Hart of Dixie 1x10: Hairdos and Holidays

Original Air Date: 5 December 2011

Storyline: Zoe encourages Rose to enter the annual Miss Cinnamon Cider Pageant, even though Lemon's younger sister, Magnolia Breeland, is a shoo-in to win. Of course, with Zoe coaching Rose and Lemon coaching Magnolia, rivalry takes on a whole new meaning. Meanwhile, George and Wade go on a road trip to pick up a Christmas tree for Bluebell's town square. Also, in flashbacks, we learn some of the history of Lemon's relationship with her mother, as well as the details of when Lemon and Lavon first realized they had a connection.Best Quote:

Lemon: Oh, I'm so sorry. This must be torture for you, me talking about my wedding.
Zoe: Torture? No. The accent is kind of a fingernails-on-the-chalkboard thing, but...

Review: I honestly can't wait for this holiday season to be over. Halloween and Thanksgiving came and went, and now it's time for Christmas to make its appearance in my favorite TV shows. Where's the inspiration, people? I'm already sick of carols and it's not even close to being Santa Claus time. But, since most people in this world love Christmas, I guess I'll just have to put up with it.

I was surprised the focus of the episode was not on Zoe. She wasn't absent, she just didn't have a lot to do. Instead, we got a big chunk of Lemon, who is getting more and more annoying by the minute. I'm usually excited when characters are developed, especially those who have potential, but are lazily portrayed as two-dimensional. Lemon definitely falls under this category, but that doesn't mean I'm excited to see so much of her as I've seen this week. And, as much as I hated the whole pageant thing - one of those things that make the older Miss Breeland seem so shallow -, the fact that we were given some insight into her life before her mother disappeared and the relationship she had with her is at least explaining in part why she is so focused on apparently useless stuff like pushing her sister to win the annual Miss Cinnamon Cider Pageant, something both she and her mother won when they were teenagers. 
I couldn't help myself but feel for her as she remembered her mom's dreams of becoming an actress, how she left her and her sister and how, despite never finding success and being within 30 miles of Bluebell, she never contacted the family she left behind. Flashbacks to last year's Christmas, with a disappointed and seemingly sweet Lemon unable to hide her sadness, made me understand a little bit how Lavon could fall in love with her. So she's not the cold bitch we thought she was; but that doesn't make her any more likable in my eyes.
The episode was one of letting go. I'm already bored of the Lemon/Lavon drama, as ever since the beginning of this show each one of them decided at some point to stop with the games, but they never do. So I won't take for granted that door that closed in front of a weeping Lemon, as I'm sure the soap opera will not stop here. What was surprising - and refreshing, in the whole tear jerking episode - was Zoe and George admitting they'd been flirting with each other. It may not have been the most extensive part of this week's installment, but it was the most entertaining (along with Rose's puppet socks).  Maybe the realization that what they've been doing was not exactly orthodox can now open the door for a Zoe/Wade romance. God knows I can't wait to see these two together! The final scene was so adorable that I can't help rewinding it over and over again, mostly for Wilson Bethel deviously sweet smile.
Other than the obvious public manipulation into believing that Lemon has a lot more going for herself than just being a bitch, I hated Zoe's shorts and the middle of the street fight between her and Miss Breeland, which only showed that you can take the girl out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the girl. And I missed the hilarious scenes between Wade and Lavon, since Wade doesn't have the same chemistry with his old high-school buddy George.
But to conclude, let me tell you the things I really really loved this week: the great relationship between Zoe and Rose and how invested she is "in the love lives of 14-year-olds". Coaching Rose for the pageant and the girl's adorable clog dance. Wade's jealousy and his Shawshank Redemption allusion on the jail's wall ("Wade was here.")
The show takes a break until January, when it returns with new episodes and, hopefully, some more sparks in the Zoe/Wade department. Until then, I have just enough time to revisit the first part of this season and sigh at the sight of Wilson Bethel's sexiness.Hart of Dixie 1x09: The Pirate and the Practice Back to Season 1