This holiday season, Therapists’ Take is unwrapping something a little unexpected - the psychology of holiday villains. Sure, we all know the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes and that Scrooge found the true meaning of Christmas—but what does it really mean to be a “villain” in a world shaped by trauma, unmet needs, and human complexity?

In this special series, we look beyond the caricatures and clichés to explore the emotional underpinnings of four iconic holiday “bad guys,” asking questions our listeners may have never considered. Together, we’ll dig into bullying, trauma, greed, redemption, emotional reactivity, and the very nature of good vs. evil. And at the end, we’ll decide if they truly deserve the title of villain… or something more complicated altogether?

🎁 Bonus segment: Stick around for a brief but fun end-of-episode debate as Carrie and Josh tackle the perennial holiday question, Is "Die Hard" actually a Christmas movie?

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00:00 - Hi, Carrie! (Favorite Holiday Movies)

02:45 - The 4 Holiday Villains

03:19 - The Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)

07:48 - Mr. Potter (It's a Wonderful Life)

10:40 - Ebeneezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)

15:42 - Scut Farkus (A Christmas Story)

26:44 - BONUS: Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

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MOVIE LINKS

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film) – Wikipedia
• The Grinch (2018 film) – Wikipedia
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol – Wikipedia
• Christmas Carol (2009 film) – Wikipedia
• A Christmas Story – Wikipedia
• It’s a Wonderful Life – Wikipedia

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Fair Use Notice:
The clips and images shown in this episode are used under the U.S. copyright doctrine of “fair use” (17 U.S.C. § 107). These excerpts are used for purposes of commentary, criticism, and discussion to educate and entertain listeners, and not to exploit the original works for commercial gain.

We do not claim ownership of any copyrighted material included in this episode. All rights remain with the respective copyright holders.

If you are the copyright owner of material included here and believe its use does not fall under fair use, please contact us so we can address your concerns.

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