Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Merry Gentlemen!
Netflix’sThe Merry Gentlemenfollows a cheerful holiday romance with an ending that explores themes of tradition, family, and love. This rom-com incorporates themost popular Hallmark Christmas tropesbut with aMagic Miketwist. Britt Robertson’s Ashley gets let go from her Broadway dancing job with The Jingle Belles and returns home to learn that her parents’ musical bar will close due to the decline in acts performing there and consistent customers.
Refusing to give in to the landlord, Ashley comes up with the idea to create a male dance revue to raise money to keep The Rhythm Room in business. She enlists the help of a loyal patron named Luke, who has helped out with minor repairs at the bar. As Ashley puts on the show, she and Luke start to develop feelings for one another. This creates a conflict when The Jingle Belles offer Ashley her job back with a raise and a three-year contract. Ashley must decide her priorities at the end of this Netflix2024 Christmas movie.
How Ashley Prevents The Rhythm Room From Closing in The Merry Gentlemen
The Male Dance Revue Raises The Money To Save The Bar
The central conflict throughoutThe Merry Gentlemenis the fact that Ashley’s parents’ bar, The Rhythm Room, is going to be shut down if they don’t find a way to pay off their debt – $30,000 – by Christmas. Ashley refuses to go down without a fight, so she comes up with the idea to put on a male dance revue, better known as male strippers. She puts her time and energy into choreographing the routines and teaching the men who agreed to be dancers in the show.
The Merry Gentlemenpushes back against the false, stigmatizing belief that strippers aren’t actual dancers. The movie pulls back the curtain, showing the hard work, discipline, and physical rigor involved in this form of dance.Because dance is inherently connected to music, it’s beautiful to think that music is the thing that started The Rhythm Room inThe Merry Gentlemenand saved it, too. With the help of five men, Ashley’s eponymous show raises all the funds to keep the business thriving.
Why Luke And Ashley Get Together At The End Of The Merry Gentlemen
Luke And Ashley Balance Each Other Out
From the start ofThe Merry Gentlemen, Ashley’s parents and sister try to set her up with Luke, thinking that they would be a great couple. She thinks of their pressure as regressive, pointing out that she doesn’t need a man to complete her. As such, she puts up an emotional barrier towards him. He also wasn’t thrilled with Ashley because of Luke’s past relationship inThe Merry Gentlemen.
The Merry Gentlemen Review: No Christmas Magic Can Save This Magic Mike-Inspired Rom-Com From Being Boring
The Merry Gentlemen is a woeful attempt to make a movie with a similar tone to Magic Mike into a heartwarming Christmas affair and fails.
However, both individuals soften to each other over time, which is facilitated by the show they’re working on. As Ashley gets to know Luke, she starts to realize all the beautiful things about his personality and values. Luke realizes over time that Ashley doesn’t fall into his rigid and negative idea of a city girl.
Ultimately, Luke and Ashley get together not because they need each other. Both have their own fulfilling lives that they could thrive in on their own.The pair want to be together, though, because they enrich each other’s lives.Additionally, Ashley choosing Luke doesn’t represent her choosing romance over her dreams but finding a world where she can find fulfillment in both areas of her life.
Ashley’s Decision About The Jingle Belles Explained
Ashley Chooses To Turn Down The Jingle Bells Job Offer
When Ashley is offered her job back, she must assess whether the job and the life that comes along with it is what she truly wants. It’s easy to say that Luke is the reason why she turns down the job, since the song they danced to is what she hears when she makes the final decision to turn down The Jingle Belles. However, Luke is more of a catalyst for a choice that builds throughout the entire movie.
She already seems to be considering whether there’s a life where she can have a dance career while embracing the parts of her life that she has let go to live out her Broadway dreams.
Ashley realizes throughout the film that she misses spending time with her family and visiting The Rhythm Room. She finds a love of choreographing and working behind the scenes in shows rather than just dancing onstage. Ashley learns to appreciate the little traditions that she had growing up, such as the buche de noel that her mom made every year.
She already seems to be considering whether there’s a life where she can have a dance career while embracing the parts of her life that she has let go to live out her Broadway dreams. The situation with Luke and The Merry Gentlemen show simply gives her the final push to say no to her old job, granting her a more balanced life that still involves dancing, even if not onstage.
Does Ashley Own The Rhythm Room At The End Of The Merry Gentlemen?
Ashley’s Career Situation Is In Flux At The End Of The Netflix Rom-Com
With Ashley not going back to The Jingle Belles, her career is up in flux. However, the movie implies that she might take over the bar as an owner. She’s the one who saves The Rhythm Room, runs the titular show, and chooses to bring back the bar’s Christmas dinner tradition.
However, her parents could still maintain ownership while she takes on the role of staging shows and bringing in performers to the bar, making her more akin to a talent manager, event coordinator, and a director. Ultimately, only asequel toThe Merry Gentlemencould clarify who owns the bar and what Ashley’s career will look like without The Jingle Belles.
The Significance Of The Rhythm Room’s Christmas Dinner Tradition
The Rhythm Room’s Christmas Dinner Represents The Value Of Tradition
After Ashley stopped coming around for Christmas, her family stopped putting together The Rhythm Room’s traditional Christmas dinner, where they invited loved ones, employees, and family. By the end of the movie,The Merry Gentlemencastdecides to revive the tradition, coming together once more. The event is a reminder that the small, non-flashy moments of life where individuals come together are some of the most important to cherish. What’s more, Ashley inviting Denise to join them is a peace offering that gives the landlord a chance to understand the tradition, history, and joy found in the town’s small business.
Britt Robertson has also appeared in the holiday-themed moviesAbout Fate(2022) andMother’s Day(2016).
The True Meaning Of The Merry Gentlemen’s Ending
The Merry Gentlemen Idealizes The Outcome Of Hard Work
Like most Hallmark-inspired Christmas movies,The Merry Gentlemensends cheesy and idealistic messages about the power of hard work, the value of family, and the importance of community. Additionally,the Netflix movie encourages viewers to re-evaluate their priorities,just as Ashley does, to make sure they are living a balanced life that still fulfills them. Ultimately, the message inThe Merry Gentlemenmight not always be grounded in reality, but it will offer all the warm, fuzzy feelings that viewers seek out during the holiday season.
