One of my biggest complaints when it comes to Happy’s Place is that they still haven’t given enough screen time to Takoda. Played by Tokala Black Elk, Takoda has always been featured as this kind, sneakily goofy, and grounding presence in Happy’s Place. But it took until Season 2 Episode 3 “Straw Man” for us to get a better look at the kind of man he is outside of the restaurant. And it was the right decision for the show.
Takoda is a family man whose kid obviously takes after him. His daughter is just as bright and kind. And it’s clear to the viewer that he is heavily involved in her life. We even hear a little bit about his wife and how his daughter can have a root beer as long as they don’t tell the mom. It’s a little white lie that doesn’t signal they keep secrets from each other. It just shows that he’s a soft dad and that his daughter trusts him no matter what.
MORE: Need a reminder of the previous episode? Read our review for Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 2 “I’ve Got a Secret.”
I also really like how they use Takoda and his daughter’s problem to segway to another thing that I do think Happy’s Place has kind of dropped back in Season 1: Isabella’s future or education. Now I had no doubt that the show would pick this thread back up, Happy’s Place is really really good at that. I just didn’t expect it to pop up in this way. Kids are infinitely honest. And sometimes when they ask you questions, they cut right to the point in a brutal way. That’s what happened to Isabella.
The Isabella that we see now in Happy’s Place “Straw Man” is more grounded as a character. She has a home with Bobby. But they’re also so intertwined with each other as sisters that she knows she belongs there. Now it’s time for the show to help Isabella blossom in different ways. Because the heart of the show is the restaurant. But that’s not all Isabella is. That’s not all any of them are. So I’m really happy that Happy’s Place is asking the right questions. What does Isabella want to do with her life? Does she want to go back to college? Does she want to work at the restaurant forever? Or does she want to choose a new career path?
Another person starting a new path is Gabby. Or maybe not so much a new path. But a new leg of a path she started in Season 1. Like I mentioned earlier, Happy’s Place is really good at picking up those threads that were dropped in other episodes. They continuously come at these problems with intentionality. And right now “Straw Man’ is taking that final leap to Gabby having a kid. Yes, it ended up in a bunch of different hijinks that were very uncomfortable for a man who thought he was just getting a free burger and fries. But it showed how committed Gabby is to this. It also showed how scared she is, the most human emotion out of all.
In the midst of all of these real human feelings, you have Bobbie and Emmett trying to figure out what kind of relationship they have now. Because now that they’ve admitted they like each other, they’re in uncharted territory. And it’s going to crash and burn really badly when Bobbie finds out that Emmett knew about Isabella. But for right now they’re in this honeymoon phase where they’re redefining their relationship, one day at a time. And for someone who always wanted a romantic relationship for Reba McEntire when she was on Reba, I love seeing these developments.
Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 3 “Straw Man” somehow manages to have big relationship or personal development moments seamlessly tied in with comedy. And the show does it in a neat little 30-minute comedy that you wouldn’t expect to pack such a punch. But if there’s anything we could depend on, it’s that McEntire is going to involve herself in comedies that have substance and heart. And she chose right with Happy’s Place.
Nevertheless…I still require more Takoda though. We’ve only got a drop more of him as a character outside of what he can do for other characters development. I need more. Same thing with Steve. Give me more.
Happy’s Place airs new episodes every Friday at 8pm ET on NBC.
