Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 12 Review: ‘Baby Doll’

Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 12, “Baby Doll” Spoilers Ahead

We’ve officially reached the part in Happy’s Place where the show proves that it can somehow manage to evoke tears through its weirdest episode to date. “Baby Doll” is every robot hater’s nightmare, yet the showrunners are so spectacular that they ensure we get something exquisite written between the lines.

The series reveals that Gabby wants a baby in “Ladies Night,” and it does an excellent job of paralleling back to that heartfelt moment in “Baby Doll.” Everyone at the tavern is rightfully freaked out by the robotic baby at first, but the lesson viewers (and Gabby) get in the end is the expected one. She’s not only ready for it, but she’s just the kind of woman who should have a chance at motherhood. Through a wildly hilarious and, at times, uncomfortable episode, “Baby Doll” delivers another winner.

Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 12 Perfectly Reiterates What a Found Family Is

I will never not leap out of my seat from excitement when this show drops in a Reba crumb, and Isabella’s “you should probably get two jobs” results in an incredible ending for an episode that’s already pretty grand. When Gabby randomly shows up with an artificial and creepy-looking baby, she proposes that she’s trying to see if she can rely on the team when her hypothetical babysitter calls out.

Each of them is rightfully creeped out at first before slowly and hilariously warming up to the “new addition” joining their ranks. By the end of it all, it turns out they’re being scored by baby’s AP, and when Gabby realizes that they’re all ranking higher than her, she panics, believing that there’s no way she can be a good mom with her upbringing. It’s easy to appreciate how the show continues to drop small bits of information about Gabby’s mom to ultimately show us how different she is in comparison.

No mother, even those who diligently prepare, is ever fully ready to bring a child into this world. It’s hard and it’s scary, yet those apprehensions and tough times never alter how rewarding it simultaneously is. Gabby is most certainly ready, and she’s ready because Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 12, “Baby Doll,” reminds us that if she were anything like her mother, she wouldn’t have an entire team attaching themselves to her fake baby. At the same time, she wouldn’t be fighting tooth and nail to be a better person. She wouldn’t care as much as she does. She wouldn’t be freaking out so much if she weren’t a great person.

Further, the one thing Gabby has outside of a much bigger heart and a more sincere soul than her mother is the steadfast loyalty of friends behind her. Gabby might be loud and crass at times, but no one shows up the way she does. No one fights as hard as she does. And each person in this tavern knows that on some personal level, which is why she’d never be alone. They’d absolutely hold her hand through everything, but more importantly, she’s capable because of who she is.

Finally, the episode gives us one of the best performances from Melissa Peterman as she goes from her hilariously sharp self to a woman who’s broken and dejected, then later, deeply hopeful. So much of Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 12, “Baby Doll,” shines because of Peterman’s performances, making every beat incredible and surprisingly raw. 

Stray Thoughts

• So many quotes in this episode made me laugh out loud.
• “Dear Diary, Alexa has found a body.”
• “A Roomba with great hair.”
• Steve continues to impress me so much!
• “What are you staring at?” / “If I knew, I wouldn’t be staring.”
• Everyone’s attached to the fake baby.
• “Both wearing bandanas cause they’re bald!” Bobbie is actually so hilarious.
• “I do have four kids and an awesome voice.” Heck yes, Takoda!

Now streaming on NBC and Peacock: What are your thoughts on Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 12, “Baby Doll?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©(Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC)