Young Perps 25

For nearly two centuries, Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come have led a team of spirits to find and redeem one human soul every Christmas ("That Christmas Morning Feelin'"). Present has been eligible for retirement for decades but refuses to take it, despite being tempted by a second chance at life on Earth and making up for his own previous failures ("Present's Lament"). Scoping for a new soul to redeem, the spirits encounter Clint Briggs, a callous and manipulative media consultant ("Bringin' Back Christmas"). Despite Marley's insistence that Clint is unredeemable, Present argues that his redemption could have a ripple effect and make him a force for positive change in humanity, citing Ebenezer Scrooge as a previous "unredeemable" who was successfully reformed. The Ghosts begin a year of research on Clint in preparation for the annual haunt. As Christmas approaches, the Ghosts visit Clint's headquarters and witness him encouraging his young niece Wren, who is running for class president, to post an unflattering video of her opponent Josh. Clint's Executive Vice President, Kimberly Parks, who uncovered the video at his instruction, is riddled with guilt and almost quits but ultimately decides against it ("The View from Here"). Complicating matters, Kimberly is unexpectedly able to see Present, who finds himself attracted to her. The haunt starts but quickly derails when Clint repeatedly interrupts Marley ("The Story of Your Life (Marley's Haunt)") and seduces a smitten Past, forcing Present to step in early and take over. Clint is initially dismissive of Present and resists his memories, particularly those of his difficult childhood in a neglectful home, his ex-girlfriend Nora, who broke up with him over his selfishness, and his older sister Carrie, who has since died of cancer. Realizing that Clint's case requires an unconventional approach, Present transports them into his own past and reveals that he was once Ebenezer Scrooge, the only other "unredeemable" to complete the program ("Good Afternoon"). Marley is furious and orders Present to stay on script. Present takes Clint to Nora, happily celebrating Christmas with her husband and children, but Clint deduces that it is Present himself who longs for a happy family life with Kimberly ("The Story of Your Life (Clint's Pitch)"). Present dismisses this and instead shows him Josh's horrified reaction to Wren's reposting of his video. He then gets Clint to relive his most painful memory: Carrie's deathbed request that he raise Wren, which he had refused and passed off to their younger brother Owen. As Present prepares to leave Clint with Yet-To-Come, Clint forces him to confront his fears about his own redemption, as Scrooge had died only three weeks after encountering the Ghosts. Clint convinces him to take retirement and give life on Earth another try ("Unredeemable"). The two wake up in Clint's apartment, and Present, now mortal, asks Kimberly on a date ("The View from Here (Riverwalk)"). Clint is then intercepted by Yet-to-Come and shown glimpses of a bleak future, including Josh's suicide. Shaken, Clint races to stop Wren from posting the video. Just as he catches up to her, Kimberly reveals that she convinced Wren not to do it and quits her job. Present is jubilant and awaits Clint's congratulations from the spirit team but is confused when they fail to arrive. Clint argues that he only rectified a mistake and has not changed, but offers his friendship. Despondent and questioning his redemption, Present jumps in front of an oncoming bus, hoping to return to his job in the afterlife. Clint shoves him out of the way, and just before the bus hits, time freezes, and the spirits arrive to congratulate Clint for achieving redemption ("Do a Little Good"). However, when time resumes, the bus hits Clint, killing him. Carrie arrives to escort Clint to the afterlife, and while he is overjoyed to see his sister again, he is reluctant to leave Present behind. Instead, he makes a proposal to Marley. Several years later, Clint has assumed the role of the Ghost of Christmas Present and is in a relationship with Past. He has expanded the program to include other holidays so the team can take on more perps every year and has brought Carrie on board as part of the staff. He also regularly visits Present, now married to Kimberly with two children, and the friends continue to work together redeeming souls. Wren has grown up and has been accepted into a master's program at Stanford ("That Christmas Morning Feelin' (Curtain Call)"). In a post-credit scene, the hotel manager from the Christmas tree convention is revealed to be the next "perp" chosen for redemption.