Having a show with Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman was always going to be an opportunity for a Reba reunion. It’s practically a Reba reunion every episode anyway with McEntire and Peterman. But I wasn’t expecting other cast members to appear. It felt like a pipe dream in a Hollywood that often doesn’t give me what I want. When Steve Howey appeared in Happy’s Place Season 1 Episode 7 “Ho-Ho-Howey,” I cried. For a second I was a teen all over again watching Reba. And I felt the same way watching Christopher Rich in Happy’s Place Season 1 Episode 15 “Sisters Ink.”
Before I dive into the nostalgia of it all, I can’t believe it’s only been 6 months since Isabella came into Bobbie’s life. It feels like night and day from where we are now to how it started in Happy’s Place the Pilot. These two women are in a more grounded place where they’re no longer looking back at so much as to why Happy kept Isabella a secret. Now they’re more focused on what they can do to build their bond as sisters. And a part of that sisterhood is telling the truth. And sometimes that’s hard when it’s someone that you love. But I really enjoyed how Happy’s Place took the time to explore not wanting to disappoint your loved one but also boundaries.
Now onto the nostalgia because it’s something I can’t stop thinking about.
For those that only watch Happy’s Place and have never dipped into Reba territory, Christopher Rich played Brock Hart in the 2000 series Reba. He played Reba’s husband. The character, not the actress. And Peterman played Barbara Jean, his affair partner and eventual wife. His character was a disaster as much as he was a man just trying. And while it was hard sometimes sympathizing with him, there were moments where Brock really shined. So it was great to see him in Happy’s Place Season 1 Episode 15 “Sisters Ink.” But for those who did watch Reba, it’s a bit of a shocker that Rich is now a disabled actor after a stroke that affected the left side of his body.
I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of his stroke. There’s an article for that here. What I do want to say is that I really loved the way that Happy’s Place brought in Rich. His character of Maverick had a thriving business, with beautiful portraits on the walls of the work that he had done. That right there might not seem like nothing at first glance. But I feel like a lot of times TV or movies tell a story about limitations when it comes to disabilities. The story of Maverick, just by looking at his business, is of someone thriving. There’s no journey or explanation needed. He is just thriving. And if we learn from what we see on TV, we’re learning a different lesson in Happy’s Place than any other show that I’ve seen when it comes to disabilities.
This difference in how they’re handling disabilities in Happy’s Place is also evident in the way that Maverick teases Bobbie. It’s done in jest with no ill intent. They acknowledge his disability. They look at it right in the eye. And they still show that he is talented and has created a lot of beautiful work. I would even say that it’s empowering in the way that Gabbie was flirting with Maverick. There was obviously a joke about Barbara Jean and Brock and their involvement in the disillusionment of Reba and Brock’s marriage. But she was also shamelessly flirting with him. TV never takes risks in showing people flirting with people with disabilities. Shocker, people with disabilities still want to engage in romantic or just sexual activities. And I can’t believe that Happy’s Place on NBC is portraying that when bigger networks won’t.
We’re only 15 episodes into Happy’s Place and I feel like they keep elevating the kind of stories that they’re telling. They took an episode about sisterhood and honored that story while also delivering a story about disability awareness. Now we can keep going forward and keep doing better. I would love to see more about Takoda and his life outside of Happy’s Place. I would also like to see, and I’m going to be frank about this, Black people on this show. And I know they’re in Tennessee. But let’s not let it be like Reba who didn’t have Black people around until it was about Hurricane Katrina or that random real estate guy in the final season. We’re not in the early 2000s and we can do better.
Happy’s Place airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.
