Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 13, “Mama Drama” Spoilers Ahead
Happy’s Place delivers another delightful episode with important conversations in “Mama Drama.” One of the show’s strengths is its ability to balance two different storylines that fit seamlessly into a larger overarching theme, which its been doing so consistently thus far.
Coming off the heels of “Baby Doll,” we’re still dealing with mothers and their children, but things are different today. Isabella finally decides that it’s time she learns the truth about what happened between Happy and her mom, Maritza (guest starring the incomparable Justina Machado), while Emmett and Takoda try to figure out why Steve can’t go back to Colombia. As the characters navigate through this, the result is yet another wholesome reminder of the fact that Happy’s is a home away from home.
Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 13 Gives Isabella and Her Mom a New Way to Reconnect
Isabella’s mom is a riveting conundrum, and Machado is the perfect person to bring her to life. Each of the characters in Happy’s Place has some sort of mama drama, which makes the inner workings of this episode feel significantly more complex and riveting. Conversations matter, but they’re hard to have when different personalities clash. Because of this, it’s often challenging to find a middle ground, and it’s especially hard to do so with mothers and their children with all the history between them.
However, this is where Bobbie plays a crucial role in allowing her inability to set things aside to be the catalyst in bringing Isabella and her mom to a place where there’s understanding. Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 13, “Mama Drama,” keeps the truth of Maritza and Happy’s affair behind closed doors, which feels fitting considering this is still the show’s debut season. It’s one thing for the characters to learn it, it’s another for the audience. We can wait a while, and I’m partly glad that’s the case. Still, it’s Bobbie’s involvement in this family drama that allows Maritza to see Isabella’s point of view and talk to her without bringing guilt or any sort of emotion between them.
The episode also gives viewers another interesting puzzle piece regarding Gabby’s relationship with her mother and how, even though she’s torn Gabby into pieces, Gabby knows her mom loves her. This issue isn’t an easy one to dissect, and it drastically varies from person to person, so I’m glad the series doesn’t explicitly point out that everyone should keep in contact with those who’ve hurt them. Some people need to leave. Others can perhaps stay. No two people have the same path and no two people take pain the same way, either. This way, the relationships each of these women have with their mothers and each other are different, special, and ultimately ever-changing.
In addition, it’s fascinating how Isabella’s mom plays a role in allowing Gabby and Bobbie to understand parts of themselves and their own pain alongside Isabella. There’s a lot of history in this show that we still need to dissect, and the balance between the lighthearted jokes and heavy blows continues to make big revelations feel more human.
Why Can’t Steve Go Back to Colombia?
The way that Emmett looks out for Steve is one of my favorite little details in Happy’s Place, and it has been since “Happy’s House.” We know that Steve’s sarcastic, and we also know that he doesn’t disclose as much, so it’s hilarious to me that he made his nostalgia sound so ominous, driving both Emmett and Takoda to think the extreme. But no—Steve’s simply feeling nostalgic because his family is no longer in Colombia, but they’re spread out throughout states in the US. And anyone who lives away from home gets that. The nostalgia we have for how things were when we were young can hit hard and fast, and some days, it can hit deeper than usual.
So, when Emmett and Takoda learn the truth, Emmett decides to follow a recipe and make Steve his favorite dish to bring a bit of home to him. And likely to makeup for the fact that he let the guy eat cake from the trash. (It doesn’t count if the box was clean, Emmett!) This secondary storyline results in another great scene that also involves Isabella and her mom as well, making the episode one that continues to promise good things are ahead.
Stray Thoughts
- Everything we learn about Gabby’s mom pains me.
- Bobbie’s growth is tremendous, and it makes me so happy to see how much she’s willing to do for Isabella.
- I love that Steve exists and says the things I’m thinking out loud.
- I LOVE seeing Justina Machado on my screen again!
- I have questions about how Emmett’s family must shut him out, too. What’s the story there? When will we learn it?
- Takoda making people gifts is everything.
- “Move, pretty boy.”
- The ending was so wholesome that my heart grew three sizes. ðŸ˜
Now streaming on NBC and Peacock: What are your thoughts on Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 13, “Mama Drama?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: (Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC)