It’s Christmas time in LA and the 118 must deal with Christmas related callouts. When Athena asks him to move in with her, Bobby must make a decision that affects both their futures. Eddie struggles to decide whether or not to let Shannon visit their son for Christmas.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Christmas Episode
- Christmas Songs: A variety of Christmas music play in the background throughout the episode.
- Enormous Engagement Ring: Athena shows off her very big ring to Hen and Karen.
- Flashback: Near the episode's end, there is a flashback that shows why a Christmas tree is a Trauma Button for Maddie. She didn't get it right, and Doug abused her because of that.
- Foreshadowing: The episode's called 'Merry Ex-Mas', but there is no mention of exes throughout the episode. But there is one 'ex' fresh in mind, Doug.
- Maddie's Dull Surprise at the Christmas tree gives a clue that something isn't right. When Buck says that Doug is the reason for Maddie not liking Christmas, he isn't wrong about that.
- From Bad to Worse: Poor poor Brandon didn't know he'd be shipped to a plane, as getting trapped in a cardboard present was bad enough to begin with.
- Gory Discretion Shot: The Mistle-Drone accident. All we get is a sound and the transition to the call.
- Mistaken for Gay: An elf at the Santa set up mistakes Buck and Eddie for a couple and Christopher for their son.
- Over-the-Top Christmas Decorations: The two houses, in the beginning, are quite decorated and are Scenery Porn. However, one of them tries the blow-up snowman, and that results in an accidental tumble off the roof.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: In the second emergency, the cheery Christmas music plays even after Brandon gets knocked out and gets wrapped into a box.
- Hearing 'Silent Night' over Maddie's previous Christmas with Doug was downright uncomfortable.
- The Last Straw: Maddie's last Christmas was the worst and best. It was the best because that's when she decided to finally leave him.
- Trauma Button: At one point in the episode, Maddie freaks out around a Christmas tree. See Flashback above for why.
- Under the Mistletoe: Terri's Tiki Room, a tiki bar, does a unique variation of the mistletoe tradition with a 'Mistle-Drone', Exactly What It Says on the Tin! Too bad that a distracted waitress gets caught in the blades.
- Wham Shot: 'Jason', is actually Doug. The episode's end shows him outside with Chinmey's ID, with the intent of malice.
