Finding Mr. Christmas Episode 6: TREE-VIA and Tears
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Finding Mr. Christmas episode 6 on Hallmark+, including who was eliminated.
Finding Mr. Christmas Episode 6, “Finding Festive Five,” delivers the gift of holiday tears. This week, the contestants deck their halls with Christmas trivia and face a high-stakes acting challenge with Rachel Boston, all under the direction of the sensational Ali Liebert. It’s a holly jolly showdown filled with drama and holiday spirit – talk about putting their stockings to the fire!
Listen to Girls Gone Hallmark Review Finding Mr. Christmas Episode 6
The Festive Face-Off: TREE-VIA
JB kicks things off by teasing a Christmas trivia showdown, and the guys are ready to bring their A-game. Ezra’s feeling confident (he’s seen a lot of Christmas movies, after all), while JB reminds Jonathan he’s still winless in the Festive Challenges. Ouch.
The opener is a gimme: finish the well-known Christmas poem. Everyone aces it. Chalkboards are revealed, smug smiles all around. But then things heat up. “From what country does the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree come from?” Cue giggles. Elijah confidently scribbles “Europe” (sure, why not?), which earns the biggest laugh. Jonathan is the only one who gets it right with “Germany.” Finally, a win for our boy!
EW TV critic Kristen Baldwin swings by with the next question: “Which comedian has a song about Hanukkah?” Chaos ensues. Hayden hilariously guesses “Eddie Murphy,” while Blake’s “Dave Chappelle” has everyone cackling. Jonathan scribbles something that vaguely says “Will Farrell,” which earns him a JB side-eye. The answer, of course, is Adam Sandler. Kristen also tosses in a Mariah Carey question, and the boys all nail it. When Kristen leaves, they send her off with a cheeky “Ho, ho, ho!”
Next, an eggnog origin question trips up most, but Blake snags the point. Followed by a Frosty the Snowman stumper: what’s his nose made of? Elijah shines with “button,” while everyone else writes “carrot.” The poem question about Santa’s departure gets a solid Ezra moment when he guesses “Happy New Year” (bless his heart). JB must’ve been having a field day roasting these wrong answers – imagine what didn’t make the cut.
Blake and Elijah pull ahead, but then JB throws them a question about nuts. The answer is “chestnut,” but Jonathan’s “almond” gets JB laughing, while Hayden reveals his Australian roots (apparently, chestnuts are a mystery down under).
It’s the ultimate showdown: Blake vs. Elijah in the final round. The question? “What snacks are left for Santa and his reindeer?” Seems simple, right? Wrong. It’s a sneaky curveball, and Elijah swoops in with the clutch answer – carrots for the reindeer – leaving Blake to chew on his second-place finish. Elijah nabs the advantage for the Star Quality Challenge, while Blake, ever the drama king, sums it up in his interview: “I’ve gotta watch my back with Elijah.” Do we have a new villain in Blake?
The Star Quality Challenge: Bring the Tears, Boys!
Things get surprisingly heartfelt in this episode when Elijah opens up about missing his girlfriend and eagerly awaiting the birth of his baby. It’s clear he’s got more than just holiday spirit keeping him motivated – cue the collective “aww.”
Then Jonathan shares a deeply personal story that reminds us why he’s such a standout. He talks about losing his father to brain cancer, stepping up to care for him in his final days, even giving up track and school to be by his side. His dad’s love for movies and belief that Jonathan was destined for the screen is the kind of encouragement that hits you right in the holiday feels.
The guys roll up to the Yuletide Yard ready for the next Star Quality challenge. No improv this time – just pure, unfiltered drama. The task? A breakup scene. Blake’s already sweating bullets since his bread and butter is charm and comedy, not tearjerking theatrics.
Enter JB and Melissa, who welcome none other than Hallmark royalty Rachel Boston as the scene partner. Immediately, I’m transported back to Daxton’s infamous “Who’s Erin Cahill?” moment and can’t help but wonder if these dudes are equally clueless about Rachel. Directing the scene? The one and only Ali Liebert.
JB lays down the law: the guys will be judged on script memorization, how well they take direction, star quality, and emotional impact. Elijah, fresh off his Festive Face-Off win, gets to choose the performance order. He picks himself first (bold), followed by Hayden, Jonathan, Blake, and Ezra. The guys not going first are thrilled – they’ll need every spare second to prepare. Elijah also scores extra prep time with Rachel and Ali, while JB and Melissa peace out, joking they’re off to prank call Lacey Chabert.
Ali hands out the scripts, which call for actual tears. She breaks down the scene’s emotional stakes while Rachel advises the guys to “tap into their own lives” for authentic feels. Cue Ezra quietly panicking at the idea of emotional vulnerability. Meanwhile, Hayden decides he’s going full method with an American accent to stand out.
Lights, Camera, Christmas Breakups
Elijah hits the set first and uses his advantage to grill Ali and Rachel for scene details. Ali’s impressed with his instincts – go, Elijah! The scene kicks off, and while he doesn’t quite nail the waterworks, his performance is solid.
Next up is Hayden, who shows up with props—a dog toy—still milking the heartbreak of losing custody of his beloved pup, Archie. As for the American accent? I thought it held up about as long as a snowman in July before his Aussie twang comes crashing through.
Then comes Jonathan. Oh, Jonathan. He fumbles his props right out of the gate, forgets his lines, and leaves Rachel dangling for what feels like an eternity before she jumps in to save him. Still, when he does get going, he’s warm and convincing. Post-scene, he talks about how his sports background taught him to persevere. It’s endearing – and honestly, he has potential with a little more polish.
Blake is next, and he’s running lines with Elijah beforehand, soaking in some last-minute advice. On set, Blake takes odd pauses throughout the scene, leaving everyone, including JB, scratching their heads. But his forlorn look as Rachel walks away? Surprisingly good. See? I don’t totally hate Blake.
Finally, Ezra steps up, fueled by memories of losing his older sister. He’s nervous, but honestly, he and Rachel look fantastic together on camera. His performance is solid, even if he’s disappointed he couldn’t squeeze out tears.
The guys are debriefing their performances, and suddenly, Ezra’s chin starts quivering. He opens up about thinking of his sister, and all I can think is, “Where was this emotion during the scene?”
But honestly, I can’t even throw shade because, shockingly, these dudes are bonding over some genuinely deep emotional stuff. Who knew a fake breakup script could double as group therapy?
Elimination Ceremony
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark+, including who was eliminated.
The judges really brought the glam tonight. JB kicks things off by gently roasting Hayden for his rollercoaster American accent. Then it’s Ezra’s turn, with JB pointing out his shaky start but ultimately applauding his shining moment. Jonathan gets a polite nod to his prop mishap. And then there’s Blake, who gets grilled about his “motivation.”
The judges can’t help but gush over Elijah’s bravery in going first, proving once again that fortune favors the bold – or at least those who don’t mind a cold read under pressure.
And the winner is… Hayden! He reacts like he’s just won an Oscar, launching into a heartfelt acceptance speech that thanks everyone short of the craft services team.
In the bottom two? Jonathan and Blake. JB hits Blake with some harsh truths, calling out his awkward pauses and lack of experience, which left him disconnected from the scene. But it’s Jonathan who gets the holiday send-off, with JB praising his growth but pointing out that forgetting his lines sealed his fate. Honestly, Jonathan gave it his all, and he says his dad would be proud of him for stepping up – cue the misty eyes.
And just like that, Jonathan is high-jumping his way right out of the competition.
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