You know you’re in for a good time when actress Jane Lynch ends up on your screen. Best known for her time on Glee as Sue Sylvester, the actress has impeccable comedic timing, has such a distinct voice that you always recognize her when she does voice acting, and she treats every performance with the time and dedication it deserves. That’s why it was a welcome surprise when she joined NBC’s Happy’s Place as Gabby’s mom Val.
MORE: Love Jane Lynch but can’t stand her character Val on Happy’s Place? Read our review for “Emotional Real Estate” here!
Ever since Happy’s Place started, Melissa Peterman’s Gabby has had a ghost whispering doubts in her ear and reminding her of bad memories. That ghost just so happens to be a real person in the form of Val. And in Happy’s Place “A New Chapter” we get to put a face to that narcissistic parent by welcoming Jane Lynch to the show, who Fangirlish sat down to do an interview with.
Like a true professional she knew our time was limited and had her answer locked and loaded when we asked her about her time working on Happy’s Place. “It was great. First of all, I love Reba McEntire. I’d never met her before and she is adorable. And Melissa Peterman, I’ve known forever.”
As for the relationship between Val and Melissa, Lynch immediately clocked how toxic she is just like we did. “So I play Melissa’s mother and she’s just a big old narcissist. And [Gabby], her whole life, has tried to please her mom. But there is no pleasing her because that’s her mother’s goal, to keep her off kilter.”
So far Lynch has been in two episodes. But with Gabby and Val moving in together in “Emotional Real Estate,” we hope to see more of her. But looking back to that original return in “A New Chapter” Lynch had more to say about Val’s manipulation when it comes to Gabby.
MORE: Missed Jane Lynch’s first appearance on Happy’s Place? Read our review for “A New Chapter” here!
“I’m in two episodes and I blow things up. And [Val], of course, endears everyone in the bar to her. They think [Val’s] fantastic,” Lynch said before pointing out how that isolates Gabby and makes her friends question the countless cruel stories she’s told about Val. “They can’t understand what she’s complaining about. So it’s that kind of a mother who appears to be loving and wonderful, but deep down inside, she’s kind of mean and cruel and reckless.”
And while viewers, including myself, can’t stand Val, parents like this are real. Narcissistic parents are real. And portraying it on a comedy show like Happy’s Place gives viewers a chance to confront big and complex emotions in a safe space. That’s the power of comedy in our book. But we also wanted to ask Lynch if she felt the same. The short answer is yes.
The long answer is: “One of the greatest gifts we have as human beings on this planet, number one, is dogs. Number two, our ability to laugh. And when you don’t have that ability to step back and look at what’s going on in the world, look at what’s going on inside of you, and not be able to laugh, you are robbing yourself of one of the greatest joys, one of the greatest of God’s gifts to each and every one of us.”
That’s where comedies shows like Happy’s Place come in. A comedy grounded in moments and fears we all can relate to. But also laughs that keep us going when the world is so heavy. Lynch went on to add, “I think that’s why people love watching comedy on television. And that’s why the best dramas have some element of irony and kind of like, oh my gosh, this is hilarious or outrageous or whatever. It’s our ability to see the absurdity of being in these bodies on this planet and having all these issues, but being able to see the humor in it.”
As for what comes next for Lynch’s Val or Peterman’s Gabby, we don’t know. But Lynch knows what Gabby’s greatest strength is. And we hope this is what guides her as she starts living with her mother. Lynch said, “[Gabby’s] heart, her open heart and her trusting heart. She’s very generous and very kind. And how she came out that way, having a mother like this, we will never know. But that’s her greatest gift.”
Whatever may come for Gabby, we hope she stays true to that heart on Happy’s Place.
Happy’s Place airs new episodes every Friday at 8pm ET on NBC.
