Love Lessons You Can Learn From ‘Single All The Way,’ Netflix’s New Christmas Movie

Digging through the ever-expanding list of made-for-TV Christmas movies is like dating: You’re going to come across some serious duds. I’m happy to report there’s a gem out there you should totally watch: Single All The Way. The Netflix Original Christmas movie, featuring an adorable gay romance, joins fellow new favorite Love Hard as a surprisingly good way to spend a Saturday night at home.

In Single All the Way, Peter is sick of being single for the holidays, never having a boyfriend to bring back to his family. He thinks this year is different. He’s dating a heart surgeon after all. Goals, right? But when the guy turns out to be married, Peter has to attend Christmas alone yet again. Accompanied by his best friend/roommate (who he’s totally not in love with, he swears), he goes back home for the holidays greeted by meddling mom Kathy Najimy and always hilarious aunt Jennifer Coolidge.

Peter, played by Michael Urie, isn’t the only one who can learn a little something from this holiday romance. These lessons in love and life might just have you breaking your single-for-Christmas streak next year. We can all hope.

Drop a cheater immediately without a second thought.

So many movies draw out infidelity. The cheater’s unwitting victim will ignore all the signs, won’t believe their friends who tell them the truth, will give the cheater a second chance. It’s exhausting. But when Peter finds out that his questionably “handsome” heart surgeon boyfriend is actually married with kids, he gives him one strongly worded phone conversation and that’s it.

Listen, I understand why you might want to hold onto things. Hoping for the best is great and all, but when it comes to your heart, your standards should be the highest thing around. No skyscraper even touches your standards. Drop the cheater, move on. That’s it.

Say ‘yes’ to blind dates, even if it’s just to get yourself out of your comfort zone.

I used to be dead-set against blind dates. They’re usually so awful and they leave you questioning how your well-meaning friend or family member actually sees you if they think that blind date was “perfect for you.” In Single All the Way, Peter’s mom (played by the wonderful Kathy Najimy), wants to see him happy, so she sets him up with a trainer at her gym. While he doesn’t get out of it what his mom is hoping for, Peter still learns and grows from hanging out with the guy. You might meet your soulmate; you might realize you love someone else. Heck, you might just get a really good mimosa out of the deal. Either way, it’s worth a shot.

Your family doesn’t always know what’s best for you.

Speaking of that blind date, Peter’s mom has certain ideas about what’s best for him. She just wants to help, but sometimes the help that your family wants to give you doesn’t actually align with your heart. Remember: You’re ultimately the one to decide who you should love.

…But sometimes they do.

While his mom might not have the right idea about Peter’s love life, the rest of Peter’s family is spot-on. To say that we’re sometimes blind to what we really want is an understatement. Peter insists he and Nick, played by Philemon Chambers, are just friends. Maybe you’re insisting the same thing, and all it might take to realize it is your family’s meddling. Before you completely dismiss what they have to say, do some self-evaluation.

You may have caught the eye of an absolute 10.

It’s a running joke in Single All the Way that Nick is an absolute 10 and Peter would be lucky to have him. Let’s get this out of the way: There’s no such thing as “leagues.” So many people get caught up in how hot someone is that they feel like they don’t deserve them. You deserve only the best! So the next time you fall for a 10 or are asked out by the hottest person you’ve ever seen, just accept that you’re an equal in their eyes. And that 10 has good taste.

Don’t choose singlehood just because you’re afraid to take a chance.

It turns out that the right person for Peter was in his life all along. He was ignoring his feelings fearing that if he made a move and it didn’t work out, he’d lose the most important person in his life. Here’s the thing: You only get one life. Why waste it with people who aren’t right for you just because you’re afraid to take a chance? Sure, friendship is great, but isn’t the most epic love of your life even better? The answer is yes.