ABC Family

Italia Ricci Discusses Upcoming CHASING LIFE Christmas Episode

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It’s bad enough that April Carver has to spend Christmas in a hospital room, hooked up to IVs and machines, but on the Christmas episode of Chasing Life she is also starting to lose her hair from the chemo treatments. Italia Ricci gives us an inside look at “Locks of Love”, which airs on Tuesday, December 9th, following the Pretty Little Liars Christmas episode.

“It’s Christmas on ‘Chasing Life’, but it’s not Christmas during the time that’s in the story. Christmas is one of April’s favorite holidays – The Carver’s decide to try and help her create Christmas in her hospital room to possibly lift her spirits since she’s starting to lose her hair.

We meet April’s dad’s parents who come in to town. They’re played by Marion Ross and Ed Asner who are just comedic geniuses. It’s brilliant.

Photo: ABC Family/Tony Rivetti

Photo: ABC Family/Tony Rivetti

You get to see the dynamic with that side of the family and especially how they feel about Grandma who lives with us. It’s one of my favorite, favorite bits we’ve done all season. Fans can look forward to that! You will see what happens to Leo and whether or not he has the surgery and how that goes, if it does go. You get to see April go through a few different hairstyle looks before she finally loses it all.”

The photos from the episode show that Leo does, in fact, go through with the surgery, but we’ll have to wait and see how that turns out. “What happens is not something that anybody expects and I think that April is proud and impressed and very grateful that Leo decided to fight because that’s been the driving force of the whole first half of the first season. ”

“That decision solidifies a stronger bond between the two of them, at least from April’s perspective.” Ricci adds.  “So that’ll be evidenced in the Christmas episode and obviously, it scares the hell out of her because he could die on that table.”

By the way, Italia reveals that she has secretly been Team Leo. I like them together too!

Photo:ABC Family/Tony Rivetti

Photo:ABC Family/Tony Rivetti

Looking ahead at season 2 for the show, Ricci says we can expect to get to know the other characters on the show a lot better. “It’s going to center less specifically on April and you’re going to learn more about Brenna and what she’s going through. You’ll learn more about Sarah, more about Grandma, I love where Grandma’s storyline goes; it’s pretty great. It becomes more of an ensemble. Everyone’s storyline widens the story a little more by going into more detail about Beth, and Dominic, and everybody else on the show. I think that’s going to be exciting for fans, for more of a blanketed area of relation for them.”

We’re also going to see how April handles the changes that going what she went through will have in her life. Fighting cancer is life-altering, and we will see how April and her family and friends deal with that. “She just wants to be normal again.  You see her battle with not being able to do certain things and try to figure out ways to make them happen. She makes mistakes and just wants to be a girl in her twenties again, and have fun and live her life.  You’ll see her trying to do that but having some of those obstacles stopping her and how her friends react.  ”

Watch the “Chasing Life” Christmas episode Tuesday, Dec. 9th, at 9/8c on ABC Family.

“Chasing Life” will return to a new night with all-new episodes on Monday, January 19 at 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT.

 

 

 

Liz is a wife and mother of three from the Nashville area who likes being able to discuss her favorite TV shows with adults sometimes. She is addicted to the Sookie Stackhouse novels and was a huge fan of the HBO series based on the books, True Blood. Her other favorite shows include Chuck, Grimm, Pretty Little Liars, Blindspot, Heroes Reborn, The Goldbergs, Sleepy Hollow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, just to name a few. Contact her at bethanne@nicegirlstv.com.