Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 9, “Emcee Squared” Spoilers Ahead
Winter hiatus is short-lived on Happy’s Place because the series returns with a comedic banger. While there are always plenty of things to laugh about in this sitcom, “Emcee Squared” quite literally doesn’t stop with the jokes and riveting banter.
The tavern’s anniversary party is coming up and as tradition stands, someone (formerly Happy) would put on a roast for all the regular customers. Since he’s now no longer with us, both Bobbie and Gabby want the opportunity to fill Happy’s irreplaceable shoes. The problem is, they’re both funny and at the same time, competition tends to bring out the worst in people. Steve and Isabella get in on it, too, with each of them deciding to help the women put on their best act for Emmett to then choose a winner.
Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 9 Is Loaded With Humor
As much as this episode belongs to Bobbie and Gabby, it’s Pablo Castelblanco’s comedic chops we need to highlight. Steve is always subtly hilarious in how relatable he is, but the work he does in this episode is on another level. I cackled so hard at his means of coaching Gabby through her tone while he simultaneously showed us just how great he is at ensuring a joke lands because of the way it’s delivered. He says he lives for drama, and rightfully so because the theatrics in this episode are precisely what allows Castelblanco to show off his specific brand of comedy through Steve.
At the same time, when we pair him with Belissa Escobedo and explore her chops while she touches on Isabella’s snark, we get top-notch banter with a capital B. The two of them going head to head with each other so childishly is what makes the episode’s winning moment that much more hilariously wholesome.
The best part of a sitcom is that writers are allowed to explore so many avenues, and the finest even manage to squeeze in bits of character development that still hit. It’s no accident that Steve is coaching Gabby because the moment she tells him that her mom told her “she sucked,” he remembers how his father spoke to him, allowing him to channel his own frustration into helping out his friend that he can now surprisingly relate to.
Simultaneously, of course, Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 9, “Emcee Squared,” would pair Bobbie and Isabella together to honor their father momentarily, but as important as this moment is for the sisters—it matters a bit more for Gabby and Bobbie’s friendship. As Emmett says, when making his judgment, they’re better together. How the two of them complement each other through humor and how connected their hearts are to the tavern isn’t by accident. So, it’s not surprising that in the end, the show still finds a way to honor the tavern’s heart, not by nepotism, but by acknowledging that the found family they’ve built deserves the spotlight to shine because that’s what Happy instilled in all of them.
Most of what we know about Happy is what the characters tell us, yet the series does a brilliant job of showing pieces of him in each of them through small moments that later equate to bigger ones. And this episode is proof of that both in the wild humor and the unyielding heart, this show continues to examine why these characters mean so much to each other.
Stray Thoughts
- “I live for drama.” As you should, Steve. As you should.
- Not Bobbie buttering up Emmett. Also, their height difference. I’m—🥹.
- When are we meeting Takoda’s wife?!
- “Unlike you, I don’t press my ear to unsavory places”
- Steve to Gabby: “Are you doing seances again?”
- Gabby’s mom told her she sucked??!
- The wild comedy of this scene is fantastic. Steve is so great in this episode!
- B A N T E R.
- “I don’t wear boots. They’re germ buckets.”
- Takoda, sweet baby angel in the middle. We have to protect him at all costs.
- Listen, Reba McEntire is always pretty, but she’s extra pretty in this episode.
- “My God. Your dad is my mom.”
- I love that Emmett actually calls Gabby funny.
- “It takes two funny people to fill his shoes.”
Now streaming on NBC and Peacock: What are your thoughts on Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 9, “Emcee Squared?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©(Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC)