Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 17 “Everyone’s a Critic” sees two perspectives clash in a way that makes sense for my favorite comfort show. At its heart, this is a workplace comedy. So that means that as much as these people treat each other like the family that they are, sometimes the hard things need to be said. Because they are family. But they are also employees at Happy’s.
This is where the clashing POVs come in and that I really liked Happy’s Place for spotlighting.
MORE: Need a refresher of last week’s episode of Happy’s Place? Read our review for “AI-AI-No” here.
As much as Bobbie and Isabella have worked hard to become the team that they are today, they’re still on completely different levels in life. Completely different levels when it comes to the generations that they’re from and how they deal with things. But also completely different levels when it comes to being a boss. Bobbie has experience. Isabella not so much. So Isabella is going to try some new fresh things and hit roadblocks. And Bobbie is going to discover that maybe there’s a new way to do things.
This careful balance of old versus new without being rude is Happy’s Place strength. The lessons that we learn in “Everyone’s a Critic” are about it not being “it’s my way or the highway.” Instead it’s about collaboration and working together. That’s how you learn but also how you shake off your ego. Because that’s something that really stops us from seeing someone else’s perspective. And we don’t see that debilitating ego here with Bobbie and Isabella or everyone else at Happy’s that gets a chance to speak up but also process their emotions with each other.
Towards the end of “Everyone’s a Critic,” everyone comes together to gently roast their owners. And while it’s fun to poke and prod at people sometimes, a line was crossed when it came to Isabella. And that right there, Bobbie standing up for Isabella and calling them out, that’s not something I expected in Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 17. I expected the lesson to stay in that circle and show that they’re equals by everyone getting roasted. But the lesson ended up being that we’re all trying our best and let’s not knock down people who are learning.
“Everyone’s a Critic” did have one of my favorite Takoda storylines so far on Happy’s Place.
MORE: Read our interview with Jane Lynch on the Power of Comedy & Joining NBC’s Happy’s Place!
I’ve said again and again that Takoda needs to be spotlighted. I want to know more about him, especially when it comes to his family. And I think the show addressed that want for more of Takoda in a surprising way by having the characters in the show acknowledge that he’s such a wonderful person. And wonderful people don’t have problems to explore. So the show does it in a different way. They make Gabby, Steve, and Emmett suspicious about Takoda and his near perfectness. But it’s all done with love and an understanding that here is more to this character.
As the episode is wrapping up, Isabella does finally give Takoda a critique. And she’s doing it because she does want to balance the scales with the other staff. But she’s also learning and even someone as perfect as Takoda has flaws. And then somehow Takoda turns it around and proves that he’s just the most delightful human being by actually being excited for getting a critique. But it also does prove Isabella’s critique about him caring too much about what others think… BUT WHATEVER. I get more Takoda in my life. And that’s all that matters.
Happy’s Place airs new episodes every Friday at 8pm ET on NBC.
