My final take on Happiest Season: Riley is hot, duh, but the real appeal of her character is that she represents an escape from the confines of daily heteronormative existence.

Even if Aubrey Plaza didn't look Like That & have chemistry with KStew, her character fills the classic role of the romantic hero who transports their love from a stifling & boring existence (aggressive small town heterosexuality) to an exciting other world (the gay bar, suits).

In a similar vein, even if Harper had been the best girlfriend ever & even though we love Mackenzie Davis, she represents entry into a world of...what exactly? Suburban nuclear family drama, stuffy dinner parties, a bar literally called Fratty's, Republicans? Nothing to root for.

One answer to this (& imo the underlying message of the last 10-15 minutes of the movie) is that Harper is giving Abby, an orphan, a family. The problem is that the movie also shows a much more alluring found family narrative for Abby with John & Riley!

Harper isn't straight but she is an entry point into a straight, white, snotty, upper-middle-class world & her parents deciding tolerance for their gay daughter is more important than campaign donors doesn't redeem that.

It's easy to root for Riley to get the girl because you can imagine a future of karaoke at gay bars; it's hard to root for Harper because it means making awkward small talk at Fratty's every Christmas for the rest of eternity.