Mistletoe Murders: Cold War (Presented by "Dial It Back")

This week is presented by "Dial It Back", available now on Prime Video. 

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Alonso joins us this week to kick off Season 2 of Mistletoe Murders with a double-episode breakdown of Cold War (Part 1 & Part 2). Season 2 wastes no time getting going! 

ABOUT: MISTLETOE MURDERS – COLD WAR (PART 1 & PART 2)

Part 1: Emily and Sam reunite after a year apart to investigate their chess coach's disappearance, stirring Emily's memories, while Violet dreams of going to the winter dance with her crush. 

Part 2: Emily investigates the chess coach's murder from inside the school while Sam worries about Violet's date. At the winter dance, a deadly chase unfolds with the killer.

AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR: MISTLETOE MURDERS – COLD WAR

November 7, 2025 | Hallmark Mystery Channel

CAST & CREW OF: MISTLETOE MURDERS – COLD WAR

• Sarah Drew as Emily
• Peter Mooney as Sam

BRAN’S MISTLETOE MURDERS – COLD WAR SYNOPSIS

Detective Sam is still waiting for an answer: Who is Emily Lane?
But she can’t tell him. He leaves, hurt — but not before Emily says she really wishes they could’ve just taken that walk in the snow.

Eleven months later, Emily is out for a jog. She’s thought about leaving and starting over in another small town…but she just couldn’t. She loves it in Fletcher’s Grove.

Cut to the diner: two teens are hanging out in a booth. One is Violet — Sam’s daughter, who Emily no longer employs at The Mistletoe because of how things ended with Sam. The other is Kyle, and they are very clearly into each other.

We also meet Tim Hinley, the chess coach. His team just lost, and he is a full-on grumpy elf.

Later, Emily bumps into Sam. Awkward small talk. They go their separate ways.

Then we see the football coach arrive home to find a note on his door. He reads it, looks panicked, grabs what appears to be a go-bag, jumps into his car, and speeds away.

Speaking of go-bags — Emily has been much more cautious this year, constantly monitoring anything related to Chimera ever since they almost caught her last Christmas. She’s never letting her guard down again.

Violet asks Emily to teach her chess. Emily suggests she ask Coach Hinley. That’s when Violet reveals: he’s missing. After that day at the diner, he resigned and vanished.

This sets off alarm bells. Emily goes to his house — something’s off — so she takes the case to Sam. He says he’ll look into it. After she leaves, we see he’s still investigating who Emily really is.

Emily goes to the school to drop off decorations for Violet and stumbles into the chess team competing. She meets Vice Principal Richard Leeland, who is now acting chess coach. Emily accidentally reveals she knows a lot about chess. Since he only stepped in to help his son on the team, he asks if she’ll take over coaching. She says no.

Emily continues to dig and hears rumors that Coach Hinley was romantically involved with a rival coach. Suspicious. She brings this to Sam, and it leads to a big argument.

Emily finds the rival coach and asks about it. The coach denies everything — very aggressively — insisting she would never damage her reputation.

Emily then stumbles upon Kyle fighting with the VP’s son over chess drama — Janitor Ben Ayres steps in to break it up.

Sam arrives and is like, Why are you everywhere?? He takes a call — Emily overhears — they found Tim’s car at the airport… but his suitcase is still in the trunk.

The next day, Emily returns to question the VP. On her way out, she chats with Janitor Ben — when a dog wanders in. It’s Tim’s dog.
Who abandons their dog?

They follow the dog into the basement, where it stops on a patch of new concrete.
Emily calls Sam. Ground radar is brought in.
There’s a body.

Sam later comes to Emily’s house to update her, and sparks fly again — but he spots a piece of paper under her couch and quietly takes a picture of it.

Meanwhile, Sam reviews security footage and sees Tim arguing with Kyle before Kyle punches the wall.

That same day, Kyle asks Violet to the winter dance. She says yes… just as Sam walks in and arrests Kyle.

Emily confronts Sam. He shows her a threatening note found on Tim’s door. In order to help the investigation, Emily agrees to coach the chess team.

Kyle returns after being released and insists he’s innocent. Emily overhears the VP chewing out his son. She ends the day playing chess with Janitor Ben.

It turns out the VP’s son was selling stolen test papers, and Coach Hinley found out.

Then the rival coach shows up to accept the full-time position — but Emily already took it. Emily sees Tim’s lucky tie in her back seat, and Sam brings her in for questioning. Another big blow-up — but later they calm down and almost kiss. Again. Sam retreats… again.

It’s Winter Dance time!

Violet grabs something from her locker and finds a note:
“Stay away from Kyle. This is your only warning.”

Emily, also at the dance, takes this chance to snoop in VP Leeland’s office and finds practice sheets of Tim’s signature.

Meanwhile, Violet shows the note to the VP. He tells her to come with him.

Emily is searching for Violet when she runs into Janitor Ben — who is distraught. He admits he wrote the warning note because he didn’t want Kyle distracted from chess.
Why does he care so much?
Because — Kyle is his son.
Kyle overhears and runs off in shock.

Emily hears Violet scream and rushes to the VP’s office. The VP’s son just confessed everything — not realizing Violet was there.

We learn the truth:

• Tim confronted the VP because he thought the VP killed his dog.
• The VP’s son showed up, panicked, and shoved Tim.
• Tim fell — his head hit a coat hook, killing him instantly.
• The VP covered it up to protect his son.

Sam arrives, hears the confession, and arrests him.

Violet finds Kyle. They slow dance outside in the snow.
Emily and Sam watch from a distance.

Throughout the episode, we’ve seen flashbacks of Emily’s past — how she joined a computer team and pitched a new game: Chimera.
The final shot: Sam reviewing his notes, circling the word Chimera.

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