Happy’s Place Season 3 Episode 3 “Full Gabby” picks up where we last left off with Gabby’s mom in Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 13. In that episode we really got to know who Val was and the kind of monster that lay beneath. I was of the opinion that even though Gabby was giving her a second chance, I didn’t like it. And after watching “Full Gabby,” I still feel the same way.
Comedy allows us a space to explore serious situations in a less stressful manner. And Happy’s Place is really good at doing that and they continue to do so in Season 3. But I really need network TV in general to step it up when it comes to holding people accountable for when they hurt our feelings. Because once again in Happy’s Place we have someone acting badly being forgiven or tolerated because they are blood.
MORE: Need a refresher on last week’s episode? Read our review of Happy’s Place Season 3 Episode 2 “Skeletons in the Closet.”
Forgiveness is an important tenant to have within ourselves, especially because people mess up. But if we’re going to tackle serious topics within this comedy space in Happy’s Place, I need more serious lines drawn. Because Val has absolutely shattered Gabby to the point where every other line that comes out of her mouth is some trauma instilled on her by her mother. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s downright sad.
Personally, I’m tired of shows like Happy’s Place, or the other show that I’m currently reviewing 9-1-1, giving a pass to bad parents. That’s just not realistic and I don’t think it’s a lesson that should be perpetually pushed on TV like this. Because again, forgiveness is important. But so is knowing when enough is enough. Sometimes you have to be the one to say, “You are no longer part of my life and you bring nothing good to my lived experience. I forgive you. But I don’t want anything to do with you.”
For some people, the thought of Gabby cutting off her mom Val is cold. They’re blood after all. They’re family. But family can still hurt you. And while I love that Gabby stood up for herself in “Full Gabby,” I hate that she was happy just getting the bare minimum of making the garage look the way that she wants. We should not be accepting the bare minimum when it comes to our lives. This applies to Gabby, who is my favorite goofball on Happy’s Place. And I will also say this for my other show 9-1-1 when it comes to Eddie’s parents and then Buck and Maddie’s parents too.
At the end of the day, I think Happy’s Place is doing a disservice to Gabby, and us as viewers, by making her live with the person that sucks the very air out of her lungs. If what Bobbie said was true about how Gabby makes everybody’s lives better, Happy’s Place would do better and be better of a show if they had Gabby draw a line in the sand and say no. No more.
Me advocating for Gabby to get rid of her mom Val doesn’t take away from how Gabby stood up for herself in “Full Gabby.” I’m proud of her. It took me decades to tell my mom “no” and to choose myself. But you know what? I don’t regret it for one second. And I so desperately want Gabby to choose her happiness, peace, and future devoid of her mother. But maybe this is the first step for Gabby. Because all it takes is you standing up for yourself one time for it to make the next time easier and easier.
But yeah, for a comedy show, this is the one part of Happy’s Place that really gets under my skin. And I’m not going to stop talking about it while also appreciating that Happy’s Place remembers their previous storylines better than most TV shows nowadays. It’s an achievement and they should be proud of it. But the rest with Val, nah. I think Jane Lynch is doing a fine job. But get rid of her Val.
Happy’s Place airs new episodes every Friday at 8p.m. ET on NBC.
