(Scene begins with a finger tap on a smartwatch as the 1994 American Gladiators plays. The scene cuts to James jumping down a cliff from the 0:00-0:03 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators' original run. The 0:04 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators shows James Faraci landing in Santa's sleigh and entirely morphing into James Faraci The Last Of The Americans Christmas mode with his long sleeve button-up Shirt with Christmas Trees on it, Blue cargo Jeans, and Black Work boots until 0:07 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run as scene cuts to James and Santa riding with the 12th Doctor and Clara at the 0:13 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run. 0:14-0:17 show Rebecca Yaun and Nick Yaun as the two run after the Grinch before cutting to Doug Yaun baking cookies before cutting to the 0:17-0:19 mark as it shows Paulo & Brenda Fonseca popping in A Muppets Christmas Special on a player before cutting to the 0:20-0:28 mark as we see Eric Kurtzke, Andrew Beach and Olivia Horvath decorating as it cuts to the doors outside of James' space and time machine as the 0:28 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators shows when James stands on top of his Time and Space device and tosses a candy cane then cuts over to multiple clips from the past ten years of "The Last Of The Americans" Christmas reviews/top 12s as the Candy Cane flips end over end as the 0:36 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run plays when James grabs it while on top of a slab while doing a heroic pose with Paulo & Brenda Fonseca, Eric Kurtzke, Olivia Horvath on his right and Rebecca & Nick Yaun, Renee Miller, Doug Yaun and Andrew Beach on his left doing their own heroic poses dressed in Christmas Garb on a white background the 0:36-end mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run play the camera pulls back to see James and everyone else on top of a slab with the words "The Last Of The Americans" on it before all while snow and jingling bells are heard and seen in the foreground. Cut to James in his office)
TLOTA:
I'm James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, and the views that I'm about to express are of my own and some of yours. It's December. I got my Santa hat on, and my list of gifts is budgeted at $100.00, which will stretch every last penny. The is "The Last Of The Americans Holiday Gift Guide" for 2024 AND (James taps on the smartwatch screen and becomes James Faraci)
James Faraci:
The Top Five Moments of The Last Of The Americans from 2024. So, let's start off with the top five moments of The Last Of The Americans in 2024.
(Scene cuts to a finger taps on a smartwatch as the 1994 American Gladiators plays as the scene cuts as it taps the app as it opens a portal, and it cuts to different images of James as the characters he's played until it cut to his face and the credit of "James Faraci" is shown as it cuts to "The Last Of The Americans'" current iteration then slides away to different images of Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun and Nick Yaun as the characters they've played until it cut to their faces and the credits of "Paulo and Brenda Fonseca & Rebecca and Nick Yaun" is shown as it then slides away to different images of Doug Yaun and Andrew Beach as the characters they've played until it cut to their faces and the credits of "Doug Yaun and Andrew Beach" is shown as it then slides away to different images of Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller and Olivia Horvath and the credits of "Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Olivia Horvath" is shown as the 0:00-0:21 mark of the theme song plays. Everything becomes a swirl of Reds, Whites, and Blues as the credits "Produced by First Choice Productions. Edited by Eric Kurtzke and Paulo Fonseca. Written and Directed by James Faraci" as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays. We then see an outlined image of James as he morphs into "The Last Of The Americans" and lands with half of his team on his right and the other half on his left on a white background and the title "THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS" is shown Lazer etched into Titanium as the last six seconds of the American Gladiators 1994 theme song plays and the words "Top Five" on the top of "The Last Of The Americans" and on the bottom those words are "Of 2024" as it cuts to the swirl of red, white and blue and a number appears in the center as James does a voiceover)
James Faraci (V.O.):
Number Five
(Cut to "A "Web" of convolution as James does a voiceover)
James Faraci (V.O.):
This was possibly the most challenging review because throughout most of the time, I was held up in a harness, and I had to be dropped and raised several times; I blew out my voice from screaming at Olivia, who, by the way, liked how she had to be dressed like Madame Web (Or Mistress Net for the sake of the review). I also had to introduce an addition after so much subtraction; I will get into it later. Also, when I had Chris over while working on something at the number three spot. I also found the movie better than people had made it out to be. I enjoyed the review, especially when I was doing the technicals. Now let's get started with... (Morphing sound)
TLOTA (V.O.):
The Last Of The Americans' Christmas Guide for 2024 (Cut to James and Team TLOTA in their Pajamas as they come rushing to the Christmas Tree and see different items they wanted and clean up as the camera turns to see the Wrapping Paper shrapnel "The Last Of The Americans Holiday Gift Guide" slide wipe to James in Cooking gear around the Kitchen in the Studio.)
TLOTA:
As it has been over the past few years, all these gifts will be at least a hundred dollars. Starting with our kitchen gear for the year, we begin with something that will help keep the oven clean, using less oven cleaning cycle and some funky cleaners that leave a residue. These oven liners are great for keeping the bottom of your ovens clean, and I like how easy they are to clean. They also are fine for grill work, and baking liners for when you're out of parchment and aluminum foil. Get these to help you keep that oven cleaner than before. Next up is for those who want Asian cooking without getting those take-out prices. We go to something I had recorded a few weeks ago with Uncle Roger. (The scene cuts back to the Kitchen a few weeks ago when James and Uncle Roger.)
Uncle Roger:
Okay, cousin James, I will show you how to make Pad Thai like Uncle Roger makes it with a Wok. You have a perfect wok, so let's get to cooking!
TLOTA (V.O.):
This wok is perfect for someone like me who likes to cook. The wok heats evenly, so the cooking has plenty of work flavor, and this Pad Thai is so well-balanced that it is worth the taste. At this exact moment, I decided to treat Uncle Roger to some of my favorite dishes, including my famous Meatza, as I pulled out my 12-inch cast iron dual-handled skillet. This skillet can also be used for more than Meatza. It is excellent for roasting chicken, prime ribs, and slow-cooking pork shoulder. Uncle Roger liked it and almost gave me Uncle status. (The Scene cuts to the Kitchen as it is now)
TLOTA:
And for those throwing a party like some of us are, even though there's no reason to throw parties anymore, I especially like the charcuterie boards with more than just meat and cheeses. I like this board setup for the organizational aspects; behold, the Farberware Build-a-Board Cutting Board with Compartments and Clear Locking Lid. It's great for traveling to get-togethers and those who like to keep their fruits, meats, cheeses, veggies, sweets, and dips organized. After cleaning up, it's excellent as a mise-en-place for cooking different soups, stews, and braised dishes.
TLOTA:
To end this segment, I give you the AeroPress Clear Coffee Press. It's gravity-fed into the cup below. And what works excellently about this is that there is no bitterness when I make my cocoa or teas. It's also great for those who are more ecologically conscious. All the links in each segment are open. While I enjoy this, let's go back to James and his top five (James taps on the smartwatch screen and morphs back to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Okay, that was weird. Anyway, Number Four (Everything becomes a swirl of Reds, Whites, and Blues as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays. We then see an outlined image of James as he morphs into "The Last Of The Americans" and lands with half of his team on his right and the other half on his left on a white background and the title "THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS" is shown it cuts to the swirl of red, white and blue and a number appears in the center as it cuts to The Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog review as James does a voiceover)
4)The Lost Review: Professor Monstrous' Sing-Along YouTube Video
James Faraci (V.O.):
This is my "Pink Floyd's The Wall" review as done by those Chicago Fegulahs. It was doomed from the get go. I had started pre-production (meaning I had an idea, and that was it.) in 2019; in November of that year, I put that idea on the back burner until 2020. Thankfully, my dad, god rest his soul, told me to be ready by February of that year until I heard of COVID-19 and decided to shelve it until the pandemic ended. However, by the time the pandemic did end, I had a workload that would've knocked out so many others. But I got some work with Taylor and Johnny Berchtold after getting my current glasses. I had done some work with Alex DeCourville before the fallout from my review of "Science Boy's High School Reunion." Then that's when things for this review really went off the rails as I suffered injury after injury during the filming, and then relationships were damaged beyond repair. Primarily the professional relationship between myself and those from "Life As A Mermaid" (I now wish I had never heard of that show) and the results of the final product were good, hearing how bad everyone thought the review was is proof positive that the best days are over and any attempt to make more things like this happen will be met with ridicule and scorn by my fellow reviewers and that this remains the one review I will think of and think of how things fell apart for me.
(Morphing sound)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Thanks, James; I'll take over here. (Cut to James in his office.)
TLOTA:
If you're wondering what it is I am sitting this way, it's because of the device that I am using to get my steps in. The Sunny Health & Fitness Mini Steppers for Exercise at Home, Stair Step Workout Machine. Even while watching movies and reviewing them this year, I got all my steps in. I use the resistance bands to work on my arms when I am not on screen. It is also great when it comes to keeping the body moving at times when it is stationary. Of course, to help me during my DDPYoga program, I am interested in doing something to help me build my strength and hold my frame up better; The CAP Barbell Adjustable Weighted Vest. I wear this to help strengthen the body especially when I take a couple of hours off and I decide to walk and believe me a walk is keeping me moving. (Cut to James and his team in the Gym.)
TLOTA:
We're going to wait for some special guests to come in, and while that happens, the team and I are going to do our DDPYoga on the DDP Yoga Now as long as you have a subscription on the app. (James taps on the smartwatch screen and morphs back to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
For now, here's the number three moment of The Last Of The Americans in 2024
(Cut to everything becoming a swirl of Reds, Whites, and Blues as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays. We then see an outlined image of James as he morphs into "The Last Of The Americans" and lands with half of his team on his right and the other half on his left on a white background. The title "THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS" is shown. It cuts to the swirl of red, white, and blue, and a number appears in the center.)
James Faraci (V.O.):
Number Three
(Cut to The Iron Claw crossover as James does a voiceover)
James Faraci (V.O.):
Working on this review of the wrestling family biopic with Rowdy, AKA Chris Lee Moore, AAKA Robert "The Wrestling Mark" Hayden. This was meant to be about the family destroying itself partly due to wrestling and primarily because of the factual inaccuracies of the movie. I remember watching documentaries on World Class Championship Wrestling, including the "Dark Side Of The Ring" episode. When we sat down to watch the movie for the review, we knew certain things were inaccurate. Still, for them to write Chris Von Erich out of the film because it would've been too much for the movie's audience, there's a problem with that logic; the audience you'll get to know about wrestling, especially the Von Erich legacy. Getting this review done was easy since I had just finished doing a lot of the work for the Anti-AI storyline, the lost man, and the never healing heart of a romance that ended that broke "The Last Of The Americans" to the point where he has nothing left but reviewing all other avenues are permanently closed storyline" which is bleeding into real life sadly. As of this post, I am a trillionth of a fraction of a step away from seeing everything fall permanently into the Quantum Realm and never escaping. If I still need to clarify, 2024 has become the worst point in my career and personal life. But now, let's get back to the gift guide.
(A Morphing sound is heard as it cuts to James in the lobby with his great nieces and niece Vivian.)
TLOTA:
Judging by the noises I hear, my niece and my great-nieces are here and having fun. Kinsleigh and Alaina are enjoying a little painting excursion with the Crayola Color Wonder Paintbrush Pens & Paper. What makes this great is that the color stays on the paper and doesn't wind up on the walls and floor! Ah! Alaina, no tasting that; it tastes yucky. Bleh! (Alaina gives James her tough girl face, and James does the same thing. Then, James gives Alaina a kiss on her forehead and a hug as he picks her up, and Kinsleigh grabs one of James' hands.) We're moving over to their Aunt Vivian as she has set up something she and these two little goober nickels can enjoy. (Cut to Vivian as she has just finished setting up the device.) Is it ready?
Vivian Lee Faraci:
Yep, will this work?
TLOTA:
Oh, it will keep them entertained; behold this toy. This special toy is a projector that shows the stars and the moon in all their glory. What also makes this fun is that if you need a little help, your kid gets some sleep, lets this play, and all they have to do is lie down. Then, not long enough, they will be out until the morning. Speaking of stars, the moon, and outer space, if you want to get the kiddies to understand where we are, check out My First Book of Planets: All About the Solar System for Kids. Definitely suitable for Alaina and Kinsleigh.
Vivian Lee Faraci:
Are you forgetting something? Look, I know and have heard about how you tossed Mr. Narducci on his butt because he didn't keep his word. So what do you have for me?
TLOTA:
Be patient; I am waiting for one thing before we enter the games for you.
Vivian Lee Faraci:
Okay. So what are you waiting for, something to fall from the sky. (Lightning strikes as something lands in James' hand) What was that? (Cut to James as he holds a book for Vivian and a device for him.)
TLOTA:
Let's get this started! (James plugs the device in as it connects to ERod the Blockbuster Buster at his current location.)
ERod:
Hey James, and I take that. Is the little girl next to you Vivian? (Cut to James and Vivian)
Vivian Lee Faraci:
Looks like the video is excellent. (Cut to Erod the Blockbuster Buster)
ERod:
Well, that's because this is a live feed between us. And I take that my book has arrived for Vivian. (Cut to James and Vivian)
TLOTA:
Indeed, it is Kassandra Killjoy Paranormal Private Eye. Erod, could you convince people to purchase this masterpiece, especially those who have not heard of it? (Cut to ERod the Blockbuster Buster.)
ERod:
Glad to do so. (Cut to still images used in the opening of most of the videos promoting the book as ERod does a voiceover)
ERod (V.O.):
Set in Obscure City, Kassandra Killjoy, A Private Investigative witch, is the only source in the darkest places to help innocent people with their problems. One girl, in particular, requires Kassandra, and hopefully, Kassandra can get some help from the mythical hero known as "The Swordsman."If you like a badass, smart female characters, supernatural mysteries, classic monsters, and ridiculous action sequences involving magic and mayhem. Then this is most definitely the perfect gift for any holiday season. (Cut to James and Vivian)
TLOTA: Thanks for stopping by and promoting your book. (Cut to Erod the Blockbuster Buster)
ERod: No problem, Vivian. Enjoy the book your uncle got for you. He really does love you. Until next time, I'm ERod, and I'm The Blockbuster Buster! (The screen shuts off. Cut to James and Vivian.)
TLOTA: Hope you enjoy the book, kiddo! I have some games set up when you're ready.
Vivian Lee Faraci:
Cool! (Cut to James and Vivian as the two join Doug and his son as they play a game of Chess until both reach a draw. Cut to James, Vivian, Paulo, and Brenda Fonseca as they play a game of KerPlunk. Cut to James, Vivian, Rebecca, and Nicholas Yaun play The Game Of Life as James sees where his life is now and looks sad, knowing things are not suitable for him. Cut to everyone as they play Trivial Pursuit, and Vivian wins all the games. Cut to James as he sits in his office.)
TLOTA:
When I return, I will follow up on a few pieces I did a few years back. For now... (James taps on the smartwatch screen and morphs back to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
It's time for me to get to work again! Number two (Everything becomes a swirl of Reds, Whites, and Blues as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays. We then see an outlined image of James as he morphs into "The Last Of The Americans" and lands with half of his team on his right and the other half on his left on a white background and the title "THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS" is shown it cuts to the swirl of red, white and blue and a number appears in the center as it cuts to The Top Ten Reasons why the Prequels are better than the Disney Star Wars Trilogy" as James does a voiceover)
2) The Top ten reasons why The Star Wars Prequels are better than the Disney Star Wars movies
James Faraci (V.O.):
I had waited until the Disney Star Wars movies had played themselves out. And after a few tries, I finally got the nerve to talk about why after looking with hindsight, sans nostalgia. I needed time to accept the Disney Star Wars Trilogy. After watching both the prequels and the Disney trilogy, what went wrong? After watching the prequels, I realized they were more cohesive in much of the story, including the timing. Eventually, I had enough evidence to figure out how and why the Prequels were the necessary evil of the Star Wars Franchise. It was not only a very exhausting look into everything that Star Wars became after 1983 but also the most polarizing thing I ever did, knowing I would be getting roasted over a volcano for what I had to say. Thankfully, some people defended my thoughts while others defended what the mouse-eared Reichstaff had done. This was one of the few highlights of my year. (Cut to James as he stands on the stage on Monday, December 2, 2024)
TLOTA:
A couple of years ago, I walked upon this stage to discuss my college major, the media arts. Earlier this year, the people in charge of the SUNY Campuses decided that the theatrical and media arts had been shut down because it wasn't making money. When I graduate next May from SUNY Sullivan, the Media Arts and the Theatrical Arts department will be shut down, possibly for good. Movie makers, actors, and other talented people in the entertainment business who want to start in the SUNY College department will be better off looking elsewhere. (Cut to "Carburetor: A Ghost Sonata" clips as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
TLOTA (V.O.):
And now we go to the Liberty Theater where, in 2021, construction crews were working to get the marquee back up and lit for a new generation of filmgoers and, for me, a hope that could help me watch more current movies without having to travel a couple of hours just to see a movie. However, there have been delays. I also discovered that while the building is open and opened for business earlier this year, it's in part being used as a satellite studio for local radio stations under the Bold Gold Media Group banner. While that is great for my neck of the woods, I wonder if this movie theater will ever open as a movie theater, and from what I heard, if and when it does open, it will most likely be a single-feature movie theater. This limits the number of movies I will see if and when the movie theater does open in my hometown. Not exactly how I wanted to end this, so let's move onto... (Scene begins with a smartwatch screen and a finger as it taps the screen and the 1994 American Gladiators plays as the scene cuts to a hand as it taps an app on his phone as it opens a portal, and it cuts to James and the characters he’s played until it cut to his face and the credit of “James Faraci” is shown as it cuts to “The Last Of The Americans'” current iteration then slides away to different images of Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, Nick Yaun and Doug Yaun and the characters they’ve played until it cut to their faces and the credits of “Paulo and Brenda Fonseca & Doug Yaun, Rebecca and Nick Yaun” is shown as it then slides away to different images of Andrew Beach Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller and Olivia Horvath and the credits of “Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Olivia Horvath” is shown as the 0:00-0:21 mark of the theme song plays. Everything becomes a swirl of Reds, Whites, and Blues as the credits “Produced by First Choice Productions" “Executive Producers: James Faraci, Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, Nick Yaun, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Andrew Beach & Olivia Horvath” “Editing by Eric Kurtzke and James Faraci” “Written and Directed by James Faraci” are shown as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays. We then see an image of James as he jumps through the portal and lands with half of his team on his right. The other half on his left is on a black background, and the title “THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS” is shown Lazer etched into Titanium as the last six seconds of the American Gladiators 1994 theme song plays. The red, white, and blue swirl and a number appear in the center as James does a voiceover.)
The moment I saw the 2024 movie Civil War, I saw it as a parable similar to "The Day After. " Just like my friend Rowdy, who eight years ago talked about "The Day After," I found "Civil War" on the same level. This movie did what it was supposed to: ask questions on how to avoid such a fate and try to tell us how we treat our news and reporters. We should watch this movie now, especially after everything that happened in November; we should expect this sort of future to start sometime in 2025. Now, onto the Kevin Smith movie review marathon; while I admit there may have been some good to come out of it when it came to my review of "Dogma," as it may have helped lay the groundwork for the current events for the rights of the movie as it appears that Kevin Smith and new owners of the rights to the movie have got plans to re-release it on the physical media market as well as finally putting it out on the digital market sometime soon, the downside is how it ended a lot of storylines I had planned, and how it ended the best storyline I would have had occurred. In 2018, I started writing what would've been the best idea that will never come to fruition, "The Last Of The Americans: The Movie." I discussed the movie's plot in my Top Ten Mistakes list last year, so there's no reason to go over it. However, the original idea for the storyline that would lead me through this year was that I took a long overdue vacation, and the problem was that some force drove Alex and me apart. I would go on a journey of self-discovery as Alex would learn how to harness her abilities even further. I had hoped that the end of the storyline would end on a high note as James and Alex would spill that they were engaged. The reality hit as tensions between Alex and Me as I did my best to be nice to her. However, when she announced her engagement, I told Alex that the end of the storyline would change. Primarily, the relationship would fail as Alex would end the relationship to stay with the pod, and James' heartbreak would scar him forever. However, I needed something to fill in the other storyline. I thank the SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike against AI. As a writer, I cannot support AI because it can't give characters depth, progress the story to a logical closure point, and draw people in for more than the initial novelty of AI doing all the work. So, when I came up with the AI Doppelganger to fill in, it became the catalyst to the second part of the storyline as I chose to do what I felt was right and take the consequences of my actions. That, of course, realizing that I had sealed the fate I tried to stop in 2019, that at the end of everything, all I would know is solitude. I'll let the other half explain after this mess is over. (Cut to James Faraci The Last Of The Americans, in his office)
Now, let's move on to this year's top five personal buying suggestions. Starting off with... (Cut to images of certain products that James will talk about as James does a voiceover.)
And now for the Number one buying suggestion? Well ORAC? Take it away! (Cut to clips of Series One of "Blake's 7" and accompanied by the theme song from "Blake's 7" as ORAC does a voiceover.)
Created by Terry Nation, the person who came up with "The Daleks" for "Doctor Who," "Blake's 7" starred Gareth Thomas as Roj Blake, a dissident of the Federation Government who had been reconditioned and tormented for what he believed, Blake is eventually arrested and found guilty of one crime he did not commit. While en route to Cygnus Alpha, a prison colony planet of the Federation, a ship of unknown origin is discovered. Joined by fellow criminals Kerr Avon, Olan Gan, Jenna Stannis, and Vila Restal, they take the spaceship "The Liberator" and its onboard computerized system known as "Zen." Eventually, an Auron outcast named Cally joins this group and begins their plan to liberate planetary systems from the grasp of the Federation. On their tail are Commander Servalan and her associate, who operates outside Federation Law by the name of Travis, who has a personal grudge against Roj Blake. "Blake's 7"'s first series is available on Blu-Ray in the United States for the first time. It is considered a sister series to the Classic "Doctor Who," and considering what would have happened if the BBC had been lenient and allowed certain things to happen in the second series (based on the sales of the first series Blu-Ray in the United States if the sales are considered favorable will most likely be available in the near future as well as the other two series.) would've been a spin-off of the previously mentioned Classic "Doctor Who." Which James will talk about next year. If you are a fan of classic British Science Fiction akin to the classic "Doctor Who" or other Science Fiction series such as "Red Dwarf,""Firefly," "Babylon 5," "Farscape,""Hyperdrive,""Aeon Flux," and others, including several "Star Trek" series during the series "Next Generation" era, then A purchase of the first series on Blu-Ray is suggested, otherwise gain a Britbox TV online streaming service subscription for the full series of "Blake's 7" or a BBC Sci-Fi connection via Amazon Prime. (Cut to James in his office.)
Thank you, ORAC! Now, you're probably wondering why that is Number One and not "Deadpool and Wolverine," the answer is simple. The BBC discovered ORAC was working for this series, and long story short.
Too Late.
Funny ORAC, I now have to rename and redesign ORAC and the space-time device, and here is the rub: I want to keep the name sounding like ORAC while respelling the name. If you have an idea for redesigning the space-time machine and redesigning ORAC and ORAC's respelling, let me know in the comment section below. Until December 21st, for the top ten best behind-the-scenes stories from "The Last Of The Americans," I'm James Faraci The Last Of The Americans, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, A Happy Hannukah, A Cool Kwanza, A Funky Festivus and all other December holidays! (Everyone in Team TLOTA waves as the scene fades to black. Cut to the day after the Internet Reviewer Christmas party as James sits in sadness and solitude as "Mickey" from the "Rocky III" soundtrack plays. James opens up a bottle of egg nog and has a set of drink glasses)
Well, here's to the year we squandered whatever magic was left. (A knock on the door as James finishes his first glass of Egg Nog) It's open. (Cut to the door as Rowdy enters)
Hey James, something tells me you shouldn't be alone right now. (Cut to James as he sets up Egg Nog for two)
Thanks (Rowdy walks up to James, takes a glass of Egg Nog, and the two toast.) It's non-alcoholic! I never told you how things ended up like this. It was 2019, Rob suffered a stroke, my dad was on his way out, and I had just got the lease for this place. I had hoped to take things slow with her, and then came August of that year. I was working on my "Different Cuts" of "X-Men: Days Of Future Past," and the paradox rift returned. Alex decided to use her powers to stop the rift, and then I thought I had found a future I could avoid. A future where I was at the same point my dad was at that time; everyone was gone, dead, I have to presume, and I was alone, doing this. (James takes a drink from his glass of Egg Nog.) I returned to the present to help Alex stop the rift. I woke up and thought it was a nightmare. I walked away and proposed but told her to wait to answer until she was ready. (Rowdy refills the glasses as the two toast again.) 2020 hit us all hard enough. When Rob passed in November of 2019, then my Dad passed in August 2020, and then the events that ended back in April of this year, I realized that the future I thought I had avoided was the one that I set in stone. (James and Rowdy drink another round of Egg Nog.)
How do you know it's set in stone?
Look at the state of the world. Everyone has embraced wrong, and they can't see what they're doing is hurting everyone. Humanity has adopted a "What can I get for a Me, Myself, and I?" mentality. The monster you thought was slain in 2020 is back, and no amount of divine energy will save us. (James takes a drink from his glass) Evil has won, Good has been trampled under the foot of stupidity, and everything we wanted is gone. The Magic is gone. Everything we believe is meaningless now. We have lost; the future is over, and I realized it when Alex handed me back the ring and joined the pod. Do you get it? It's over, Rowdy. Do you understand? IT'S FRICKING OVER! (James tosses his glass onto the picture, and it falls off the wall, and the frame breaks. Leaving a mess. James walks over and picks up the picture, and Rowdy follows behind him) I don't know what I can do anymore.
James, I know it's hard, but the magic's there. You can't see or feel it, but you'll know it when it comes back. Merry Christmas, James, and hang in there. (Rowdy pats James on the back, then walks away and closes the door behind him. Fade to black.)
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