‘Happy’s Place’ Recap: ‘Heart of the Matter’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

HAPPY'S PLACE -- "Heart of the Matter" Episode 111 -- Pictured: Belissa Escobedo as Isabella, Reba McEntire as Bobbie, Rex Linn as Emmett, Melissa Peterman as Gabby, Pablo Castelblanco as Steve -- (Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Eleven of ‘Happy’s Place’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we talk and reflect upon the power of grief through loss, we tend to focus on the darker side of it all and rightfully so. Because losing someone we love is devastating in nature. It shatters our psyche, it plunges us into grief, it forces us to face the fact that death is inevitable. But above all, we become aware of the fact that someone that means the world to us… is gone. And we can never see them or hold them again and that is a lot to process and a lot to go through, so it makes sense why we see this in a negative light because so little of that is positive. But the fact of the matter is… there’s a lot of positive things we can take away from this experience and we should spotlight that as well.

In fact, last night’s episode of Happy’s Place on NBC did just that. Through a surprise involving Emmett no less in ‘Heart of the Matter’. For on this fine day, Emmett was late for work and that… just wasn’t like him. So, naturally, the team pondered on whether or not that meant he went home with a lovely lady the night before and was recovering from a wild evening. Which just ignited something within Bobbie, a real fury and a real concern. Which was only further exacerbated when he finally did arrive to work, and quickly left with a medical malady. Via ambulance no less, with Bobbie and Izzy, because they were worried something awful was about to happen to Emmett (thankfully he was okay) and well, this whole thing brought forth a unique truth.

In that, Bobbie had some deep-rooted feelings for Emmett, and she was finally ready to acknowledge that because of everything, really. Because her daddy’s passing helped her to understand that life was short, and that it was precious, and that seizing the moment was worthwhile and powerful. So, she had begun to think upon telling Emmett about her feelings for him and see where it might go. Granted, she didn’t say anything here, since she did clue into the fact that he wasn’t quite ready to hear such words. But she clearly learned a lot from death and embraced aspects of life she normally would not have because of those lessons, and that’s a wonderful thing. Because Bobbie is growing and becoming a better person from what we always see as a negative experience, and that made for a powerful and impactful story. 

One that was complimented by some real beauty back at the bar. Simply because… there was healing happening within its walls as well. For Steve let it be known that he was doing new types of therapy to help with his OCD and for his efforts, he was able to make real progress in treating it, in this moment. And his journey… inspired Gabby to think upon her own issues and her own psychological maladies. Because Steve was confronting his own head-on, and in a brave manner, and that just opened up Gabby’s eyes to the possibility that she could find some peace in her mind and her soul if she followed Steve’s lead. All of which made for a beautiful segment about healing and how our journey can sometimes inspire others.

If anything, this whole episode was beautiful in nature. Since it really did look at so many positive aspects of life. Of how powerful it is when we realize the precious nature of life since it motivates us to do wonderful things to ensure our happiness and the happiness of those around us, and of course… the power of being open about our healing journey and how that can inspire so many. Which just serves to remind us of how special this series truly is, and how refreshing it is to finally enjoy a sitcom that is both honest and hilarious and well, now that we’ve reached the end of this journey, we are absolutely ready for more. So, we can enjoy more positive angles regarding life, and to see what comes out of Bobbie’s admission that Emmett has set her heart a flutter. Until next time.

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