Back on set Hornberger is helping put together the sudden Christmas special. "Donaghy wants a Santa costume and a Mrs. Claus." Why is it every time I hear the word Claus I think of Fred Claus? Thanks Vince Vaughn. Jenna tries to coach her piano player as they go over a Christmas song. A grip tests the snow machine and Jack bounds happy as a fat kid checking a Snickers bar for dirt. Hornberger reminds him how they are going into quadruple overtime because of this but Jack is unmoved. He wants to give kids the perfect Christmas, or at least something better than his Christmases spent as a child. His dad was long gone by then and every year Colleen would bring by a Mr. Schwarz to the house for dinner. She made Jack play the piano as she sang to him. "My parents divorced when I was nine," drops in Hornberger only to be conversation steamrolled by Jack's grim memory. "Every year the dreadful moment would arrive when I would catch Mr. Schwarz caressing my mother's bony thigh." Hornberger asks about overtime. "Approved," says Jack. "It's Christmas."

Lemon and Tracy wait in line at the post office until it's their turn with the clerk. Lemon wants to have a word with whoever screens the letters for the "Letters to Santa" program. "Maybe you can help me ... Trine." "Irene," corrects Irene who also informs her bluntly that the only letter screener was the box the letters were put into. Lemon asks to see their census information. "No." She would like to speak to the letter carrier ... "We close in 5 minutes" ... who services this postal area "Never going to happen." Lemon wants Tracy to help smooth out the confrontation. "Oh really? We're both black so we must know each other." Tracy looks over at Irene. "Hey! Irene!" He does know her.

Lemon wants to know if Jack knows the Postmaster General. The answer is yes but they had a falling out after Jerry Garcia got his own stamp. "If I want to lick a hippie I'll just return Joan Baez's phone calls." Lemon notices that he has on the same clothes from yesterday. Jacks tells her that he can't go home. There was an incident last night. Colleen asked Jack to get a "heavy wool blanket" out from underneath her. He tugs at the blanket gently. "C'mon put your back into it," cajoles Colleen. Jack pulls at it like the end of a magic trick and Colleen gets deposited on the floor. One more broken hip later and Jack can't go home, for his and her safety. Plus she can't know about the eight minutes. "She'll have me arrested. She's done it before."