Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 7, “Ho-Ho-Howey” Spoilers Ahead
“Ho-Ho-Howey” is the type of wildly joyous meta episode only a show like Happy’s Place could pull off. I realize this is a big statement to make in a show’s debut season, during its seventh episode, but that’s what happens when a cast’s chemistry is this infectious. It’s also what occurs when there are decades of adoration and respect for past characters.
Aptly titled and well-executed, Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 7, “Ho-Ho-Howey,” brings a visitor to the tavern that fans of Reba are surely rejoicing at. When their annual Christmas party renters back out, Gabby steps in with the news that she knows someone who could rent out the space. Because this party is what guarantees that Bobbie will have the funds to pay for the employees’ health insurance, she goes with the absurd plan to pretend that she’s Gabby while Gabby feigns that she’s Bobbie. Steve pretends to be Emmett, momentarily forgetting that’d require him to touch slimy scallops, and it results in yet another tearjerker the show is getting really incredible at delivering.
Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 7 Highlights the Significance of Found Families During Christmas
Many sitcom connoisseurs have a list of beloved Christmas episodes we watch every year. (Parks and Recreations’ “Citizen Knope,” Ted Lasso’s “Carol of the Bells,” etc.), and now, maybe even “Ho-Ho-Howey. Because in 2024, of all the years when people are feeling a bit isolated, found families are more significant than ever, and the hijinks in this episode ensure that these characters will continue coming out stronger.
The lying provides some hilarious opportunities for the stars to portray their characters in a different light, but it’s when Danny proposes a vibe check that everything changes. There, Bobbie, Gabby, and Isabella must pretend to walk in each other’s—their own—shoes in order to be truthful, and the heart that surfaces is no small feat. There’s a part of Reba McEntire that will surely always be Reba Hart, a single mom who works too hard, loves her kids, and never stops. She’s such a staple character in so many of our homes that her warmth is an ever-present comfort in McEntire as well. Though it’s soon to say, I stand by the fact that the same can be said about Bobbie, and we see that clear as day in this Christmas special.
Bobbie loves that her father could look out for his employees in a way that a boss should. And the mere thought of not being able to give that to them this year because of the cancelation undoubtedly wounds her. So, when she confesses that to Gabby and Isabella, she isn’t putting on an act; she’s opening her heart fully. She’s telling them that her biggest fear would be to see them lacking anything, and it’s a poignant message to deliver around the holidays because it’s a reminder of how significant love really is. Their health care matters tremendously, but at this moment, they have proof that Bobbie’s love means they’ll always have a safe space to fall.
In the same scene, Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 7, “Ho-Ho-Howey” reminds its audience again that Gabby’s love for Bobbie isn’t transactional. She doesn’t simply care for her because of what she can do, but Gabby loves Bobbie because she’s her family—someone she respects, admires, and needs to feel whole. There’s something so lovely about their friendship as polar opposites, and while some of it is a direct result of McEntire and Melissa Peterman’s off-screen rapport, it surely helps that both characters are so fleshed out that they fit together like jagged puzzle pieces that need each other to be better versions of themselves.
Last, but perhaps most importantly, we have Isabella’s confession, which stings like salt on an open wound because Belissa Escobedo is tremendous at showing us how lost the character was before. Being an only child can be lonely, but being a child whose one parent wants nothing to do with her is an added trauma no one deserves. Yet, where Isabella once knew only heartache, now she has a place to fully belong. She has a sister whose love for her will never waver and who’ll now spend every Christmas with her. As Isabella says, this may be their first Christmas together, but it’s the start of something bigger.
The best part of all this chaos is that Danny knows. He’s known all along, and even he can’t escape this little family’s infectious charm. His choice to stay and host the party is yet another gift that’s more priceless than any item because it’s a reminder of the goodness during the holidays that matters above all things. It’s about people looking out for each other and accepting one another as they are, and at Happy’s, they all do. Beautifully at that, bringing us the comfort we could all use in our fictional endeavors.
Stray Thoughts
- “You remind me of these people I knew in Houston twenty years ago.” I want to smooch the writer on the forehead for a line as brilliant as this.
- Can Steve Howey come back around the holidays every year? Maybe next year he’ll bring his wife, played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher.
- No, but really, the way that this episode made me weepy!? These characters are too good.
- Steve and the scallops resulted in comedy gold.
- Takoda not being able to lie! PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS. I adore him so much.
- The painting of Gabby in Bobbie’s office made me howl.
Now streaming on NBC and Peacock: What are your thoughts on Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 7, “Ho-Ho-Howey?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: (Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC)