Happy’s Place season 1 episode 1 “Pilot” has all the best parts of what I loved about the 2001 show Reba but elevated and more diverse.
The NBC show debuted it’s pilot episode on Friday, October 18th, and with it saw us returning to a world with sitcom favorites Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman. It’s important to note that this isn’t a Reba reboot and I don’t just see Reba and Barbara Jean when I look at Bobbie and Gabby. I see the jokes, camaraderie, and chemistry that has always flowed between these two. But I also see how Belissa Escobedo’s Isabella adds a new and welcome element to their dynamic. So do the other cast members, particularly, Pablo Castelblanco and Tokala Black Elk.
It’s fresh, funny, and heartfelt. And that’s only some of the many reasons why we loved Happy’s Place.
The Return of Reba McEntire
I grew up on Reba. For seven years Reba Hart grounded me. She made me laugh, cry, and appreciate the work that single mothers do in raising their kids. Through this show I got to see a found family form, relationships heal, and a mother not turn her back on her kids when things got tough. In many ways, this show gave me what I never had. And it’s one of the many reasons I still watch Reba when I need something to tether me. It’s also one of the many reasons why I was so excited to see Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman on my screen in Happy’s Place.
MORE: Need more of this show? Read our review for Happy’s Place season 1 episode 2.
Reba’s character Bobbie has a lot of the things that I loved about her 2001 character in Reba. She’s goofy, sharp, running a mile a minute, loving, honest, and hot-headed. But in a lot of respects, she’s different. Bobbie’s divorced like Reba. But her journey isn’t tied up with her children. Instead, Bobbie’s journey is about balancing the love she has for her deceased father and the hurt/anger she feels for his betrayal. It’s also about letting others in, particularly her new sister Isabella, and looking at things from the perspective of someone who didn’t grow up with her dad or the love that came with him.
The relationship that Bobbie has with Gabby is also really special to my Reba loving heart. Reba welcomed Barbra Jean, reluctantly of course, to be part of her family. And for seasons we saw how this goofy ray of sunshine wanted to be part of Reba’s life. A lot of the times their bonding didn’t land. But overtime, they became the heart of Reba. And I see that chemistry between Bobbie and Gabby in Happy’s Place. I see Barbra Jean’s goofiness and heart in Gabby. And I see Reba’s reluctance wrapped up in having a big heart in Bobbie. Together, they bring something familiar, yet fresh, to this NBC sitcom.
Two Sisters Find Each Other
One of the many reasons why I loved Reba was because they managed to make you laugh, while also taking on some really tough topics. And I see the same thing happening in the pilot for Happy’s Place. Bobbie’s life has been shattered by the loss of her father. And when Isabella walks into her tavern, it’s like her life is being broken all over again because the man she is mourning, also did something terrible. He was a liar and had a whole other child that he neglected. That spurs on Bobbie, who is reminded by Emmett that she’s a good person who gives people chances, to initially stonewall any chance of her and Isabella getting to know each other better.
On the Isabella side of things, Escobedo adds something new to a format that feels familiar to many. Because people came for Reba. But they also came for what they remembered of Reba and Barbra Jean. Isabella is a young woman of this generation who brings in new ideas, fresh perspectives, and she’s a Latina. As much as I loved Reba, they were either very white or very white-passing. I’m looking at you JoAnna Garcia Swisher, aka Cheyenne, who I didn’t know was of Cuban descent until i was in my 30s.
MORE: Catching up on reviews? Check out our post for Happy’s Place season 1 episode 3.
Happy’s Place season 1 episode 1 “Pilot” is an opportunity to bring what we loved about Reba but give it a new coat of paint. And I think that Isabella’s vibrancy, optimism, and vocal presence makes this show feel like something independent of the ghosts that come with such actors like McEntire and Peterman. Do I think Isabella needs to chill out a little? Yes. But I understand how excited she is to fit in when she hasn’t had what Bobbie has had. And combine that with the strong-willed woman that Bobbie is, I think Isabella can learn so much about life and family from her. As for Bobbie, I think Isabella can offer the same thing in return. And maybe one day they can even find their way to choosing to be each other’s family; something that is definitely catnip to me.
Additional Thoughts About Happy’s Place season 1 episode 1 “Pilot”:
- I love that Bobbie’s grief was not dismissed, even by herself.
- I also love that Isabella tried, messed up, but got up all over again.
- For a 20 minute episode, we also got to see so much personality/character development from other characters besides Bobbie, Isabella, and Gabby. That is this show investing in itself to create an intricate picture of this local tavern and the found family within it.
- Takoda. First of all *tucks hair behind ear* Hi. *insert blushing*. Secondly, we need more Indigenous People’s representation on our screens and I’m glad this show didn’t just check off a diversity box with Escobedo and thought that was it. Thirdly, would love to know what people from this community in particular think about Takoda. I think he’s kind, sweet, and a little odd. But I want to be cognizant if there’s stereotyping here that I’m not seeing.
- Belissa Escobedo isn’t the only Latine person on this show either. There’s Pablo Castelblanco, who plays germaphobe Steve. He’s Colombian.
- Steve was also the character who almost made me spit out my drink (twice) when he blasted Gabby with pressurized air. It came out of nowhere and I’m still in awe of the actors holding their composure so well.
- Don’t think I didn’t catch that Bobbie has a daughter that is deployed. Really can’t wait to see who it is. Because any child of Bobbie is going to be just as fierce as her.
Watch Reba surprise her cast & crew with the song she wrote for Happy’s Place below:
Happy’s Place airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.
Great review! The show didn’t make it clear, but they have clarified in interviews that Bobbie’s husband passed away, and that’s why/when she started working at the tavern