Happy Face Episode 6 Recap: Lorelai

The sixth episode of ‘Happy Face,’ titled ‘Lorelai,’ epitomizes the saying one step forward and two steps back. After working for weeks on Elijah’s freedom, Melissa and Ivy face a huge roadblock on their path as District Attorney Calloway decides to flex his muscles and lops Keith and Elijah in as joint killers of Heather. The case’s vagaries have already taken up much of her energy in the previous episodes, but the evidence feels an arm’s length away as the day of Elijah’s death penalty closes in. In the meantime, the protagonist also discovers some huge groundbreaking news that tells her that Keith is playing a far more dangerous game than anyone is prepared for. Additionally, her daughter Hazel continues to edge deeper into her grandfather’s web, not knowing what lies ahead. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Melissa and Ivy Discover a New Lead in Heather’s Photos

After Calloway’s bombshell remark at the end of the last episode, the focus of Heather’s case shifts to establishing a link between Keith and Elijah. Frustrated, Melissa calls up her father to ask his input regarding the murder. He once again reiterates that he alone is responsible for Heather’s murder. Denise steps in and promises to help the team. She states that she no longer trusts Calloway to do the right thing, especially as the callousness of his decision could lead to Elijah suffering even longer under wrongful assumptions. Meanwhile, Josh stops by the school basement to check up on Hazel and her grandfather’s drawings. She tells him about Pioneer Falls motel and how Keith allegedly left behind something from each murder victim at a secret hiding spot. Josh promises to drive her to the motel the next day.

Denise decides to sit down for a TV interview for ‘The Dr. Greg Show,’ sharing intimate details about Heather Heather and pictures from her childhood and adulthood. While perusing through the photos, Melissa and Ivy find a lead about Ziggy’s Basement, a music bar in Dallas, Texas, that Heather used to frequent for her shows. Melissa also learns that HeatherHeather used her grandmother’s name, Lorelai, as a brand name for her performance. They decide to head to Dallas to check out the music bar in question. Gabriela informs them over a call that despite Calloway’s spirit-draining comment, Elijah’s hearing has been fast-tracked, which is good news. Hazel sets out on her journey to Pioneer Falls Motel, situated near Hermiston, Oregon. She is disappointed to see that Josh invited Summer, Victoria, and Eva along for the trip.

Hazel Shares a Tender Moment With Josh at Pioneer Falls

Calloway brings Keith to the warden’s office to intimidate him into reamending his confession. However, the exercise backfires on him when Keith reveals that he has his eyes on Calloway’s family. Hazel and her friends arrive at Pioneer Falls only to realize that the motel is now abandoned. They start looking through the rooms to find something Keith may have left behind. Elsewhere, Ben gets a rude awakening from his boss, who tells him that he is not being recommended for the promotion. Ben is stunned by the revelation and asks why he is being left behind while one of the juniors he recruited is being chosen for the managerial role. The brutal reality sinks in when his boss tells him that the recent publicity of Keith’s murder confession has led to Ben’s rejection. He is paying the price for his father-in-law’s notoriety.

As they look through the motel, Hazel’s group loiters into one specific room that has a bad stench inside. The others decide to leave after seeing a dead bird in the toilet sink. Josh and Hazel are the only ones left rifling through the interior. She confronts him about bringing Eva, Summer, and Victoria along with him on the trip, but he reassures her that she is the only reason he has decided to drive so far. They kiss and then head out. In the meantime, Melissa and Ivy arrive at Ziggy’s Basement, where they meet up with the proprietor, Ziggy, and ask him about Heather. He tells them he has a record of everyone who sang at the bar in his office, which he proceeds to check with them. Melissa hopes that something fruitful might come out of this investigation.

Hazel Deals With Betrayal as Melissa Makes a Big Discovery in Elijah’s Favor

Outside the motel room, Hazel is told by Summer that she saw something of note in the locker area of the motel’s lobby. The girl goes to check, only to find a derogatory slur awaiting her. Outside, the car peels away, leaving her behind. It dawns on Hazel as she calls Victoria and Eva that she has been humiliated and ditched by her so-called friends. Desperate, she contacts Keith for help. Meanwhile, Melissa and Ivy are unable to find any recordings of Heather in Ziggy’s backroom. As a last attempt, the protagonist suggests searching for Heather’s recording by looking for her brand name – Lorelai, which proves to be the right approach as they find a tape from a night in 1994. After digging deeper, they also find a recording of Heather’s performance on the night of her murder. It provides a significant breakthrough because it confirms that she was alive at the time Elijah was alleged to have killed her.

Hazel waits until nightfall at the motel for a truck to pull up outside. She gets into the passenger seat with an unknown male driver who is friends with Keith. We learn that he is a true crime author writing a book on the serial killer. His real name is Ennis Breeze. He hands Hazel a business card so she can reach out to him later. When Hazel gets back home, she rushes out of Ben’s reach as he asks her what happened. The girl retreats to her bedroom and locks herself in while Ben urges her to let him in. He hears her sobbing inside as he discovers Ennis’ business card on the floor. After conducting an internet search, he learns Ennis’ identity and is concerned about how his daughter is connected to the author. The following morning, Joyce sits down for yet another interview with the Dr. Greg team, expressing her worries about Elijah’s death penalty.

Joyce Reveals a Shocking Truth that Leaves Melissa Unsure and Doubtful

After the interview, Melissa heads into Joyce’s bedroom to collect some batteries when she discovers a Crimson Whimsy lipstick on the floor – the same brand used by Gillian. She confronts Joyce about the lipstick, asking her if Gillian has been to her house before. A shocking revelation comes to the fore as we learn that Joyce received a call from Keith three months back confessing his role in Heather’s murder. Subsequently, Gillian visits her home to make it clear that Keith is trying to do the right thing by helping Elijah. Gillian handed Joyce a burner phone, which she could use to talk to Keith. In the meantime, she also took some pictures of Heather’s case files, which were allegedly used to help Keith remember the details of the murder. We also learn that Joyce carved the Happy Face symbol in the tree trunk in the second episode.

Upon learning the bombshell news from Joyce, Melissa tells Ivy that they have to stop progressing with the case because Keith could be lying about everything. However, Ivy reaffirms that Elijah is guiltless in the crime based on the evidence and must be saved first, regardless of the rash decisions made by Joyce. Elsewhere, Ben rings up Ennis to reprimand him for harassing his daughter. However, his disposition quickly changes when he learns that Hazel was picked up by Ennis after she was ditched by her friends. Amidst the unfolding chaos, the court hearing for Elijah’s case kicks off as Gabriela sits down to defend her client while Calloway represents the state. Elijah is brought out in front of the gallery while Gabriela begins her defense by presenting the video recording from Ziggy’s Basement.

Elijah Tastes Freedom in a Quick Turn of Events

Following Gabriela’s compelling opening statement, Calloway stands up and surprisingly expresses his support of the defense. The judge then proceeds a step further by stating that rather than a retrial, Elijah should be freed because the evidence is enough to showcase his innocence. When Calloway accepts the release, Elijah and Joyce break into tears as brother and sister are reunited physically after decades. Elijah is let out of the court as a free man, enjoying the first rays of sunshine on the court’s step as the press gathers around him. Melissa goes after Calloway to thank him for not making things difficult at the end. He says that he will resign soon enough and her father, Keith, will rot in prison forever.

When Ben calls, Melissa shares the monumental news of Elijah’s release with her husband. However, he is not in the mood to celebrate because he just found out that Hazel has been talking to Keith via her call logs. He breaks the news to Melissa, who is stunned by this information. While matters seem to have resolved on Elijah’s front, things are progressively worsening in her personal life.