Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 16, “Whiskey Business” Spoilers Ahead
Happy’s Place knows exactly how to tug on even the most hardened heartstrings, and it does so excellently in “Whiskey Business.” While almost every episode in the show’s debut season has been brimming with something wholesome, there’s an extra bit of magic sprinkled into this one.
When Steve loses his pen in a crack in the bar, Bobbie breaks the outer corner to fetch it out. There, they find a hidden bottle of whiskey and realize it’s from Happy. We also learn that for the longest time, Happy’s been wanting to build a patio, so the girls go out to sell the whiskey at an auction in order to do so. Elsewhere, Emmett hurts Steve’s feelings, but the men open up about their friendship, and we get further proof of why the found family element on this show is so special.
Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 16 Is an Ode to Found Families
I might sound like a broken record week after week, but when everything else in the world is dark and gloomy, a show like Happy’s Place continues to be an indescribable bright spot. It delivers something special every time to showcase how people look out for each other and why it matters that they do. The patio is a beautiful thought, and money is tight, but what hits differently is an evening to remind them all why this job is the best one they’ll each have.
Happy as a person and Happy’s as a tavern are an idea for second chances. It’s a place for the people who aren’t generally expecting to find friendships to find a family instead, and it’s a promise that they’re in it for the long haul. All six of them sitting out on the rugged patio drinking $5,000 whiskey results in such a hopeful scene that my heart was in shambles. And more than anything, because it’s about the little moments more than the big things. It’s about the still, small moments that leave a mark.
It’s Takoda’s acute awareness of every single person around him, not just as the handyman but as the person who sees everyone as they really are. It’s the wholesome acceptance of Steve’s OCD, not by mocking him or by telling him to get over things, but by picking up a towel and setting it down on the cart so he doesn’t have to sit on something unclean. It’s also about Takoda knowing that the knife Emmett broke was from Steve. It’s how he’s so keenly aware and loving that makes him such a beautiful character to have around.
In Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 16, “Whiskey Business,” it’s also about understanding when it’s necessary to apologize. Emmett didn’t realize the knife was from Steve because, as he honestly admits, back then, he wasn’t looking for a friend. He wasn’t looking for anything, and now, Steve is one of the most important people in his life. He’s someone Emmett would go out of his way to apologize to. He’s someone he’d cook for, and he’s someone he’d consistently stand up for. And it’s so important for Steve to hear this because there are few things as heartbreaking as when someone doesn’t remember what you’ve done for them. And while the Emmett of today would never, it makes complete sense that he would before he opened his heart to the found family beside him.
At the same time, there’s everything Gabby continuously does by using the aches of her past to ensure that her friends are safe and protected. The fact that her cattle auction days came in handy to buy back the bottle of whiskey is no small detail. It’s Isabella and Bobbie realizing that the whiskey being a gift from Happy is yet further proof that they were meant to find each other and stay together. Happy’s Place always gets emotional arcs right, but this one shines from every angle.
Stray Thoughts
- “The wicked witch of the bar!”
- “I’m not giving you another knife.”
- HE GIVES HIM HIS PEN 🥹😭
- “Don’t kill any rats with it!”
- The bottle was for Isabella
- Gabby saves the day!
- Putting a towel down for Steve 😭😭😭
- The bar provides!?!? This idea!?!?? Oh, my heart.
Now streaming on NBC and Peacock: What are your thoughts on Happy’s Place Season 1, Episode 16, “Whiskey Business?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image: (Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC)