Happy’s Place season 1 episode 11 “Heart of the Matter” gave us an unexpected romance that we didn’t see coming. But if we’re being honest without ourselves, and we look back at the Happy’s Place pilot, it makes sense. Bobbie doesn’t have a lot of people. And the people that she does have, she holds them tight. But even she was thrown off by the feelings she had when it came to Emmett being possibly hurt.
Initially, I thought it was just family worries. Bobbie has lost her husband and her father. That’s enough to make anyone a little paranoid about their loved ones. But I think I missed out on the fact that Bobbie and Emmett are friends. Previously the show positioned Happy and Emmett as going out and doing things together because they were friends. I thought that meant that they were the same age. “Heart of the Matter” gives us some clarity that it’s Bobbie and Emmett that around the same age. And Bobbie treats him the way she does, not only because he’s family, but because he’s her best friend.
Now, I do wish that Happy’s Place was a little more straightforward with Bobbie and Emmett being best friends. It needed a little more writing on the wall. But I also have to take into consideration that ageism in the industry has vastly skewed how we perceive age when it comes to characters or people on TV to the point where I wasn’t sure if they were the right age to be friends. Also, there’s the media literacy of it all. TV has skewed so far right to explain everything that when something needs a little more time to ruminate, it takes me a second. But I figured it out and here we are.
A possible relationship between Bobbie and Emmett could be a good thing, for them and the viewer. We don’t see enough second chance romances on TV. We see even less second chance romances when it comes to anyone over 40. I also think it could be penance for not giving Reba McEntire’s character Reba a grand romance in the series. Because yes, she was a single mom who worked too hard and who loved her kids. But she was also a woman. And contrary to popular belief, women do fall in love no matter the age.
Overall, Happy’s Place season 1 episode 11 “Heart of the Matter” helped redefine two characters and the relationship they have. They gave me more nuance when it came to Bobbie’s feelings for someone she’s known for years. And they showed a softness in Emmett that I’ve never really seen outside of mourning Happy. Together, we got to see a new side of these two. And it makes you wonder, how did they first meet? What kind of hijinxs did they get into? And what has kept them together for so long when they are complete opposites? I can’t wait to find out.
Additional Thoughts About Happy’s Place 1×11:
- The exploration of Steve’s OCD was treated with respect but also with a dash of humor. This is something that was really prevalent during the 2000’s show Reba. But it’s also something that happens a lot within sitcoms. It’s a vehicle to explore real world problems in a way that is accessible and destigmatizes things like mental health. That’s what they did with Steve.
- Shoutout to Isabella for clocking that Bobbie liked Emmett. Good instincts.
- Ok, now that we have done more background work on Bobbie, Emmett, and Steve… when are we getting Takoda nuance? Because I love him. But he’s a little one dimensional. He can’t be perfect. There have to be cracks and I want to see them. I also want to see his family.
- While we’re at it, are we ever going to revisit Gabby wanting a baby in Happy’s Place season 1 episode 5?
Happy’s Place airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.
They are revisiting Gabby wanting a child in the next episode (12), airing on Jan. 31.