeah, but you're supposed to be asking me

questions about my private life,

not the other way around. So, I'm sorry.

- Maybe you'll get your own show.

- Maybe I will.

[chuckling]

It's all good, and besides,

that honesty, it reads well.

You know what they say.

The camera never lies.

Didn't know they said that actually.

No, if I wasn't nervous before,

I'm definitely nervous now.

[chuckling]

Hey, do you have any plans this evening?

Uh, no. I'm just going to head

back to the hotel and do some work.

Have you ever tried a Christmas fundozel?

- A what?

- It's like a...

It's a funnel cake, pretzel,

donut all rolled into one.

It's a local holiday favorite here.

Okay, so just so I'm clear.

- It's a cake?

- Mm-hmm.

- And a pretzel?

- Mm-hmm.

- And a donut?

- Mm-hmm.

All in one?

Yes.

It's like the dessert

version of a turducken.

Lead the way.

Okay. Come on.

[jingly music plays]

[indistinct chatter]

[Chelsea laughing]

You sure are popular here, aren't you?

It's a friendly place.

Yeah, that's what I love

about small towns, you know?

You always feel connected to something.

Makes sense. I always thought it was crazy

that even if you were in a large city,

surrounded by so many people,

you could still feel so alone.

But you don't feel alone, right?

- [woman] Hi!

- Look, everyone knows you.

Uh, not exactly.

I mean, the show is popular,

but we've only had one season,

and even if they think they know me,

they don't actually know me, you know?

Does that make sense?

Yeah, I guess that could

make you feel lonely.

More often than you think.

Why do it then?

Because the job is so rewarding.

All the other stuff aside that goes

into making a television show,

I just... I love helping people find

their way back to their true happiness.

- Nice.

- Hm.

How'd it all start?

Uh, when I first graduated college,

my aunt and uncle

were renovating their house,

and the stress of renovations definitely

took a toll on their relationship.

So, we decided to intervene

and help them fix up their place

and mend their relationship,

and it actually worked out really well.

[chuckling] So, we decided

to pitch a TV show,

and next thing you know

it just kind of took on a life of its own,

but that's not what drives me.

What does?

Making people happy.

So,

you love to make other people happy,

but are you happy?

There you go again. I am the interviewer.

I am supposed to be asking you

the questions.

Well, I don't see any cameras rolling

around here. All bets are off.

[chuckling]

We have arrived.

Am I ready for this?

- Are you ready?

- I don't know. You tell me.

- You're ready.

- [laughing]

[indistinct chatter]

Well?

Wow. [laughing] That smell.

I'm telling you, every single bite

is like all of your Christmas mornings

rolled into one.

- I'm about to change your life.

- Thank you.

So, you're obviously really close

with your grandfather.

Is that part of your connection

to the house?

Yeah, but it's more than that.

Preserving the house is my way

of holding on to my memories of him.

But my grandfather,

he was the kind of man that...

Well, he was unafraid to follow his heart.

Love that. Oh.

[phone vibrating]

[sighing] It's Don. One sec. Sorry.

Hi, Don.

I know I said you're the soul of the show,

but it takes two

to be America's sweethearts.

I mean, we can't have a relationship show

if our hosts can't be on camera together.

And speaking of relationships,

you've just been focusing on the guy.

Where's the girl?

About that.

There's been a little bit of a wrinkle.

I don't like wrinkles, Chelsea.

I promise you, we're handling it.

I hope so. All of our careers

are on the line here.

I have an idea.

Since we're gonna be airing

the show on Christmas Eve,

I want the end of the show

to feature a party.

A Christmas party in the renovated house.

Well, surely we can make that happen.

And here's the kicker.

I want to do it live.

Live?

A live Christmas party

to end the show on Christmas Eve.

We'll invite the locals. Even the mayor.

But, Don, Christmas Eve

is three days away.

That's plenty of time.

People love live television, Chelsea,

and we are gonna give it to them.

I believe in you, kid. Send me updates.

This is one of the most delicious things

I've ever eaten in my life.

[sighing]

Oh, I can tell. I mean,

the sheer joy is just radiating off you.

If this cake can't put you in a good mood,

sorry, I'm afraid there's no hope for you.

Tell me something I don't know.

Come on, you don't believe that.

No, it's just, I do this to myself.

I get in these situations

because I say yes to everything,

I don't know how to say no,

and then I get in over my head.

Are you in over your head?

Totally! You know why?

It's because I'm a people pleaser.

I put everybody else's needs

ahead of my own.

I just pile so much onto my plate.

Why can't I have an empty plate for once?

Well, uh, you did

pretty good with this one.

[groaning]

Look, I'm not after your job,

but can I offer some advice?

[chuckling] Please.

Instead of getting mad at yourself for

not being able to say no,

ask yourself why

you said yes in the first place,

'cause I think you're going to find

there's a much more compelling reason.

Okay, I'm listening.

You said yes 'cause you're a good person.

Your first instinct is to help people.

That's why you're so skilled

at what you do. It's not a fault.

You're doing what's best for your show

'cause you know

it might bring some happiness

to your audience during the holidays.

Plus, and most importantly, there's

a charity that's gonna benefit from this.

Sure, I mean,

you could be on vacation right now,

but you're not. You're here.

Very few people would do that.

And I don't believe for a second you're

in over your head. You'll figure it out.

Okay, and what if I can't?

You will figure it out.

We'll figure it out. I'm here to help.

[laughing]

Can we get another one?

[pensive music plays]

No,

I promise you,

everything is gonna be fine.

Okay? I'm getting some great stuff

here with Janice.

I'm going to send you the footage

this afternoon. Don is going to love it.

Yeah, I hope so. You're not the one

he calls when he's upset.

Mm, well, you know how Don gets.

Every now and then he throws

his toys out of the playpen,

but deep down inside

he's a big old softie.

I get back at 8:00 p.m. tonight, okay?

Janice is on the flight with me.

So, tomorrow morning

we hit the ground running.

Just get back here, please.

You know, I can't believe that Don

stole my idea to do the party live.

Wait, that was your idea?

Oh, yeah, but make sure you give Don

credit for that one, okay?

Hey, babe, I am going to finish

getting ready here, okay?

Yeah. Oh, and can you please send

me that footage as soon as possible?

Yup. Will do.

- Okay. I love...

- [call ending]

...you.

[Beth] Action.

So, I got all these

at a flea market a few years ago.

Gorgeous wood, just needs a little TLC.

And I was thinking,

what if we use these to build

the table we were talking about?

Yes. I love that. It's so beautiful,

and with the dark walnut stain,

I feel like it'll match

the interior perfectly.

- You're reading my mind.

- [chuckling]

So, is this solid oak?

Yeah.

A little sanding, a little staining,

I think it'll match the place perfectly.

[chuckling]

- Should we get cracking?

- Absolutely.

[jingly lively music]

[music concludes]

- This is amazing.

- It is amazing.

- [laughing]

- You were so right.

- It goes with everything.

- Mm-hmm.

[sighing] But

I don't know, it's...

It's kind of missing something,

but I can't quite put my finger on it.

Oh! [snapping fingers] I got it.

Christmas decorations.

It's missing

lots of Christmas decorations.

[chuckling] Well, you're in luck.

[playful violin music]

- Alright, this one's heavy.

- Yeah.

- Oh.

- What?

Uh, my hand's stuck.

Wait, what?

Uh, the stain must have been wet

just right here. I...

What do we... Okay, what do we do?

Sorry, this is, uh, really embarrassing.

- Can you help me?

- Yeah, sure.

- Just...

- Do you want me to pull?

Yeah, on three we're going to rip it off.

Alright, ready?

- Oh, my gosh, yeah.

- Yeah?

- Yeah?

- Okay. Ah. One, two...

- Are you joking?

- [Cooper laughing]

- I got you.

- Are you serious?! Okay.

- You're in trouble, here you go.

- I'm sorry.

I'm not sorry.

I think this goes

through this loop here. Yup.

- No.

- Yup. There we go. Look, okay?

No, it goes... Okay,

it goes through this loop. This one here.

No, no! That just tangled it more. No.

[jingly lively music]

- Not bad for a day's work.

- Yeah, we're making great progress.

Who knows? At this rate

we might just finish on time.

["Oh, Christmas Tree" plays]

[electricity buzzing, powering down]

Uh, what just happened?

Let me check it out.

Okay, I'm going to reset the main breaker.

Okay, yes.

- Okay, we're going back in five...

- Okay.

Four, three...

Major crisis averted.

[chuckling]

See, this is a good example

that in home renovations,

or relationships for that matter,

you're going to encounter

challenges or setbacks.

One of the most important things you

can do is first, figure out the problem,

address it, and move forward, because...

Home is where your heart lives.

[Beth] And cut!

- Yes!

- Okay?

- That was actually really good. Yeah.

- That was amazing.

Way to turn it around. That was great.

- Let's set up for the next one, alright?

- Okay.

- Good job.

- Cool.

- Yeah, sorry about that. That was just...

- No, that was awesome.

- [phone vibrating]

- Oh!

[gasping] Ooh, it's Jake. Hey.

Is your flight on time?

No, no. It is most certainly not.

It's cancelled.

What do you mean it's cancelled?

I mean it's cancelled. I had a flight and

I no longer have a flight. It's weather.

Wait, the weather?

Yeah, it's this thing

that happens outside sometimes.

Sometimes it gets a little messy.

You might have seen it.

Well, why can't you

just get on another flight?

Earliest any flight's gonna

be rescheduled is in 24 hours.

We have so much to sh**t before Christmas

Eve, what am I supposed to do?

I know, you have to keep going, okay?

I'm gonna get there as soon as I can.

I uploaded the footage I shot with Janice

and emailed it to you. Take a look, okay?

Wait, Janice. If your flight's cancelled,

that means her flight is cancelled too.

Yes, yes, it is, but I'm going

to keep you posted. I gotta go.

[sighing] Okay. Bye.

You know, perhaps I've been a little

selfish in my relationship with Cooper.

I mean, love is all

about compromise after all.

Right?

Right, and that's what relationships

are all about, folks.

I gotta hand it to Jake. He makes good TV.

Yeah, I just...

I wish it was more authentic.

No, I get that, but we're in crisis mode.

Maybe you're right.

Maybe this whole facade of pretending

like they're a perfect couple

has just got me

thinking about my own relationship.

Reflecting on what?

I don't know.

I think maybe... it's time we take a break.

Oh.

I'm so sorry.

[chuckling] Why? It's not your fault.

No, look, I've gotten so caught up

as your producer

that I've neglected

to check in on you as a friend.

It's all good, okay?

Me and Jake have been...

We've just been growing apart for a while.

What are you going to do?

I don't know.

Hey.

I was going out to grab some food.

Would you both care to join me?

Uh, you know? You two go.

Look, I should probably upload

this footage for Don. Um...

- Hm.

- No, hey. I can do it.

- Really?

- Yeah, you two go.

- Okay. Sounds fun. [chuckling]

- Okay.

- Okay. Alright. Thank you.

- I'll see you tonight. Have fun.

[door opening, closing]

Okay, let me get this straight.

You're taking me out to show me

the correct way to date.

I honestly didn't know

I'd been doing it wrong all these years.

No, it's not that. When you filled out

the questionnaire to be on our show,

you said you were looking

for more spontaneity with Janice.

So, we're out here tonight to have you

show us what you mean by that.

You want spontaneity?

I'll give you spontaneity.

["Tis the season to be jolly" plays]

- "Merry Christmas ya filthy animal."

- Cute.

- [both laughing]

- Oh, I love this.

Check this out.

That's better. [laughing]

There you go. Keep going.

[all cheering]

["Tis the season to be jolly" continues]

[clapping]

[laughing]

Alright.

Take this off.

I am ready. Okay, yeah.

Yeah, here we go. One...

Yeah.

Two. Okay, alright.

Wait, what?

[laughing]

Okay, here we go.

Whoa!

[all clapping]

Fundozels for everyone!

[all cheering]

Thank you very much.

Alright. Cheers, everyone!

[all cheering]

[both chuckling]

That's the most fun

I've had in a really long time.

Likewise. It was, like,

the best date I had in years.

Uh, you know what I mean.

[laughing]

[chuckling]

Okay, goodnight.

Goodnight.

- It was fun. Thanks.

- Yeah.

- Bye.

- Bye. Have a good sleep.

You too.

[sighing]

[soft melancholic music plays]

Hello, Chelsea.

Don?

- What are you doing here?

- We need to talk.

But not here.

Find us a place. Somewhere public

so it doesn't look suspicious.

Busy enough so nobody can overhear us,

but not so busy

there'll be people on top of us.

- Can you just tell me...

- I want Bethany there too.

Okay.

[door opening, closing, bell jingling]

How did you get here? I thought

the flights were cancelled until tomorrow.

I fly private.

We're not subject to the same rules.

- What's going on?

- We are in big trouble.

Look at this.

Apparently, somebody in town has been

leaking information to a tabloid

about your and Jake's relationship.

The publication is planning on releasing

a... trouble in paradise story.

What? That's crazy.

The article claims that you and Jake

are having relationship problems.

That's not true, is it?

No. No, Jake and I are...

We're totally fine.

Okay, good, because, you know,

the whole America's sweethearts

thing kind of falls apart

if you two aren't actually sweethearts.

They're sweethearts.

Who could possibly be leaking the stories?

It doesn't really matter.

What matters is what we do about it now.

The editor of the publication

that's running the story

happens to be a friend of mine

and he owes me a favor or two.

So, I asked him to hold off

running it for a few days.

That puts even more pressure

on making this special a hit.

Oh, well. The house renovation

is already done. It looks beautiful.

That's fine and good,

but I'm thinking about

something even bigger.

What are the chances

of Cooper proposing to Janice

live on the show?

Probably zero.

[sighing]

Our last episode's ratings spiked because

people loved the surprise proposal.

I mean, do you think maybe you could...

float the idea to Cooper?

You want me to ask Cooper

to propose to Janice?

It would be a ratings slam dunk.

[scoffing] Don, no,

I... I'm a couple's therapist.

It would be completely

unethical for me to do that.

Besides, Cooper is now my friend,

and there is no way

I'm going to ask him to do

something so monumental

on air just to get ratings.

Of course, of course. No, you're right.

I'm just... I'm just...

I'm just blue skying here.

Alright, well, let's, let's...

[clearing throat]

Let's make sure that everything

goes smoothly tomorrow night,

and... who knows?

Maybe we'll get lucky

and something unique will happen.

[indistinct chatter]

[Chelsea sighing]

Wow!

Chels, this place is actually

looking pretty good. Well done.

Thanks.

Listen, Jake, I feel like we should talk

about the whole tabloid thing.

Oh, no. Don already

told me all about that.

Don't worry. Any press is good press.

[chuckling]

Yeah, but it's not just that.

It's about us.

Um, let's just get through the episode,

okay? We can talk about that later.

Well, okay. You always say that. You

always say later, but later never happens.

Jake, it's Christmas.

We should be connecting.

- I know.

- Especially this time of year.

I know, I know,

and I know that I've been distant,

but I promise I'm going to be

more present. Okay?

Hey, you know that I would do

anything for you, right?

Yeah, but it's not about you or me,

it's about us, right?

[Beth] Hey!

- Hi.

- Hey.

There you two are.

What's this?

Your revised sides.

Look, we should get you started

in hair and make-up

for the final interview

with Janice and Cooper.

The film crew's already getting set up

over at Ruby's Cafe.

- Okay?

- Great.

- It sounds awesome.

- You good?

- Mm-hmm.

- Oh, yeah.

- Okay, alright.

- Yeah, doing awesome.

- See you out there.

- See you in a sec.

[sighing]

Later. I promise. It'll all make sense.

[sighing]

Thank you.

There he is. Man of the hour.

Jake! Welcome back.

Thank you, sir. So, how you feeling?

- Not gonna lie, a little nervous.

- Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Doing interviews

on camera is one thing,

but appearing on live television,

that is a completely different ballgame.

Yeah, but don't worry.

Chelsea and I got your back out there.

Just relax, have some fun.

Today's show is gonna be a bit of a doozy.

Mm.

You know what? Um...

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret

just between us guys.

This is one of the reasons

I went back to the city.

- No way.

- Yeah. Go ahead.

That's, uh...

So, you're gonna do it live on the air?

Oh, yeah. No, Chelsea has no idea.

[chuckling]

- That's just... great.

- Yeah.

- Do you think she's gonna like it?

- Oh, yeah.

[Jake sighing]

Yeah.

Well, like I said, a doozy. [laughing]

Yeah.

- See you out there.

- Yup.

Oh, hey. Hey, Cooper. You're a good guy.

Chelsea.

Janice, hi.

Hi.

You're back.

Yeah, finally. Honestly, what an ordeal.

I'm really sorry your schedule

got all messed up.

- Oh, yeah. Well, we rolled with it.

- [chuckling] Yeah.

Reality television.

Well, Cooper's been catching me up

on everything,

and it sounds like you two have been busy.

Yeah. Yeah, it's been crazy.

Well, I can't wait for the big reveal.

- Me too.

- Chelsea...

I have to apologize to you for something.

I was quite dismissive

of your show at first.

I was only thinking

about how it could benefit me.

But I've been watching

more of your past episodes and...

I... I really have to say, it's impressive

how much you want to help people.

I respect your honesty.

Oh. Well...

Thank you.

I only wish we could all be that honest.

[chuckling]

I'm actually thrilled

with how it's all gone.

I know Cooper and I have our differences,

but with the advice we got from the two

of you, we're stronger than ever.

Right, Cooper?

Yeah, definitely.

That's so great.

Now, Janice, you haven't seen

the final version of the cabin.

But from what you have seen,

what do you think so far?

I think it's a real balance

of what we both wanted.

Now, although Cooper has helped out,

he hasn't seen the final product yet.

That's right, Jake,

and I'm really excited to see the...

the last touches. [chuckling]

We've gone over every design and decision

to make sure that this place

has the big city/small town kind of feel.

And we are so excited

for our live on-air reveal.

Isn't that right, Chels?

Oh. Yeah. Um... can't wait.

Yeah, that's right, folks.

This couple will not see it until you do.

And that's coming up on

a very special episode

of Renovation Romance, Christmas Edition.

[crew applauding]

[Beth] And cut!

Oh, that was... that was great.

That was so great.

It was great.

Beth, is it okay if Janice and I go

outside for some more interview clips

before we go to the cabin?

- Come get some final touches.

- Let's do it.

- Perfect.

- Okay.

- See you out there.

- Okay.

- See you later.

- Yeah.

- [Jake] Oh.

- [Janice chuckling]

You two seem... better.

Well,

we decided to take your advice,

to work hard and compromise.

You know, Janice and I, we've come too far

to give up now, so, uh...

I'm just gonna figure it out.

That's wonderful.

I'm really happy for you guys.

What about you and Jake?

We're good.

Good.

Yeah, good.

Look, uh... in case things get

a little crazy after the show tonight,

I know you're probably going

to leave town pretty quickly.

I just want to say,

it's been really, really nice

getting to know you, Chelsea, and...

thanks for being such a good friend.

Yeah, you too.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Thanks.

[soft violin music plays]

[indistinct chatter]

All right.

Okay, 15 minutes until show-time,

everyone. 15-minute warning.

Okay, I need something to calm my nerves.

More coffee.

[Beth chuckling]

[soft piano music playing]

[sighing]

How's my number one star doing?

[chuckling nervously] I'm good.

I'm a little nervous, but I'm fine.

Oh, you're gonna be fantastic.

You're a rock.

Just, uh...

Just be yourself out there, and, uh...

let's make sure the show goes smoothly.

Yeah.

[sighing]

How you feeling?

Hey.

You nervous?

Me? Nervous? Come on. No way.

It's gonna be a piece of cake out there.

Right. Well, if I'm being honest,

I guess I'm a little jittery.

- Yeah.

- This is huge.

Did you ever imagine that when

we're posting those little videos online

that we'd end up here, with our own show

and a live Christmas Eve special?

It's been an incredible journey.

Thank you for pushing us to do this.

Oh, come on.

- You were right.

- Yeah, well, I have my moments.

And you know what? First thing tomorrow

morning, we are booking that vacation.

Um, maybe we shouldn't.

[exhaling sharply] That's... Okay.

[hesitating] Why?

Jake... [scoffing]

Look, you are an amazing co-host

and business partner,

and a wonderful friend,

but... we're not a couple.

Chelsea, come on.

We're America's sweethearts. They love us.

We're not, Jake,

and I know that you feel the same way.

I mean, we were a couple, right? I...

Everything was good, and then...

I don't know what happened.

Somewhere along the way,

the show took over,

and then we just started playing

these roles.

Our feelings have changed.

I think it's time that we're finally

honest with ourselves and everybody else.

What are you thinking?

I'm... thinking...

that you're right.

You're absolutely right.

I love you so much, Chelsea,

and I know that we love each other,

but I just don't...

think that we're in love with each other

anymore. Not like that, at least.

I know we don't want

to keep living this way.

It's not fair to you or me

or the audience.

I know. I know.

What about the show?

The show will survive.

If we're honest, the show will survive,

and it might even be more successful.

And if it doesn't, it just

wasn't meant to be. Right?

Okay.

Okay.

Good.

How do you want to handle this?

[sighing] I'm not sure yet.

I'll take your lead.

- Hug?

- Yeah.

Two-minute warning

until we let the audience in, everyone.

Thank you.

You sure you're okay with this?

Yeah.

Yes.

I'll see you out there.

I will see you out there.

I'm glad we decided to hold the story

because I got something bigger.

Yeah, I just got a tip that something

juicy will happen tonight.

No, no, if we wait,

we'll have the exclusive on everything.

I gotta go.

[hesitating] it was you?

You're writing the article?

Why would you do that?

I thought you were a nice guy.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I...

Bethany, I am a nice guy,

but I also have a job to do.

If Chelsea and Jake

want to try to sell the fact

that they're this happy couple

but they're not,

that's kind of disingenuous, isn't it?

I gotta go.

Uh, 60 seconds, everyone. 60 seconds.

- What is it?

- Tom, he's the one writing the article.

Well, I just saw him

and Cooper talking earlier.

[hesitating] You don't think that Cooper

leaked the story to him, do you?

- Oh, God.

- Why would he do that?

I don't know. I feel sick.

Uh, okay, we got 30 seconds.

Uh, okay. So, where's Tom now?

We had him escorted out by security.

Look, this could ruin the show,

regardless of the special.

No, it's not your fault

and the show is gonna be fine.

I overheard Tom saying

that he got some tip

that something juicy will happen

on the show tonight. What could that be?

I don't know. I have no idea.

Okay. We gotta go in five.

Jake, come on. Four, three...

You ready?

Ready.

[audience applauding]

Merry Christmas, everyone,

and welcome back

to this very special live holiday episode

of Renovation Romance.

Now, you just watched the first half

of the episode in its original format,

and you saw how Janice and Cooper

were in very different places

when they first started their journey.

And just like the amount of work that it

has taken to restore this historic cabin,

it's also taken quite a bit of work

to rediscover the love

in their relationship.

But we got them there, didn't we, Chels?

[exhaling sharply] Yeah, we sure did.

Well, before we bring out

the celebrated couple,

why don't we take a look

at this week's highlights?

Ooh.

[audience applauding]

I'm glad we did this.

Yeah.

So am I.

[Janice gasps]

Now, without further ado,

we'd like to welcome back to our show

the happy couple

and show them all the changes

that we've made

to help usher them

into this next chapter of their lives.

Ladies and gentlemen, Janice and Cooper!

[audience applauding]

[fanfare plays]

[audience applauding]

- Welcome back to the show.

- Thank you.

So, Janice, is it fair to say

that you two have come a long way?

Oh, absolutely.

I mean, it was quite a whirlwind,

but you two have helped

bring us together at Christmas.

And what about you, Cooper?

Yeah. This whole experience has been

very, uh... eye-opening for me.

So, thanks.

Okay, short and sweet.

So, what do you say, folks?

Should we show them

all the efforts of our hard work?

[audience applauding]

You can hear that crowd, folks,

and that's what makes

this episode so special.

Now, Janice hasn't seen the final product

and Cooper hasn't seen the final touches.

Are you ready?

Absolutely.

Can we get the lights up?

[audience applauding]

- It's incredible.

- It's amazing.

So, what do you think?

It's... It's amazing.

That's the best Christmas gift

I could hope for.

Now, in the spirit of giving,

we'd like to bring out the head

of our network, Mr. Don Walters.

[audience applauding]

Thanks, Jake.

Good evening. As many of you may know,

in addition to being the exquisite co-host

of our show, Renovation Romance,

Chelsea Stevens also works

with an organization called

A Christmas for All Kids.

They run an annual toy drive

to make sure that every kid

has a present to open at Christmas.

Chelsea, on behalf of the network,

I would like to present this check to you

as our donation to your wonderful charity.

Because of you, a lot of kids are gonna

have a happy Christmas this year.

- Thank you, Don.

- [audience applauding]

Thank you.

All right, so, let's get back

to the show, shall we?

Now, Janice, at the

beginning of this episode,

you seemed hesitant and doubtful

that this process would change your mind.

Would you say that

you feel any differently?

Oh, 100%.

I think my doubts were just

a way for me to escape my fears.

But thanks to you and Chelsea,

I found the courage

to embrace my feelings.

And Cooper,

in one of our first interviews,

you said that you and Janice

were having a hard time

agreeing on... almost anything.

[chuckling nervously]

Is that still the case?

[clears throat] Uh...

It's like you always say,

Chelsea, love is hard work,

but Janice and I are gonna work it out.

- That's great.

- [audience applauding]

And Janice, how do you feel about

this newly renovated cabin?

Oh, it's incredible.

Right?

I can see now why

it's so meaningful to Cooper.

Are you ready to pack your bags

in the big city and move here for real?

[hesitating]

- No.

- [audience gasping]

What...?

I'm not.

[Jake] You're, you're not?

Look, the motto of your show

is "Home is where the heart lives."

Well, my heart doesn't live here.

Cooper, I love you,

I truly do.

I love you enough to tell you

that I'm not the right person for you.

[audience gasping]

I feel like we've both known that

for a long time.

Okay.

Well, it's, uh...

[exhaling sharply]

You're right.

[audience murmuring]

Now, for a long time,

I felt like we have been...

we've been just, you know, growing apart.

I have too. But that's okay.

You're kidding, right?

Right? You're saying that we failed?

No, not at all. I mean, without the show,

we wouldn't have had the courage

to admit this.

But maybe not all love can be renovated.

Maybe, sometimes,

you just have to let it crumble...

in order to build

something new in its place.

Uh... [exhaling sharply]

We still love each other

and want what's best for one another.

But for us, we've come to realize that...

that means going our own separate ways.

And I'm so glad Cooper

got the cabin of his dreams.

We'll be back

after a short commercial break.

[Beth] We're back in two minutes.

[breathing heavily]

Coop, I want you to find

a person who's right for you...

...even if that's not me.

[exhaling sharply]

And something tells me...

you might not have to look very far.

[Don] We, we gotta do

something to fix this.

We can't let the special

end on such a down note.

It's Christmas Eve!

Janice told the truth out there.

Maybe she could be a good example

for the rest of us.

What are you talking about?

Don, Jake and I are not

America's Sweethearts.

We haven't been for a really long time.

In fact, we broke up

right before the show.

Tell me you're kidding.

Yeah, no, we're not.

[gasping]

This is wonderful. This is wonderful.

There's not one,

but two breakups in the show.

Hey, I know, why don't

we just get a wrecking ball

and knock the house

down while we're at it?

Well, technically this is a cabin,

but you're right.

I think we should come clean.

This is a reality television show,

they deserve to know the truth.

- Right?

- We're back on in 30 seconds.

[audience applauding]

On behalf of me, Jake, and everyone here,

we would like to thank you for joining us

on this very special Christmas Eve edition

of Renovation Romance.

We had some surprises...

- To say the least.

- [Jake] Yeah.

...which resulted in a very

different ending to the show.

But I think that we can still say

that love was triumphant in the end,

in an unexpected way,

and that's okay.

[sighing]

In that spirit,

I have something that I would like to say.

Actually, Chelsea, if you don't mind,

I'd like to say something first.

Um...

Yeah.

Chelsea and I...

have realized some things

in our relationship,

and I think it's time for us

to take a very different direction,

as well.

[audience gasping]

- Jake, what are you doing?

- It's just for the show. All right?

What am I doing?

What every man in America wants to do.

Jake, you don't have to do this.

Get up. Please, get up. Get up.

Now, not every relationship is made

to stand the test of time,

but that doesn't mean

that we still can't have...

a happy ending in this story.

- Right, everyone?

- [audience applauding]

Yeah.

Chelsea Stevens...

...will you marry me?

I can't.

[audience gasping]

I'm sorry, Jake.

Get up.

You're a great guy,

but we're not together anymore.

[audience exclaiming]

And this is our real life.

This is not a TV show.

Look, I know I said

that love was hard work.

But when your heart is truly in it,

love doesn't feel like hard work.

A friend taught me that.

And Jake had good intentions.

He's a really great guy.

He was just trying to give America the

ending that he thought you guys wanted.

But I would like to believe

that you would rather us

be honest with you,

and not just see everything

tied up with a perfect bow.

And if I'm wrong, I'm...

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

She's not wrong.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

What have I done?

What have I done?

You're talking to yourself.

Should I be worried?

Yes.

I just ruined everything in there,

for the network,

for the charity, for Jake.

Everyone was counting on me,

and I blew it.

Why couldn't I just go along

with it like everybody else?

Because that's not who you are.

[exhaling sharply] Then, who am I?

You're the type of person that does

the right thing, even when it's hard.

Then, what kind of person are you?

I saw you talking to Tom earlier.

Are you part of the reason

he's writing a story?

No.

No, I didn't even know there was a story

until just before the show.

He came to me, he asked me

for a quote, I refused.

I could never do that to you.

You see,

Jake, he told me that he was going

to propose to you during the show.

And I thought that would convince Tom

that he didn't have a story at all.

You did that to protect me?

Of course. I'd do anything for you.

[sighing] I'm sorry.

No. You got nothing to apologize for.

I feel like I just wrecked

everything in there.

Well, that's the risk you're willing

to take to do what's right.

You had the courage

to follow your convictions...

...to follow your heart.

What are you doing?

Following mine.

[jingly triumphant music plays]

Chelsea, I'm a man who

admits when he's wrong,

and I was.

I'm sorry.

Oh. Thank you.

You were right to go with your gut

no matter how it would affect the show,

which, by the way, is an enormous hit.

The network just called

with some early numbers.

The highest ratings

they've ever had. Congrats.

Oh, that's great.

And you, young man,

are very charismatic on camera.

You ever considered

a career in television?

Um, no.

Well, call my assistant

over the holidays, set up a meeting.

She looks happy.

Yeah.

She deserves it.

So does he.

So, what do you think of your new home?

Is this where your heart lives?

That depends.

On what?

My heart...

is wherever yours is.

Mine is right here.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

[jingly triumphant music plays]