Happy Face Episode 3 Recap: Was it Worth It?

In the third episode of ‘Happy Face,’ titled ‘Was it Worth it?’, life continues to grow complicated for Melissa as she gets pulled in various directions by the forces surrounding her life. The mystery of Heather’s murder propels her to take drastic measures with Ivy’s help, but it also leaves her vulnerable to those seeking a reason to hurt her. Meanwhile, her father’s manipulative tactics show no signs of slowing down as our protagonist gets drawn into a situation with messy outcomes. To make matters complicated, Hazel forges ahead with her morbid fascination with her grandfather’s macabre artwork and the fetishization of his symbol. It all unravels in steady progression as Melissa tries to come to terms with her newfound responsibilities and her role in the lives of those affected by Keith. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Melissa Attends a Dinner Party While a Stranger Shows Up at Home

The episode begins with a glimpse into the life of the man we saw at the end of episode 2. He lives in a trailer home with his dog, Buddha. As he goes about his day-to-day business, the man listens to the recent episode with Dr. Greg, in which Melissa spilled her father’s secrets. Meanwhile, at the Reed residence, Melissa is informed by her daughter that her sitdown with Dr. Greg had a positive impact on social media. At work, Melissa also learns that a series of protests have begun outside the homes of the judges overseeing Heather’s case. Dr. Greg congratulates her on her efforts and makes her a consultant producer on the case, which she reluctantly accepts. He also invites her and Ben to dinner at his home with his wife, Roxanne, and a contingent of other prominent guests.

Ivy begins pouring through the hundreds of unread letters Keith, AKA Happy Face Killer, sent to Melissa through the years. Additionally, she and Adele, her associate producer, also scour through the tips coming in from people across the country who are willing to provide information regarding Heather’s murder. In the meantime, Melissa and Ben attend Dr. Greg’s party, nervous about the ordeal because of the highfalutin crowd gathered in his luxurious home. Elsewhere, the man living in the outbacks drives to Melissa’s home. Through a flashback, we learn that he is actually Ashton McBride, the son of Louise Nelson, Keith’s last murder victim. McBride attacked Keith during the court trial after the latter taunted him and showed no remorse for his actions. In the present day, Ashton rings the front doorbell in the Reed residence. Moments later, Max answers the door.

At the dinner party, Melissa feels out of place as Dr. Greg’s guests ask her about her childhood experiences with her father. Pressured by their expectations, she tells a disturbing story about Keith killing cats in the house when she was still a child. Subsequently, she leaves for a bathroom break, hoping to catch some air. Meanwhile, Keith sits in the prison common hall watching his daughter’s interview on ‘The Dr. Greg Show.’ He feels disgruntled about the whole interview and stares down a fellow inmate who disparages his daughter. On her way back to the dining room, Melissa runs into a woman named Hannah, who tells her that her brother is a murderer. She is looking to connect and feel a type of solace by speaking to Melissa. The latter obliges and provides some warm words.

A Disturbing Confrontation is Followed By an Alleged Confession Song

Melissa gets a call from her father, who has a secret phone with him in his cell. He reprimands his daughter for making the interview all about herself rather than giving him the spotlight for his ninth murder confession. He emotionally blackmails her, stating she will get what she wants at the end of the case, which is Elijah’s needle in his arm. He also asks her which prison guard disparaged her when she came to question him. When she maintains her secrecy, he surmises that it must have been Bassett. Soon after the call ends, Melissa contacts the Penitentiary authorities to inform them about Keith’s secret phone. Dr. Greg comes out to ask her how her night is going. She admits that everything feels overwhelming. However, he tells her that she should harness people’s fascination in her life to her benefit, which she is not accustomed to.

Meanwhile, Max brings out some water for Buddha to drink outside the home. Ashton talks to the boy about how he grew up alone when he was his age. He also learns that Hazel is inside the house. Earlier, the girl broke into her mom’s safe to find the birthday artwork Keith had sent her. She also creates a seller profile on an art website to sell the drawing for profit. In the meantime, Ivy and Adele pinpoint a tipoff from a woman named Barbara, who states that she can prove Keith killed Heather. However, when they call her brother, Harold Griffin, they learn that he was a prison guard who oversaw Elijah. Harold shares a song Elijah wrote in prison with them.

After returning home from the dinner party, Melissa and Ben’s night takes a drastic turn when the former finds Max petting Ashton’s dog, Buddha, in the backyard. Ashton confronts Melissa about her interview with Dr. Greg. Ben calls the police, but Ashton is gone before they arrive. Melissa cannot process the entire ordeal with her family because Ivy wants them to travel to Texas early the next morning. The scene cuts to Melissa and Ivy at the prison as they meet with Elijah face-to-face. It turns out that the song Elijah wrote reads like a confession note to Heather’s murder. Worried about what it means, Ivy wants the team to find the answers straight from his mouth. However, when Melissa pops the question, he gets agitated and leaves.

While discussing Elijah’s reaction, Tyler, their photographer, tells them that Heather actually wrote the song. Subsequently, Melissa and Ivy realize they must talk with Heather’s relatives. At school, Hazel runs into Eva and Victoria, who urge her to post the artwork on the selling site. Josh, the boy who greeted her in the convenience store in the previous episode, helps her set up a PayPal account. Later, Hazel asks Eva about him while hanging out at her home. They also get a notification that the artwork has been sold. The Oregon Penitentiary guards rock up to Keith’s cell and hold him down while a search is performed. Bassett, the guard who humiliated Melissa, finds the phone. Keith warns him to stay away from his daughter. Unfazed, the man tells Keith that Melissa snitched on his secret phone.

A New Revelation Comes to Light as Melissa is Targeted Online

In the meantime, Melissa and Ivy meet with Denise, Heather’s mom, at the local salon. Although she is unhappy with the two, she tells them that Elijah was physically abusing Heather. Eventually, the woman throws them out after Melissa shows her the song Elijah wrote. On the way out, Melissa gets a call from Ben, who found Ashton’s home address and wants her to fill in a restraining order against the man. Melissa is unwilling to go down that route, which makes Ben feel like she is not taking his side into account. Exhausted by the past few days, Melissa and Ivy take a small break at a local restaurant, where the latter talks about her reporter father. Their conversation is abruptly cut short by the arrival of District Attorney Calloway, who tells them to find “hard, physical evidence” if they want Heather’s case reopened.

At Oregon State Penitentiary, Keith is secretly provided a cell phone by a guard as he sits in solitary confinement. The serial killer makes a phone call to someone outside, whom he asks to provide a new phone. Melissa and Ivy sit down for an interview with Jackie Mullins, Heather’s best friend. They talk more about Heather’s singing aspirations and how she connected with Elijah through her music. She informs them that Elijah got Heather in touch with a producer. When they speak with Elijah at the prison, he tells them the producer’s name, Lucius. Melissa and Ivy apologize for how they accused Elijah of writing the confession song. He explains why he wrote the confession song. He also tells them more about the last night he and Heather were together.

During the car ride, Tyler informs the group that an op-ed has been published on Melissa, bringing up the abortion she got when she was fifteen. Melissa is distraught and gets out of the car to process the news. She thinks her ex, Brendan, had something to do with the report. As they stand in the middle of nowhere, Ivy notices a church with a billboard outside that says “Find God Here,” which mirrors the messages left behind by Keith. They talk to the pastor inside, who tells them that Keith did stop by the place many moons ago, looking for some way to rid himself of “spirits.” The pastor also says that he came with a boy. When he describes the kid, Melissa recognizes him as her brother, Shane.