'Tis the season... so I rewatched tonight. I'll try a bit of answering the two years ago's questions.
I don't think the car conversation #1 reveals something about Maddie's definition of happiness. I think she hasn't figured that out for herself yet. Does that sound stupid? Yes, material things do matter to her (but not only and always: keep in mind that she kept a unnecessarily huge staff, paying them every month from her own purse, at least for the first months!), and also having the feeling of doing things properly, doing a good job, running the agency as a business should be run. But has that anything to do with happiness?
David's definition of happiness is IMO somewhat like "the best things in life are free" - fun, family, love maybe (although it isn't mentioned here), well, all the things that
really matter - and basically to be your true self, be comfortable with yourself. And he clearly seems to be that.
BTW, what I absolutely love in this scene is the "that's not the kind of help that I meant" thing - did anybody notice how Bruce is almost cracking with laughter when he says that line? Seems to me as if he just could stop himself from bursting out.
About the Xmas spirit... funny how at first Maddie accuses David of trying to make a profit out of Xmas, and then, when he tries to talk her into letting Agnes keep the baby for a while, "come on, it's Christmas!", she goes like "So?"
As all the previous posts already pointed out, David started - as so often - to talk some sense (or, in this case, Xmas spirit) into Maddie, and Agnes of course tears the rest of her wall down.
I can't say we learn about Agnes that she is a sweetie, because we
knew already that the night before she was born, the Big Guy went to a great party, right? ;D But I noticed some other thing: Agnes might be not too happy herself, although she always seems so light hearted. I think she's lonely. The way she talks to Maddie at her house, her longing for sitting under a christmas tree with a baby, but not bothering putting up a tree when you're living alone... I remember having such an impression too in the earlier ep "Brother..." when David snaps at her and she becomes furious at him, shouting "Lots of times,
I am in a bad mood,
lots of times!" I always thought that revealed a bit that she isn't as happy as it seems.
I absolutely
love her line to Maddie: "There's no one I'd rather have children with than you."
That overlapping... well, can't quite call it a dialogue, but it's soooo great written and acted. Of course, it reveals that David knows Maddie already
very well, and boy, does she hate that! ;D
I like it very much when in the car conversation #2, when Maddie declares it could not wait until tomorrow morning and David goes "Right!" she insists to know what that "right" meant. She suspects that it was about her and that it meant "something terrible", and she's anxious to think David might think bad of her. She does care what he thinks about her.
And of course, like everybody else here, I'd
so desperately wished he could have seen her with the baby!
The final scene is great, and I just love how easy they are with one another, the kiss is great of course, but I must say I find the hand holding and embracing almost more touching.
And, last but not least, this ep has many very funny quotes I can't possibly leave out (in addition to the "jam in the tight hole" mentioned above).
D: "Ooh, Ingrid, I gotta go. Head elf just walked in. Doesn't look happy."
M: "I see."
D: "You do?"
M: "No, I don't, I just wanted to say that to see how it would feel. Doesn't feel any different."
M: "You ever noticed you answer all my questions with a question?"
D: "I do?"
D: "I see a world starving for hope, a world starving for fantasy, a world starving for joy - what about you?"
M: "I'm fine. I ate before I came in."
D: "Last night, it hit me!"
M: "Left a bruise, I hope."
M: "Just when I think you sunk as low as you can go, you find a basement door!"
D: "Check me here, but you seem a trifle disturbed!"
M: "I just wanna scrape you off the bottom of my shoe!"
D: "Hey, wait a minute, you're not fooling me. I know what that means!"
M: "We have to call the police."
D: "Why?! What's the kid done?"
D: "Did you see the look in old Agnes's eyes? They were pointing in the same direction for once!"
King: "You guys noticed anything?"
D: "Us? Dumb and dumber?"
M: "Wait a minute. Who's dumber?"
D: "You took the words right out of my mouth! Incredible! My tongue never felt a thing!"
And I
know I missed a few!