Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
One Big Happy Family? (From l.) Summer (Hunter King), Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), Heather (Vail Bloom), Daniel (Michael Graziadei), Lucy (Lily Brooks O’Briant), Christine (Lauralee Bell) and Danny (Michael Damian) are together for the holidays.
Despite a rocky 2023 for Christine (she lost her big case against Phyllis and ended her marriage with Paul), the year just may wind up on a happy note now that ex-husband Danny is back in Genoa City. “Danny is the safe male in her life that she would find comfort in, so she’s really getting into the Christmas spirit,” sets up Lauralee Bell (Christine). “I finally get to bring back that fun Cricket energy. It’s been a sad, uncertain year for her, so it’s truly an organic reason to bring back that other side of her. She’s going to take any kind of happiness and just run with it. She’s been beaming a lot and friends are asking, ‘Who are you?’ “
At Society, Christine meets with Lauren, who delivers a wrapped gift from Fenmore’s that Chris picked out for Danny. Hints Bell, “Cricket remembers that Danny liked something from the past that has significance and would make him happy. Lauren even says that Danny will love it.”
Lauren asks if the former marrieds are getting back together after all this time. “Christine is sort of hesitant to make more of things than they are,” Bell explains. “She does tell Lauren that she has enjoyed spending time with Danny now that he’s in town. This is the first time that they’ve been in one place at the same time for Christmas. It’s not like she’s out looking for someone just for the sake of dating because she’s not with Paul anymore. It would have to have meaning behind it, and the comfort level she has with Danny kind of fell in her lap. It feels good because it’s familiar.”
Christine heads over to Daniel’s apartment, where his dad has been lodging. In the meantime, Danny has brought out his electric piano so that he, Daniel, Lucy, Phyllis and Heather can sing Christmas carols. Just outside, Christine hops off the elevator with gift in hand, and as she approaches the door, she hears singing inside. “She’s so caught up in the excitement of seeing Danny and giving him a gift, it probably didn’t even cross her mind that he’s got a whole other life,” Bell notes. “So immediately there’s this uncomfortable feeling of, ‘Oh, wait, I’m walking into his family environment,’ which includes Phyllis. Christine doesn’t know if she has the energy to play games with Phyllis right now. It makes Christine rethink ringing that doorbell.”
But she does, and, of course, Phyllis opens the door. “She actually smiles but Christine knows it’s fake because of how they feel about each other,” Bell says. “Before Danny came back, Chris and Phyllis would exchange stares and have words and that was tolerable, but if it gets to a point where Phyllis is part of a package deal, Christine may ask herself, ‘Is being [with Danny] worth it? ‘”
