Outside of maybe Buddy the Elf and Ebenezer Scrooge (and baby Jesus), we don't see what beyond Dec. 25 looks like for our favorite Christmas story characters, whether it's the Grinch, John McClain, Rudolph and countless others.
This got me thinking about the most wonderful movie of the most wonderful time of the year, the one that always plays on our TV each Christmas Eve: What was it like for the Bailey family after Zuzu proclaims, "...every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings" in It's a Wonderful Life?
Never in a million years would I suggest making a sequel to this perfect film—to quote George, that'd be "crazier than Sam Hill"—but I do wonder... There was a happy ending, but was it truly happily ever after? Consider:
WHY would we assume Old Man Potter gave up getting his fingers on the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan?
He was a warped, frustrated old man and it was galling him to not have it. Maybe the news of George getting bailed out caused him to have a stroke. Or perhaps his servant confessed to Potter greedily keeping the misplaced money. Most likely, Potter would try making things even more difficult. Because as Uncle Billy put it, "not all the heels were in Germany after all." That wouldn't make for a wonderful experience.
HOW bad was the scandal with Violet?
Rumors abounded around town, as Potter told him, and could persist. Violet, who sometimes didn't care how she looked, had a reputation for liking every boy, and there was something wrong with that when one of them is married. Would Mary be full of grace or anger? Would the self-righteous shun George and his business for his alleged, albeit untrue, affair?
WHAT happened when Zuzu went back to school?
Was the interaction with Mrs. Welch bad? Was that the last flower Zuzu's teacher would ever give her at school? The next parent-teacher conference must have been very awkward.
Speaking of the Welches, WHERE did the teacher's husband have to go for a drink after being barred from Martini's for punching George?
Multi-verse Potterstown had countless bars, but I'm not sure there were other Bedford Falls watering holes. Was Mr. Welch always looking to throw another haymaker every time he saw George around town out of spite?
WHEN did the bank examiner Mr. Carter get back to Elmira?
Was it in time for Christmas with his wife and kids? If not, did he hold a grudge against George and make things difficult for the next audit?
WHO apologized first and was their ongoing beef between uncle and nephew?
They seemed OK at the party, but George treated Billy—who is what the French call "les incompetents" for losing the $8,000—almost as rough as Mr. Gower did him as a kid for not delivering the poisoned medicine.
And then one last important question:
Does Bert the Cop always carry an accordion everywhere he goes?
I guess none of the fallout really matters because George had learned the most valuable of lessons while getting a chance to see what the world would be like without him: "Remember no man is a failure who has friends."
The inscription from Clarence would forever remind him there were always people nearby to support him, whatever might come his way.
Hee-haw, and Merry Christmas, even beyond Dec.25!
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