In the world of holiday movies, Netflix is coming for Hallmark in stories about love set during the most wonderful time of the year. Just this year alone, the streamer has produced projects that, frankly, I can’t stop talking about! One particular movie caught my eye though, and that was none other than The Merry Gentlemen, starring Britt Robertson and Chad Michael Murray.

The premise of the holiday comedy is one that’s definitely memorable. Britt portrays Ashley, a young woman who is living her dream dancing in a holiday revue in New York City. When she is suddenly fired, she finds herself moving back home and working with her parents at the family-owned bar the Rhythm Room. And if that’s not enough, Ashley learns the establishment is on the brink of closing. So, she does the only thing she can think of to save her family’s means of living. She hires all the men who help out at the Rhythm Room, teaches them a few sexy moves to Christmas movies and boom! Just like that, she has her very own all-male holiday show.

While many people are drawn to Ashley and contractor Luke (played by Chad)’s budding romance, I found myself noticing something else entirely. Since I happen to love all things Netflix and holiday movies, it’s only fair that I point out a key revelation. The streamer is subtly hinting at easter eggs for movies that came out in previous years, and The Merry Gentlemen is no different.

Netflix
Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson in The Merry Gentlemen.

So, which movies did Netflix reference in The Merry Gentlemen? Turns out there were two. The first one was the 2017 film A Christmas Prince (starring Rose McIver and Ben Lamb), while the other was 2018’s The Princess Switch (starring Vanessa Hudgens and Sam Palladio).

In terms of where A Christmas Prince is seen in The Merry Gentlemen, the easter egg comes minutes after Ashley learns of her fate at her previous job. When she comes home to sulk on the couch while watching Christmas movies, the camera quickly pans to what’s playing on the TV, which is the aforementioned film. The romantic scene of Prince Richard (played by Ben) asking Amber (played by Rose) to dance with him for the first time usually pulls at heartstrings. But Ashley isn’t too keen on watching a heartfelt holiday movie and shuts the TV off instead.

And for those wondering about how The Princess Switch is folded into The Merry Gentlemen, that comes shortly after Ashley returns home to visit her family. As she walks through the Rhythm Room, she stops to look at all the photos and newspaper clippings of those who hung out there. In a stop-or-you’ll-miss-it moment, the camera catches a newspaper cutout of Prince Edward (played by Sam) and Princess Stacy (played by Vanessa) posing outside the bar, meaning they’ve strolled through at some point or another.

Even though the two easter eggs don’t exactly line up with the events in The Merry Gentlemen (the film makes it look like A Christmas Prince is fictional while The Princess Switch was a series of real events), it’s still fun to point out that there’s always a connection in the Netflix holiday movie universe — even when you least expect it!